Chihiro Onitsuka

Influenced by The Carpenters while growing up, Chihiro Onitsuka later discovered Jewel, whose music inspired her to become a singer-songwriter. ∙ In 2001, her debut album, Insomnia, won Best-Selling Rock Album at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, and her single “Memai” won Best Lyrics at the Japan Record Awards. ∙ Her song “Castle Imitation” appears in the end credits of the video game Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. ∙ She surprised her fans by covering Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and The Police’s “King of Pain” at the outdoor concert Sweet Love Shower 2004. ∙ After recovering from vocal injury, Onitsuka released 2017’s Syndrome, which entered the Billboard Japan Hot Albums chart at No. 20.