Yo Hitoto

Yo Hitoto is a J-pop singer and actress whose career reflects her dual Japanese and Taiwanese heritage. ∙ Hitoto performed with an a cappella group while attending Keio University in Tokyo, then she worked as a backup singer and voice artist before composing her own songs. ∙ In 2002, her debut single, “Morai Naki,” rose to No. 4 in Japan and was one of the top-selling songs of the year. ∙ She starred in Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s film Café Lumière, which was nominated for a Golden Lion at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. ∙ A song about peace inspired by the 9/11 attacks, her 2004 single “Hanamizuki” stayed on the Japanese charts for almost two years and became her signature tune. ∙ BESTYO, Hitoto’s first greatest-hits collection, rose to No. 2 on the Japanese album charts in 2006 and went triple-Platinum.