Yumi Arai

Since debuting in 1972, Yumi Arai—who later went by Matsutoya, her married name—has been one of Japan’s most successful pop/rock musicians, as both a songwriter and a vocalist. ∙ Arai was only 17 years old when her song “Ai wa Totsuzen ni” was recorded and released by Katsumi Kahashi of The Tigers. ∙ The backing band on her debut album, 1973’s Hikouki Gumo, was the famed Tin Pan Alley studio crew, featuring future Yellow Magic Orchestra cofounder Haruomi Hosono on bass. ∙ From 1981’s Sakuban Oaishimasho through 1997’s Cowgirl Dreamin’, she released 17 consecutive albums that topped the Japanese charts. ∙ Pop singer Seiko Matsuda, one of Japan’s most successful musical exports, had No. 1 hits in that country with several of Arai’s compositions, including “Hitomi Wa Diamond” in 1986. ∙ Her songs have been featured in such Studio Ghibli films as 1989’s Kiki’s Delivery Service (“Rouge No Dengon,”) and 2013’s The Wind is Rising (“Hikouki Gumo”). ∙ Released in 1990, her LP The Gates of Heaven was the first Japanese album to sell two million copies domestically.