Akina Nakamori

Born Jul 13, 1965 · Ōta, Tokyo, Japan

Nakamori Akina (中森明菜) is a Japanese soloist and former idol. Nakamori started in show business after auditioning for the talent scouting TV show Star Tanjou!. She did not clear the preliminary rounds in 1979 and 1980's contests, but won 1st place in 1981 with a record breaking score, guaranteeing her a recording contract. She debuted as an idol in 1982 with the single slow motion, but it did not sell as planned. However, her subsequent single Shoujo A (少女A) became a huge hit, and after that she became one of the best selling artists of the 1980s. She remained active in entertainment until 2009 when she went on an extended hiatus. She returned to entertainment in 2014, but her physical apperances were rare. After the release of her album Akina in 2017, she went on an extended hiatus again. In August 2022, she launched her official Twitter account and announced her return to show business under a new management company. In December 2023, she opened her official YouTube account.