Saya Asakura
Born on June 29, 1992, from Yamagata Prefecture.
Influenced by her great-grandmother and mother who loved folk songs, she began learning folk songs in earnest from the second grade of elementary school and started learning the shamisen(a traditional Japanese stringed instrument with three strings and a long, thin body, played with a plectrum called a bachi) from the fourth grade.
She won the title of Japan's best in folk songs twice during her elementary and junior high school years and moved to Tokyo at the age of 18.
In 2012, she met music producer Solaya, who has worked with famous artists such as Kousuke Atari, Crystal Kay, JUJU, and Tohoshinki. She began singing and arranging famous songs into folk style or Yamagata dialect and posting them on video sites. She incorporated the shamisen into songs like "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" and "Genesis of Aquarion," and these videos gradually gained views and became a topic of discussion.
On January 1, 2013, she appeared on TV Asahi's "Singing Famous Songs in Dialect! New Year All Japan Dialect Song Tournament."
She received many TV appearance offers, and before her debut, she was featured in various media such as TV, commercials, radio, and newspapers. Her powerful folk singing voice, Yamagata dialect, and bright, laughing character drew a lot of attention.
On April 5, 2013, she debuted with the tear-jerking song "Tokyo," which she wrote and composed herself, expressing love and feelings for hometowns. It debuted at number 2 on the Weekly USEN HIT Indies Ranking and reached number 1 the following week. It also topped the Amazon MP3 Enka Bestsellers Ranking and entered various other charts, including the Oricon Ranking.
In 2015, she achieved significant feats, such as winning the Planning Award at the Japan Record Awards and the Tohoku Block Award at the CD Shop Awards.
She also realized collaborations with artists like Kaori Kouzai and Kousuke Atari.
In April 2018, she performed in Mexico City, showcasing her singing voice in the scorching heat of Mexico.
On April 1, 2020, she released "Kokin Uta Collection Future Trax Best" from Universal Music, with the theme of creating new music. She positioned "Future Trax," which fuses folk songs with cutting-edge music, as one of her music themes.
After that, she sang the single "New Tokyo" and the theme song "Yanato Taue Uta・Kaminagi" for the massively popular Japanese-style action RPG " Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin" .The song topped the iTunes Store Anime Top Songs charts in Australia, reached number 2 in France, number 5 in Sweden, and number 9 in Taiwan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she continuously took on new challenges with YouTube distributions like "38CM," "38MOVIE," and live broadcasts.
In 2022, she released a full album "Life Song," a double album with 22 tracks singing about the preciousness of life. She also performed at the Hibiya Music Festival and the Fuji Rock Festival that year, receiving applause and acclaim everywhere.
Her Yamagata dialect cover of "Robinson"(by Spitz) reached the ears of the members, leading to her vocal participation in the song "Mirai Mirai" from Spitz's original album "Himitsu Studio" in May 2023. On June 14, she released her album "Dai Kaimaku," signaling a new chapter in her music career.
Celebrating her 10th anniversary since debut, she is currently on a nationwide tour with her unique and unparalleled singing voice.
Her YouTube channel has over 120,000 subscribers, with total views reaching about 45 million.
She is a rare presence capable of conveying Japanese songs and culture through folk songs and the Yamagata dialect, which she has cultivated since childhood.
Born on June 29, 1992, from Yamagata Prefecture.
Influenced by her great-grandmother and mother who loved folk songs, she began learning folk songs in earnest from the second grade of elementary school and started learning the shamisen(a traditional Japanese stringed instrument with three strings and a long, thin body, played with a plectrum called a bachi) from the fourth grade.
She won the title of Japan's best in folk songs twice during her elementary and junior high school years and moved to Tokyo at the age of 18.
In 2012, she met music producer Solaya, who has worked with famous artists such as Kousuke Atari, Crystal Kay, JUJU, and Tohoshinki. She began singing and arranging famous songs into folk style or Yamagata dialect and posting them on video sites. She incorporated the shamisen into songs like "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" and "Genesis of Aquarion," and these videos gradually gained views and became a topic of discussion.
On January 1, 2013, she appeared on TV Asahi's "Singing Famous Songs in Dialect! New Year All Japan Dialect Song Tournament."
She received many TV appearance offers, and before her debut, she was featured in various media such as TV, commercials, radio, and newspapers. Her powerful folk singing voice, Yamagata dialect, and bright, laughing character drew a lot of attention.
On April 5, 2013, she debuted with the tear-jerking song "Tokyo," which she wrote and composed herself, expressing love and feelings for hometowns. It debuted at number 2 on the Weekly USEN HIT Indies Ranking and reached number 1 the following week. It also topped the Amazon MP3 Enka Bestsellers Ranking and entered various other charts, including the Oricon Ranking.
In 2015, she achieved significant feats, such as winning the Planning Award at the Japan Record Awards and the Tohoku Block Award at the CD Shop Awards.
She also realized collaborations with artists like Kaori Kouzai and Kousuke Atari.
In April 2018, she performed in Mexico City, showcasing her singing voice in the scorching heat of Mexico.
On April 1, 2020, she released "Kokin Uta Collection Future Trax Best" from Universal Music, with the theme of creating new music. She positioned "Future Trax," which fuses folk songs with cutting-edge music, as one of her music themes.
After that, she sang the single "New Tokyo" and the theme song "Yanato Taue Uta・Kaminagi" for the massively popular Japanese-style action RPG " Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin" .The song topped the iTunes Store Anime Top Songs charts in Australia, reached number 2 in France, number 5 in Sweden, and number 9 in Taiwan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she continuously took on new challenges with YouTube distributions like "38CM," "38MOVIE," and live broadcasts.
In 2022, she released a full album "Life Song," a double album with 22 tracks singing about the preciousness of life. She also performed at the Hibiya Music Festival and the Fuji Rock Festival that year, receiving applause and acclaim everywhere.
Her Yamagata dialect cover of "Robinson"(by Spitz) reached the ears of the members, leading to her vocal participation in the song "Mirai Mirai" from Spitz's original album "Himitsu Studio" in May 2023. On June 14, she released her album "Dai Kaimaku," signaling a new chapter in her music career.
Celebrating her 10th anniversary since debut, she is currently on a nationwide tour with her unique and unparalleled singing voice.
Her YouTube channel has over 120,000 subscribers, with total views reaching about 45 million.
She is a rare presence capable of conveying Japanese songs and culture through folk songs and the Yamagata dialect, which she has cultivated since childhood.