![[2025] A roundup of popular Japanese female singer-songwriters](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/p-RLC9ZgjhY/maxresdefault.webp)
[2025] A roundup of popular Japanese female singer-songwriters
Singer-songwriters—artists who write lyrics and compose their own music—feel familiar to us, and many are active today.
In Japan, the term “singer-songwriter” is said to have taken hold in the 1970s, and it was also during this period that female singer-songwriters emerged who would go on to influence countless artists, not just their male counterparts.
In this article, we introduce female singer-songwriters who are indispensable to any discussion of Japanese music history.
Alongside legendary artists, we also feature Gen Z singer-songwriters, so if you love female singer-songwriters, this is a must-read!
[2025] Popular Japanese Female Singer-Songwriters (1–10)
NIPPONRingo Sheena
Since her debut in 1998, Ringo Sheena has continued to make a striking impact on Japan’s music scene.
She’s known for a musical style that crosses a wide range of genres, including J-pop, jazz, rock, and alternative rock.
She has produced hit songs such as “Gokurasho” and “Koko de Kiss Shite.” and has won numerous music awards.
Since 2004, she has also showcased her talents as the vocalist of the rock band Tokyo Jihen.
Her songs, distinguished by a unique worldview and literary sensibility, are highly acclaimed.
Aiming to become the soundtrack to listeners’ lives, they deeply empathize with women’s everyday experiences and inner emotions, reflecting their nuances.
It’s said that Sheena’s tracks often forgo gaps between songs, avoiding lingering pauses, with the intention of closely following the real shifts in women’s emotions.
She’s an artist highly recommended for anyone drawn to inventive musicality.
usmilet
Tokyo-born singer-songwriter milet has brought a fresh breeze to the J-pop scene.
Produced by Toru from ONE OK ROCK, she made her major debut in March 2019, with her debut track hitting No.
1 on 11 platforms including iTunes.
Her distinctive husky, weighty vocals and globally minded songwriting have captivated many fans.
Her breathtaking performance at the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics drew worldwide attention, while her first overseas music festival appearance in Hong Kong and her first solo show in Taipei—whose tickets sold out in just two seconds—have boosted her international popularity.
With songs infused with Western pop sensibilities and a steady stream of drama and film tie-in hits, she is a highly recommended artist for music lovers with a global outlook.
First LoveHikaru Utada
The genius singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada stunned the world with her overwhelming talent and flawless English pronunciation.
When she debuted in December 1998 at just 15 years old, the impact was a historic event in Japanese music history.
Her debut song, with its full-on R&B flavor and wistful melody, left a strong impression, and back then you heard it everywhere you went.
Her first album, First Love, sold an astonishing 7.
65 million copies and won the Japan Record Award for Best Album.
She continued to shatter records, with Distance selling 3 million copies in its first week, among other milestones.
While rooted in R&B, Utada has broadened her sound over time by incorporating electronic elements.
She’s a highly acclaimed artist internationally and a great recommendation for fans of Western music.
MarigoldAimyon
Aimyon, born in 1995 in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, is a singer-songwriter known for her distinctive perspective and expressive emotionality.
She made her major debut in 2016 and has captivated many fans with songs themed around the emotions and experiences of adolescence.
Even before her debut, she was tasked with composing 50 songs and reportedly had around 130 demo tracks, showcasing her abundant creativity.
Her representative works include the albums “Seishun no Excitement” and “Shunkanteki Sixth Sense.” The second daughter among six siblings, she began her musical journey after receiving an acoustic guitar from a teacher in her third year of junior high school.
While she has a shy side, she’s also sociable and not timid around new people.
Highly recommended for those who resonate with down-to-earth lyrics and a unique worldview.
Stars on EarthMiyuki Nakajima
Miyuki Nakajima is Japan’s leading female singer-songwriter, who has been at the forefront of the country’s music scene for over 50 years.
Since her 1975 debut with “Azami-jō no Lullaby,” she has released numerous classic songs.
While she is known for works that symbolize their eras, her unique worldview—unconfined by genres such as New Music or rock—is a major part of her appeal.
In 1982, she scored a massive hit with “Akujo,” and in the 1990s she found further success through TV dramas and commercial tie-ins.
Her songs, woven from lyrics backed by deep insight and expressive power and delivered with her distinctive vocal style, continue to resonate with many people.
She is an artist that anyone interested in singer-songwriters should definitely listen to.
Dinner Songtuki.
In the 2020s, one artist causing a stir in the music scene with talent beyond her 15 years is Tuki.
Although she only began her full-scale activities in 2023, a song she posted on TikTok went viral, topping the Oricon and Billboard Japan charts and surpassing 100 million streams.
Her path into music began when she started teaching herself guitar at age 13 while stuck at home during the pandemic.
Now a junior high school student, she balances her studies with releasing primarily pop tracks.
In 2024, she was selected as one of Spotify’s 10 next-generation artists to watch.
With youthful sensitivity and astonishing talent, she’s a female singer-songwriter whose future success is highly anticipated.
Savoring youthLilas Ikuta feat. ano
Born in 2000, Lila Ikuta is a talented singer-songwriter active both as a solo artist and as the vocalist of YOASOBI.
She has sustained her passion for music since childhood, studying piano and guitar and even starting to perform street gigs in middle school.
In 2019, she formed YOASOBI, and their debut song became a major hit, reaching No.
1 on music streaming services.
Ikuta is fluent in English and has performed live overseas.
In 2020, she released the album “Jukebox,” for which she wrote both the lyrics and music for every track.
With her diverse musicality and clear, transparent vocals, she captivates listeners across generations.
As a rising talent in J-pop, Ikuta’s music is highly recommended for those with a delicate sensibility.