Chara made her debut as a singer-songwriter in Japan on September 21st, 1991 with the single Heaven on Epic Records. Her original songs and unique presence rapidly gained attention and popularity. Her fashion style kept her always as the center of attention. In 1992, her second album Soul Kiss won the New Artist award for pop and rock music at the Japan Music Awards.
In the 1996 film Swallowtail Butterfly, directed by Shuji Iwai, Chara appeared as an actress, performing the role of lead singer of the fictional Yen Town Band. She was also featured on the soundtrack album, with the theme song Swallowtail Butterfly ~ Ai no Uta becoming a #1 single. She repeated the feat the following year, with her single Yasashii Kimochi off of her million-selling #1 album Junior Sweet.
As a leading figure of Japanese popular culture, and with a growing audience of admirers of her art, lifestyle and fashion, Chara became a new archetype for women. “Like Chara” became a way to describe that style for female musicians. Chara managed to balance her career as a musician and songwriter with being a mother of two talented children, Sumire (a model and actress) and Himi (a musician and actor), who are now actively performing.
Since her debut, Chara has consistently pushed original musical ideas, collaborating with top creators in every field, and elevating up-and-coming musicians. After releasing her own original album Baby Bump in 2018, she joined The Millenium Parade on the single Stay!!! as a vocalist in 2019, and then in 2020 she released the mini-album Echo with the artist Yuki. She will also soon appear as an actress in a drama for Disney+.
Chara’s 30th anniversary in the music business was celebrated in 2021 with Chara’s Time Machine, a live show at NHK Osaka Hall and Line Cube Shibuya in Tokyo. A book commemorating the anniversary was released. Pushing her musical exploration into the classical world, Chara took on a full scale symphonic concert, led by maestro Hisao Yanagisawa at Tokyo Orchid Hall and KOBELCO Grand Hall in Hyogo. Her original songs were performed with spectacular arrangements.
Heading in new directions in 2022, Chara will release her first single for Nippon Colombia in November, with the title A・O・U.
