Mika Nakashima

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mika Nakashima was born and raised in Kyushu, the youngest of three children, growing up in the small town of Hioki, Kagoshima. She has said there was 'nothing there, only enka.' She began listening to enka singer Eiko Segawa and studied classical Japanese dance, but hoped to work in fashion magazines since she was too short to become a model. She decided not to attend high school after junior high and began working at age 15. At 17, she attended an audition not knowing what it was for and was chosen from 3,000 girls to be the actress in the fall 2001 Fuji TV drama *Kizudarake no Love Song*, playing heroine Mirai Shimazaki and singing the theme song 'Stars,' which became her debut single in November 2001. Her debut album *True* (August 2002) hit number one on the Oricon charts, sold a million copies in three weeks, and has sold nearly 1,174,000 copies to date. Her second album *Love* (November 2003) sold nearly 1.45 million copies, and her first greatest hits album *Best* (December 2005) also sold over a million copies.

In Their Own Story

In 2005, Nakashima co-starred with Aoi Miyazaki in the live-action movie *Nana*, based on the manga of the same name, released September 10, 2005. She sang the theme song 'Glamorous Sky,' written by manga author Ai Yazawa and composed by L'Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde. The single sold 444,067 copies total. The video won 'Best Video from a Film' at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan. A sequel, *Nana 2*, was released in December 2006, with Nakashima performing the theme song 'Hitoiro,' written by Yazawa and composed by Glay's Takuro. She also released the album *The End*, featuring all songs released under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima. On December 18, 2006, Nakashima and Yui Ichikawa came to New York City for the International Premiere of *Nana 2* at the IFC Center. Following the *Nana* movie, Nakashima visited Memphis, Tennessee, and started a gospel-influenced project with 'Cry No More,' the ending theme of the anime *Blood+*. She teamed up with American musicians Cyril Neville and Alan Toussaint for the charity single 'All Hands Together' and was rewarded with honorary citizenship of Memphis, Tennessee and a key to the city.

Reader's Guide

Mika Nakashima's career includes five number-one studio albums on the Oricon chart: *True* (2002), *Love* (2003), *Music* (March 2005), *Best* (December 2005), and *Voice* (November 2008). Her mini-album *Resistance* (2002) also hit number one for two consecutive weeks. Her single 'Glamorous Sky' (2005) was her only number one single and the best-selling female single of 2005. She has sold over 10 million records in Japan. In 2002, she won 'New Artist of the Year' at the Japan Gold Disc Awards, 'Best New Artist of the Year' at the All Japan Request Awards 2002, and 'New Artist of the Year' from the 44th Japan Record Awards. Her album *Love* won the Best Album Award from the Japan Composers Association. In 2008, her album *Voice* topped the Oricon Album Chart for the first time since *Best* in 2005, selling over 155,000 copies in its first week and over 340,000 copies total. In September 2010, she made her US film debut with a small role as J Pop Girl in *Resident Evil: Afterlife*.

Did You Know?

• Mika Nakashima was chosen from 3,000 girls for her acting debut in the 2001 drama *Kizudarake no Love Song* without knowing what the audition was for.
• Her single 'Glamorous Sky' was written by *Nana* manga author Ai Yazawa and composed by L'Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde.
• She was awarded honorary citizenship of Memphis, Tennessee and a key to the city for her charity work with American musicians Cyril Neville and Alan Toussaint.
• Her album *Love* (2003) sold nearly 1.45 million copies, surpassing her debut album *True*.
• In 2010, she made her US film debut with a small role as J Pop Girl in *Resident Evil: Afterlife*.