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Yuki
Born
磯谷有希 (Isoya Yuki)

(1972-02-17) February 17, 1972 (age 52)
Occupation
  • Singer-songwriter
  • musician
Spouse(s)
Yoichi Kuramochi
(m. 2000)
Children 3
Musical career
Genres
Years active 1991–present
Labels Sony Music Entertainment Japan (contract ended on 09/31/2017)
Associated acts
  • Judy and Mary
  • NiNa
  • Mean Machine
  • Kōichi Tsutaya (producer)
  • Kenji Tamai (producer)

Yuki Kuramochi (倉持 有希, Kuramochi Yuki, born February 17, 1972), known professionally as Yuki (stylized as YUKI), is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead vocalist for Judy and Mary. She founded Judy and Mary in 1991 and became a solo artist in 2002. She has also been a member of the bands NiNa (1999, with Kate Pierson of the B-52's, bassist Mick Karn of Japan, former members of the Japanese New Wave band the Plastics Masahide Sakuma and Takemi Shima, and session drummer Steven Wolf) and Mean Machine (alongside Chara, 2001).

Biography

Yuki was born Yuki Isoya (磯谷 有希, Isoya Yuki) in Hakodate, Hokkaido. After graduating from Hakodate Otani College, she worked as a beautician. She met Yoshihito Onda who visited Hakodate to make a movie, The Triple Cross. The meeting triggered the formation of Judy and Mary in 1992. After Judy and Mary disbanded, Yuki made her solo debut in 2002. She married Magokoro Brothers frontman Yoichi Kuramochi in September 2000, and gave birth to her first child, a boy, on April 18, 2003. However, the child died from unknown causes (SIDS) on March 17, 2005. She gave birth to a second child on August 29, 2006, and a third child in June 2009.

Backup band

Band Astro

They perform in her tour or recording.

  • Guitar: Jun Matsue (Spoozys)
  • Drums: Atsushi Matsushita (Zazen Boys)
  • Bass: Hiroharu Kinoshita (ex. L⇔R, curve509)
  • All keyboard instruments: Makoto Minagawa (ex Shiina Ringo)
  • DJ / manipulator: Yohei Tsukasaki

The Urah

They performed in her tour or recording in 2010.

  • All keyboard instruments: Kiyohide Ura (ex Diamond Head)
  • Guitar: Tsuneo Imahori
  • Guitar: Akihito "Akkin" Suzuki (ex. Heart Bazaar, ex Shiina Ringo, ex Kaela Kimura)
  • Bass: Kenji Ueda (ex. The Pillows)
  • Drums: Tsuyoshi Miyagawa

Discography

Original albums

Year Album information Chart positions
Total sales
Certifications
(sales thresholds)
2002 Prismic
  • Released: March 27, 2002
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-2300)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
3 298,240 Gold
2003 Commune
  • Released: March 26, 2003
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-2400)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
11 90,000 Gold
2005 Joy
  • Released: February 23, 2005
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-2634)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
1 343,000 Platinum
2006 Wave
  • Released: September 6, 2006
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-2865)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
1 358,000 Platinum
2010 Ureshikutte Dakiau yo (うれしくって抱きあうよ, "Happily Holding Each Other")
  • Released: March 10, 2010
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-3392)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
1 166,146 Gold
2011 Megaphonic
  • Released: August 24, 2011
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-3756~3757, ESCL-3758)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
1 119,980 Gold
2014 Fly
  • Released: September 17, 2014
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-4277~8, ESCL-4279)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
2 58,591
2017 Mabataki (まばたき, "Blink")
  • Released: March 15, 2017
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-4837~9, ESCL-4840, ESJL-3088~9, ESTL-4)
  • Formats: CD, digital download, LP
1 50,888 (phy.)
8,544 (dig.)
2019 For me
  • Release: February 6, 2019
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: Digital download
5 29,783 (phy.)
5,340 (dig.)
2021 Terminal
  • Released: April 28, 2021
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: CD, digital download
2 (phy.)
1 (dig.)
22,909 (phy.)
2,972 (dig.)
2023 Parade ga Tsuzukunara (パレードが続くなら, "If the Parade Goes On")
  • Released: February 1, 2023
  • Label: Epic
  • Formats: CD, digital download
7 (phy.) 11,371 (phy.)
802 (dig.)

Other albums

Year Album information Chart positions
Total sales
Certifications
2007 Five-star
  • Greatest hits album
  • Released: October 3, 2007
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-3015)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
1 362,000 Platinum
2010 Yuki "The Present" 2010.06.14,15 Bunkamura Orchard Hall
  • Live album
  • Released: December 1, 2010
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-3555)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
9 29.982
2012 Powers of Ten
  • 10 years greatest hits.
  • Released: February 1, 2012
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-3838)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
2 112.818 Gold
2022 Free & Fancy
  • EP
  • Released: May 11, 2022
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-5655)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
9 5,000
2022 Bump & Grind
  • EP
  • Released: November 2, 2022
  • Label: Epic (ESCL-5658)
  • Formats: CD, digital download
14 5,000

Singles

As lead artist

Release Title Notes Chart positions Oricon
sales
Album
Oricon singles charts
Billboard Japan Hot 100†
RIAJ digital tracks†
2002 "The End of Shite" 6 125,000 Prismic
"Prism" (プリズム, Purizumu) 11 87,000
"66db" Re-cut single 30 9,500
"Stand Up! Sister" (スタンドアップ!シスター, Sutando Appu! Shisutā) 10 33,000 Commune
2003 "Sentimental Journey" (センチメンタルジャーニー, Senchimentaru Jānī) 17 24,000
"Humming Bird" (ハミングバード, Hamingu Bādo) 23 11,000
2004 "Home Sweet Home" 9 57,000 Joy
"Hello, Goodbye" (ハローグッバイ, Harō Gubbai) 6 43,000
2005 "Joy" Certified Gold for cellphone downloads 10 61,000
"Nagai Yume" (長い夢, "Long Dream") Certified Gold for copies shipped and cellphone downloads 4 86,000 Wave
"Dramatic" (ドラマチック, Doramachikku) Certified Gold for copies shipped 2 77,000
"Yorokobi no Tane" (歓びの種, "Seeds of Happiness") Certified Gold for copies shipped 5 69,000
2006 "Melancholinista" (メランコリニスタ, Merankorinisuta) 10 43,000
"Fugainai ya" (ふがいないや, "Cowardly") 6 39,000
2007 "Biscuit" (ビスケット, Bisuketto) Digital single, certified Gold for cellphone downloads 18* Five-star
"Hoshikuzu Sunset" (星屑サンセット, "Stardust Sunset") Certified Gold for cellphone downloads 4 36* 44,000
"Wonder Line" (ワンダーライン, Wandārain) 4 19* 35,000
2008 "Kisha ni Notte" (汽車に乗って, "Riding on the Train") 5 9 61* 35,000 Ureshikutte Dakiau yo
"Message" (メッセージ, Messēji) Digital single 46
2009 "Rendezvous" (ランデヴー, Randevū) 6 8 45* 36,000 Ureshikutte Dakiau yo
"Cosmic Box" 6 42 13 30,000
2010 "Ureshikutte Dakiau yo" (うれしくって抱きあうよ, "Happily Holding Each Other") 5 5 8 24,000
"Futari no Story" (2人のストーリー, "Our Story") 4 9 17 27,000
2011 "Himitsu" (ひみつ, "Secret")
2012 "Playball / Sakamichi no Melody" (プレイボール / 坂道のメロディ, "Playball / Melody on the Slope") 4
"Watashi no negaigoto" (わたしの願い事, "My wish")
2013 "STARMANN"
2014 "Daredemo lonely" (誰でもロンリー, "Everyone lonely") 15 15,000 FLY
2019 "Sunday Girl" Limited Vinyl Release 44 1,270 forme
2021 "Baby, it's you / My lovely ghost" Double A-side Single 7 7,000 Terminal

*charted on monthly Chaku-uta Reco-kyō Chart
†Japan Hot 100 established February 2008, RIAJ Digital Track Chart established April 2009

As featured artist

Release Title Chart positions Oricon
sales
Album
Oricon singles charts
Billboard Japan Hot 100
1999 "Ai no Hi Mittsu Orange" (愛の火 3つ オレンジ, "Fire of Love, Three, Orange") (Chara+Yuki) 6 230,000
2010 "Bedtime Story" (ベッドタイムストーリー, Beddotaimu Sutōrī) (Jazztronik feat. Yuki) 27 53 4,400 TBA

DVDs

  • Yuki Videos (ユキビデオ) (March 2, 2005)
  • Sweet Home Rock'n Roll Tour (March 2, 2005)
  • Yuki Live Yuki Tour "Joy", May 20, 2005 at Nippon Budokan (ユキライブ YUKI TOUR "joy" 2005年5月20日 日本武道館) (January 25, 2006)
  • Yuki Videos 2 (ユキビデオ2) (March 19, 2008)
  • Yuki Live "5-star": The Gift Will Suddenly Arrive (May 28, 2008)
  • Yuki concert New Rhythm Tour 2008 (March 4, 2009)

Books

  • Yuki Girly Rock – Yuki biography (1997)
  • Yuki Girly Swing – Yuki autobiography & diary (1997)
  • Yuki Girly Folk – Yuki biography (2000)
  • Yuki Girly Boogie – Yuki autobiography & diary (2000)
  • Yuki Girly Wave – Yuki biography (2004)
  • Yuki Girly Tree – Yuki autobiography & diary (2004)

Appearances

Movies

  • Mizu no Onna (水の女, Water Woman) – cameo appearance

Radio

  • Yuki: Hello! New World (2017–present)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Yuki Isoya para niños

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