Yo Hitoto

Yo Hitoto (一青 窈, Hitoto Yō, born September 20, 1976) is a Japanese pop singer. Her mother is Japanese and her father is Taiwanese. She can speak three languages: Japanese, English, and Mandarin. Tae Hitoto is her older sister. Her name Hitoto is not her real surname, it is her mother's maiden name. She changed her name when she came to Japan. Her father died when she was very young, and her mother died when she was 16.

Soon after she was born in Tokyo, she moved to Taipei, and after she completed kindergarten in Taipei, she moved back to Tokyo and she has lived there ever since. She graduated from the department of Environmental Information of Keio University and participated in the Keio University a cappella group, K.O.E., during her days as a student. She used to have live concerts on the street with fellow K.O.E. members before she met Yōichi Kitayama, a member of the famous Japanese a cappella group the Gospellers. Mr. Kitayama encouraged Yō Hitoto to compose her own music. Before this encounter, she had been a backup singer for many other artists.

To date, Yō Hitoto has released eleven single CDs and four albums.

Yō Hitoto's debut single "Morai naki" propelled her to stardom, and her songs enjoy wide popularity. Her clear voice and singing style, which is compared to the style of folk songs of Okinawa, attract many fans.

In Taiwan she is known for singing a Taiwanese folk song (Bāng Chhun-hong), which was included in her second album, as part of a Kirin beer commercial aired in Taiwan.

Yō Hitoto performs a song at the finale of the game Dynasty Warriors 3.

In 2003 she debuted in her first film Café Lumière, as the lead character Yoko.

Her latest best of album sold over 700,000 copies (Triple-Platinum status in Japan), becoming her best selling album yet.

Singles

• もらい泣き Morai-Naki (30 October 2002)
• 大家 Dajia (19 March 2003)
• 金魚すくい Kingyo Sukui (4 July 2003)
• 江戸ポルカ／夢なかば Edo Polka/Yume Nakaba (12 November 2003)
• ハナミズキ Hanamizuki (11 February 2004), NTV Tuesday Suspense Drama, JRA commercial song
• 影踏み Kagefumi (20 April 2005), JRA commercial song
• かざぐるま Kazaguruma (21 September 2005)
• 指切り Yubikiri (7 December 2005)
• つないで手 Tsunaide Te (19 September 2007)
• 「ただいま」 Tadaima (5 December 2007)
• 受け入れて Uke-Irete (30 January 2008)
• はじめて Hajimete (19 November 2008), the theme song for "Gyōretsu no Dekiru Hōritsu Sōdanjo Cambodia Gakkō Kensetsu Project" (Nippon Television Network Corp.)

Albums

• 月天心 Tsukitenshin (18 December 2002)
• 一青想 Hito-Omoi (7 April 2004)
• ＆ (21 December 2005)
• Bestyo (29 November 2006)
• Key (5 March 2008）

Videos

• 姿見一青也 Sugatami Hitotonari (1 October 2003)
• 一青窈 LIVE TOUR 2004 ～てとしゃん Hitoto You LIVE TOUR 2004 ~Tetoshan (11 April 2004)
• 一青窈★夢街バンスキング～はいらんせ～ Hitoto You ★ Yumemachi Vanceking ~Hairanse~ (1 February 2006)
• Yo&U TOUR '06 (6 September 2006)

Films

• In Cafe Lumiere as Yoko