Yuki (singer)

Yuki Kuramochi (倉持 有希, Kuramochi Yuki; born February 17, 1972), known professionally as Yuki (stylized as YUKI), is a Japanese singer. 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).

Yuki
Birth name	磯谷有希 (Isoya Yuki)
Born	(1972-02-17) February 17, 1972 (age 53) Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
Genres	Pop rock
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Sony Music Entertainment Japan (formerly)
Formerly of	Judy and Mary NiNa Mean Machine
Spouse	Yoichi Kuramochi ​ (m. 2000)​
Website	yukiweb.net

Biography

Yuki was born Yuki Isoya (磯谷 有希, Isoya Yuki) in Hakodate, Hokkaido.^{[citation needed]} 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.^{[citation needed]} However, the child died from unknown causes (SIDS) on March 17, 2005.^{[citation needed]} She gave birth to a second child on August 29, 2006, and a third child in June 2009.^[1]

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 [2]	Total sales [3]	Certifications (sales thresholds)
2002	Prismic Released: March 27, 2002 Label: Epic (ESCL-2300) Formats: CD, digital download	3	298,240	Gold[4]
2003	Commune Released: March 26, 2003 Label: Epic (ESCL-2400) Formats: CD, digital download	11	90,000	Gold[5]
2005	Joy Released: February 23, 2005 Label: Epic (ESCL-2634) Formats: CD, digital download	1	343,000	Platinum[6]
2006	Wave Released: September 6, 2006 Label: Epic (ESCL-2865) Formats: CD, digital download	1	358,000	Platinum[7]
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[8]
2011	Megaphonic Released: August 24, 2011 Label: Epic (ESCL-3756~3757, ESCL-3758) Formats: CD, digital download	1	119,980	Gold[9]
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.)[10]
2021	Terminal Released: April 28, 2021 Label: Epic Formats: CD, digital download	2 (phy.)[11] 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.)[12] 802 (dig.)
2024	Slits Released: June 12, 2024 Label: Epic Formats: CD, digital download	5	12,053 (phy.)[13]

Other albums

Year	Album information	Chart positions [2]	Total sales [3]	Certifications
2007	Five-star Greatest hits album Released: October 3, 2007 Label: Epic (ESCL-3015) Formats: CD, digital download	1	362,000	Platinum[14]
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 [3]	Album
			Oricon singles charts [2]	Billboard Japan Hot 100† [15]	RIAJ digital tracks† [16]
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[17]	10	—	—	61,000
	"Nagai Yume" (長い夢; "Long Dream")	Certified Gold for copies shipped and cellphone downloads[18][19]	4	—	—	86,000	Wave
	"Dramatic" (ドラマチック, Doramachikku)	Certified Gold for copies shipped[20]	2	—	—	77,000
	"Yorokobi no Tane" (歓びの種; "Seeds of Happiness")	Certified Gold for copies shipped[21]	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[22]	—	—	18*	—	Five-star
	"Hoshikuzu Sunset" (星屑サンセット; "Stardust Sunset")	Certified Gold for cellphone downloads[23]	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
2016	ポストに声を投げ入れて( Mailing Out My Voice)	Ending theme for Pokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel
2019	"Sunday Girl"	Limited Vinyl Release	44	—	—	1,270[24]	forme
2021	"Baby, it's you / My lovely ghost"	Double A-side Single	7	—	—	7,000[25]	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 [3]	Album
		Oricon singles charts [2]	Billboard Japan Hot 100 [15]
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)