Profile
In 1984, Akino Arai won an award and the Kawakami Prize at the 28th Yamaha Popular Song Contest for her song “Golden Eyes.”
She made her major debut in 1986 with “Yakusoku” (Promise), the theme song for the theatrical anime Windaria.
Since then, while supporting and participating in recordings for various artists such as Chara and Yuko Ando, she has provided songs and vocals for numerous animations, video games, commercials, and other artists.
With her voice—radiant with clarity yet evoking a sense of solitude—and her innovative sound collaborations with composers such as Yoko Kanno, Tamiya Terashima, and Hisaaki Hogari, she has established a unique world often referred to as that of “the founder of the fantasy style.” Her live performances, known for their fantastical staging with visual effects in venues such as concert halls, have also received high acclaim.
Arai enjoys strong international recognition, having held successful solo concerts in Berlin, Paris, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and participated in events in Monaco. Fan mail arrives not only from these regions but also from countries such as the United States, Thailand, Poland, and Brazil.
In 2016, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of her debut, she released Little Piano Plus, among the 12 albums she has released to date through Victor Entertainment and Flying Dog. Through her own label, Pure Heart Label, she has also released a Western music cover album titled Smile.
Now approaching the 40th anniversary of her debut, Akino Arai continues to work actively and passionately.
Official Website: http://araiakino.com
Pure Heart Label: http://www.pureheartlabel.com
Selected Works
– Animation –
Windaria, Record of Lodoss War, Macross Plus, KURAU Phantom Memory, Zegapain, Tales from Earthsea, The Ancient Magus’ Bride, The 8th Son? Are You Kidding Me!? and more
– Games –
Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: Missing Link and more
– Films –
The Witch of the West Is Dead and more
(As of July 2018)
Biography
Live / Tour
2024
LIVE 2024 “Garden of Orion” – Taiwan Performance
(Taipei, Taiwan – HANA SPACE)
LIVE 2024 “Garden of Orion” – Additional Performance
(Kanda Myojin Hall)
Akino Arai LIVE TOUR 2024 “Botanical Note”
• 2024.9.1 – Tokyo, Shibuya WWW X
• 2024.9.16 – Hyogo, Kobe VARIT.
• 2024.9.29 – Aichi, Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
• 2024.10.6 – Kanagawa, Yokohama mint hall
• 2024.10.12 – Hokkaido, Sapporo PLANT
• 2024.10.27 – Fukuoka, Fukuoka ROOMS
• 2024.11.4 – Osaka, Shinsaibashi Music Club JANUS
• 2024.11.23 – Tokyo, TOKYO FM HALL
• 2024.11.24 – Tokyo, TOKYO FM HALL / ZAIKO (Livestream)
Amanohatsumugi – Akino Arai × Nagi Yanagi Two-Person Live
(Tokyo – SHIBUYA WWW X)
⸻
2023
LIVE 2023 “Feathers in Your Heart”
(Osaka – Shinsaibashi PARCO SPACE14)
(Tokyo – SHIBUYA PLEASURE PLEASURE)
LIVE 2023 “Garden of Orion”
(Tokyo – SHIBUYA PLEASURE PLEASURE)
⸻
2022
Album Release Live “Mitsubachi no Haoto” (The Buzz of the Honeybee)
(TOKYO FM HALL)
LIVE 2022 “Once in a Blue Moon”
(Billboard Live YOKOHAMA)
Akino Arai LIVE TOUR 2022 “Bee Flight Tour”
• 2022.9.11 – Tokyo, Kichijoji CLUB SEATA
• 2022.9.18 – Hyogo, Kobe VARIT.
• 2022.9.24 – Tokyo, Shibuya WWW X
• 2022.10.2 – Fukuoka, Fukuoka ROOMS
• 2022.10.10 – Miyagi, Sendai Daremo Shiranai Gekijo
• 2022.10.16 – Kanagawa, Yokohama F.A.D
• 2022.10.30 – Aichi, Nagoya ell.FITS ALL
• 2022.11.3 – Hokkaido, Sapporo PLANT
• 2022.11.5 – Osaka, Umeda Shangri-La
LIVE 2022 “Fimbul no Fuyu” (Fimbul Winter)
(SHIBUYA PLEASURE PLEASURE)
⸻
2021
Akino Arai Piano & Voice LIVE TOUR 2020 “Little Piano vol.10”
• 2021.4.4 – Tokyo, TOKYO FM HALL
• 2021.4.25 – Sapporo, Fukinotou Hall
• 2021.6.13 – Tokyo, TOKYO FM HALL
• 2021.7.25 – Tokyo, TOKYO FM HALL
LIVE 2021 “Silent Choir”
(Nissho Hall – formerly Yakult Hall)
⸻
2020
Akino Arai Piano & Voice LIVE TOUR 2020 “Little Piano vol.10”
• 2020.10.4 – Fukuoka, ROOMS
• 2020.10.10 – Nagoya, 5/R
• 2020.10.18 – Osaka, Umeda Banana Hall
• 2020.11.23 – Sendai, retro Back Page
• 2020.12.19 – Kobe, Former Guggenheim House
Akino Arai NEW ALBUM RELEASE LIVE “Tsubame” (Swallow)
• (Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance The Phoenix Hall)
• (Japan Firefighters Hall – Nissho Hall)
No-Audience Paid Livestream “Little Piano vol.10 – EXTRA –”
No-Audience Paid Livestream Akino Arai Live 2020 “Sphere of Travel”
Albums
• Natsukashii Mirai (懐かしい未来 – Nostalgic Future)
• Sora no Mori (空の森 – Forest in the Sky)
• Sora no Niwa (そらの庭 – Sky Garden)
• Furu Platinum (降るプラチナ – Falling Platinum)
• Kouseki Radio (鉱石ラジオ – Mineral Radio)
• RGB
• Eden (エデン)
• Sora no Uta (空の歌 – Song of the Sky)
• Sora no Sphere (ソラノスフィア)
• Red Planet / Blue Planet
• Little Piano Plus (リトルピアノ・プラス)
• Another Planet
• Tsubame (ツバメ – Swallow)
⸻
Animation Works
Lyrics / Composition / Vocals
• Windaria – “Utsukushii Hoshi” (美しい星 – Beautiful Star)
• Kaze no Tairiku – “Kooru Suna” (凍る砂 – Frozen Sand)
• Outlaw Star – “Hiru no Tsuki” (昼の月 – Daytime Moon), “Tsuki no Ie” (月の家 – House of the Moon)
• Chikyuu Bouei Kazoku – “Hana no Katachi” (花のかたち – Shape of a Flower)
• NOIR – “Kirei na Kanjou” (きれいな感情 – Beautiful Emotions)
• Tokyo Underground – “Kakusei Toshi” (覚醒都市 – Awakening City)
• KURAU Phantom Memory – “Natsukashii Umi” (懐かしい宇宙 – Nostalgic Ocean/Space)
• Zegapain – “Kimi e Mukau Hikari” (キミへ ムカウ ヒカリ – Light Towards You)
• ARIA The ORIGINATION – “Kin no Nami, Sen no Nami” (金の波 千の波 – Waves of Gold, Waves of a Thousand)
• Spice and Wolf – “Mitsu no Yoake” (蜜の夜明け – Honey Dawn)
• Maoyu Maou Yuusha – “Unknown Vision”
• Zegapain ADP – “Hane yo Senaka ni” (羽よ背中に – Wings on My Back)
• Hand Shakers – “Yumemiru Ame” (ユメミル雨 – Dreaming Rain)
Lyrics / Composition
• Record of Lodoss War – “Adèsso e Fortuna: Honoo to Eien” (炎と永遠 – Flames and Eternity)
• Tales from Earthsea (Gedo Senki) – “Toki no Uta” (時の歌 – Song of Time, co-written)
Vocals
• Macross Plus – “VOICES”, “Wanna Be an Angel”, and others
⸻
Games
Lyrics / Composition / Vocals
• Mobile Suit Gundam Side Stories – “Lost Area”
⸻
Live Support
• Since 2005 – Chorus and keyboard for Yuko Ando’s live tours
⸻
Movies
Lyrics / Composition
• The Witch of the West is Dead – “Niji” (虹 – Rainbow) [Vocals: Aoi Teshima]
Lyrics / Composition / Vocals
• Ima, Boku wa – “Sasayaku Sumire” (囁く菫 – Whispering Violet)
⸻
Units
• Cold Sugar (with Chara)
• Goddess in the Morning (with Yayoi Soda)
• RuRu Capeau (with kiro, Hisaaki Hogari, Takashi Iwato)
• TWO WURLI AND… (with Uo Hosomi, Hisaaki Hogari)
• Velŝipo (with Takeshi Hamata)
⸻
TV Commercials
• “Kirei Kirei” – Composition
Now Accepting Fan Club Membership Applications (Viridian Garden Club)
The official fan club of Akino Arai, Viridian Garden Club, offers members exclusive events, priority access to concert tickets, limited-edition merchandise, and much more.
We look forward to welcoming you! For more details, please visit the Fan Club Information page.