Mai Kuraki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mai Kuraki
Kuraki in 2019
Background information
Native name	倉木 麻衣
Birth name	Mai Aono (青野 真衣)
Also known as	Mai K
Born	(1982-10-28) October 28, 1982 (age 42) Funabashi, Chiba, Japan
Genres	J-pop R&B
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Giza Studio Northern East West Bip!

Mai Kuraki (倉木 麻衣, Kuraki Mai) (born October 28, 1982) is a famous Japanese pop and R&B singer. She started her music career in 1999 with her US debut single "Baby I Like". Later that year, she released her Japanese debut single "Love, Day After Tomorrow".

In 2000, Mai Kuraki released her first album, Delicious Way. It was a huge success, selling over 2.2 million copies in its first week. This album became the best-selling album in Japan in 2000. It is still one of the top-selling albums in Japan ever. She is also well-known for singing many theme songs for the Japanese TV anime series, Case Closed. She even holds a Guinness World Record for singing the most theme songs for the same TV show! Mai Kuraki is also the only female artist in Japan to have all her singles reach the Top 10 since her debut. She is one of the best-selling Japanese music artists of all time.

About Mai Kuraki

Her Early Life and Music Start

Mai Kuraki was born on October 28, 1982. Her father, Isomi Yamasaki, was a film director and actor. Her grandfather was a poet, and her aunt was an actor. Mai Kuraki dreamed of becoming a singer after hearing Whitney Houston's music and seeing Michael Jackson's dance moves.

While in high school, she sent a demo tape to a music label called Giza Studio. She got a record deal with them. Before her Japanese debut, she released a single in the US called "Baby I Like" under the name Mai K. This song even caught the attention of East West Records. However, the song did not become a big hit in the US, so she returned to Japan.

Big Success with Delicious Way and Perfect Crime

After returning to Japan, Mai Kuraki focused on J-pop music. Her Japanese debut single, "Love, Day After Tomorrow", was released in December 1999. It became a huge hit, selling 1.4 million copies.

In June 2000, her first album, Delicious Way, came out. It sold an amazing 2.21 million copies in its first week! This was the biggest first-week sale for a debut album in Japan. The album sold over 3 million copies in total. It also won "Rock album of the Year" at the Japan Gold Disc Awards. Many songs from this album, like "Stay by My Side" and "Secret of My Heart", were very popular. "Secret of My Heart" became a theme song for the Case Closed anime series.

In July 2001, Mai Kuraki released her second album, Perfect Crime. It also sold over 1.3 million copies and won "Rock album of the Year". She then went on her first tour, called Sokenbicha Natural Breeze 2001 Happy Live.

New Albums and Tours

In January 2002, Mai Kuraki released her first English album, Secret of My Heart, in the United States. It included English versions of her popular songs. However, this album did not become a hit in the US.

She then went on her first nationwide tour in Japan, Mai Kuraki "Loving You..." Tour 2002. About 150,000 people attended her fourteen shows. In October 2002, her third Japanese album, Fairy Tale, was released. It reached number one in Japan and included the hit song "Winter Bells".

Her fourth album, If I Believe (2003), also reached number one. In 2004, she released her first collection of hit songs, Wish You the Best. This album sold nearly a million copies and was one of the best-selling albums of 2004 in Japan.

Continued Music Journey

Mai Kuraki's albums Fuse of Love (2005) and Diamond Wave (2006) continued to be popular, though they sold a bit less than her earlier albums. In 2007, she moved to a new record label called Northern Music. She also performed in China and Taiwan, showing her music was popular across Asia.

In 2009, Mai Kuraki's popularity grew again. Her eighth album, Touch Me!, became her first number-one album in five years. Her second collection of hits, All My Best (2009), also topped the charts. This made her one of only two artists to have two number-one albums in Japan that year. She also went on an Asia tour to celebrate her tenth anniversary.

Her next albums, Future Kiss (2010) and Over the Rainbow (2012), both reached the top three in Japan. In 2014, her third collection album, Mai Kuraki Best 151A: Love & Hope, reached number two.

Recent Hits and Milestones

In 2017, Mai Kuraki released the single "Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)". This song was the ending theme for the animated film Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter. It became a huge hit, selling over 76,000 physical copies and becoming her best-selling single since 2004. It was also the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japan that year.

On July 25, 2017, she received a Guinness World Record for singing the most theme songs for the Case Closed anime series. Her fourth collection album, Mai Kuraki x Meitantei Conan Collaboration Best 21: Shinjitsu wa Itsumo Uta ni Aru!, which featured songs from Case Closed, was also very successful.

Her albums Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō (2018) and Let's Goal!: Barairo no Jinsei (2019) both reached the top three in Japan. In 2019, she released her fifth collection album, Mai Kuraki Single Collection: Chance for You, to celebrate her 20th anniversary.

In 2021, Mai Kuraki released her fourteenth album, Unconditional Love. It reached number four in Japan and included the number-one single "Zero kara Hajimete". In August 2024, she released her first extended play (a mini-album), Forever for You, which was also a success. To celebrate her 25th anniversary, she started a tour called 25th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 24-25 "Be Alright!" in several Asian cities.

Her Music Style

What Inspired Her Music

Kuraki credits artists such as Michael Jackson (left) and Mariah Carey (right) as major musical influences

Mai Kuraki has said that Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Lauryn Hill greatly influenced her music. She started dreaming of being a singer after seeing Whitney Houston's live shows and Michael Jackson's music videos. She even practiced singing Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror".

She has also covered some of Jackson's songs, like "I'll Be There" and "Smile". Other artists like Michael Bublé, Shakira, and Britney Spears have also inspired her. Many other musicians have said that Mai Kuraki influenced them too.

How Her Music Sounds

Kuraki has enlisted artists such as Rodney Jerkins (left) and Fernando Garibay (right) as the writers

Mai Kuraki's songs often mix J-pop, R&B, dance, and sometimes rock. Her albums usually have a mix of slow ballads and upbeat songs. When she first started, she helped bring back R&B music in Japan.

Her first album, Delicious Way, had a strong R&B and J-pop sound. Her second album, Perfect Crime, added more rock elements. Fairy Tale (2002) explored many different styles, including surf rock and Christmas music, while keeping her R&B roots. Later, she even mixed traditional Japanese sounds into her music, especially after the success of "Togetsukyo (Kimi Omou)" in 2017. She has worked with famous producers like Rodney Jerkins and Fernando Garibay.

Public Image

When Mai Kuraki first started in 1999, she rarely appeared on TV shows or in concerts. People even called her "the Veiled Diva" because she was so private. This was a common strategy for artists from her music label.

Her first live performance was in August 2000. She made her first appearance on a live TV show in December 2003, performing "Stay by My Side". She started appearing on more TV shows after performing "Touch Me!" in February 2009.

Her Achievements

As of 2020, Mai Kuraki has sold over 20 million albums and singles worldwide. She is one of the top-selling Japanese music artists of all time. She has won many awards, including seven Japan Gold Disc Awards.

Mai Kuraki holds a special record: all 42 of her singles have reached the top ten on the Oricon weekly singles chart since her debut. This makes her the only female artist in Japan to achieve this! Her first album, Delicious Way, still holds the record for the biggest first-week sales for a debut album by a Japanese artist. Her music is popular across East Asia, and she has won awards like "The Most Popular Asian Influential Japanese Singer" at the Chinese Music Awards in 2012.

Other Activities

Products and Endorsements

Mai Kuraki has worked with many companies. In 2000, she helped create a puzzle video game for PlayStation called Techno BB. She designed the main character, Mai B Bear. She also worked with Coca-Cola Japan to promote their drink, Sokenbicha.

She has appeared in TV ads for Shiseido's Sea Breeze product, and her songs "Feel Fine!", "Kiss", and "If I Believe" were used in these ads. In 2009, she signed a deal with cosmetic company Kosé and appeared in many TV ads for their makeup. Her songs were often used in these commercials. She has also endorsed other brands like U-Can, Clevery Home, Icefield, and Parco. The City of Kyoto even made her an ambassador for the city.

Helping Others

Mai Kuraki is very involved in charity work. In April 2006, she performed at the Cosmo Earth Conscious Act Earth Day Concert to raise awareness for Earth Day. She also talked with Wangari Maathai, a famous environmental activist. Mai Kuraki has been part of projects to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

After the terrible 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, Mai Kuraki was one of the first artists to help. She performed the national anthem at charity soccer matches to raise money for the victims. She released a charity single, "Anata ga Irukara", and all the money from it went to the Japanese Red Cross Society. She visited affected areas like Onagawa, Miyagi, to perform concerts and help out.

In 2013, she joined the Green Wall Project, which plants trees to protect against tsunamis. She also helped after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes by volunteering and performing.

In March 2014, Mai Kuraki visited Siem Reap, Cambodia, to support education there. She started her own project to build a school in a village called Trei Nhoar. She raised money by selling special items and holding auctions. In February 2016, the school, Trey Nhoar Community Learning Center, was successfully built. Her song "Stand by You" (2014) was inspired by her experiences in Cambodia.

Discography

• Delicious Way (2000)
• Perfect Crime (2001)
• Fairy Tale (2002)
• If I Believe (2003)
• Fuse of Love (2005)
• Diamond Wave (2006)
• One Life (2008)
• Touch Me! (2009)
• Future Kiss (2010)
• Over the Rainbow (2012)
• Smile (2017)
• Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō (2018)
• Let's Goal!: Barairo no Jinsei (2019)
• Unconditional Love (2021)
• Forever for You (2024)

Filmography

Books

• Myself Music, (Tokyo: Tokuma Shoten, 2002)
• Mai Kuraki: Treasure Book, (Tokyo: CSI, 2020)

Tours

• Sokenbicha Natural Breeze 2001 Happy Live (2001)
• Mai Kuraki Loving You... Tour 2002 (2002)
• You & Mai First Meeting 2002 (2002)
• Giza Studio Hotrod Beach Party (2002) (As Mai-K and Friends)
• Mai Kuraki Fairy Tale Tour 02-03 (2002–2003)
• Giza Studio Valentine Concert (2003) (co-headlined with Rina Aiuchi and Garnet Crow)
• Mai Kuraki 2004 Live Tour Wish You The Best: Grow, Step by Step (2004)
• Mai-K a Tumarrow 2005 (2005)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2005 Like a Fuse of Love (2005)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2006 Diamond Wave (2006)
• Mai-K.net "De Ma Chi" Live de Show (2006)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2007 Be With U (2007)
• Mai-K.net Exclusive Live: You & Mai Summer 2008 (2008)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2008 "Touch Me!" (2008)
• 10th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2009 "Best" (2009)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour "Future Kiss" (2010–2011)
• Mai Kuraki Live Tour 2012: Over the Rainbow (2012)
• Mai Kuraki Live Project 2013 "Re:" (2013)
• 15th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2014 "151A": Fun Fun Fun (2014)
• 15th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2014 "151A": Muteki na Heart (2014)
• Mai Kuraki Live Project 2017 "Sawage Live" (2017)
• Mai Kuraki Live Project 2018 "Red It Be": Kimi Omou Shunkashūtō (2018)
• 20th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2019 in Asia (2019)
• 20th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2019 "Let's Goal!: Barairo no Jinsei" (2019)
• 25th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2024 "Be alright!" (2024)
• 25th Anniversary Mai Kuraki Live Project 2024 "Be alright!" in Asia (2024-2025)
• Mai Kuraki Live Project 2025 "Relax" -What a Wonderful World- (2025)

Accolades

See also

In Spanish: Mai Kuraki para niños

• List of best-selling music artists in Japan