"'Just Hearing Jeonju Makes You Emotional' Winter Song... Nostalgic Superstar Forgotten Due to Rare Disease, Popularity Surges Again [Japanese Perspective]"

Recently, there was a Japanese singer who appeared on a music competition program in South Korea and made a chart comeback. She is Nakashima Mika. She is the singer behind hit songs with melodies familiar to Koreans, such as "Yuki no Hana" (Snow Flower) and "When the Light Pink Dances." She is also a capable actress, and those of my generation probably have a strong image of Nakashima Mika from the movie "Nana."

Even after appearing on the competition program, she has continued her activities in Korea, to the extent that "Korea" appears as a related search term on Japanese Google these days. Today, I will share the story of Nakashima Mika, a famous Japanese singer and actress.

Nakashima Mika was born in 1983 in Kagoshima Prefecture. She lived in a small mountain village, and because of this, she naturally thought the world was full of beautiful things when she was young. She grew up climbing onto the roof with her older sister at night to look at the constellations.

In her family, her father once dreamed of becoming a singer, but Nakashima herself never originally wanted to be a singer. She had a husky voice since childhood, which was a complex for her, and she disliked using her voice in front of people. Instead, she was very interested in modeling. When Nakashima was in middle school, her father even looked for a local agency for her. While working part-time as a model, her agency suggested she try singing, and from then on, she started vocal training and gradually changed her goals. She sent a demo tape to Sony Records, auditioned for vocals in 2001, and passed. Later, she auditioned for the lead role in the TV drama "Kizudarake no Love Song" and was confidently selected from among 3,000 participants. That was her debut.

Album jacket photo of Mika Nakashima's 2002 release 'TRUE'. Official website of Mika Nakashima.

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She rose to stardom quickly, but she did not expect her popularity to last long. In an interview, Nakashima said, "Whether acting or recording songs, I never expected it to continue as a career. I even thought I would have to find a part-time job again after the drama ended." She was somewhat unique in that she did not simply do what she was told. Even when taking dance lessons, she spent all her time chatting with the teacher and only did stretching exercises. She insisted on choosing her own hairstyle, makeup, and fashion. She had no intention of staying in the entertainment industry by deceiving herself; rather, she believed that if she was not recognized for being herself, it was because she was lacking.

In 2003, she released numerous hit singles such as the widely known "Yuki no Hana" and "Find the Way." Within a month of release, they became million sellers. In 2005, she topped the Oricon chart again with "When the Light Pink Dances." She also gained popularity by starring in the movie "Nana," which was based on a manga. The film earned 4 billion yen at the box office, and its OST, "Glamorous Sky," topped the Oricon chart for two consecutive weeks. I remember watching this during my school days, and at that time, the emotional trend spread to Korea as well, with the accessory brand Vivienne Westwood, frequently worn by Nakashima in the movie, becoming very popular.

Poster of the hit movie "Nana" starring Nakashima Mika. TBS.

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However, Nakashima faded from the public eye for a while because she had to suspend her singing activities in 2010 due to a worsening illness. She was diagnosed with patulous Eustachian tube, a rare disease where the Eustachian tube, which should be closed, remains open, causing her to hear her own voice and heartbeat but making it difficult to hear other sounds. Because of this, she canceled all schedules, including her 10th-anniversary concert, and went on hiatus. In fact, she even considered retiring because her condition did not improve.

After her comeback, she released the song "I Thought I Would Die." She also performed this song in the recent competition, and it made a remarkable chart comeback among her popular songs. It has even climbed to the top ranks of karaoke popularity charts. This song was originally by the Japanese band Amazarashi. However, Nakashima, recalling difficult times from the lyrics and melody, asked to sing it herself and brought the song to her repertoire.

Mika Nakashima (center) took a photo with the cast after appearing on MBN's 'Hanil Top Ten Show.' Photo by Mika Nakashima Instagram.

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Recently, she has been very active in Korea, to the extent that "Korea" appears as a related search term, and she is scheduled for a concert tour in Korea in May. Hearing about this nostalgic singer again really brings back the emotions of that time.

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