Hitomi Shimatani

Hitomi Shimatani 島 谷 ひ と み
Birth Name	島 谷 瞳 (Shimatani Hitomi)
Date of birth	4th September 1980
place of birth	Kure , Hiroshima , Japan
genre	J-pop , dance , ballads
active	since 1999
Label (s)	avex trax
Internet presence	Official website

Hitomi Shimatani ( Jap. 島谷ひとみ , real name: 島谷瞳 , Shimatani Hitomi * 4. September 1980 in Kure ) is a Japanese J-Pop - singer . She is under contract with the Japanese music label avex trax .

Life

Since Hitomi Shimatani was little, she wanted to become a famous singer. At the age of 17, when she was still in high school , she chose a future in the music industry. She took part in a casting organized by the Japanese music label avex trax. Hitomi was selected from around 200 girls and got a contract with avex. She wanted to finish school first, to which avex agreed, but provided that she took singing lessons while she was still in school; a proposal she agreed to.

After finishing school and feeling ready to start her career as a young singer (in 1999), she released her first single Ōsaka no Onna ( 大阪 の 女 , "The Woman from Osaka"), an enka . Although this single received a lot of good reviews and even some awards, it didn't sell very well. So Hitomi decided that Osaka no Onna should remain her first and only enka single. She took on a few more songs and released her second single in 2000 with the name Kaihōku ( 解放区 , dt. "Free Zone"), which was very different from her first single and contained more pop elements .

The big breakthrough took place until the release of her fourth single papillon , a Japanese version of Janet Jackson's Doesn't Really Matter . The single was a huge success and made her the top artist of avex trax. In total she has released 22 singles, 5 studio albums, a best-of album and a mini album (or Christmas album) so far.

Hitomi loves to give her songs exotic titles. Pieces like Perseus ( Perseus- ペ ル セ ウ ス - , Peruseus –Peruseusu- ), Falco ( Falco ~ フ ァ ル コ ~ , Falco ~ Faruko ~ ) or Spanish titles like bella flor and La Fiesta are just a few of these songs. She has also worked on anime and video games with songs such as ANGELUS -Anjerasu- ( ANGELUS - ア ン ジ ェ ラ ス - , ANGELUS -Anjerasu- ; 6th opening of the TV anime Inuyasha ) and Garnet Moon (main theme of the PlayStation 2 game Another Century's Episode ).

Discography

Singles

publication	title	Chart position ( Oricon )	Sales (Japan)	Single type
July 28, 1999	Ōsaka no Onna 大阪 の 女 [The woman from Osaka]	45	47,800	1. Single
September 27, 2000	Kaihōku 解放区 [Liberated Area]	28	44,280	2nd single
0February 7, 2001	Papiyon ~ papillon ~ パ ピ ヨ ン ~ papillon ~ [Papiyon ~ butterfly ~]	14th	214,490	3. Single
May 30, 2001	Ichiba ni Ikō 市場 に 行 こ う [Let's go to the market]	23	57,190	4. Single
September 12, 2001	Yasashii Kiss no Mitsukekata や さ し い キ ス の 見 つ け 方 [How to Find a Passionate Kiss]	17th	45,870	5. Single
January 30, 2002	Shanti シ ャ ン テ ィ [Shanty]	7th	83,900	6. Single
0May 9, 2002	Amairo no Kami no Otome 亜 麻 色 の 髪 の 乙 女 [The girl with the flax-colored hair]	4th	374.912	7. Single
July 10, 2002	Amairo Maxi 亜 麻 色 マ キ シ [Flax- colored Maxi]	7th	65,594	8. Single
October 23, 2002	Itsu no Hi ni ka ... い つ の 日 に か… [One day ...]	10	62,366	9. Single
February 26, 2003	Akai Sabaku no Densetsu 赤 い 砂 漠 の 伝 説 [The Legend of the Red Desert]	12	43,962	10. Single
0June 4, 2003	Genki wo Dashite 元 気 を 出 し て [ Cheer up!]	10	40,843	11. Single
July 16, 2003	Perseus -Peruseusu- Perseus- ペ ル セ ウ ス -	8th	72,384	12. Single
0November 6, 2003	YUME Biyori YUME 日 和 [dream weather]	30th	55,383	13. Single
March 17, 2004	viola	17th	23,850	14. Single
0June 2, 2004	Jewel of Kiss	21st	16,866	15. Single
August 11, 2004	ANGELUS -Anjerasu- / Z! Z! Z! -Zip! Zap! Zipangu! - ANGELUS- ア ン ジ ェ ラ ス - / Z! Z! Z! -Zip! Zap! Zipangu! -	8th	53,000	16. Single
January 25, 2005	Garnet Moon / Inori Garnet Moon / 祈 り [ Garnet Moon / Prayer]	8th	80,893	17. Single
June 15, 2005	~ Mermaid ~ ~ Mermaid ~	18th	20,395	18. Single
August 10, 2005	Falco -Faruko- Falco- フ ァ ル コ -	11	36.008	19. Single
August 31, 2005	Mahiru no Tsuki 真 昼 の 月 [noon moon]	24	9,989	20th single
March 15, 2006	Haru Machibito / Camellia 春 待人 / Camellia- カ メ リ ア - [Haru Machibito / Camellia ]	19th	12,443	21. Single
June 21, 2006	Destiny -Taiyō no Hana- / Koimizu -tears of love Destiny - 太陽 の 花 - / 恋 水 -tears of love [Fate - flower of the sun / Koimizu - tears of love]	14th	26,858	22. Single
November 15, 2006	PASIO ~ Passho PASIO ~ パ ッ シ オ [passion]	12	12,078	23. Single
January 15, 2007	Futari de Ii janai ふ た り で い い じ ゃ な い	25th	12,981	feat. Masayuki Suzuki
February 21, 2007	Dragonfly	29	5,532	24. Single
0June 6, 2007	Neva Eve	22nd	8,175	25. Single
0September 5, 2007	Shinku / Ai no Uta 深紅 / 愛 の 詩 [purple / love song]	14th	19,757	26. Single
March 19, 2008	Nakitai Nara 泣 き た い な ら [When I want to cry]	34	3,574	27. Single
June 25, 2008	WAKE YOU UP / Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo / Marvelous 雨 の 日 に は 雨 の 中 を 風 の 日 に は は 風 の 中 を [On a rainy day in the rain, on a windy day in the wind]	33	5,245	28. Single
0March 4, 2009	Smiles	27	5,015	29. Single

Albums

publication	title	Chart position ( Oricon )	Sales (Japan)	Album type
June 27, 2001	Papillon [butterfly]	7th	147.030	1st studio album
June 12, 2002	Shanti シ ャ ン テ ィ	1	438,447	2nd studio album
November 27, 2002	Poinsettia ~ Amairo Winter Memories ~ ~亜麻色ウィンターメモリーズ~ [ Christmas Star ~ flat Colored Winter Memories ~]	5	88,706	1. mini album
0August 6, 2003	Gate ~ scena III ~	2	193,607	3rd studio album
December 25, 2003	Delicious! ~ The Best of Hitomi Shimatani ~	2	462,668	1. Best of album
0September 1, 2004	Tsuioku + Love Letter 追憶 + LOVE LETTER [memories + love letter]	7th	106,757	4th studio album
February 23, 2005	crossover	14th	35,707	1st special concept album
October 12, 2005	Heart & Symphony	7th	50,402	5th studio album
0March 7, 2007	Great pink	16	25,000	6th studio album
0December 5, 2007	Otoko Uta ~ cover song collection ~	11	39,415	1. Cover album
July 16, 2008	Flare	21st	13,174	7th studio album
July 29, 2009	BEST & COVERS	12	15.741	2. Best of album
July 24, 2013	15th Anniversary SUPER BEST	36	3,236	3rd best of album

DVDs

• 8colors Hitomi Shimatani CLIPS + LIVE
• Vibration! ~ LIVE & CLIPS ~
• HITOMI SHIMATANI CONCERT TOUR 2004 - Tsuioku + LOVE LETTER ( 追憶 + LOVE LETTER)
• Special live crossover
• VISUAL WORKS 2004 ~ 2006
• Premium Live 2005 -Heart & Symphony & More-
• Special Live crossover II
• Hitomi Shimatani Live 2007 - Prima Rosa

Web links

• Hitomi Shimatani's Official Website (Japanese)
• Official website “Eye-land” (Japanese)