Hirahara was born in Tokyo in 1984 and studied ballet for 11 years from age 6. When she was 13 she started learning the alto saxophone – an unusual choice for a Japanese middle-school girl! Hirahara first studied classical pieces for the sax, but she gradually became interested in popular music and started making voice demos. Hirahara’s crystalline, technically accomplished voice eventually landed her a record deal with recently established independent record company Dreamusic, which got her career off to a very impressive start with “Jupiter.” Since then Hirahara, who often writes her own lyrics, has released two albums and eight singles, which is a prolific release schedule even by J-pop standards, and has fast developed into a major J-pop star.   

© Steve McClure