Person: Kokia

Kokia is a prolific singer and songwriter born July 22, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan. Her real name is Yoshida Akiko (吉田亜紀子).

She is known mostly for her performances in video game and anime soundtracks; having appeared in eight different game/anime soundtracks to date. Kokia is also known for her vocal range, and ability to hold long-tone opera notes, having done so for 29 seconds during a television appearance.

Kokia was a very musical child, even when she was little. Instead of playing with toys, she would play the piano or the violin. She was readily able to express her feelings and emotions through song. When she was 10 (and later when she was 14) she went to study English in America at a summer music school. Kokia later enrolled at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music for High School.

Kokia studied Opera and classical music while in University. During her time there, she caught the eye of a scouter from Pony Canyon, and in 1998 while still at University debuted with the single Aishiteiru Kara under the stage name "Kokia". This stage name that she created for herself was both her first name reversed (A-Ki-Ko -> Ko-Ki-A), as well as the name of a Hawaiian Hibiscus flower, which blooms during her birthday.

After releasing her debut album, songbird, Kokia decided to take a break from music. Apart from contributing six songs to the RK Standard project, nothing much was heard from Kokia until early 2001, when she switched labels from Pony Canyon to Victor Entertainment.

In June 2006, it was announced that Kokia would leave her label Victor Entertainment. She then set up her own independent website, and has sung at several live concerts.