Ai Kawashima

Ai Kawashima is an acclaimed Japanese singer-songwriter and pianist. She was born on February 21, 1986, in Sawara-ku, Fukuoka. At the age of 3, she endured the loss of her mother and was adopted by the Kawashima family. During this time, she developed a passion for singing and embarked on a career as an enka artist, later performing at New York's Carnegie Hall when she was just 10 years old. However, after her first single failed to gain much traction in 1999, she pivoted her approach by performing her own compositions on the streets of Shibuya, Tokyo. Ai Kawashima's perseverance led to her breakthrough in 2003 with the hit single "Asueno Tobira" as part of the duo I Wish, which sold over 900,000 copies. Pursuing a solo career in 2005, her song "12-ko no Kisetsu" earned a spot on the Billboard Hits in Japan. Even after achieving mainstream success, she continued her street performances, reaching her goal of 1,000 shows in 2005. Throughout her career, Kawashima has released numerous albums, notable ones being 12-ko no Uta (Message) in 2005 and Be Your Side in 2015. Her songs have also featured in anime and video games, including themes for "One Piece" and "Final Fantasy Fables." Apart from music, Ai Kawashima is dedicated to philanthropic work, having built schools in developing countries with the ambition to construct 100 in total. In 2023, her compilation - My Own Pieces〜The Best Selection of Ai Kawashima〜 reached number 64 on the Japanese Top 100.

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