Aoi Teshima

Japanese singer and voice actress (born 1987)

Aoi Teshima

葵 手嶌

Born|  (1987-06-21) June 21, 1987 (age 37)[1]
Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan[2]
Occupation(s)| Singer, voice actress
Instrument| Vocals
Years active| 2006-present
Labels| Rendezvous, Yamaha
Website| AoiTeshima.com

Musical artist

Aoi Teshima (手嶌葵, Teshima Aoi, born June 21, 1987) is a Japanese singer and voice actress from Kasuga, Fukuoka.[3] She is known for singing and acting in several Goro Miyazaki movies including Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill.

## Early life

[edit]

Aoi Teshima was born on June 21, 1987, in Kasuga, Fukuoka, Japan. From an early age, she was influenced by her parents' liking for classic musical films, such as The Wizard of Oz, The Secret Garden, The Little Prince, and Breakfast at Tiffany's.[2] Of that, Teshima has attributed the song, Moon River, along with the music of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday as the basis for her love for Jazz music, and as major influences on her musical style.[4][5] In junior high school, Teshima found herself moved by Bette Midler's 1979 song, The Rose, her amateur cover of which became the trigger of her debut as a singer.[6]

## Career

[edit]

After graduating junior high, Teshima enrolled at the C&S Music School in Fukuoka, to acquire the qualifications of high school and junior college while simultaneously developing her singing abilities. There, she began a music career as an amateur in 2003.[4] In 2003 and 2004, she participated in the musical event DIVA, held in Fukuoka, as part of the Yamaha Music-sponsored Teen's Music Festival.[1]

In March 2005, she performed at the Japan-Korea Slow Music World event in South Korea, where her performance was favourably received amongst the audience, attracting the attention of anime director Gorō Miyazaki.[7] The Studio Ghibli music producer, Toshio Suzuki, was reportedly very impressed when he listened to her demo version of “The Rose” at the recommendation of Miyazaki.[1][6]

On June 7, 2006, the release of “Theru's Song (テルーの唄, 'Terū no Uta')” became her major debut. The song was the theme of the Gorō Miyazaki directed film, Tales from Earthsea, in which she also voices the character Theru.[8] This song debuted at #5 on the Oricon charts, with the number of CD shipments numbering at about 300,000, along with music downloads recorded at about 650,000 downloads, which was the largest for the theme song of the Studio Ghibli series at the time.[9]

She was featured singing two songs in the Nintendo Wii game, Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon, called “Light (光, 'Hikari')” and “Warmth of the Moon (月のぬくもり, 'Tsuki no Nukumori')”.[citation needed] In 2006 her song "Miracle Star" was used as the theme song for the Japanese version of Arctic Tale.[10][11][12] In 2011, she once again collaborated with Gorō Miyazaki on his second feature, From up on Poppy Hill (2011), singing “Summer of Goodbye”, the main theme of the movie and other songs in the film, as well as voicing the character Yuko.[13][14]

On September 30, 2012, she was presented with the Citizens Cultural Award of Kasuga City.[15]

On February 10, 2016, she released the first single from her 10th album, Ren'dez-vous, titled “Letter to Tomorrow (明日への手紙, Asu e no Tegami)”. This song was used in the Japanese drama Love That Makes You Cry, and charted at top on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart.

## Personal life

[edit]

Teshima has described herself to be 'stubborn and strong-willed',[4][6] and added that she is also camera-shy.[16]

## Discography

[edit]

### Original albums

[edit]

Title[17] | Album Information  | Oricon
albums
charts
[18] | Sales
[19]

|
|
|

Gedo Senki Kashū (ゲド戦記歌集)
Tales from Earthsea Song Collection  |

* Released: July 12, 2006
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10028)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 20  | 55,000
Haru no Kashū (春の歌集, Spring song collection) |

* Released: February 7, 2007
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10028)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 38  | 14,000
Niji no Kashū (虹の歌集, Rainbow song collection) |

* Released: July 23, 2008
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10049)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 78  | 5,900
Kokurikozaka kara Kashū (コクリコ坂から歌集)
From up on Poppy Hill song collection  |

* Released: July 6, 2011
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10156)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 33  | 24,000
Ren'dez-vous[20] |

* Released: July 23, 2014
* Label: Victor Entertainment (VICL-64074)

| 125  |

### Cover albums

[edit]

Teshima's cover albums are sung in English.

Title[17] | Album Information  | Oricon
albums
charts
[18] | Sales
[19]

|
|
|

The Rose: I Love Cinemas |

* Western film theme songs
* Released: March 5, 2008
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10044)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 48  | 15,000
La Vie en rose: I Love Cinemas |

* Western film theme songs
* Released: October 7, 2009
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10102)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 65  | 6,000
Christmas Songs |

* Western Christmas songs
* Released: November 24, 2010
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10119)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

| 127  | 3,900
Miss Aoi - Bonjour, Paris![21] |

* Paris-themed songs
* Released: December 12, 2012
* Label: Rendezvous (RDV-0008)

|  |
Cheek to Cheek~I Love Cinemas~[22] |

* Western film theme songs
* Released: December 19, 2018
* Label: Victor Entertainment (VIZL-1503/VICL-65075)

|  |

### Compilation albums

[edit]

Year  | Album Information  | Oricon
albums
charts
[18] | Sales
[19]

|
|
|

Collection Blue |

* Released: November 9, 2011
* Label: Yamaha (YCCW-10162)
* Formats: Compact disc, digital download, rental CD

|  |

### Singles

[edit]

Release  | Title  | Notes  | Chart positions  | Oricon
sales
[19] | Album

|
|
|
|
|

Oricon singles charts
[18] | Billboard Japan Hot 100*
[23] | RIAJ digital tracks*
[24]
2006  | "Therru no Uta" (テルーの唄, Terū no Uta, "Therru's Song") | Gold certification for cellphone downloads[25] | 5  | —  | —  | 228,000  | Ged Senki Kashū
2007  | "Kishi o Hanareru Hi" (岸を離れる日, "The Day I Push Off from the Shore") | Digital release | —  | —  | —  | —  | Haru no Kashū
"Kiseki no Hoshi" (奇跡の星, "Miracle Star") |  | 32  | —  | —  | 4,000  | Niji no Kashū
2008  | "Kazoku no Fūkei (CM Version)" (家族の風景 (CMバージョン), "Family Scene") | Digital release | —  | —  | —  | —
"Niji" (虹, "Rainbow") |  | 110  | —  | —  | 2,900
"Can't Help Falling in Love"  | Elvis Presley cover, digital release | —  | —  | —  | —  | Collection Blue
"Hikari/Tsuki no Nukumori" (光/月のぬくもり, "Light/Warmth of the Moon") | Digital release | —  | —  | —  | —
2009  | "Tsurezure Yōbi" (徒然曜日, "Boring, Regular Day") | Digital re-release | —  | —  | —  | —  | Haru no Kashū
"La Vie en rose"  | Édith Piaf cover, digital release | —  | —  | —  | —  | La Vie en rose
"Kono Michi" (この道, "This Road") | Digital release | —  | —  | —  | —  | Collection Blue
2010  | "Ima o Ikite" (いまを生きて, "Live for Today") | —  | —  | —  | —
"Because" (Yoko Kanno x Aoi Teshima) | —  | —  | —  | —
"Ryūsei" (流星, "Meteor") | —  | —  | —  | —
2011  | "Sayonara no Natsu (Kokurikozaka kara)" (さよならの夏～コクリコ坂から～, "Summer of Farewells (From Up on Poppy Hill)") |  | 22  | 13  | 11  | 27,000  | Kokurikozaka kara Kashū
2016  | "Asu e no Tegami" (明日への手紙, "Letter for Tomorrow") |  | 16  | 1  | 1  |  |
2021  | "Tadaima" (ただいま, "I'm home") |  |  |  |  |  |
*Japan Hot 100 established February 2008, RIAJ Digital Track Chart established April 2009.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "Aoi Teshima Biography - 手嶌葵 バイオグラフィ". aoiteshima.com. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
2. ^ a b 株式会社ローソンエンタテインメント. "手嶌 葵 本人によるアルバム紹介！". www.hmv.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-11-16.
3. ^ "【インタビュー】不安や寂しさに寄り添いたい、手嶌葵 自身にも重ねた「東京」". MusicVoice. 24 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019.
4. ^ a b c Nakamura, Hirokaku (11 June 2008). "So-net Music: 手嶌葵 インタビュー". So-net Music. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
5. ^ Imaizumi, Koichi (11 June 2008). "塩谷哲・手嶌葵インタビュー". Bunkamura. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
6. ^ a b c "あの歌の主をいよいよお披露目！「ゲド戦記」挿入歌CD発売記念記者会見". Toho. 5 June 2006. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007.
7. ^ "主題歌・音楽について". 映画『コクリコ坂から』公式サイト. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
8. ^ "Ghibli Adapts Kokuriko-Zaka Kara Shōjo Manga (Update 4)". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
9. ^ "キャラアニ.com: DVD: ゲド戦記". キャラア". キャラアニ.com. 19 September 2008. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008.
10. ^ "『コクリコ坂から』手嶌葵が熱唱し1,000人を魅了！被災地訪問時エピソードを披露し涙ぐむ場面も｜シネマトゥデイ". シネマトゥデイ (in Japanese). 2011-08-21. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
11. ^ "実力派シンガー手嶌 葵、これまでとこれからを綴るメモリアルな1枚『Collection Blue』発売". BARKS (in Japanese). 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
12. ^ "プロモーション楽曲に手嶌葵さんの「恋するしっぽ。」――「夢ねこDS」". ねとらぼ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-04-21.
13. ^ "Ghibli's N. American Arrietty BD to Have U.S. & U.K. Dubs (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
14. ^ "Aoi Teshima to Perform Ronia the Robber's Daughter's Theme Song". Anime News Network. Retrieved January 16, 2016.
15. ^ "市報かすが 平成24年11月1日号" (PDF). Kasuga City Government. 1 November 2012.
16. ^ テレビ東京『みゅーじん』、2007年10月14日。
17. ^ a b "AOI Teshima Official Website | Discography ディスコグラフィー".
18. ^ a b c d "アーティスト： 手嶌葵". Oricon. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
19. ^ a b c d "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」". Oricon. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 8, 2011. (subscription only)
20. ^ "Ren'dez-vous | 手嶌葵".
21. ^ "Miss AOI-Bonjour, Paris! | 手嶌葵".
22. ^ "Cheek to Cheek ～I Love Cinemas～ | 手嶌葵".
23. ^ "Hot 100｜JAPAN Charts｜Billboard JAPAN" (in Japanese). Billboard. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04.
24. ^ 有料音楽配信チャート (in Japanese). RIAJ.
25. ^ レコード協会調べ 11月度有料音楽配信認定 ＜略称：11月度認定＞. RIAJ (in Japanese). December 20, 2006. Retrieved July 8, 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website (in Japanese)
* Aoi Teshima profile at Oricon (in Japanese)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States
* Norway
* Poland

Academics|

* CiNii

Artists|

* MusicBrainz