Editing Akiko Yano (section)

==Biography==

===Early life===
Akiko Yano was born Akiko Suzuki in [[Tokyo]] in 1955. She grew up in [[Aomori]], Japan,<ref name=nippop>{{cite web |last=Cahoon |first=Keith |title=Akiko Yano Profile |url=http://nippop.com/artist/artist_id-25/artist_name-akiko_yano/ |website=Nippop |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090213023038/http://nippop.com/artist/artist_id-25/artist_name-akiko_yano/ |archive-date=February 13, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and learned to play the piano when she was three.<ref name=nippop /> She dropped out of high school and moved to Tokyo at the age of fifteen to become a professional musician, quickly became involved in the jazz scene, and by seventeen was working as a studio recording artist for hire.<ref name="bowler2019">{{cite periodical |last=Bowler |first=Paul |title=UNDER THE, RADAR: Artists, bands and labels meriting more attention |magazine=Record Collector |issue=495 |date=August 2019 |page=142 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A596576161/ITOF?u=philly_free&sid=ITOF&xid=2e0f42ae |via=Gale General OneFile |access-date=March 24, 2020 }}</ref><ref name="asahi-pt1">{{cite web |last=Nakatsu |first=Asako |title=１０代、ジャズミュージシャンをひたすら目指して 矢野顕子（前編） |url=https://www.asahi.com/and_w/20161124/23147/ |website=[[The Asahi Shimbun]] |date=November 24, 2016 |language=ja |trans-title=Akiko Yano: Aiming to be a jazz musician in her teens (Part 1) |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref> She also performed with the band [[Haruomi Hosono|Tin Pan Alley]].<ref name="anderson">{{cite book |last=Anderson |first=Mark |chapter=Yano Akiko |title=The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture |year=2009 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |page=575 |editor-last=Buckley |editor-first=Sandra |isbn=978-0415481526 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wtkm3O3nWXkC&q=akiko |via=GoogleBooks |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref>

===Solo career===
Yano's debut album, ''Japanese Girl'', was released on July 25, 1976,<ref name="taylor2016" /> was a major hit in Japan, and gave Yano overnight success.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hayes |first=Bryon |title=Akiko Yano Japanese Girl |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/akiko_yano-japanese_girl |website=Exclaim! |date=February 28, 2019 |access-date=March 21, 2020}}</ref> The album was recorded in Los Angeles with [[Little Feat]], and of the album's ten tracks, she wrote nine of them.<ref>{{cite web |title=Akiko Yano's 1976 debut Japanese Girl gets first international release |url=https://thevinylfactory.com/news/akiko-yano-japanese-girl-debut-album-vinyl/ |website=Vinyl Factory |date=January 23, 2019 |access-date=March 21, 2020}}</ref><ref name="bowler2019" /> The album has been praised for its unique blend of different musical styles such as jazz, pop, blues, and traditional Japanese folk music, and "still sounds fresh today", according to Paul Bowler of ''Record Collector'' magazine.<ref>{{cite periodical |last=Bowler |first=Paul |title=Akiko Yano: Japanese Girl |magazine=Record Collector |issue=492 |date=May 2019 |page=106 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A586239293/ITOF?u=philly_free&sid=ITOF&xid=cd799736 |via=Gale General OneFile |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> The success led to her self-producing the second album, ''Iroha Ni Konpeitou'', which was released in 1977.<ref name="bowler2019" /> It was recorded primarily in Japan, and features Yano improvising on a variety of instruments, backed up by prominent musicians such as [[Rick Marotta]] and [[Haruomi Hosono]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Milner |first=Roz |title=Akiko Yano: Iroha Ni Konpeitou |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/akiko_yano-iroha_ni_konpeitou |website=Exclaim |date=May 30, 2019 |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> Around this time, Yano started collaborating with [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] and joined them on two world tours.<ref name="bowler2019" /> They also played as the backing band for her 1980 album ''Gohan Ga Dekitayo'', which translates to "Dinner's Ready", and marked a shift in her musical style towards electro-pop.<ref>{{cite periodical |last=Bowler |first=Paul |title=Akiko Yano: Gohan Ga Dekitayo |magazine=Record Collector |issue=502 |date=February 2020 |page=110 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A614351007/ITOF?u=philly_free&sid=ITOF&xid=482550c0 |via=Gale General OneFile |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> The album was also one of the earliest CDs ever released in 1982.<ref>{{Discogs release|1813867|Akiko Yano – ごはんができたよ}}</ref>

1981's ''Tadaima'' ("I'm Home") has become one of the most beloved of Yano's discography, and also one of her personal favorites.<ref name="bowler2019" /> The record company asked for an album that would be a commercial success, so Yano gave them what they wanted on side one, but took side two in a different avant-garde direction, composed around nine short stories that were written by children.<ref name="bowler2019" /> The album once again featured the Yellow Magic Orchestra, as well as a cartoonish ''[[heta-uma]]'' cover designed by [[Teruhiko Yumura]],<ref>{{cite web |last=McDermott |first=Matt |title=Akiko Yano's 1981 album Tadaima, co-produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto, to be reissued |url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/news/42386 |website=Resident Advisor |date=August 27, 2018 |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> but was only released in Japan.<ref>{{cite periodical |last=Bowler |first=Paul |title=Akiko Yano: Tadaima |magazine=Record Collector |issue=487 |date=December 15, 2018 |page=113+ |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A567547503/ITOF?u=philly_free&sid=ITOF&xid=1f056065 |via=Gale General OneFile |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> The album's single "Harusaki Kobeni" was released before the album was recorded, and reached the top 40 chart after being used in cosmetics commercials.<ref name="asahi-pt2">{{cite web |last=Nakatsu |first=Asako |title=デビュー４０周年、築いた"大きな山"をアルバムに 矢野顕子（後編） |url=https://www.asahi.com/and_w/20161128/23153/ |website=[[The Asahi Shimbun]] |date=November 28, 2016 |language=ja |trans-title=On the 40th anniversary of her debut, Akiko Yano releases the album “Big Mountain” (Part 2) |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Caffiaux |first=Vincent |title=Interview: Akiko Yano ou les premices de la synth-pop |url=https://starwaxmag.com/akiko-yano-itw/ |website=Star Wax Mag |date=October 21, 2018 |language=fr |trans-title=Interview: Akiko Yano or The Beginnings of Synth-pop |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref>

Yano was introduced to British band, [[Japan (band)|Japan]], by Ryuichi Sakamoto of the Yellow Magic Orchestra, and in 1982 they met at the [[AIR Oxford Circus|AIR Studios]] in London to record an album, ''Ai Ga Nakucha Ne'' ("There Must Be Love").<ref>{{cite periodical |last=Bowler |first=Paul |title=FROM JAPAN TO JAPAN |magazine=Record Collector |issue=499 |date=December 2019 |page=32 |url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609856556/ITOF?u=philly_free&sid=ITOF&xid=6e03436e |via=Gale General OneFile |access-date=March 24, 2020}}</ref> The record company, Japan Record, released the album as a set with a book of photography and at a lower price, as requested by Yano.<ref>{{cite periodical |last=Fujita |first=Shig |title=Japan Label Plans LP-Book Tie |magazine=Billboard |date=June 26, 1982 |page=69 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jyQEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22akiko+yano%22&pg=PT82 |via=GoogleBooks |access-date=April 6, 2020}}</ref> After her 1984 album ''Oh Hisse, Oh Hisse'', Yano took a one-year break from recording music to raise her children, and decided to refocus her career on jazz, which led to the 1989 album ''Welcome Back'' featuring [[Pat Metheny]], [[Charlie Haden]] and [[Peter Erskine]].<ref name="bowler2019" /> She relocated to New York City in 1990.<ref name=nippop />

===Other projects===
{{BLP sources section|date=March 2020}} 
Yano's credits extend beyond her album projects. She was showcased by Japanese animation film company [[Studio Ghibli]], which is known for works such as ''[[Princess Mononoke]]'' and ''[[Spirited Away]]''. Yano composed the music for the film ''[[My Neighbors the Yamadas]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=Review: My Neighbors the Yamadas |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/my-neighbors-the-yamadas |website=Anime News Network |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> (as well as performing a minor role as Fujihara-sensei) and created and performed the sound effects using only her voice for two short films ''Yadosagashi''<ref>{{cite web |title=House-hunting (2006) Yadosagashi (original title) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756260/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt |website=IMDb |publisher=IMDb.com |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> and ''Mizugumo Monmon''<ref>{{cite web |title=Monmon the Water Spider (2006) Mizugumo Monmon (original title) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0768132/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 |website=IMDb |publisher=IMDb.com|access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> by animation director [[Hayao Miyazaki]]. Both films were shown at the [[Ghibli Museum]] in Mitaka, Tokyo. More recently in 2008, Yano performed as a voiceover actress on ''[[Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea]]'' as Ponyo's sisters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ponyo (2008) Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0876563/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm |website=IMDb |publisher=IMDb.com |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> In addition, Yano composed music for Toei's animated feature, ''[[Atashin'chi]]''<ref>{{cite web |title=アニメあたしンち映画 |url=https://www.shin-ei-animation.jp/2016/atashinchi/cinema/index.html |website=Shin-Ei Animation |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref> and piano-based soundtrack for the film ''Tagatameni''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Portrait of the Wind (2005) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465635/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm |website=IMDb |publisher=IMDb.com |access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref>

As an international artist, Yano has toured Europe extensively, performing at ''The [[Montreux Jazz Festival]]'', ''[[Café de la Danse]]'', and ''[[Cité de la Musique]]'' in Paris. In 2002, she also performed a week of special concerts at ''[[Pizza Express]]'' in London. In the United States, Yano has performed in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston and New York City where she periodically plays concerts throughout the year at ''[[Joe's Pub]]'' at the [[New York Public Theater]]. In July 2009, she performed at the [[North Sea Jazz Festival]] along with fellow pianist [[Hiromi Uehara]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hiromi & Akiko Yano |url=https://www.northseajazz.com/en/program/2009/sunday-12-july/12376-hiromi-akiko-yano/ |website=North Sea Jazz |access-date=5 September 2023}}</ref>
In recent years she has appeared at the ''[[Blue Note]] in New York'' as a guest performer for [[Janis Siegel]] of [[The Manhattan Transfer]], and as part of a trio with [[Anthony Jackson (musician)|Anthony Jackson]] on bass and [[Cliff Almond (musician)|Cliff Almond]] on drums in concerts at the [[Blue Note]] Tokyo since 2003. In 2008, New York guitarist [[Marc Ribot]] joined Yano for sold-out shows at the ''Blue Note Tokyo''.

Yano joined with [[Rei Harakami]] to create the duo [[Yanokami]], and in 2007 they released their first studio album ''Yanokami''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://natalie.mu/music/news/2934|title=[矢野顕子] yanokami最新アルバム全曲フル配信|website=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]]|language=ja|date=3 August 2007|access-date=4 February 2020}}</ref> In 2009, [[Will Lee (bassist)|Will Lee]] and [[Chris Parker (musician)|Chris Parker]] joined her to form the Akiko Yano Trio.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harada |title=Live Reports: Akiko Yano Trio |url=http://www.bluenote.co.jp/jp/reports/2009/08/20/akiko-yano-trio.html |website=Blue Note Tokyo |publisher=Blue Note Japan|access-date=20 December 2020}}</ref>