Singer-songwriter Chisato — Reflections on 14 Years in Music and the Hopes Behind Her First New Album in Seven Years

Singer-songwriter Chisato, who is from Satosho Town and is based in Okayama for her music career.

She has loved singing since she was a child, but becoming a singer seemed like a far-off dream. After working as a member of the workforce, she became a singer-songwriter, and made her nationwide debut in 2016.

In 2026, it will be 14 years since she began her music career in 2013.
To mark turning 40 in 2026, she produced an album with 17 tracks, including an intro: “ANNIVERSARY II”.

We spoke with her about the thoughts behind her new album, her songwriting, and her 14 years of musical activity.

A new album after 14 years of activity, her first in seven years

Chisato says that when she was working as a member of the workforce, she went to karaoke with her family for her birthday and sang a song. Her uncle then asked her, “Would you like to try making music together?” That was what prompted her to begin her music career.

In 2009, she won the Newcomer Award at the All-Japan Karaoke Grand Prix. She began pursuing music in earnest in 2013, and 2026 marks her 14th year of activity.

In 2018, she released “Inori Soshite Negau” (Pray and Wish), created as a recovery support song following the July 2018 heavy rains. The song is imbued with prayers for people who suffered extensive damage, including in Mabi, Kurashiki City. Fujii Kaze, also from Satosho Town, who shared Chisato’s sentiments, arranged the piano part.

Her full-length album “JIGGY” the following year, in 2019, also ranked among the top J-Pop albums on Apple Music in 34 countries. Based in her hometown of Okayama, she has continued to share her music, sometimes crossing oceans to reach audiences in places such as the United States, Belgium, and Vietnam.

For Chisato, this is her first album release in seven years, since her previous full-length album, “JIGGY.” This album is built around songs she has previously released mainly through streaming, and also includes newly written songs.

Some previously released songs are included in versions that differ from the originals, such as acoustic and English-language versions.

The album is titled “ANNIVERSARY II”. It will be released on November 8, 2026.

Those who purchase the album will also receive an original pin badge as a first-press bonus (one of two designs). For details, visit [Chisato Official Website].

We spoke with Chisato

We asked her about her new album and her thoughts on 14 years of musical activity.

How the album came about

What prompted you to make an album?

Chisato (surname omitted)

One reason was turning 40.
I’ve always felt that turning 20, 30, and 40 are major milestones. I’ve reached the age when life is halfway over. I wanted to leave behind a record of my life—not as a digital release, but on CD.

Another reason was that I wanted to create again the warmth and special feeling of having a CD in your hands. Most of the people who listen to my music now are in their 40s to 60s. Taking into account comments that CDs are easier to keep on hand and listen to, I decided to make a CD album.

It’s been seven years since your previous album, “JIGGY.”

Chisato

When I made “JIGGY,” I felt like I had given it everything I had.
I never studied music formally, and started my music career by teaching myself from a place of almost no knowledge, so making an album was an entirely new challenge in every respect.

For the previous album, I tried for the first time a method called “track-first,” where the accompaniment (track) is made first, and then the melody and lyrics are added. It was one challenge after another, wondering how I should make it, and it was very difficult.

Making an album is fun, but it can also feel like a life-draining process. It costs money and involves other people. You can’t do it without being prepared to commit.

Even so, the voices of people saying, “I want to have a CD in my hands,” encouraged me, and at last the project began to take shape.

The “resolve” to make an album

What does it mean to have the “resolve” to make an album?

Chisato

For example, imagine someone who used to cook meals for two now has to cook for 50. They can’t do it without working with others, and the more people they involve, the greater their responsibility becomes. It feels like something you can only overcome if you’re prepared to commit.

It may be hard, but at the end of it, there are people who will be happy.
With cooking, it’s “people enjoying a delicious meal”; with music, it’s “happy faces” and “people who feel comforted.” Imagining that gives me another push and helps me find the resolve. I think that’s true of making music and of anything else.

What kinds of songs are on the album?

Chisato

It includes “Furniture” (meaning furniture), whose music video was filmed in Okayama, and “My Life～1,2,3～,” among others. “Furniture” was filmed at Masterwal The World, a furniture store in Satosho Town, and “My Life～1,2,3～” was filmed at Kurashiki Ivy Square. I’m happy to be able to film in places like these in my hometown of Okayama.

It also includes “Music Magic,” which I wrote for the summer festival in Satosho Town, where I’ve been performing for many years. I’m happy that it’s become a song that the local community can enjoy together.

Looking back on 14 years of activity

After 14 years of activity, what changes have you experienced?

Chisato

I’ve changed 180 degrees—so much that you might think I’m a different person. My way of thinking and my personality have both changed. Maybe it’s because I have more things I need to protect.

If I want to share good music, I first need to get myself in order. I’ve come to feel that it’s difficult to share music unless I live in a way that could serve as a textbook for others.

As a child, I tended to worry about what other people thought and take things negatively.
But now that I’m an adult, I can empathize with all kinds of people, and I feel that my childhood experiences had meaning.

In my personal life, I’ve also suffered from illness. But because of that experience, I met people I otherwise wouldn’t have, and it led to making music. I think that music may have encouraged someone, too. Through all kinds of experiences, I’ve grown as a person, and I feel that my range as a music creator has expanded.

What does music mean to you?

Chisato

It adds color to life. It connects people (me) with people (someone else). I feel like I couldn’t really feel alive if there were no music.

Is there anything you value when you’re on stage?

Chisato

Creating a stage together with people I share a bond with.

I’m currently performing on stage with two elementary school-aged backup dancers. I hope to teach these young dancers not only dance skills, but also how to approach music and how to show gratitude to the people around them.

Since I’m entrusting them with dancing on stage, I want them to be committed, and that also puts pressure on them. But I always look at them from two perspectives: believing, “These kids will be fine,” and being ready to support them with everything I have if the need arises.

I’m also developing songs together, exchanging ideas with young musicians who arrange them. We inspire each other across differences in age and position, and that’s a great treasure to me.

Future activities

Who would you like to reach with this album?

Chisato

Let me see…
I’d like to reach people who are working hard at life and people who are struggling. I think there are worries that arise precisely because you’re trying so hard. I’d be happy if I could make songs that ease people’s feelings and help them feel better.

When I write songs, I often picture someone in particular. Once, the moment I finished the A section of a song, the face of a certain fan came to mind.

That person sometimes comes to my live shows. They seem like someone who gives their all in everything and keeps working hard to face forward in life. I wrote a song while thinking, “I want to write something that reaches this person.”

Depending on my circumstances and feelings at the time, there are times when I want to listen to a ballad, and times when I want something upbeat to lift my spirits. I’m the same way. I hope this will be an album people can listen to in a way that suits how they’re feeling, whatever their mood.

Tell us what you’re aiming for.

Chisato

I feel very fortunate and grateful to be able to work in Okayama, where I was born and raised. I’ve been able to continue my activities here because there are people who believe in my music and in me. There’s nothing that would make me happier than helping energize the community through music.

I hope to continue valuing my activities in my hometown while also going outside the prefecture and, when opportunities arise, visiting all kinds of places to share my songs.

Music is “something that adds color to life”

In August 2026, I saw Chisato perform at the summer festival in Satosho Town.
She got the crowd going on stage with her backup dancers. I could feel how much she wanted everyone who had come that day to enjoy themselves.

I asked Chisato, “What would you say to yourself 14 years ago, when you first started your music career?” She replied, “You’ve worked so hard. Because I was there back then, I’m able to live strongly now.”

“Your life can change depending on how you feel.” She says that’s what she would tell her past self.

Chisato answered every question sincerely and thoughtfully. I’m looking forward to listening to her new album, filled with colorful thoughts and feelings.

Singer-songwriter Chisato’s profile

Name	Singer-songwriter Chisato
Contact	Voice Co., Ltd. / Voice Music Entertainment Phone: 0120-928-710

Get handpicked articles from Kurashiki Tocotoco on LINE