Koda Kumi: Nothing in life is wasted, and what I've done has not been a mistake

■ Profile

Born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1982. Celebrating 20 years since their debut, they continue to maintain the style and performance skills they had at the time of their debut. They are always challenging themselves with new things, and are loved and supported by many fans. In September 2020, they held an arena tour while taking thorough COVID-9 infection prevention measures, captivating their fans.

　Ever since I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, I dreamed of becoming a singer and started taking auditions, and in the summer of my second year of high school, I was accepted by Avex. However, I took lessons for a year without any guarantee of a debut, and finally made my debut, but it was difficult for people to see me as a person called "Koda Kumi," and I was unable to meet the company's expectations. I had worked hard with the goal of making my debut, but I realized that my journey only began after my debut, and I realized that I needed to work harder from then on in order to be on the same level as the other artists around me, or to beat them.

■What do I have??The difficulty of finding your own answer

　After her debut, she embarked on a journey to find the true essence of who she was as a person: "Koda Kumi." She had been writing songs hoping to deliver songs that would inspire people, but she struggled to find a hit. She decided it was important to first get noticed, so she decided to "do something no one else was doing!" and started wearing sexy fashion, something that was unheard of at the time. This led to many people noticing her. However, her next step was to transform from a "Cutie Honey"-like figure garnering attention for her fashion sense into the singer "Koda Kumi." She wanted people to listen to her songs, but her role as a fashion icon took on a life of its own. So, she decided to sing songs with a message to get people to notice her as a singer. There's no right answer in the music industry. It was difficult to find the right answer for myself.
　I want to create entertainment that can be enjoyed by both adults and children. Because entertainment is a job that gives people dreams, I want to keep my own dreams in mind and deliver value that money cannot buy. It's hard to talk about your dreams if you're always thinking about practical things like how much money it will cost to do something. I want to create something that will allow people to return to their childhood and enjoy themselves no matter how old they are.

■Message

　I think it's important to experience a variety of things, both in love and work. Doing so will lead you to discover "this is what I like." But that won't happen unless you take the first step. Nothing will change if you stick to the same old routine. Try doing something you've never done before. And I hope you'll value your intuition and believe in yourself as you move forward.

Student Newspaper April 2021 Edition by Etsuko Shimizu, 4th year student at Osaka Kyoiku University