Singer of the Japanese anime “NANA” wants to promote Japanese-Chinese exchange

Japanese singer Anna Tsuchiya, who lent her voice to one of the title characters in the animated series “NANA,” wants to promote exchange between Japan and China through music following the success of her first concert in Beijing at the end of June.

“(Chinese) fans sang my songs in Japanese and taught me how to get into the groove in Chinese, and I was so happy,” Tsuchiya told reporters on June 29 after meeting about 100 fans at an event at the Japanese embassy in Beijing.

Anna Tsuchiya, whose songs were featured in the Japanese animated series “NANA,” speaks at an event at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on June 29, 2024, to promote exchanges between the two countries through music. (Kyodo)

She also works as a model and actress, but many Chinese fans know Tsuchiya best as a singer in the 2006-2007 animated television series.

The anime gained popularity through posts on Chinese social media, and many fans in their teens and twenties attended Tsuchiya’s concert in Beijing, according to an organizer of the music event.

NANA, originally a manga by Ai Yazawa, tells the story of two women, both named Nana, one of whom is pursuing a professional music career with her band, and their friendship.

Tsuchiya said that although she does not speak Chinese, she felt that the music at the concert overcame the language barrier and allowed the artists and audience to enjoy the occasion together.

Jiang Yuxuan, 26, who traveled from Qingdao in Shandong province to attend the embassy event in Beijing, told Kyodo News she was “overjoyed to be able to meet (Tsuchiya) so closely for the first time.”

“I want to compose more new songs and go to many places in China to give live music performances,” Tsuchiya said.

Tsuchiya is just one of several famous Japanese artists who have recently given concerts in China, as travel between Japan and its Asian neighbor slowly recovers since Beijing lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions in early 2023.

Japanese pop music duo Yoasobi took part in a music festival in Tianjin in May, while guitarist Miyavi went on a concert tour of China last year.

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