Nakamori Akina

 (中森明菜) is a Japanese soloist and former idol.

Nakamori got her start in show business after auditioning for the talent scouting TV show Star Tanjou!. She did not clear the preliminary rounds in 1979 and 1980's contests, but won 1st place in 1981 with a record breaking score, guaranteeing her a recording contract.

She debuted as an idol in 1982 with the single Slow Motion, but it did not sell as planned. However, her subsequent single Shoujo A became a huge hit, and after that she became one of the best selling artists of the 1980s.

She went on hiatus in 1989 for mental health recovery, and returned to music in 1990. Throughout the 1990s her release schedule became more and more sporadic until 2009 when she went on extended hiatus. She returned to music in 2014, then after the release of Akina in 2017, she went on extended hiatus again.

In August 2022, she announced via her official Twitter account that she would begin slowly returning to show business.

Discography
Albums=

Studio Albums

 * [1982.07.01] Jomaku (序幕)
 * [1982.10.27] Hensokyoku (変奏曲)
 * [1983.03.23] Gensokyoku (幻想曲)
 * [1983.08.10] NEW AKINA Etranze (NEW AKINA エトランゼ)
 * [1984.05.01] ANNIVERSARY
 * [1984.10.10] POSSIBILITY
 * [1985.04.03] BITTER AND SWEET
 * [1985.08.10] D404ME
 * [1986.08.11] Fushigi (不思議; Mystery)
 * [1986.12.24] CRIMSON
 * [1987.08.25] Cross My Palm
 * [1988.03.03] Stock
 * [1988.08.03] Femme Fatale
 * [1989.07.25] CRUISE
 * [1993.09.22] UNBALANCE+BALANCE
 * [1995.07.21] la alteración
 * [1997.03.21] SHAKER
 * [1998.06.17] SPOON
 * [1999.12.01] will
 * [2002.05.22] Resonancia
 * [2003.05.14] I hope so
 * [2006.06.21] DESTINATION
 * [2009.08.26] DIVA
 * [2017.11.08] Akina (明菜)

Mini Albums

 * [1982.12.24] Seventeen
 * [1984.12.21] SILENT LOVE
 * [1985.12.21] MY BEST THANKS
 * [1987.05.01] CD'87
 * [1988.06.01] Wonder
 * [1996.12.18] VAMP

Compilation Albums

 * [1983.12.21] BEST AKINA Memoires (BEST AKINA メモワール)
 * [1986.04.01] BEST
 * [1988.12.24] BEST II
 * [1992.11.10] BEST III
 * [1993.12.10] Mou Hitori no Akina (もう一人の明菜) (B-side Compilation)
 * [1995.12.06] true album akina 95 best
 * [2002.12.04] Akina Nakamori ~Utahime Double Decade (Akina Nakamori〜歌姫ダブル・ディケイド)
 * [2006.01.11] BEST FINGER 25th anniversary selection
 * [2007.01.17] Utahime Best ~25th Anniversary Selection~ (歌姫ベスト ~25th Anniversary Selection~)
 * [2007.03.28] Ballad Best 25th Anniversary Selection(バラード・ベスト 25th Anniversary Selection)
 * [2008.02.27] Diva legend ~ '90s BEST (歌姫伝説～’９０ｓ　ＢＥＳＴ)
 * [2012.07.11] Best Collection ~Love Songs & Pop Songs~ (ベスト・コレクション～ラブ・ソングス＆ポップ・ソングス～ )
 * [2014.08.06] ALL TIME BEST -Original- (オールタイム・ベスト -オリジナル-)
 * [2014.08.06] ALL TIME BEST -Utahime (Cover)- (オールタイム・ベスト -歌姫(カヴァー)-)

Live Albums

 * [1989.11.17] AKINA EAST LIVE INDEX-XXIII
 * [1991.11.28] Listen to Me

Cover Albums

 * [1994.03.24] Utahime (歌姫; Song Princess)
 * [2002.03.20] -ZEROalbum- Utahime 2 (-ZEROalbum- 歌姫2; Song Princess)
 * [2002.12.04] Utahime Special Edition (歌姫; Song Princess)
 * [2003.12.03] Utahime 3 ~Shuumaku (歌姫3 〜終幕; Song Princess ~End)
 * [2007.06.27] Enka (艶華)
 * [2008.12.24] Folk Song ~Utahime Jojouka (フォーク・ソング～歌姫抒情歌; Song Princess' Expression of Feelings)
 * [2009.06.24] Mood Kayou ~Utahime Showa Meikyoku Shuu~ (ムード歌謡 ～歌姫昭和名曲集～; Mood Songs ~Collection of Famous Pieces of Music from the Showa Era~)
 * [2009.07.29] Folk Song 2 ~Utahime Aishouka (フォーク・ソング2　～歌姫哀翔歌)
 * [2015.01.28] Utahime 4 -My Eggs Benedict- (歌姫4 -My Eggs Benedict-)

Others Albums

 * [2002.12.04] UNBALANCE+BALANCE+6 (Reissue)
 * [2002.12.04] la alteración+4 (Reissue)
 * [2002.12.04] SHAKER+3 (Reissue)

Box Sets
Singles=
 * [2004.12.01] Utahime Complete Box Empress Akina Nakamori 1994 ~ 2004
 * [2006.06.21] Akina Box

Singles

 * [1982.05.01] Slow Motion (スローモーション)
 * [1982.07.28] Shoujo A (少女A; Girl A)
 * [1982.11.10] Second Love (セカンド・ラブ)
 * [1983.02.23] 1/2 No shinwa (1⁄2の神話; 1/2 of the Myth)
 * [1983.06.01] Twilight -Yuugure Tayori- (トワイライト -夕暮れ便り-)
 * [1983.09.07] Kinku (禁区; Forbidden Zone)
 * [1984.01.01] Kita Wing (北ウイング; North Wing)
 * [1984.04.11] Southern Wind (サザン・ウインド)
 * [1984.07.25] Jukkai (十戒; Ten Commandments)
 * [1984.11.14] Kazari Janai no yo Namida wa (飾りじゃないのよ涙は; I'm not made of Tears)
 * [1985.03.08] MI ・AMORE (ミ・アモーレ)
 * [1985.05.01] Akai Tori Nigeta (赤い鳥逃げた; The Runaway Red Bird)
 * [1985.06.19] SAND BEIGE -Sabaku e- (砂漠へ; SAND BEIGE -In the Desert-)
 * [1985.10.09] SOLITUDE
 * [1986.02.03] DESIRE - Jounetsu - (情熱; DESIRE - Passion -)
 * [1986.05.26] Gypsy Queen (ジプシー・クイーン)
 * [1986.09.25] Fin (End)
 * [1987.02.03] TANGO NOIR (BLACK TANGO)
 * [1987.06.03] BLONDE
 * [1987.09.30] Nanpasen (難破船)
 * [1988.01.27] AL-MAUJ (アルマージ)
 * [1988.05.18] TATTOO
 * [1988.11.01] I MISSED "THE SHOCK"
 * [1989.04.25] LIAR
 * [1990.07.17] Dear Friend
 * [1990.11.16] Mizu ni Sashita Hana (水に挿した花)
 * [1991.03.25] Futari Shizuka "Tenkawa Densetsu Satsujin Jiken Yori" (二人静 -「天河伝説殺人事件」より)
 * [1993.05.21] Everlasting Love
 * [1994.03.24] Kataomoi (片想い)
 * [1994.09.02] Yoru no Dokoka de ~night shift~ (夜のどこかで)
 * [1994.10.05] Gekka (月華)
 * [1995.06.21] Genshi, Onna wa Taiyou Datta (原始、女は太陽だった)
 * [1995.11.01] Tokyo Rose
 * [1996.08.07] MOONLIGHT SHADOW ~Tsuki ni Hoero~ (月に吠えろ)
 * [1997.02.21] APPETITE
 * [1998.02.11] Kisei ~Never Forget~ (帰省)
 * [1998.05.21] Kon'ya, Nagareboshi (今夜、流れ星)
 * [1998.09.23] Tomadoi (とまどい)
 * [1999.01.21] Ophelia (オフェリア)
 * [1999.12.01] Trust Me
 * [2001.06.06] It's brand new day
 * [2002.05.02] The Heat ~musica fiesta~
 * [2003.04.30] Days
 * [2004.05.12] Akai Hana (赤い花; The Red Flower)
 * [2004.07.07] Hajimete Deatta Hi no You ni (初めて出逢った日のように)
 * [2005.12.07] Rakka Ryusui (落花流水)
 * [2006.05.17] Hana yo Odore (花よ踊れ)
 * [2009.09.23] DIVA
 * [2015.01.21] ROJO -TIERRA- (ロホ ティエラ)

Trivia

 * She has two older brothers, two older sisters, and one younger sister. Her younger sister was model Nakamori Akiho (1968-2019.)
 * Her mother was a club singer in the 1950s and 1960s and she encouraged Nakamori to become a professional singer since she was a young child. Her mother passed away from cancer in 1995.
 * At one time she was engaged to Kondo Masahiko but the engagement was broken off in 1989 as a result of Kondo's multiple affairs.
 * She was supposed to debut under the stage name "Mori Asuna" (森アスナ) but Nakamori refused.
 * She shares the same birthday as Ishikawa Hidemi.