Top 10 Best Female Singers of Japan

Whether she's a solo artist or the lead vocalist of a band, if she has a career in Japan and you think she's the best, include her here.

The Top Ten

Yui

You might be surprised that YUI is at the top spot, but she really deserves it considering how people nowadays seem to kind of forget her glory days. YUI is super talented, even though she wasn't born into a musical family. She actually only started learning music in her late teens, but in less than a year, she was already composing her own songs. Her first song "Why Me" even got an official release.
If you follow her story before she got famous, it's really hard not to have mad respect for her. In my opinion, she's one of the best singer-songwriters there ever was, an artist who truly creates music that's authentic and genuinely unique in the Japanese pop-rock scene.
Nana Mizuki

Nana Mizuki, a seiyuu (voice actress) and singer, is a great example for those who aspire to be singing artists. Throughout her entire career, she has never lip-synced. I repeat, never. This is evident because you can hear her breathing in her live performances and even in her CD recordings.
Despite her age and experiences as a child, she shows true talent. The dance choreography, along with her vocal range and versatility across multiple genres, demonstrates to her fans that she possesses genuine talent. She deserves more recognition and should be in the top 10. If you haven't seen her live performances, go to YouTube this instant!
Utada Hikaru

I was first introduced to Utada when I played Kingdom Hearts and have listened to her ever since. She was the first J-pop singer I had ever listened to and continue to listen to. She introduced me to a whole new world of unforgettable music, and I cannot wait for her new music that is rumored to be coming out soon.
For those that aren't familiar with Hikki, I'll list some of her best songs in my opinion: Japanese - Beautiful World, Sakura Nagashi, Hikari, Passion, Final Distance. English - Animato, Exodus '04, Kremlin Dusk, Apple and Cinnamon, and all versions of Sanctuary.

I love Utada. She's very talented and musically gifted. She can speak English and Japanese fluently and sounds good singing in both. I hope she comes back to the United States.
Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎あゆみ) (born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer and songwriter. She is known for being one of the biggest pop stars in Japan and one of the highest-earning artists in the industry.
She had many number one hits after being discovered by Max Matsuura. Her debut album, A Song for... read more

Ayumi sounds amazing. Her voice can carry such high notes, and her voice has a special ring to it. Another thing is that her songs always have amazing music videos to go with them, and she always looks beautiful in those as well. Ayumi is the best singer ever. Her songs send the best messages, especially the song Dearest.

From her debut until now, she has given me so many things to learn. I have read about her past and followed her since 2007. She always tries something new and makes it better than ever. Her honesty makes me totally in love with her songs and herself as a fan.
Atsuko Maeda

She's a little flower that blossomed beautifully and is loved by many people. Her fans always support her in her path after graduating from AKB48. Acchan is Acchan, as always. Her idealism is still the same as when she first joined the group.

Acchan will be the next "real" singer in Japan with her aura! I love her so much because of her voice and, of course, her experience and effort to be an idol. Vote for her, and you'll make a chance for someone to be a "real" singer.

No matter what happens with Atsuko Maeda, I will always support her. I'm your big fan from Indonesia.
Mika Nakashima

Her beautiful, deep, and strong voice is extremely pleasant to hear. Just by listening to her songs, you can tell she sings with her heart. Her vocal style should be considered fresh and rare, as the industry often leans towards cute and sweet vocals. In other words, her voice represents a rarity in this industry.
Apart from that, she is very gorgeous, stylish, and cool in appearance. She has a very good sense of fashion. Her English is also good, giving her the potential to shine as a Japanese artist in the West. For me, she epitomizes the perfect Japanese female artist. She should, would, could, and will be on the top.
Lia

Lia is like a legend in J-pop. Even though I don't understand her lyrics at all, she just makes the songs sound amazingly impressive. Her voice is strong and graceful. I don't understand why her rank is so low. I LOVE LIA.

Why is Lia ranked so low?! She has a goddess-like, incredible range and conveys so much emotion in her songs. Most of all, she sings beautifully live! Please support this amazing singer and raise her rank!

Angelic voice, amazing vibrato. Listen to Toki o Kizamu Uta and My Soul, Your Beats and tell me she's not good.
Origa
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Kiriko Takemura, better known by her stage name Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, is a Japanese fashion model and pop singer. She gained international fame for her quirky music videos and catchy songs. Her most well-known tracks include PONPONPON, Ninja Re Bang Bang, and Kira Kira Killer.

Pamyu Pamyu is great! She's not only incredibly popular (along with Nishino Kana and AKB48 as the top females in Japan) but worldwide she is a sensation! Kyary is different and cute, and you just can't help but fall in love with her!

She's very talented. My favorites are actually many of her songs, especially Fashion Monster. She has a really great voice, and I'd love to see her one day! I think she really does deserve to be number 1 because she seems very nice and makes the world so much different. I've listened to others in the tops, and I still stayed on KPP's side. I think she has so much talent! Watashi wa saizen o kitai!
Tsukiko Amano

Tsuki-sama is not just a singer but an artist. Her lyrics can touch a heart deeply and softly. Her melodies can make you float and find yourself in the clouds.

Tsuki is a very good artist. Her singing is deep, sad, and intense. But, nevertheless, it's warm, gentle, and friendly.

I love all her songs! She is a very complete artist.

The Newcomers

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Immi

Immi (born January 26, 1983) is a Japanese singer and songwriter.
Immi originally debuted in 2001 as a pop singer under her real name, Mayu Nakazawa. She was signed to Universal Music Japan but was later dropped from the label.
In 2011, Immi and Jetbikini formed the electronic duo Tacomimi.... read more
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Hako Yamasaki

The Contenders

BoA

BoA Kwon is a South Korean singer who became popular across Asia. She is known for performing in multiple languages, including Korean, English, and Japanese. In addition to singing, she is also a professional dancer and performer.

I first fell in love with her Japanese song "Brand New Beat," and she really has a beautiful voice and is also good at dancing. I still like her now, and I still enjoy her songs, whether they're Japanese or Korean, upbeat or ballads.

She's Queen of Pop! She's an awesome singer and judge. Why? At that young age, she's already a mentor for aspiring singers like in K-pop Star! She has that scary charisma, which just makes her image more fit for a celebrity of her level.

To be honest, I fell in love with BoA with the first song I heard from her. It was amazing, and I've never stopped listening to her songs since.
Aimer

Nothing comes close to Aimer if you talk about uniqueness, maybe except Yuki Isoya. She sings with her heart, and her live performance is beautiful in every aspect.
She is a very humble and shy person. At the beginning of her career, she didn't show her face because she wanted people to pay attention to her voice, not her face.
Due to her parents' influence, she was surrounded by music from a very young age. She began composing songs with the piano and guitar and started writing lyrics in English. At the age of 15, she lost her voice from an unfortunate accident. However, as she recovered, she acquired her distinctive husky voice.
Angela Aki

Her voice is really alluring. And she plays the piano very well. Her charm is also great.

Her voice touches my heart and is different from the others who sound like a cat meow.
Kana Nishino

For me, she's the best Japanese singer. Her voice is so nice and beautiful, and the melodies and the way she sings are so cool. I wish she would be more famous and become the best. The first song I heard from her was "HAVE A NICE DAY." I love her voice!

Best Friend, Dear, Motto, Sayonara. Her voice is one of the best I have heard: crystal clear with high ringing resonance and sincere soulful R&B. I love her sky-high falsetto. Weepingly beautiful at times. Very bittersweet, but can also be really happy like in Moshimo. Deep emotional resonance with such a high-pitched natural delivery and great vocal range, with smooth transitions up into the high registers.
Crystal Kay

Crystal Kay's J-pop music is very elegant and definitely catchy.
The way she sings is something I have an interest in, along with other J-pop singers. Her voice is like a crystal, and she's one of my top favorite J-pop singers.

Awesome and beautiful. I made the purchase and have not got a clue what most of the words mean, but it's a pleasure listening to her.
Suzuka Nakamoto (Su-metal)

Suzuka Nakamoto, born in 1997 in Hiroshima, Japan, is known by her stage name Su-Metal in the kawaii metal band BABYMETAL. She is a Japanese idol, singer, and model represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc. She has been a member of two musical groups formed by the company, Karen Girl's and Sakura... read more

With 10 years of professional singing experience when she just turned 20, Suzuka Nakamoto has a tremendous career ahead of her. She can easily outsing 90 percent of people named in this entire list. With an incredible amount of work already under her belt at 20, she will keep growing, bettering herself, honing her craft, and soon turning all detractors into believers. She is without a doubt one of the great emerging names in Japan's music industry. Already a huge star, she will only get bigger and brighter.

The girl is 18 and kicking ass left, right, and center. She was good at 15 as it is, but her growth as a vocalist since then has been phenomenal and a pleasure to watch.
Can't imagine how she'll turn out when her voice matures even more. Might as well just hand her the title of Queen of Japan. She's already regarded as Metal Queen by The One.
Haruna Ono

With her unique vocal style and a strong hint of rock in it, she is rare indeed. On top of that, she's a good guitarist too. Being a lead vocal with guitar isn't easy, especially in the pop rock genre.

Just check out for yourself how amazing this vocalist/guitarist is. Plus, she definitely has the looks and can dance well too.

Haruna is the best! Powerful voice and a real rock band vocalist. I love her voice and when she plays the guitar. Very wonderful, yeah. Rock on, Haruna senpai.
LiSA

LiSA is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Seki, Gifu, and is signed to Aniplex under Sony Music Artists. She made her major debut in 2010, singing songs for the anime TV series Angel Beats! as one of two vocalists for the fictional band Girls Dead Monster. She performed at Animelo Summer Live in August 2010. In April 2011, she made her solo debut with the release of her mini-album Letters to U.
Her single "Oath Sign" is used as the opening theme to the 2011 anime Fate/Zero. Her single "Crossing Field" is used as the opening theme to the 2012 anime Sword Art Online. Her single "Träumerei" is used as the opening theme to the 2013 anime Day Break Illusion.

She manages to bring a smile to my face no matter which song I'm listening to! The emotions you can feel from her resonate with you. Just listen to any of her songs.
The fact that a good number of her songs are used as anime openings and closing themes should speak for itself. LiSA is an amazing live performer. She's a great inspiration and captures the hearts of those listening to her.
Kashiwagi Yuki

She's the best! I always play her songs before going to sleep and after I wake up. Her voice is like an angel.

Her voice is very beautiful, and she is a pretty girl.
Ami Suzuki

Suzuki Ami (born February 9, 1980) is a Japanese singer, DJ, and actress. She attended Ayase Nishi High School in Kanagawa and later transferred to Meguro Nihon University High School in Tokyo.
She released her first album, SA, on March 25, 1999, which became her best-selling album. During the... read more
Namie Amuro

Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵) (born September 20, 1977) is a retired Japanese singer, dancer, and actress from Okinawa. She debuted in 1992 as a member of SUPER MONKEYS and later became widely known as the Queen of J-Pop. She sold more than 40 million records in Japan and received numerous accolades throughout... read more

She is the best in the world! I know what I'm talking about. Just love her! She should be number one here. She is my favorite star forever. Her performances are so energetic, and you just can't believe that she can do this all alone.

I suppose her music might be taking a wrong turn, but she'll always be my favorite artist. I hope she backtracks a bit with her genre or at least the English.

Namie is the Queen of J-Pop! She has awesome dance moves, and her vocals are amazing. She is one of my favorite singers!
Amii Ozaki

Amii Ozaki (real name Misuzu Ohara) (born March 19, 1957) is a Japanese singer and songwriter born in Kita-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
She has written music such as Olivia o Kikinagara by Anri and Tenshi no Wink by Seiko Matsuda, as well as many other songs.... read more
Chihiro Onitsuka

This human being is a special one. I am not Japanese and don't know the language a bit, though I've watched a lot of anime, so I'm not sure if my words count or not. To me, if a singer can give birth to songs like "Gekkou," "Infection," and "Innocence," then she should be recognized as a great artist not only in Japan, but all over the world.

She has one of the strongest and most beautiful voices I have ever heard. Her songs move me so much that I almost get teary-eyed. She can sing so many different genres too. She is truly a wonderful singer.
Ayaka

She should be in the top 5 if we are talking about real vocal ability, strength, and stability. She's able to match her studio recordings in a live situation. Not just a fan but a real singer will like Ayaka.

Pure, powerful, expressive, and charming voice.
She is young, but has already become a very sophisticated artist. She is a real Japanese treasure. I'm very proud of her.

She has a very excellent vocal. Why is she not in the top 10?
Kokia

I was working my way through this list, liking some while others were not really my taste. I then reached number 32, and even though her style isn't what I am into, her voice enchanted me and trapped me under its spell. It's so beautiful with so many levels, and the emotion just oozes out of it. I would love her to sing an old Scottish folk song.
Her music is not something I would listen to every day, but whenever I do (it's already on my music player), it will lift my day to a higher level and spread beauty into the darkest corners of my life.

I'm not critiquing her songs or popularity, but her vocal abilities. She's one of the best female singers ever. Find songs where she sings with no music and you'll be convinced.