What was it like being active in places like Akihabara?
Freedom! Everybody gets to be a star, idol and main character. If you say you are an idol, then people support you as an idol. If you say you are a character from anime, then you become one in Akihabara. Tell us more about the contest you won in Tokyo. The contest was about finding an artist who gets a CD deal produced by Mr. Takahiro Yamautsuri, a composer and arranger of one of the Pokemon movies. He selected me after listening to many demo tapes that were submitted and called me… but my phone number had changed! He found my resume and called my father, and finally he contacted me. He is still a good advisor for my music. In 2008 you made a major life change by moving to New York. How did that come about? I wanted to perform worldwide because I want to meet more people and have more friends. I released my first CD in 2006. Japan is a small and isolated country. I just wanted to go beyond that. Releasing a CD and being in a movie has satisfied me in some ways, and I felt it was time
