Nami Shimada (real name: Naoko Shimada) is a singer and music writer born on February 1, 1971, in Tokyo. She made her singing debut on May 21, 1986, with the single “Glass Fantasy” , and developed a musical style centered on idol pop while incorporating 1980s pop and dance music. Her early representative songs include “Don’t Give Up… Unrequited Love” (1986), “Powder Snow Fairy” (1986), “Free Balloon” (1987), “Shy Cupid” (1987), and “Pastel Blue Sigh” (1987). “Free Balloon” peaked at No. 9 on the Oricon weekly charts, while “Shy Cupid” and “Pastel Blue Sigh” both peaked at No. 7. Her albums included “After-School Sketches ~NAMI 1st Collection~” (1986), “SIXTEEN ~NAMI 3rd Collection~” (1987), and “EVERYTIME I LOOK AT YOU” (1988). In 1989, she released her final single, “Because It’s Spring” , and retired from the entertainment industry in 1990. She is currently active as a music writer and producer under the name Naoko Shimada.
