Ayako Ikeda, born 1 June 1978 in Japan, is a Japanese singer and songwriter who entered the music scene through Sony Music Japan. Her debut single "Yasashii Uta" was released on 21 February 2002, followed by "Life" on 7 August 2002, the latter serving as the theme for the television drama Ai nante iranee yo, natsu. The early years of her career were marked by a steady release of singles, including "Hanabira" (28 May 2003), "I Will" (27 August 2003), and "Bokutachi no Tomorrow" (25 February 2004). In October 2002, she issued her first album Water Colors, and in July 2005 followed with Lunar Soup. Subsequent albums-Otomusubi (20 May 2009), a light, a life (25 November 2009), Gradation (27 October 2010), Kono Toki no Naka de (5 June 2013), Kaze o Tsumugu (28 November 2018), and HIKARI (26 October 2022)-demonstrate a consistent output over two decades. Notable tracks such as "Prism" / "Sora no Kakera" (29 August 2007) and "Kazoe Uta" (12 November 2008) appeared in anime openings and dramas, expanding her audience.
