Ichiko Aoba

Ichiko Aoba (青葉 市子), born 28 January 1990 in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, is a Japanese singer‑songwriter whose work is rooted in contemporary folk and acoustic traditions. She began learning classical guitar at seventeen, drawing early inspiration from Disney and Studio Ghibli soundtracks, and later added piano, clarinet, accordion, and flute to her repertoire. Aoba released her debut studio album Kamisori Otome in 2010 at age nineteen, followed by Origami in 2011 and 0 in 2013, each showcasing her minimalist acoustic style. In 2016 she issued Mahoroboshiya, and in 2018 her album qp continued the intimate aesthetic. The 2020 release Windswept Adan marked a stylistic shift toward a more expansive sound, thematically linked to the subsequent 2025 album Luminescent Creatures, which expanded her sonic palette further. Aoba’s single "Asleep Among Endives" (2021) exemplifies her evolving lyrical depth. Throughout her career she has collaborated with artists such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Cornelius, and Mac DeMarco, and performed live at venues including Bunkamura Orchard Hall and Milton Court, self-publishing through her label Hermine, maintaining artistic independence while achieving critical recognition within the Japanese folk scene.