Aiko (stylized as aiko; born Aiko Yanai) studied popular music vocals at the Osaka College of Music, graduating in 1996. Through 1997 and early 1998, aiko released a number of indie mini-albums and singles, all of which failed to chart. In July, 1998, aiko made her debut from major label with 1st single "Ashita" - her first single to chart on the Oricon. aiko's third single, "Hanabi," propelled her career, charting for 20 weeks and selling over ... 213,000 copies. aiko's second album, "Sakura no Ki no Shita," was her first album to reach #1 on the Oricon charts. It charted for 69 weeks, sold a total of 1,418,114 copies, and remains her best-selling album.See more [+]