is a

J-pop J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...

singer famous in Japan for her unconventional light singing style and

ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...

music. She rose to fame after performing the end-title track for the

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...

film ''

The Cat Returns is a 2002 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiroyuki Morita, produced by Toshio Suzuki and Nozomu Takahashi, written by Reiko Yoshida, based on the manga ''The Cat Returns'' by Aoi Hiiragi, with music by Yuji Nomi, animated by Studio ...

'' in 2002. Her other music for TV and anime includes "Tanpopo" for Tensai Terebi Kun.

Biography

In 1993, Tsuji attended Kyoto City Dohda Senior High School of Arts where, during an activities class, she started to learn the ukulele after finding her hands were too small to correctly hold and play the guitar. In 1996, Tsuji attended Ryukoku University as a student under the literature department. She released a mini-album entitled ''Urara'' from LD & K Records, making this her independent debut as a musician. She graduated as a historian from

Ryukoku University is a private university in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as a school for Buddhist priests of the Nishi Hongan-ji denomination in 1639, and became a secularized university in 1876. The university's professors and students founded the literary ...

's Department of Oriental History.

Discography

Albums

Singles

DVDs

References

External links

*
Ayano Tsuji's personal blog
(May 1, 2005, to August 24, 2010)
Ayano Tsuji's personal blog
(from August 24, 2010)
NPR music profile of Ayano Tsuji by producer Robert Rand
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsuji, Ayano Japanese women singer-songwriters Japanese women pop singers Ukulele players 1978 births Living people Musicians from Kyoto Prefecture 20th-century Japanese women singers 20th-century Japanese singers 21st-century Japanese women singers 21st-century Japanese singers