ikigai - The 1st Album Front Cover

ikigai - The 1st Album

Kumika Hashimoto

Track List

  • Play music
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  • Play music
  • Play music
  • Play music

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As an artist who values living by her own axis, she crafted her 1st album after graduating from Waseda University and moving to New York to study at an art school while writing, composing, and designing artwork herself.
When we take time, move at our own pace, and continue working toward our goals,
the things we once couldn't do slowly become possible.
Built from the emotions experienced along her path and her quiet resistance to the world, this album speaks to what she felt compelled to express through living.
'Each achievement becomes a doorway to the next challenge.
As long as we stay connected to our inner axis, we can grow countless new branches.
And the 'ikigai' we find evolves and matures as we continue living.'
This idea became the foundation for the album cover: a branching tree formed from each track's waveform, symbolizing the way our lives grow, diverge, and continue forward.

Artist Profile

  • Kumika Hashimoto

    Kumika Hashimoto is a New York based multidisciplinary artist whose music, visuals, and performances have captured international attention worldwide. Born in the UK and raised in Tokyo, she writes and composes her own music, creates her own artwork, and develops a creative practice spanning music, visual arts, performance, and expressive storytelling. After graduating from Waseda University, she studied graphic design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Her work ranges from alternative electronic pop to contemporary jazz/R&B, often inspired by everyday life and questions about society. Trained in classical piano since 3, she is known for crafting memorable refrain melodies, and her debut release sampled a piece by Frédéric Chopin. Having lived in multiple countries and experienced diverse cultures, she developed a keen sensitivity to the nuances of language. Holding Japanese Language Teaching (JLTCT) certification, she emphasizes the sonic texture and resonance of her lyrics. During her exchange at Iowa State University, she also studied acting to explore performance and expressive techniques more deeply. The viral hit 'hot chocolate in new york' has garnered over one million views on social media. Following that, the release 'LA*PPY', inspired by Los Angeles, has been featured by Hollywood actors. Her music has been broadcast on radio stations across multiple U.S. states including New York, selected for Apple Music global official playlists, and entered the iTunes Netherlands R&B chart, gaining recognition as an artist with an international background. She has also been interviewed by New York art/culture magazines and contributed OST tracks for Hollywood films, continuing to expand her presence on a global stage across music, visual arts, and performance, including acting.

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