Fumiya Fujii

Overview

Fumiya Fujii (藤井フミヤ; born Fumiya Fujii, formerly written 藤井郁弥, on July 11, 1962 in Kurume, Fukuoka) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor, and the former lead vocalist of The Checkers. After the band broke up he became a solo star with hits such as "TRUE LOVE" and "Another Orion," and he is also active as a CG artist. His younger brother is Naoyuki Fujii, a former saxophonist of The Checkers, and his eldest son is Fuji TV announcer Kōki Fujii. He was formerly with Yamaha Music Foundation and Three Star Pro (during the Checkers era) and now works through his private agency, FFM Co.

Career

Early life

Fujii was born the eldest son of a Japanese National Railways employee and a beautician. In junior high school he encountered the band CAROL and began playing music. After graduating from Nanchiku High School he joined the Moji Railway Administration Bureau of the JNR, trained for six months at Tosu Station, then worked at Haiki Station maneuvering and switching freight trains. He belonged to the National Railway Workers' Union. When he and his brother left for Tokyo, his father and relatives strongly objected, but his mother persuaded them.

The Checkers era

After leaving the railway, Fujii debuted in 1983 as lead singer of The Checkers and scored many hits. His looks and behavior drew as much attention as his singing, and many young people imitated his progressive fashion. He wrote the lyrics for most of the band's original singles and became central to its songwriting.

Solo career

The Checkers disbanded in 1992, and in 1993 Fujii changed the spelling of his name from 藤井郁弥 to 藤井フミヤ and began his solo career. At the time of the breakup he was invited to the U.S. by Gota Yashiki, then living in Los Angeles; Kenji Suzuki, also in LA, helped him choose a Gibson B-25 guitar. The first song he composed on it was "TRUE LOVE," released that year, which sold 2.4 million copies; "Another Orion" (1996) sold over 1.2 million.

From 1993 he also published computer-made CG artwork and held solo exhibitions under the name "FUMIYART." He produced the Nagoya City Pavilion "Tower of the Earth" for Expo 2005, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest kaleidoscope. He conceived the interactive art video game Baby Universe, developed with Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and released for PlayStation in Japan and Europe in 1997; he co-owns its copyright. He has appeared in many TV dramas, voiced Rock Holmes in the 2003 Astro Boy series, and wrote and sang its ending theme "Boy's Heart."

His songwriting credits include Saruganseki's "Shiroi Kumo no Youni" (lyrics; music by Naoyuki Fujii) and Misia's "Hoshizora no Katasumi de" (lyrics and music). He also produced four songs for Hinano Yoshikawa, including "Heart-Shaped Tears." He composed the Kurume city song "Furusato no Sasayaki," designed the Kurume Citizen Card, created the logo for Fukuoka Broadcasting Corporation, and designed the uniform of his alma mater Nanchiku High School (2000). He also wrote the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks cheer song "Shori no Sora e." He named Kagoshima City FM, the prefecture's first community radio station (opened October 1, 1997), "FRIENDS FM 762," designed its logo and studio, and became a director and supervisor. That same year he formed F-BLOOD with his brother Naoyuki. He also designed the countdown T-shirts for the Nagano Winter Olympics, covering 500 to 401 days before the Games.

2000s

In 2007 Fujii wrote and composed "Chinju no Sato," a dedication song for the 62nd Jingū Shikinen Sengū, included on the single "Kimi ni Naru"; he stayed in Ise for three days and composed it on the bank of the Isuzu River. On December 31, 2008, at a countdown concert at Nippon Budokan, his total of 102 Budokan performances across the Checkers era, F-BLOOD and his solo career tied him with Eikichi Yazawa for first place all-time.

2010s

In October 2011 he appeared at the Setting Sun Sound Festival in Amami vol. 2. In July 2013 he released the single "Seishun" for his 30th debut and 20th solo anniversaries, followed by large anniversary tours in 2013 and 2014. In 2016 he released the album "Otona Rock" and held a national tour of the same name plus the Budokan countdown. In 2017 he performed eight full-orchestra concerts with conductor Tomomi Nishimoto, and released the album "POP'N'ROLL" with a national tour for F-BLOOD's 20th anniversary. In 2018, his 35th year since debut and 25th as a soloist, he held a fan-club-only event at Tokyo International Forum and the "35th ANNIVERSARY TOUR 35 Years of Love," with 35 shows in 25 prefectures. On October 24, 2018 he appeared as "Michel Fujii" at a concert by Aburazu, a band of former Checkers members, at Namba Hatch in Osaka, performing "Namida no Request." In November 2019 he opened an official YouTube channel.

2020s

On July 11, 2022 he celebrated his 60th birthday with the "RED PARTY" concert at Nippon Budokan, including Checkers songs such as "Giza Giza Heart no Komoriuta" and "Ano Ko to Scandal." On December 31, 2023 he returned to the Kōhaku Uta Gassen after 26 years, singing "TRUE LOVE" and then "Shiroi Kumo no Youni" with host Hiroiki Ariyoshi; the performance ranked sixth among singers in ratings (33.5%). To mark his 40th anniversary in September 2023 he held the "FUMIYA FUJII 40th Anniversary Tour 2023-2024," 60 shows across all 47 prefectures from September 23, 2023 at Aichi Prefectural Art Theater to June 1, 2024 in Iwamizawa, concluding with "40th Anniversary FINAL" at Nippon Budokan on June 9, 2024. His solo exhibition "Fumiyart2024" was held at the Hachinohe Art Museum from January 20 to March 20, 2024.

Musical style and persona

Fujii works in kayokyoku and J-pop, performing with a full band as well as in orchestral concerts, dedication concerts and outdoor events. He has been a lyricist and songwriting center since the Checkers days; CAROL inspired him to start music, and he has spoken of his admiration for Southern All Stars and Keisuke Kuwata. His songs and performances often express love for his native Fukuoka and Japan and a wish for world peace, and at Budokan New Year's Eve shows he traditionally sings "Kimigayo." As of 2024 he has played Budokan 58 times (fifth all-time), or 111 including The Checkers and F-BLOOD. He is also known for his love of cooking, reading and art.