My Take
Mariya Takeuchi is one of those artists whose legacy snuck up on the entire world decades after the fact, and I find that kind of poetic justice deeply satisfying. She was already a titan in Japan — the "Queen of City Pop," over 16 million records sold, a Japan Record Award in 1990 — but it took a YouTube algorithm serving up "Plastic Love" to a generation of bedroom listeners in the 2010s for the rest of the planet to catch on. That song, recorded in 1984, hits like a perfectly bittersweet memory you can't quite place, and the fact that she wrote and produced so much of her own material makes it even more impressive. A Keio University grad from Shimane who quietly built one of J-pop's most durable catalogs — honestly, the world was just slow to notice.
Overview
Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya; born 20 March 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as the "Queen of City Pop", Takeuchi is one of the best-selling music artists in Japan with over 16 million records sold. Internationally, her 1985 song "Plastic Love" became a sleeper hit and the catalyst of the 21st century revival of city pop.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mariya Takeuchi
- Name (Japanese)
- 竹内まりや
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- March 20, 1955 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Pisces / Goat
- Origin
- Izumo, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / singer-songwriter / record producer / composer / lyricist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Shimane Prefectural Taisha High School
- University
- Keio University
Awards & achievements
- 1990 Japan Record Awards
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Iro White Blend | — | |
| Notable work | Genki o Dashite | — |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://www.mariyat.co.jp/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%AB%B9%E5%86%85%E3%81%BE%E3%82%8A%E3%82%84
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.