hitomi was born as Furuya Hitomi in Tochigi but she was raised in Kawasaki, in the Kanagawa Prefecture. hitomi was initially discovered by eminent music producer Tetsuya Komuro whilst auditioning for a modeling gig in 1993. It was, however, in November of 1994 that hitomi released her debut single Let's Play Winter but unfortunately, she failed to make it onto the Oricon Charts. Despite her failure, hitomi released her second single in February 1995 titled WE ARE "LONELY GIRL" and although this single actually gained a place on the Oricon charts, it was still considered a disappointment. Undoubtedly, it was the use of television advertising that saved hitomi's career when CANDY GIRL was used as the theme for a Kodak commercial and earned her a Top 20 spot on the charts.
After five years of partnership Komuro and hitomi went their separate ways in 1999. Many theories have surrounded the split although the commonly accepted reason is that hitomi desired more creative control over her music and image. It appeared that the split was amicable as in 2002, the pair teamed up for the Song Nation project that raised funds for the victims of September 11th attacks in the United States.
In the autumn of 2002, hitomi announced her marriage to an advertising executive shortly after completing her Huma-Rhythm Live Tour. hitomi later announced to her fan club, No!Cut, that she had tied the knot. Two years into their marriage hitomi admitted that she had had serious arguments with her husband which nearly led to a trial separation, but despite everything the pair seem to have reconciled their differences. hitomi is known to have casually call her husband and her children her 'biggest fans'.
hitomi gave birth to twins in May 2003 although, due to personal reasons did not release any details to the Japanese press, but disclosed to No!Cut that she named her daughter Sumire and her son Toru and that Sumire was the oldest by 69 seconds. Anyone who reads Haruki Murakami novels will know that Toru is named after the protagonist of the acclaimed The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, and Sumire is named after the heroine of Sputnik Sweetheart (although the latter is not highly regarded both within and outside of Japan).
hitomi, due to her pregnancy and marriage, avoided the public eye from mid-2002 to early 2004. It was during this respite that hitomi learned how to play the guitar and she also completed her final year in a health and nutrition course at the Kanto Gakuin University in Yokohama. (She had spent the first two years as a part-time student and thus had to complete an additional eighteen months to make up for it.) In November 2004, hitomi received her Bachelor's of Science degree in Health And Environmental Science.
hitomi invoked panic in her fans when she hinted that she was planning to retire in an August 2005 interview in An An Magazine. However, she quickly moved to dispel their fears. hitomi did not deny saying any of the quotes attributed to her, including this remark 'I would be very surprised to see myself where I presently am this time next year', but claimed that everything was taken out of context. She then went on to say, in a No!Cut publication that she would not quit music as long as the American performer Madonna (her own idol) was still recording. Although, she also conceded that the odds are against her, as female Japanese pop singers rarely carry on their careers past thirty years of age.
In October 2005, it was announced that hitomi would perform in the annual NHK Red And White Song Festival on December 31st, as a member of the Red (women’s) team. However, hitomi ended up not performing, because of a minor throat infection and on December 21st, it was announced that her place would be taken by Suzuki Ami.
hitomi released her eighth studio album, LOVE CONCENT in September 2007, which reached #13 in the Oricon charts. While LOVE CONCENT's sales were rather low compared to her previous albums, hitomi was no less busy. During 2007, she also branched into the Japanese film industry by starring in the horror film Akumu Tantei. She starred alongside Ryuhei Matsuda as a police woman, and her performance was well-received by critics. hitomi also did stage performances of the drama "Waiting for the Sun," between August and September 2007.
In July 2008, hitomi announced, via her blog, that she remarried earlier in June and that she was pregnant. Later, in August, hitomi released a digital single, Fight for Your Run☆.
Whatever her ambition, hitomi remains a popular role model amongst the youth of Japan for both her youthful image and her strong determination to continue leading a life both as a mother and a influential pop star.
