Who is Chara?
Chara whose real name is Miwa Watabiki is a Japanese singer, actress, and video jockey. She is popularly known for her song “Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)”. In this post, I will be writing about Chara biography, age, career, relationship status, net worth, and other facts about her. First, let’s look at her profile summary.
Chara’sProfile Summary
| Real Name | Miwa Watabiki |
| Stage Name | Chara |
| Birthdate | January 13, 1968 |
| Age | 53 |
| Place of Birth | Kawaguchi, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Profession | Singer, Actress, Television Presenter, Record Producer |
| Spouse | Tadanobu Asano (m. 1995 – 2009) |
| Children | Sumire (菫) (daughter), Himi (緋美) (son) |
| Height | 1.57m |
| Weight | N/A |
| Net Worth | Between $1 – $5 Million |
Chara Biography
Chara was born in January 13, 1968, in Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan. She grew up there. At the age of four, she started learning piano and she started composing songs in elementary school. She performed a song she had written, “Sayonara” (サヨナラ, Goodbye), at a school piano recital and this happened in her first year of elementary school.
The nickname Chara was given to her in junior high school after a teacher called her the name. She was popularly known by this name to the extent that some of her friends did not even know her real name. The Japanese actress believed that the nickname given to her brought out her inner child and as such, she continued using the name.
After finishing high school, Chara went to a vocational school in Tokyo, majoring in music and specializing in piano but she, however, dropped out one year into her two-year degree.
From 1984 onward, Chara went on to work as a keyboardist in several different unsigned bands. And during this time, she found part-time work as a roller-skating waitress. In 1988, she got a chance to sing her own compositions but she decided to become a band vocalist instead. In 1990, she made her first live Performance at the Shinjuku Ruido live house.
Chara Career
In 1990, Chara sent a demo tape to Sony Music, the tape caught the attention of MadahiroOhara and landed her a deal with Epic Records Japan. In May 1992, Chara’s career gained more momentum after her first tour, Chara Live “Sweet”. Chara became a radio personality for the FM Yokohama, with her own radio show Yokohama CharaMachi 8-4-7 (横浜チャラ町8-4-7).
Chara’s first album “Sweet” was not very successful; it was No. 64 on Oricon’s album charts. Her second album “Soul Kiss”, won the 1992 Japan Record Award for Best Rock/Pop Album from a new artist. The album was No. 14 on the album charts.
Chara has starred in many different commercials and these include commercials for Suntory, Shiseido, Marui, and Snow Brand ice creams. She has also featured in many films including “Picnic”, a Shunji Iwai film, where she played as a mental patient; “Swallowtail Butterfly”, a Shunji Iwai film, where she played as a slum prostitute with musical aspirations, and many more.
Swallowtail Butterfly was a massive hit and it propelled Chara to stardom. Her second biggest hit after Swallowtail Butterfly was the Shiseido ‘Tessera J’ CM song by name “YasashiiKimochi” and her third-biggest hit was a special single called “Ai no Hi Mittsu Orange”. Chara teamed up with Judy and Mary vocalist to release this song.
Chara was a member of a girls’ rock band which was conceived in 1998. One of the tenets of the band was that all members would have to do something they have never tried before and this landed Chara in drums. Other members of the girls’ rock band were Yuki, Swallowtail actress Ayumi Ito, 1980s musician Mayumi Chiwaki and former funk/rock band Jagatara dancer Yukari. In 2001, the band debuted the song “Sūhā” which was written by Chara.
Chara has sung and featured in many songs than films.
Chara Awards
- Yokohama Film Festival Best New Talent “Picnic” (Won)
- YakohamaFilm Festival Best New Talent “SwallowtailButterfly” (Won)
- Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role “Swallowtail Butterfly” (Nominated)
Chara Relationship/Marriage
Charmant actor Tadanobu Asano on the set of the 1994 film “Picnic” and they got married that same year. On July 4, 1995, Chara gave birth to her daughter, Sumire (菫) and on December 19, 1998, she gave birth to a son, Himi (緋美). After fourteen years of marriage, Chara announced her amicable divorce from Asano on July 25, 2009. Chara has two tattoos: a bluebird on her back, and a sumire flower (菫, Fuji Dawn Viola) on her neck. Chara’s children feature in her music. Sumire features on the cover of her album Honey, which also has a track named after her.
Chara Net Worth
Chara’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 – $5 million. Following in accordance with business insider.
