Matsutoya Yumi¹ is one of Japan's most popular and enduring female singer-songwriters, with a career spanning nearly 30 years and 34 albums.

Born on 19 January, 1954, in Hachioji, western Tokyo, Arai Yumi debuted in 1972, releasing her first album in late 1973. Three years later, she married her producer Matsutoya Masataka, and switched to performing and recording under the name Matsutoya. Her early back catalogue is still sold under her maiden name though, and a 1996 concert and live album of early work was titled Yumi Arai: the Concert with Old Friends. Most of the time though, she is known by her nickname 'Yuming'.

She is an intensely private person, rarely giving interviews or appearing on television. For many years she has followed a relentless almost clockwork schedule, releasing a new album every November/December and touring, always supplementing the main album tour with extra Surf and Snow in Naeba² concerts in February/March and Surf and Snow in Zushi Marina in July/August. She has a regular radio show on Tokyo FM, and has published a number of books of essays, lyric commentaries, an African travelogue, and translations of the Tucker the Terrier books of Leslie McGuirk.

Her stage performances are known for their flamboyance. In 1999, she toured a show - Shangrila - with 50 performers from two Russian circuses in tow, including clowns, six trapeze artists and eight synchronised swimmers. The stage set included an ice rink and a swimming pool, and some of the set pieces would put Busby Berkley (the 1940s extravagant choreographer) to shame.

She has written extensively for other artists, in fact her first song for someone else was released in 1969 three years before her singing debut. Her own œuvre has been covered by English speaking bands (ASAP, a gospel-esque all-girl all-black trio, and the Manhattan Reggae Quintet), French stars (Carole Serrat, a not entirely unknown French TV presenter and actress) and Portugeuse-speaking artists among others, although most are targeting the Japanese home market. She has had 50 songs used in TV advertising campaigns, 22 as TV theme songs, and 16 songs used in eight films.

Although the November/December studio album releases have sometimes slipped a few months, the 1998 release was suddenly replaced with a two CD best collection with just two new songs, and the next album which the record company promised for release in May 1999 was not in the event released until November. However, she continues to release new material as singles and theme songs, and a new album is promised for 2001.