Name : Otsuka Ai
Nickname: Ai-chin, Ai-chan, AiO
Profession: Singer and actress
Birthdate: 1982-Sep-9
Birthplace: Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Height: 157cm
Star sign: Virgo
Blood type: O
Ai Otsuka is best-known for her 2003/2004 hit Sakuranbo, which stayed in the Top 30 Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for 96 weeks, and is still currently charting in the top 100.
Ai Otsuka is signed to record label avex trax, one of the biggest record labels in Japan which also manages other high-profile artists like Ayumi Hamasaki, BoA, Namie Amuro, and Every Little Thing.
Her first single, 2003's "momo no hanabira", was only a minor hit, peaking at #24 on the Oricon singles top 100, but stayed on the charts for 21 weeks. Her next single, "sakuranbo", released December of 2003 would become the 12th best selling single of 2004. Gradually climbing the charts to top 5, the single stayed on the chart for 96 weeks, and a special "encore press" version was commissioned, which peaked at #4. In March 2004, her first album "LOVE PUNCH" was released, which debuted at No. 3 on the Oricon charts and sold more than 320,000 copies in its first week. She continued to release singles and gradually built a diverse and devoted following. In November 2004, the follow-up to "LOVE PUNCH", "LOVE JAM", was released, which met even greater popular success. "LOVE COOK", her latest album, came out on December 14, 2005. In its first week, it sold 335,000 copies.
