Yumi Matsutoya in Obihiro

Yumi Matsutoya is a Japanese singer-songwriter, born in Hachioji in 1954, whose music encompasses pop, folk and pop rock. She began recording as Yumi Arai and released the album Hikōki-gumo before adopting her married name. Her best-known songs include “Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara,” “Rouge no Dengon” and “Haru yo, Koi.” The Shangrila concert trilogy ran in 1999, 2003 and 2007, placing her band in productions that also featured circus performers and synchronized swimming. These arena shows became a distinct part of Yumi Matsutoya’s live history. She began a recurring series of summer concerts at Zushi Marina in 1978, then launched Surf & Snow in Naeba in 1981. The winter event is staged at Naeba Prince Hotel.