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In an interview with JapanToday, Japanese pop sensation Yuna Ito talks about her future, becoming famous, Reira, love and Mariah Carey.

Yuna Ito shot to fame two years ago, providing the song for the film adaptation of Nana. Since then, she has had a bunch of chart topping singles, a No. 1 album and won half a dozen awards.

"I thought there was no way a human being's voice can sound like that. Where was this coming from?" she says about Mariah Carey, a somewhat inspirational figure to Yuna Ito. Someone who she has admired since a child. "When I told my parents I wanted to be a singer, they said 'We'd rather you go to a good school and meet a nice guy.' I was like 'Whoa, you wanna compact my life into a storybook?' Now they support me 100 percent."
 

On the road to where she is now, she was offered a contract at the age of 15, but only after turning down several others, "Once, I did an audition for a company, but I realized they were seeing me not as a singer, but as a girl. I thought about it, because it's your dream on a platter... then I said sorry, thanks for your time, but 'bye'". Always confident and in control, it's clear to see that she's the only one that will determine her future, "If I end up disliking my job someday for whatever reason, I would quit and invest my time in something else I love. Like maybe go back to school, or if I end up meeting my Prince Charming, get married and have kids.”

Her career took off thanks to an important role in the Nana films, playing the singer 'Reira Serizawa', and releasing two singles off of it. The first one, 'Endless Story', her debut single, sold nearly half a million copies, outselling Mika Nakashima's single, which was also released for the Nana movie. "Reira lets me bring out my feminine side. I hardly ever wear skirts. My guy friends are like 'Were you a girl?' I have a really tomboyish side".

After the release of 'Endless Story', 'Faith' was released, and despite peaking at the No. 6 spot, was met with disappointing sales. "I don't want to sing a song just because people think it might be a hit. My second single I fought so hard and it didn't sell. I got a lot of crap for it [from the record company], but you know, you hired me!” From that point on she vowed to be the one in control of her career, and since then she's been working as hard as ever to improve, "When I get home, I go over everything I did that day, whatever I felt I could do better in, and write about it to myself, so I can read over it and then try to improve wherever I can."

She goes on in the interview to talk about love, "At the age of 23, I realized sometimes love is not what it seems. I still believe there is a Prince Charming out there for me that I will meet one day, but I also believe it's not for me to decide when and where I meet him. I strongly believe, and it's gonna sound corny, but what makes the world goes round is love."

"First things first, and after all, this is just the beginning."

 Yuna Ito has just finished her first major national tour of Japan playing seven dates in five cities.

 You can view the full article on JapanToday here.