Biography: Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya, born 20 March 1955) is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Taisha, Shimane, now the city of Izumo. In a Japanese pop music career spanning decades, she has sold over 16 million records in Japan. Her early work during the late 1970s to 1980s is largely associated with the Japanese city pop genre, along with that of her husband and collaborator Tatsuro Yamashita.