ProfileName : Hitomi Shimatani (島谷ひとみ)
Birth name: 島谷瞳 (Shimatani, Hitomi)
Born: September 4, 1980 (1980-09-04)
Origin: Kure, Hiroshima, Japan
Genres: J-Pop, Dance, Ballad
Years active: 1999–Present
Labels: Avex Trax
Hitomi Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single "Ōsaka no Onna" (大阪の女, Ōsakan Woman?) in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/pop style for her music. Shimatani's music has also appeared in video games and also anime series.
Hitomi Shimatani's childhood dream, like many others, was to become a famous singer. At the age of seventeen, when she was still in high school, Shimatani decided to pursue this goal and attended "The Japan Audition 1997" hosted by the music label avex trax. Hitomi was chosen out of around 200,000 other girls who participated and received a recording contract with avex. However, before starting her music career, she wished to finish high school -- to which avex agreed, but with the stipulation that Shimatani attend vocal lessons at the same time. She agreed. She also liked playing tennis when she was young.
Shimatani had a part in the Prince of Tennis Live-Action Film as the character of Sumire Ryuzaki. She plays a young and optimistic girl who is Nanjiro Echizen's classmate. She was also in the 11-episode drama Boku dake no Madonna (She is my only Madonna / ...and I love her). Though she wasn't actually in the movie, she did a cover of Vanessa Hudgens' song "When There Was Me And You", titled "Anata To Ita Toki", from the hit Disney film High School Musical.
In 2007, she was chosen to play the lead role of Anne Shirley during the touring performance of Anne of Green Gables in Japan.
Shimatani was rumored to have dated Hiroshi Tamaki briefly in 2007.
Discography
Studio Albums
PAPILLON
SHANTI (シャンティ)
Gate~scena III~
Tsuioku+Love Letter (追憶, recollection)
Heart & Symphony
PRIMA ROSA
Flare
BEST&COVERS
Other Albums
Poinsettia ～Amairo Winter Memories～ (亜麻色ウィンターメモリーズ, flaxen winter memories)
Delicious! ～The Best of Hitomi Shimatani～
crossover
Otoko Uta ~cover song collection~ (男歌, man songs)
Singles
"Ōsaka no onna" (大阪の女, woman from Ōsaka)
"Kaihōku" (解放区, liberated district)
"PAPIYON ~papillon~" (パピヨン～papillon～, butterfly)
"Ichiba ni Ikō" (市場に行こう, let's go to the market)
"Yasashii KISS no Mitsukekata" (やさしいキスの見つけ方, to find a friendly kiss)
"Shanty" (シャンティ)
"Amairo no kami no otome" (亜麻色の髪の乙女, the girl with the flaxen hair)
"Amairo MAXI" (亜麻色マキシ, flaxen maxi)
"Itsu no hi ni ka..." (いつの日にか・・・, one of these days...)
"Akai Sabaku no Densetsu" (赤い砂漠の伝説, legend of the red desert)
"Genki wo Dashite" (元気を出して, be cheerful)
"Perseus" (ペルセウス, Peruseusu)
"YUME Biyori" (YUME日和, dream weather)
"Viola"
"Jewel of Kiss"
"ANGELUS -ANJERASU-/Z! Z! Z! -Zip! Zap! Zipangu!-" (ANGELUS -アンジェラス-)
"Garnet Moon/Inori" (祈り, prayer)
"~Mermaid~"
"Falco" (ファルコ, Faruko)
"Mahiru no Tsuki" (真昼の月, midday moon)
"Haru Machibito/Camellia" (春待人/Camellia -カメリア-, person waiting for spring)
"Destiny -Taiyou no Hana-/Koimizu -tears of love-" (Destiny -太陽の花-/恋水 -tears of love-, Destiny -sunflower-)
"Pasio" (パッシオ)
"Futari de iijanai" (ふたりでいいじゃない, two people is not enough)
"Dragonfly"
"Neva Eva"
"Shinku/Ai no Uta" (深紅/愛の詩, deep crimson/song of love)
"Nakitai Nara" (泣きたいなら, if I want to cry)
"WAKE YOU UP/Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo/Marvelous" (雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を, in the rain when it's raining, in the wind when it's windy)
"Ame no Hi ni wa Ame no Naka wo Kaze no Hi ni wa Kaze no Naka wo" (雨の日には 雨の中を 風の日には 風の中を, in the rain when it's raining, in the wind when it's windy)
"SMILES"
DVD
* 8colors CLIPS+LIVE, October 23, 2002
* Vibration!～LIVE & CLIPS～, March 17, 2004
* CONCERT TOUR 2004 - Tsuioku＋LOVE LETTER (追憶+LOVE LETTER, Recollection +LOVE LETTER), December 22, 2004
* Special Live "crossover", June 15, 2005
* VISUAL WORKS 2004～2006, March 15, 2006
* Premium Live 2005 -Heart&Symphony&More-, March 15, 2006
* Special Live "crossover II", December 13, 2006
* Live 2007 - Prima Rosa, September 12, 2007
* Special Live "crossover III", November 08, 2008
