Mariko was born in Hiroshima, but soon moved to Fukuoka where she lived during her childhood. By having a father as a Jazz player (clarinet and saxophone), she was constantly surrounded by music, which influenced her to study Jazz at the age of 14. Soon her father discovered her extraordinary gift in singing, so he encouraged her to leave town and study music in Tokyo at the age of 16. While she attended Komazawa High School, she studied singing under Yasushi Shibata, a jazz pianist. After her high school graduation, she went back to Hakata to sing her favorite songs at live houses. She quickly captured fans’ hearts at her hometown, and gained respect and attention from big artists such as, Pedro Umemura, the leader of a very popular band Pedro & Capricious. After she received an invitation to become the leading vocalist of Pedro & Capricious, Mariko immediately returned to Tokyo.

In 1972, she made her professional debut as a singer and officially became one of the members of Pedro & Capricious. The year after, in March of 1973, Warner Pioneer Record presented “Message to Johnny,” which became one of the greatest hits. Soon after, both “Marie of 5th Avenue” and “Town of Shade” swept the music industry away. Without the big support from Pedro & Capricious, these songs would not have hit the charts. But without her strong vocal skills and her way of expressing music, there wouldn’t have been any long selling hits at all. The following six years as a member of the group, Mariko learned to sing varieties of music from Latin to pop, which made her an even stronger vocalist and as a person.

While working with the group, she began to realize singing covers of Western music cannot completely express her inner self. With the desire to sing Japanese in all genres, and the changing views of Japanese people toward music triggered her decision to leave the group and become a solo singer in August of 1978. As one of the artists to create a new music wave, becoming an independent singer came with a big responsibility on every choice she made. Yet her warm, understated voice that is full of tenderness and yearning, made her become one of the leading pop singers in Japan.

On October 31st 2008, Mariko returned to Carnegie Hall for the second time. It was her dream to come back to New York and perform her music. The concert was a sensational success, and Mariko yet again created an unforgettable experience for fans from every corner of the globe. With the support of New York All-Star Strings led by Meg Okura and the Henry Band, Mariko was able to spread her wings and enrich the audience.

Mariko performed four concerts overseas: Carnegie Hall at New York (July, 1993), Royal Albert Hall in London (July, 1994), Convention & Exhibition Center in Hong Kong (October, 1997), and again at Carnegie Hall (October, 2008). All four concerts were a big success, especially in Hong Kong, since it was held at a Convention center where fans worldwide were able to come see her live performance.

As a solo singer Mariko released 29 albums and 38 singles, and every year she performs 70 concert tours and has been doing this for 31 years straight. Her performances on live stages outnumbers the time she went on television shows. Mariko believes fans should hear her best condition on live, so she gives her all to her stage performances. Her songs have various themes, such as encounter, love, separation, and regret, which are expressed in a sentimental way. In addition to the extended vocal quality, the power to express the depths of the lyrics has attracted many fans worldwide.