Yo moved back to Japan with her mother and her older sister when she was in kindergarten, while her father remained in Taiwan,

Her father died from cancer when she was in 2nd grade at primary school.

Influenced by Kenji Miyazawa’s poetry, she started writing poems.

She also lost her mother to cancer when she was a high school student.

Her interest in music therapy began after seeing her mother return home in cheerful spirits after watching a musical at the height of her battle with cancer.

She wrote an essay on the theme of music therapy for an university entrance exam.

Her dream is to one day build a music hall in a hospital.

After entering the Department of Environmental Information, Keio University, she participated in an advertising study group, a jazz study group and K.O.E. (an a cappella group). She also began participating in live street concerts.


During university, she submitted poems to a wheelchair users magazine called “WaWaWa”and actively performed at welfare facilities, where she was picked up at one of her performances.


Before her official debut, she provided a song, written in Chinese named “Sheng Lu～Circuit～”, as an ending theme song for the video game “Dynasty Worriors 2”.

Her debut single “Morai Naki” and first album “Tsukitenshin” were smash hits, and she was awarded new artist of the year.

In 2003, she performed at the “54th NHK Kouhaku Utagassen” for the first time - she has performed 4 times in total.

She released a single “Hanamizuki” in 2004 and her first best of album, “BESTYO”, in 2006. Both were recorded as a mega hit song and album. “Hanamizuki” was made into a movie and became the only song ranked in the top 10 on the two biggest Karaoke makers' ranking records for the tenth consecutive year. The song continues to be loved and sung by people.

She writes most of lyrics for her songs. Satoshi Takebe, one of the most famous music producers, has commented “Hitoto’s lyrics are the best in Japan”.

In 2004, she debuted as an actress in the film “Café Lumiere” directed by 侯孝賢 (You Hsiao Hsien) receiving the best new actress at Japan's Academy Awards. She appeared in a television advertisement for Kirin Beer in Taiwan.

In December 2008, she performed the main role of a musical play called “箱の中の女 (Woman in the Box)”, written and directed by Ryo Iwamatsu. She also acted in the films “For Love”s Sake”and "Hana’s Miso Soup” and television drama “Sorekara no Umi”.

She has a strong interest in environmental affairs and actively attends events and music festivals focused on environmental matters such as AP Bank Fes.

She is the first Japanese artist who hold a fully carbon offseted live concert at the Otodamasea Studio in Zushi beach.

With her strong interest in architecture, she's had interviews with numerous famous architects such as Shigeru Saka, Terunobu Fujimori and Kengo Kuma in “Da Vinci" magazine.

In October 2004, in recognition of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” receiving UNESCO World Heritage listing, she held a special live concert titled “Yo Hitoto in Kumano Kahounyan” performing on the special stage in Oyunohara - the original site of Kumano Hongu Taisha.

In August 2005, she performed a one night only live concert “Yumemachi Busking – Hairanse” at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater for their 130-year-old anniversary.

In December 2006, she held “BESTYO Free CONCERTYO” at the Open Theatre East in Yomiuri Land which attracted almost ten thousand audience members. Entrance was free making this the first time Yomiuri Land had provided this gesture for any artist since first opening in 1964.

In September 2008, she held her first live concert at the Nippon Budokan “Yo Hitoto Nippon Budokan Live! Lock Yo Up!”

In June 2010, she performed at the special event “Japan Pavilion Special Live - 可愛的和平～第五夜” in the Japan Pavilion at Shanghai World EXPO.

In December 2012, TOKYO FM held “LIVE直送 from 東京電台 vol.2 一青窈"
(Delivered Live Direct from TOKYO FM vol.2 Yo Hitoto) in Taiwan, their second live project in Asia.

In November 2016, she held orchestra backed concerts in three cities across Japan with the Prague National Theatre Orchestra.

In 2022, she released a new song, “Mimi wo Sumasu” to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her debut, and in December released her first original album in eight years, “一青尽図(Hitotodukushizu)”.

In December 2022, she held orchestra backed concerts with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra at the Nagano City Arts Center, backed by an orchestra.

In July 2023, he will perform at the “2023 Presidential Office Concert ~Beyond the Sound of the Sea~(2023總統府音樂會—跨海音 線上直播)'' co-hosted by the Presidential Office of Taiwan and the Chinese Cultural Association.

She is also interested in music therapy and continues to sing at hospitals and orphanages.