KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Japanese singer-songwriter Seika Fukushima once walked away from her dream of becoming a singer to become a schoolteacher. Now, she is chasing music full-time — with an Olympic ambition to match.

The 29-year-old from Ibaraki Prefecture will make her Malaysian debut next month with a string of showcases across the Klang Valley from September 11 to 15.

The dates arrive shortly after the release of her debut mini-album, Photograph of Reminiscence, last week.

Fukushima will kick off her Malaysian run on September 11 at The Voice at Skypark One City in Subang Jaya before taking the stage at Live Fact in Kota Damansara the following night, where she will be joined by local acts Sounds of Kites, Amrita Soon and Azmyl Yunor.

She then heads to The Campus in Ampang on September 13. After a one-day break, the Broken Heart Symphony singer will wrap up her Malaysian debut at An Live House in Kuala Lumpur on September 15.

Fukushima’s music moves between bright, uplifting J-pop and more introspective ballads, but the story behind her career change is just as central to her appeal.

According to her profile, she spent three years working as a schoolteacher before deciding to give music another shot.

“Interacting with children every day, I saw myself in the pure joy they felt when talking about their dreams.

“Somewhere along the way, I had given up on my own dream of becoming a singer, and I knew I wanted to change that.

“Happiness isn’t about success or failure, it’s about being able to say I really did my best. So I hope you don’t give up on yourself either. With that in mind, I will sing with all my might today,” she said in her profile.

There is another dream on her list, too.

Fukushima, who spent 10 years in track and field, has said she hopes to write an Olympic theme song one day — an ambition that brings together two major strands of her life.

Before arriving in Malaysia, she is also scheduled to appear at Nippon Haku Bangkok 2026 in Thailand, which runs from August 28 to 30.

Her music has been distributed on CD across Japan since last year, while a growing catalogue of songs is also available on digital streaming platforms.

She has built up considerable live experience at home, including festival appearances and performances at Zepp venues, among them Zepp Yokohama in 2025.

Fukushima has also contributed opening themes to the anime and film Tama & Friends: Do You Know Our Tama?, as well as a theme song for a children’s online anime.

For those looking to dig into Seika Fukushima’s music before her Malaysian shows, here are a few places to start: