Michiko was born in Bromsgrove , England to a Japanese mother and an English father . She moved to Kobe , Japan at the age of two in 1987 , but returned to England in 1995 after the Great Hanshin earthquake . Determined to be a singer , she performed in an acoustic duo before returning to Japan when she was 18 . The following year , she met Tomokazu Matsuzawa , producer for acts such as Mika Nakashima , Miliyah Kato , Soulhead , and Chemistry . The pair worked together for three years developing her talent before MiChi entered Japan 's dance club scene . In March 2007 , she released the track " Surrender " on a dance compilation titled '' Freedom House Mode Collection '' . It was followed a year later with her independently released English language album '' Michi Madness '' , which entered the Japanese Oricon weekly albums chart , but only peaked at number 148
Great Hanshin earthquake
Great Hanshin earthquake
MiChi