Chikaco Sawada -- Aitai （会いたい）

Chikaco Sawada（沢田知可子）was born in Iwate Prefecture but raised in Saitama Prefecture. She had been working at the local driver's license center when she was scouted at a live house singing while doing a part-time job there. In 1987, she debuted with "Koibito to Yobasete"（恋人と呼ばせて....Let Me Call You Sweetheart). However, her trademark song is "Aitai"(I Want To See You).

Sawada's 8th single (June 1990) was written by Chihiro Sawa（沢ちひろ）and composed by Tulip leader Kazuo Zaitsu（財津和夫）with arrangement by Fujimal Yoshino（芳野藤丸）. Originally, it was meant to be just one of the tracks on her 4th album, "I Miss You", but when it started getting noticed as the ending theme song for the popular late-night interview/variety program "Tonight" on TV Asahi, it got its chance as a single. That was when I heard it, and the arrangement makes this ballad perfect for night listening. And lyrically, Sawa went to the evergreen theme of the prematurely lost love.

Although Sawada herself had nothing to do with the creation of the song, she could channel her emotions into it all too well which helped a lot in its rise in popularity. During her years as a student, Sawada had once confessed her intentions to become a singer to her senpai who was in the basketball club to which that senpai apparently declared, "I'll become your very first fan then". Tragically, several days later, he died in a traffic accident.

"Aitai" would remain in the Top 100 of Oricon for 87 weeks during which time it would peak at No. 6 and become the 11th-ranked single for 1991. It also earned a Grand Prix at the Japan Record Awards, and sold 1.3 million copies, along with Sawada getting that invitation to perform at the 1991 Kohaku Utagassen. Its status as a ballad standard further grew as other singers ranging from Anri（杏里）to enka singer Fuyumi Sakamoto（坂本冬美）tackled it.

Chikaco Sawada -- Aitai