Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya, born March 20, 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She is known for her catchy and upliftingly romantic pop tunes and her unique tender voice. Her career started in the late 70s and she’s still going surprisingly strong, especially for her slowed down pace, with her albums still reaching #1. In total she’s already sold over 15 million records. She is married to singer-songwriter Tatsuro Yamashita.