Huddled over a back table at the Roppongi jazz club Alfie, out of earshot of her manager and new record company reps, Akiko confessed.
"Actually, I love punk music," she confided in hushed tones, then added with a half-embarrassed laugh, "and Hawaiian guitar, Louis Jordan and the Jackson Five."
A broad mix of tastes for anyone, but even more curious for Akiko, who has just finished two sparkling sets of jazz standards, singing with the emotional intensity and sophisticated phrasing of another of her favorites, Billie Holiday.