Japanese singer, actress, model, and TikToker Maikichi (まいきち) — formerly known as MAIA (マイア) — appears on the cover of a recent issue of Big Comic Spirits (ビッグコミックスピリッツ) magazine. The issue went on sale on March 31st, and alongside its release, she also dropped a digital photobook featuring content from Spi/Sun (スピ/サン), which corresponds to her gravure photos in the magazine. The photobook is available across various digital platforms.
This marks the second gravure project I’ve seen from Maikichi, though I haven’t been following her gravure work too closely. Her previous appearance was in Shuukan Playboy, where she also released a digital photobook with similar vibes.
The Big Comic Spirits issue is labeled as the April 14th volume, despite being released on March 31st. It’s currently available on Amazon in both physical and Kindle editions.
In a tweet, she mentioned that she had to work hard and gain 10 kilos for this photo shoot. I don’t know what it’s like to gain that much weight when you’re already very slim, but it honestly sounds impressive to me.
The digital photobook is titled Otona Janai yo (大人じゃないよ), which means something like “I’m not an adult.” The English text on the cover says: “I’m not an adult, but not a kid.” It reminds me of Britney Spears, and interestingly enough, MAIA is now the same age Britney was when she released “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.”
Below are two links: the first is from SHOGAKUKAN, the publishing house, and includes several platforms where the digital photobook is available; the second is the Amazon page. I don’t personally buy these from Amazon, but I assume most people are more comfortable using it. Either way, the SHOGAKUKAN page also includes the Amazon link.
And speaking of Maikichi not being a child anymore, I remember when she was. She’s been singing pretty decently for years now. It made me realize just how long I’ve been listening to indie singers on YouTube. I probably listen to more fan recordings than official music videos from big artists—and I’ve been doing this for over a decade.
The first thing that really caught my attention about MAIA was that she sang songs by JUDY AND MARY, one of my favorite Japanese bands. They’re from an older era, so I didn’t expect someone her age to be singing their songs—but music has no age limit.
KYOTO (JUDY AND MARY) [京都府庁旧本館] １６.０３.３０
She also sings very well in English. In the next video, I think she’s around 10 years old.
Loving You / マイアちゃん
There used to be some videos of her singing in a mall, but I can’t find them anymore. I guess they disappeared over the years.
In 2020, she made her official debut as a singer under a Universal Music label with the song “Demo Demo Start” (どこでもスタート).
まいきち – どこでもスタート【MV】
Maikichi Profile Information
- Name: Shiojiri Maia (塩尻真以采)
- Nickname: Maikichi (まいきち), MAIA (マイア)
- Date of birth: Sunday 30th of January 2005 (age 20)
- Place of Birth: Osaka, Japan
Maikichi social media
Maikichi Trivia
- TikTok Recognition: Maikichi gained major popularity on TikTok with over 980,000 followers. She was awarded the “Excellent Content” prize at the first-ever TikTok Creator Awards in 2018.
- Musical Skills: Besides singing, she can play both guitar and drums, showing her talent as a well-rounded musician.
- Modeling Career: She became an exclusive model for the Japanese fashion magazine Ranzuki, broadening her reach in the entertainment world.
- Acting Projects: She took part in the unscripted romantic drama show Totsuzen Heroine – Shoujo Manga Mitaina Koi, Shiyo!, where girls lived out scenarios like those in shoujo manga stories.
- Comedy Fan: Maikichi enjoys B-movies and often plays the tsukkomi (straight man) role in comedic settings, reflecting her fun personality and love for humor.
Maikichi, Cover of Big Comic Spirits and Digital Photobook