Miki Fujimoto is back in action with a new solo single, her first in five years. The singer left Morning Musume last June after it was learned that she was dating comedian Tomoharu Shoji.

Her new song, titled "Okitegami," marks a shift away from her pop idol image. It falls under the kayokyoku genre, with composition by Masato Sugimoto (known for his recent hit "Waremokou"), lyrics by Haku Ide (who wrote Masao Sen's "Kitaguni no Haru"), and arrangement by Yu Hejun (who composed the theme song for the Korean drama "Winter Sonata").

The project started with singer Takao Horiuchi, also attached to Up-Front Agency. This past autumn, Ide wrote the song's lyrics and passed it on to Sugimoto. After creating the melody, Sugimoto thought it would be interesting to have Horiuchi sing it in chanson style, and Horiuchi accepted the offer.

At the same time, Up-Front staff were looking for a song that would be suitable for Fujimoto's comeback. They happened to hear the demo tape for "Okitegami," and they recommended the song to Fujimoto. As a result, the two singers are releasing different versions simultaneously on April 23.