Whiteberry is a five-member all-girl pop/rock band from Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. Formed in 1994, the group comprises vocalist Yuki Maeda, guitarist Aya Inatsuki, bassist Yukari Hasegawa, keyboardist Rimi Mizusawa, and drummer Erika Kawamura. After years of performing locally, Whiteberry attracted the attention of the popular Japanese rock band Judy and Mary, which led to a recording deal with Sony Japan's Pop Artist imprint in 1999. While still in high school, the band released their first EP, After School, followed by several singles. Their fourth single, a cover of Jitterin' Jinn's hit "Natsu Matsuri" became their most popular track in August, 2000, and the group continued to gain momentum with the release of their debut full-length album, Hatsu the following month. Following the release of their fifth single, "Akubi" (2000), a re-recorded track from their EP, Whiteberry balanced their high school commitments with their follow-up album, Chameleon (2002). This album was preceded by three singles: "Sakura Nakimichi", "Kakurenbo" (used as the fourth opening theme for the anime Pokémon), and "Tachiiri Kinshi", and was considered a shift from their earlier, more upbeat material. After a brief tour to promote Chameleon, Whiteberry released a trilogy of singles in late 2002, each featuring a cover of a classic J-Pop or J-Rock hit on the A-side and a new original on the B-side. The first of these, "Jitensha Dorobou", was accompanied by a fully animated music video. In 2003, the band took a hiatus from touring and recording to prioritise their studies, returning with “Shinjiru Chikara” from the soundtrack of the TV series Superior Defender Gundam Force, in February 2004. A week later, Whiteberry announced their amicable disbandment due to college commitments, playing farewell shows in Tokyo and Hokkaido in March 2004. Anthology album, Kiseki, was released in May 2004, followed by a DVD, Videoberry Final, in June. 20 years later, Whiteberry's hit single "Natsu Matsuri" saw a resurgence in popularity, reaching number 69 on the Top 100 Line Music Video charts.
