Ado to Release Autobiographical Novel and New Song 'Vivarium'

Ado will release an autobiographical novel, Vivarium: Ado to Watashi (ビバリウム Adoと私), on February 26, 2026. The book, published by KADOKAWA, is based on three years of interviews conducted by best-selling author Narumi Komatsu.

The title references a vivarium, a small enclosed environment that recreates natural habitats for living creatures. Before her debut, Ado famously recorded vocals in her bedroom closet. The book frames this space as her own vivarium: a tiny box garden where she created her world before anyone knew her name.

Komatsu, known for M: Aisuru Hito ga Ite (the Ayumi Hamasaki biography), Sore tte Kiseki: GReeeeN no Monogatari, and works on Hidetoshi Nakata and Ichiro, spent three years interviewing Ado for this project. The 336-page novel covers territory Ado has rarely discussed publicly: her childhood, her years as a truant student, finding salvation in the utaite (cover singer) community, her discovery of Vocaloid, her meeting with Takuya Chigira (CEO of her management company Cloud Nine), and her path from "Ado's birth" through her record-breaking world tour.

Ado's Full Statement

"A novel depicting my life is being released. Personally, I'm happy to finally be able to tell this story.

"Stories from before my major debut with 'Usseewa,' where I encountered Vocaloid, why I wanted to become an utaite, why I dislike myself...

"Things I haven't revealed as Ado until now are packed into this Vivarium. I want everyone to peek into what I saw from my closet—my box garden."

Author Narumi Komatsu's Statement

"I traced Ado's turbulent life based on her own words and wrote it as a novel.

"The dreams of a girl inside a closet. The struggles and loneliness behind her overwhelming talent. The courage and ambition that kept her from abandoning her creative work. And the days she rose to become a one-of-a-kind existence the world can't stop seeking.

"Writing while staying close to each of those moments became a time of deeply savoring the joy of creation. In the process of transforming the trajectory of Ado's heart into a story, I myself was moved countless times and felt the special power this novel holds.

"With each page you turn, Ado's voice and the cry of her soul should reach the hearts of her fans. Please receive the feelings Ado put into the title Vivarium at the center of your heart."

New Song: "Vivarium"

A companion single, also titled "Vivarium," arrives February 18, 2026—eight days before the book's release. Ado wrote and composed the track herself. It will be released through Universal Music and available on global streaming platforms. Further details will be announced closer to release.

Career Timeline

Ado, now 23, made her major debut in 2020 with "Usseewa," which became a social phenomenon and hit #1 on Japan's Billboard Hot 100. Her first album Kyogen (狂言) released in January 2022 and dominated charts.

That same year, she voiced the character Uta and performed all songs for ONE PIECE FILM RED. The soundtrack album Uta no Uta ONE PIECE FILM RED topped rankings and achieved sustained long-term sales.

From April 2025, she embarked on a 33-city world tour—the largest scale ever for a Japanese solo artist—which concluded successfully. In November 2025, she completed her first dome tour across Tokyo and Osaka. A stadium concert at Nissan Stadium is scheduled for July 2026.

About Narumi Komatsu

Komatsu is a non-fiction writer and novelist from Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. After working at an advertising company and broadcasting station, she began writing professionally in 1990. Her notable works include biographies and documentary novels on Hidetoshi Nakata (Kodou, Hokori), Ichiro on Ichiro, YOSHIKI/Yoshiki, Kanzaburo, Araburu, Yokozuna Hakuho, Niji-iro no Chalk (Rainbow Chalk), and Astrid Kirchherr: The Woman the Beatles Loved. She is a member of the Japan Writers' Association.

Book Details

Vivarium: Ado to Watashi (ビバリウム Adoと私)
Original story: Ado
Author: Narumi Komatsu
Publisher: KADOKAWA
Format: Paperback (四六判並製)
Pages: 336
Price: 1,700 yen + tax
ISBN: 978-4-04-897660-2
Release: February 26, 2026

Pre-orders are available at major retailers.

Source: PR Times via KADOKAWA