The self-proclaimed queen of Japanese hip-hop Awich has stories to tell, from discovering rap as a rebellious teenager in Okinawa to losing her husband to gun violence in America. The 35-year-old, whose stage name stands for "Asian wish child", has been rapping since her school days and started out at underground clubs in Japan's southernmost region. But 2022 has been something of a breakthrough year, from the release of her first major-label album "Queendom", to Vogue shoots and a performance at Tokyo's famed Budokan. Being a woman also means you "don't have to be one way or the other", she said. "You can be a mother and you can be sexy, you can be outgoing and intelligent, you can be creative and erotic. You can be all of these things." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES