She grew up listening to pop and jazz in places like Tachikawa, which was frequented by Occupation troops.

In 1965, Mico became the first Japanese singer to sing the song "Sunny" on album and the first to appear at the Newport Jazz Festival.

She sang the theme song, "Leo no Uta", for the animated television series Kimba the White Lion.

Hirota's commercial career included endorsements for Nescafé, Nippon Oil, Daikin Industries, Fujiya, Renown, and Sapporo Beer.

[2] This article incorporates material from 弘田三枝子 (Hirota Mieko) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on February 10, 2008.