Ayumi Hamasaki Cancels April Tour Dates

Due to the recent disaster in Japan, Ayumi Hamasaki has decided to cancel her April tour dates.


Ayumi Hamasaki's latest tour, "ayumi hamasaki ARENA TOUR 2011 ~HOTEL Love songs~", was scheduled to start on April 9th. However, due to the recent earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, Ayumi has decided to cancel all of her April tour dates. This was done to conserve electricity and because Japan is

Ayumi Hamasaki becoming a fan girl of TVXQ?

Ayumi Hamasaki, one of the most popular JPOP artists in Japan might be becoming a fan girl of TVXQ / DBSK / Tohoshinki. She wrote on her blog that despite being under the same label, Avex, she just recently discovered their beautiful voices and became a fan. Specifically TVXQ's A-Nation performance at Ehime. She also posted photos of herself waving a greentowel and wear a Tohoshinki shirt in support of them.

“…Chon-san (nickname Ayumi Hamasaki made for herself) went to go watch Tohoshinki’s performance in very very high spirits today. But… Due to a mistake in planning, when I went, they were already on their last song.

So there I am, wearing my Tohoshinki t-shirt, wearing a Tohoshinki towel on my neck, holding a Tohoshinki fan, I’m all totally ready… But tomorrow, I shall have my revenge!”

“…To those asking ‘Why were you holding a Tohoshinki towel?’… I’M A FAN!♪ They have beautiful singing voices, I fell in love with them in Ehime~.”

Empress of J-Pop to withdraw from Japan, and focus on the US and Europe

China Daily – reporting, according to Taiwan media reports and the magazine «FRIDAY», the popular leader of Japanese music and Asian fashion scene Hamasaki Ayumi have returned after 6 years absence from doing a dorama song. She produced one for the Japanese TV drama Dandy! Dandy! named «Sunrise ～LOVE is ALL～»

The Hong Kong media recently claimed, in fact that, Hamasaki Ayumi has been slowly fading out of the entertainment industry since last year, and may withdraw from the end of the year, and marry her secret boyfriend, and become a full-time housewives.

In addition to sitting on the value of a about 10 million dollars mansion in Tokyo, Hamasaki have now also in recent years got herself two new apartments, both located in the expensive Hiroo district located at Shibuya, Tokyo. She is also rumored to purchase many high-level furniture, even a toilet covered with diamonds imported from a nightclub in Hong Kong.

The paper «Magazine for WOMEN», reported that she will marriage at the end of the year and is actively preparing this, that's the reason why her cooperation with the underwear brand Wacoal, has quietly replaced the image of her as a spokesman, if we believe the magazine.

Japanese media speculated that her source of income to buy luxury flats are likely to originate in the rich boyfriend, her boyfriend in Japan has a number of senior commercial real estate lots.

The magazine «FRIDAY» on their side put these rumors under doubts. - Hong Kong newspapers can never be trusted, says their press agent Kazuo Inagaki.

FRIDAY on its side has a different and more promising theory. Her management advised Hamasaki to withdraw from Japan and focus on the Asian market, more specifically the mainland China. This happened in 2002, with the launch of the single «Daybreak», and with a remix album based on the million seller «I am». Following the latest years Hamasaki has held two large scale concerts in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. According to a document FRIDAY has got their knowledge of, the launch of Hollywood song Rule was Hamasakis and Avex Group's first major step in the direction of the United States and Europe.

According to the inside document report FRIDAY has got in their possession, the lates international releases from both fellow label colleague BoA and her former rival Utada Hikaru was received with great enthusiasm by producers and critics in the U.S, with the exception of the general public. Under several circumstances, its in fact the name «Ayumi Hamasaki» that have been mentioned and sought after, both during interviews and live presentations, to Utada's and BoA's frustration.

For many it may seem as if Ayu has been slowly fading out of the entertainment industry, but this is incorrect. According to sources within the Avex Group, Hamasaki uses a lot of time to practice her language, which she takes weekly English language exams, preparing for a huge career move.

Kazuo Inagaki refers to a post written by Hamasaki in her official blog last week. This post confirmed that a big decision was made, but disproved the theory regarding marriage. This forces FRIDAY theories about the document regarding a large scale world release. -It is only a matter of time before Hamasaki will aim toward the West, whether it be America, or Europe resume to see, she now only need to be fluent in English language, he says.




source: ayu-no

Guerrilla Event Lands Avex, Tokyu in Trouble

Police investigators today visited the offices of Avex Entertainment and Tokyu Malls Development over a guerrilla marketing event in Shibuya in April. The appearance by J-pop diva Hamasaki Ayumi (30) in front of the popular 109 department store in central Shibuya, announced in advance only to those involved and a small number of Hamasaki's fans, was to launch her autobiography and the "Next Level" album. She visited three CD stores in Shibuya before her arrival at 109 around 3pm. She didn't sing and was on stage for only about three minutes, but the crowd quickly grew to about 8,000 people and caused traffic jams. About 70 security personnel worked to a possible crowd panic and no injuries were reported. The legal problem is that organizers did not apply for official police approval for the event and could face charges under the Road Traffic Act. A similar publicity stunt in Shibuya pulled by singer Go Hiromi (53) in 1999 led to six people being prosecuted.




credits: japanzone

JAPANESE police on Wednesday raided the office of the agent of pop superstar Ayumi Hamasaki after a promotional event in April drew 8,000 screaming fans and stopped traffic in central Tokyo.

Police raided the offices of agent Avex Entertainment Inc, over the event that was allegedly held without a permit in Tokyo's fashionable Shibuya district.

Shrieking crowds massed around Hamasaki, 30, when she appeared for several minutes to promote her new book at the teenage fashion temple Shibuya 109, a shopping centre that is a magnet for teenage girls.

Police are reportedly investigating the incident as a possible violation of the road traffic law, but they declined to comment, as did Avex staff.

Hamasaki, known to her fans simply as 'Ayu', enjoys intense adoration as a pop diva and fashion icon among girls and young women in Japan and elsewhere across East Asia, including Taiwan and China.




credits: asianfanaticsnews

With fears rising in Japan about the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, Avex has become the latest company to take major precautionary action. It announced on Tuesday that a total of six concerts by pop stars Ayumi Hamasaki, Ai Otsuka, and Kumi Koda have been canceled in the Kansai region.

Cases of swine flu were recently confirmed in Osaka and Kobe, and the number has risen to almost 200 people. Thousands of schools in the Osaka and Hyogo prefectures have closed for the week in an effort to slow the spread. Due to the heightened concern, major music artists are calling off shows that have been scheduled for those areas.

Earlier this week, Johnny's Jimusho announced the cancellation of four Osaka performances on May 23-24 by the Kansai Johnny's Jr. group. However, Avex's move on Tuesday was the biggest so far, with the total attendance of those six shows anticipated to be roughly 48,000 people. Hamasaki was scheduled to perform at Osaka-jo Hall on May 20-21 followed by Otsuka on May 23-24, while Koda was to perform at Kobe's World Hall on May 23-24.

Initially, Avex had planned to hold the concerts, requiring fans to disinfect their hands upon entry and equipping the facilities with mouthwash and masks. However, the company ultimately decided that it would be unable to adequately make the venues safe for so many people.

Avex is currently looking into the possibility of setting new dates for the concerts.




source: asianfanatics