J!-ENT
Asian Entertainment News and Pop Culture

CRIEnglish.com reported, “Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki was welcomed by delirious fans when she arrived in Hong Kong for a new project on Monday.”

“More than 20 security guards were summoned to the airport to hold fans at bay, Tungstar reported.”

More on this article

Japantoday.com reported, “Lingerie maker Wacoal has signed up singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 29, for its lingerie advertising campaign in the Asian market. According to Wacoal, photos of Hamasaki in Wacoal underwear will be used for advertisements in China, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam from the end of July. The ads will not be used in Japan, the company said.”

More on this article

Japantoday.com reported, “Singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 29, on Sunday night finished her nationwide tour marking the 10th anniversary of her debut in Tokyo. She held 17 concerts in 10 cities since April, attracting 230,000 fans.”

“Hamasaki, who revealed in January that she had lost the hearing ability in her left ear, said she also had been suffering stress since the death of a close friend last autumn. Wiping away tears, she told fans, “I appreciate all of you who came to my concerts nationwide. Thank you for a great time.”

More on this article

CRIEnglish.com reported, “Japanese pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki is set to hit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei for her second Asian tour, the exact same Chinese cities as her first tour last year, her agent Avex announced on Thursday.”

“Ayumi’s solo concert reaches Hong Kong on September 20, the Shanghai Grand Stage on October 18, and the Taipei Arena on November 1.”

More on this article

It’s Wednesday and that means new releases. Which artist or band took the #1 position?

NOTE: Hamasaki Ayumi’s 10th Anniversary is grand with a #1 CD single with “Mirrorcle World”. Pony Canyon’s Shuchishin takes the #2 and ZARD unreleased track “Tsubasa wo Hirogete” is finally released. The song was actually written many years ago and meant to be the second CD single for the group DEEN but was never released. The song is used as the theme song for the anime “Meitantei Conan”. L’Arc~en~Ciel drops from #1 to #7 and Aoyama Thelma continues to stay strong with her January 2008 CD single release which is still in the top 10.

1. Hamasaki Ayumi - Mirrorcle World
2. Shuchishin - Shuchishin
3. ZARD - Tsubasa wo Hirogete / Ai wa Kurayami no Naka de
4. Tokunaga Hideaki - Dakishimete Ageru/Hanataba
5. Plastic Tree - Alone Again, Wonderful World
6. Amuro Namie - 60s 70s 80s
7. L’Arc~en~Ciel - DRINK IT DOWN
8. Aoyama Thelma feat. SoulJa - Sobani Irune
9. HOME MADE KAZOKU - EASY WALK
10. 244ENDLI-x - Kurikaesu Haru

JapanToday.com reported, “Singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 29, on Saturday started an Asian tour in Tokyo to mark the 10th anniversary of her debut. It is her first concert since she revealed in January that she had lost the hearing ability in her left ear. At the concert, attended by 12,000 fans, Hamasaki said, “I’m able to perform tonight thanks to my fans here.” But she made no references to her hearing problem.”

More on this article

CRIEnglish.com recently posted pictures from Hamasaki Ayumi’s new photobook.

Click here

According to an article on Wai Wai translating a Japanese article from Sunday Mainichi, Hamasaki Ayumi is deaf in one ear.

According to Wai Wai, “Pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki confirmed earlier this month what her nastier critics have been saying about her tone for years — she’s deaf, at least in her left ear. And Sunday Mainichi (1/27) says the 29-year-old superstar’s ailment isn’t being helped by her increasing isolation in the music world.”

“Hamasaki used a special member’s only blog she writes to reveal she’d lost her hearing.”

“Actually, last year I had a hearing test that revealed my left ear doesn’t work at all, and the doctor said there’s no operation that can fix it,” Sunday Mainichi quotes the songstress writing to her fans.”

More on this article