Hitomi visiting a CD store while promoting her debut single
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Artist: Hitomi Shimatani
Product Code: AVDD-20330
Release Date: 1999.07.28
Highest Rank: #45
Label: avex trax
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Since she was a child, Hitomi Shimatani had always dreamt of becoming a singer. When she was merely 17 years old, she decided to attempt her luck, along with 200,000 contestants at the “The Japan Audition 1997“. The talent directors were captivated by her face and her stunning vocals. Her vocals had such a good range, that they decided she would fit perfectly within the enka genre. This is the beginning of what would become a long and exciting career for Hitomi.
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Promotional photoshoot for Taiyou no Uta single
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Artist: Kaoru Amane (Sawajiri Erika)
Product Code: SRCL-6407~9
Release date: 2006.08.30
Debut Ranking: #2
Peak Ranking: #1
First Press: Photobook, bonus DVD and bonus tracks
Label: Sony Music
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Sawajiri Erika has been in the Japanese entertainment industry for quite a while. Since 1999, she’s been signed up with a talent promotions company, Stardust. This company is one of the largest and prominent agency in Japan. She was fairly popular and took part in various variety shows. However she only started attracting the widespread attention of the Japanese audience with her outstanding performance as Ikeuchi Aya in 1 Litre of Tears, in 2005. This dorama attracted many people internationally for its moving and heart-rendering plot.
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An early photoshoot of Ai Otsuka during her debut era.
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Artist: Ai Otsuka
Product Code: AVCD-30525/8
Release date: 2003.09.10
Debut Ranking: #24
First Press: Picturebook
Label: avex trax
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Ai Otsuka had always been into the music since childhood. She started playing the piano when she was merely four years old. At the age of fifteen she began composing music and lyrics with the help of her piano teacher. By the time she was seventeen Ai-chin had already composed and written the lyrics for the songs “Always Together” and “Momo no Hanabira”, which were dedicated to a friend of hers. Too shy to perform by herself, Otsuka enlisted the help of several other friends and sang it as a chorus.
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Best of KAT-TUN
Artist: KAT-TUN
Product Code: JACA-5038
Release Date: 2006.03.22
Debut Ranking: #1
Label: J-One Records
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The long awaited debut of KAT-TUN finally reached the shelves of Japanese music stores on the 22nd of March. Perhaps to make up for the fact they have not debuted until 5 years from their formation, Johnny’s Entertainment on that date: a single (”Real Face”), an album, and a DVD.
KAT-TUN, a 6-person boy band, is one of the highest profile Japanese boy bands around to this date, despite only debuting recently. With good looking members who not only sing, but act (as do most other Johnny’s Entertainment boys), the boys of KAT-TUN have charmed not only the Japanese, but people from overseas. KAT-TUN’s members consist of Kamenashi Kazuya, Akanishi Jin, Taguchi Junnosuke, Tanaka Koki, Ueda Tatsuya and Nakamaru Yuichi.
The “Best of KAT-TUN” album comprises of 15 popular songs which the band themselves have performed previously in lives (with the exception of “Real Face”). Is this a worthy album to tribute the greatness of KAT-TUN before their debut?
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evergreen
Release Date: 2001.10.17
Peak Position: #1
Label: HAUNTED RECORDS \ Ki/oon \ SONY Records
Product Code: KSCL-411
First Press: 3″ (8cm) CD with picture label housed in a coffin shaped jewel case (Product Code#: KSDL-1223)
HYDE Official Web Site |
In 2000, much to fans’ surprise, L’Arc~en~Ciel announced that they were going to be on a brief hiatus. Future plans for the band were unsure, but the members knew what they wanted to do individually. hyde was the last of the members to release solo material, and his can be considered as the most experimental of the group. In October of 2001 he released his debut single as HYDE titled “evergreen”. No doubt many fans of the band were surprised at the direction HYDE had chosen for his solo project. His singing style was gentler and his whole presentation became more relaxed and calm, and he even took to wearing simple loose clothing and suits. Let’s see how the (then) new HYDE fairs.
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