I see what you mean,but it's not too easy either :)

Maybe, I'm being overly sensitive or something, but I still don't see how you can get ranked highly for so many things in regards to popularity and sales and still think that people don't care. I can see how some people have moved on, but I don't see that. You might as well say it's the same for every other artist too,because they seem to be doing just as well as she is in sales and stuff like that. I hope you don't think I'm being rude or anything. :)

Yeah, I agree, she was never universally loved in Japan. But I do think that you could say in general Ayu was more popular/loved in the past.

It all comes down to having a very stable and zealous fan base - which Ayu does. But outside of that, with each passing year its getting harder to find people that actually like her nowadays. Those who have spent any kind of extended time in Japan I think find this to generally be the truth.

Well of course you have to think that back then she was new, something never seen before (think about it: every big female idol was something never seen before in Japan [Utada with R&B and Koda Kumi with her ****tyness, for example]). She was not the typical idol, so because of the novelty, she became really popular. Aside from that, the demographic that buys more is usually teenagers or young adults: Ayu debuted 10 years ago. The fans who were at around that age spam back then (and thus lived her rise to fame in first person) are now between 26-35 year old more or less. People don't buy CDs that much when they are older, and is not the same to live her rise and like her then, than to like her now, when she is more established and there's a lot of singers who are similar to her nowadays in terms of style and music.

Well... that's natural ^^

Why people are mentioning 'internet' as a cause of less sales!? Please people, this year Eminem released album and sold 1 MILLION COPIES only in first week. I think its 2 million copies now. In the days of the internet and downloading! Yes, its obviously possible.

I personally think Japan is sick of Ayu. I can say from perspective as myself what I think about artists in my country who are really long in the showbussines. I think 'omg, you are still here? give someone young and new a chance'

Forgiveness has like...the most beautiful cover :heart Even though I'm not crazy for that song...

my predictions of low sales

1. japan is sick and tired of her (everyone has said it -___-)
2. her image (rich, designer clothing, i remember someone saying how japan likes celebrities that are humble)
3. illegal downloading (obvious)

personally i think it's because she's been around for a long time and people eventually get tired, but who gets tired of our ayu? :laugh

but the us americans count the digital downloads"i-tunes and such" . while the japanese dont :innocent

For me, reasons are:

- No money to buy her so many releases. (in my case)
- Not so good song to invest one physical copy
- Too many good competitors
- recession
- Her music is becoming less "AYU"

And I agree with ownsarai, downloading ayu's music (even if illegally) doesn't mean your not an avid ayu fan. There are just circumstances that fans don't have the capacity to complete her discography even if they wanted it immensely.

Japan loved Days, and before that they loved JEWEL. Ayu can still churn out hits. Here's what i think; she is not gaining a large number of new fans, but she is more like the artists everyone knows yet no one actively supports (generally speaking). For example, I have NEVER met a single person in my life who didn't like Micheal Jackson, but not a single one of those people actually OWNED a single release of his (take this example with a grain of salt considering that most of his albums sold very well). That's why her name still pops up on popularity polls.
Ayu just needs to keep churning out those hits. A turn around is always possible, I just want her to take her time and put out good music.

^ That is so true. You explained it perfectly.

well she's been steadily dropping in popularity since 2002...so...

I expect that has something to do with it.

And with CD sales dropping everywhere worldwide, along with the global economy falling, just kinda...affects her sales even more so.


The music industry in Japan is also really really incredibly unique. Yes, it is just like our industry here in the US, but there are cultural things, and other small differences that really influence their industry, and to me it's really interesting. It would be cool if someone ever wrote about it.

Another thing to remember in Japan, is that there are a TON of factors that go into sales, and nothing ever, EVER has to do with quality.

Quality is subjective, and because of that, it can never really be factored into their industry, because of their culture.

It's more about being popular and having a well liked song. And she may have well liked songs, but she doesn't really have the popularity anymore, only her high status.
Seriously. However, the internet contributes to the overall industry being down...but honestly...her popularity is the biggest factor in her sales. Especially since there are other artists in Japan doing just fine with the internet being more advanced there than in other countries.

I really disagree with that statement about it is hard to find someone who will say something good about her.

For example if I talk with my friends who dont like Ayumi as I do, of course they will not know that the latest single is Sunrise, or Mirrorcle World was 10th anniversary single, but they still will say "Ayu is Japan's Utahime. If she is not there, there is something wrong."

And this year at my University, Waseda and Keio students have come to be exchange oversea students, and when we talk about music and this kind of thing, we will always comment about how cool or cute Ayumi is, even though they will not know latest release, or so on. If we go to karaoke together, we sing half other artists, and half Ayumi.

Of course, there are a few people who hate her too from these two groups, and say She has surgery, and looks too fake, and this and that. But I have to say that those people on the internet who say Ayu is over, etc etc are not the real perception of Ayumi Hamasaki in general Japanese audience. Of course, it is also regional, so I found that people in Tokyo and Kanto region will like her better than Osaka and Kansai regions.

When you say to people that you like Ayumi, they will most likely say "She's so cute, right?" not "This old witch, she needs to go die" like 2 chanel will say.

But I do have to say, of course we will not follow her releases anymore, because she does not release anything "new." But I dont think "New" is really what the problem is. She puts out "new" releases, like GREEN, or Sunrise, which are 2 very new songs for her (from my perspectives), but old sounding songs like Days and JEWEL and BLUE BIRD were very popular with japanese people, and of course her concerts are always the most expected from many people because she plays the old songs a lot too. So is "new" really what is missing? I dont think so.

And since reggae is becoming very popular, those popsounding artists are suffering greatly, and It is hard to be a female artist right now in Japan, because the industry is focused mainly on the boys right now.

It's true that Japan is not paying attention to her, just like they did not pay attention to Amuro for a few years. In a few years, Ayumi's popularity will be renewed like Amuro, I am sure about that. But if we say that Japan general audience "hates her," or will say bad things about her it's 100% a lie.

I think it's like Madonna or Mariah Carey. People don't really follow their new releases much these days, but if they are not there, there is a weird kind of feeling I think for America~.

lol it's not a 100% lie, but it's not 100% true either.

However, it's true enough to where people not liking her (anymore?), is affecting her sales, and that's really what matters.

And will Ayu's popularity be renewed? Is she going to release an amazing best album like Namie? When she has just released a ton?

I don't know. It would be cool if she "bounced back"...but honestly...I don't really see her taking a leave of absence like Namie did, which does contribute to the new popularity...not to mention that Namie's music is a lot more popular with people than Ayu's.

maikeru: I know you are always here to defend her popularity. :) Definitely nothing I said is a lie though. I'm not talking about comments in 2ch, but regular everyday people in Japan. I mean you even admitted it in your post that they seem not as into her as before.
I never said I've run into people that when you mention her name say "die *****" or something like that. :) Of course not. But I have met plenty of people who say stuff like "she isn't as good as before" - like you said, hardly anyone seems to know what her latest release is. Or the standard "she is too fake" comments. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the only place where I have run into a positive comment for Ayu is when I'm at her own concerts. Most of the time, people just simply seem to be indifferent.

IMO,her fans who 'followed' her are actually getting more mature.they are not like the youngsters who will buy her stuff blindly (i was when i'm still teenager).people tend to think twice before buying nowadays.so,its not surprising her sales is dropping.

This year I became friend of a boy who lived on japan for... 10 years I guess, and it's interesting to know wich songs for each singers he knew, cuz he never followed jpop musicians, so, if he knew the song, it was really a huge hit...

according to him, Ayu's lastest big hit was... Voyage... I will ask him about Blue Bird and Jewel, that are two possible big hits...

But it's not only with Ayu... he didn't seen to know any Koda song but Butterfly, or anything released by Utada between Deep River and Flavor of Life (wich he knows)

^ I think that's normal. Most average people would indeed consider that last biiig song from Koda to be Butterfly. Same thing with Hikki - her last super big thing that most people would know is Flavor of Life and before that, there was a pretty big gap.

Honestly, I never really consider Blue Bird and Jewel big hits - maybe big hits for Ayu and her fanbase, but pretty minor hits when taken over all.