I cancelled my April trip to Japan. Even though the situation seems to be more controlled in Japan, I would be worried about being able to come back home.

lmao don’t let the news reports fool you—the Japanese government’s approach is “no one can test positive for coronavirus if we don’t test people!!!”

In her TA message today Ayu asked the following:

"If we streamed a live show for you, would you want to watch it? Or would you rather wait until the can restart the tour, without any spoilers?"

Now that would be amazing!

^ YES, YES and YES.

Yesterday on the news they were showing how many celebrities were doing instagram lives singing or playing music to keep in touch with fans. I was dying a little bit inside, wondering why Ayu doesn't do the same, especially that she already did a few instagram/LINE lives performing for us in the past.

Now is the good time to spam her and ask her to do it! Are we supposed to use the "letter" thing on TA to let her know our wish?

I I would really love a live stream and think it is a lovely idea.

Well, as someone who can only watch her shows through a screen this works just perfect for me lol

Definitely yes!

Seems likely she'll end up doing it but I wonder where. Instagram? Internationally that seems like the best choice but LINE LIVE I guess makes more sense for Japan.

^Can I watch by LINE LIVE if I'm a foreigner?

I could watch all of them before^^

I think LINE LIVE would work, but I'm not sure if she'd do it for free... She'll probably choose some kind of a paid streaming service

Watching live at Ameba pigg was really fun

I think it depends on what they do. The message was kind of unclear. Is she going to stage a full show in a hall with no crowd and live stream it like PoM 2011 on Ustream? (Highly unlikely at this point, I don't think she'd want to risk it), then she'd have to charge something to make up for lost ticket sales. If they just livestream one of the shows she already did (more likely I think), then she may do it for free. LINE LIVE has a paid function...Tomoko Kawase (Tommy Heavenly/February) does paid live streams on LINE LIVE all the time. I don't know much about how it works, but you have these LINE coins that you need to purchase (not sure how they accept payment or if they can even take foreign payment cards) and you have to pay a certain amount of coins to view the livestream.

I used to be able to watch Ayu's live streams there from desktop, but when I tried watching recent Sandaime JSB's stream it was impossible to do that way and the replay wasn't available, so maybe LINE changed their policy.
I doubt Ayu's stream will be free if it's a full-length show.
My country made it easy for everyone and just banned all international flights, only some flights from Moscow will remain, like Moscow-Tokyo.

Okayama (3/30) and Hiroshima (3/31) concerts have been cancelled.

If she does do a live of sorts, I wonder if it'll be more of a stripped down show with less people or no dancers at all to just avoid risk. Would be great to see honestly.

TBH the show is pretty stripped down already. Very few costume changes, except from the moving parts of the stage, there is just screens, lasers and the floating chair and we can all live without that one :D

Wouldn't be surprised if most people answer that they don't want spoilers and will wait to see show themselves

Imho she should sit down with Yochan and do an acoustic session at least for TA members for 30min-1hr and stream it via TeamAyu.

^Would love that!

She can do an acoustic stripped down studio live and I would take it!!

I think it's safe to say that the concerts are not resuming any time soon. The cases of corona virus infection keep slowly increasing in Japan and they are talking about a lock down.

Shops are open here but they are forcing alcohol restrictions and closing all salon and beauty stores at midnight tonight. I can't even imagine if something like that were to happen in Japan. There's been thousands of job losses due to the current climate here in Australia. I wonder how Ayu and her crew are coping.

With the Olympic Games postponed to 2021 it seems that the won't be allowing the people to hold any public events any time soon.

^ I'm not that sure cause the Olympics is a very international event, people all over the world would be travelling to Japan and that would be a disaster regarding covid-19, bringing people from really affected countries and not infected ones really close. And even inside Japan people would be going to a looot of palces. It's way more impactful than concerts of Japanese artists inside Japan. Probably it'll be some time before everything is allowed again properly inside Japan of course, but the Olympics was just on another level.

Osaka and Kyoto concerts cancelled, too...

＜Canceled performances＞
April 4, 2020 (Sat): Osaka - Festival Hall
April 5, 2020 (Sun): Osaka - Festival Hall
April 11, 2020 (Sat): Kyoto - ROHM Theatre Kyoto
April 12, 2020 (Sun): Kyoto - ROHM Theatre Kyoto

Going forward, we continue to take the infection status of the new corona virus and the accurate information issued by the government, local governments, related organizations, etc. into account. Regarding concerts following the concert on April 18 (Sat) at The Kanazawa Theatre in Ishikawa, announcements about possible costs for venue changes, details about refunds and so on will be announced on, among others, the official Ayumi Hamasaki website.

Just woke up today and saw this... I already cancelled my trip and fortunately I got almost all my money back, so I can continuing saving for new dates

I feel kind of sad but relaxed about this u.u

^ I totally get that, I have a ticket for the Yamanashi performance and I'm in the middle of arranging a refund for my flights, so I'm hoping May dates will be cancelled, too...

E-girls held a concert just after Ayu's last tour date. They did a live-streaming version of their concert 2 days ago supported by Nico-Nico (with no audience)

I hope Ayu can pull a live-streaming concert soon!

^ Japanese metal band Dir en grey also held a no audience concert and streamed it live on youtube yesterday. I was impressed with the quality, it seemed like a DVD with lots of angles. Here for those interested

If they can pull this off, then Ayu can too!

aiko did the same a couple of weeks ago, also on youtube.

I have a feeling that all concerts will be postponed for next year.

＜Canceled performances＞
Saturday, April 18th, 2020: The Kanazawa Theatre in Ishikawa
Sunday, April 19th, 2020: The Toyama Aubade Hall in Toyama

Details regarding the cancellation of other concerts on and after the Saturday, May 2nd performance at Beisia Culture Hall in Gunma, or about refunds, will be announced on the ayumi hamasaki official website from now on based on the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus infection, and also precise information announced from the government, municipalities, and related organizations.

https://avex.jp/ayu/news/detail.php?id=1082660

It definitely seems like this tour is just gonna get canceled completely then either moved or converted into something else for 2021 and onward.

Now we know what it takes for Ayu to stop touring :P

^ I shouldn't have laughed but I did omg

I got myself getting back to some I am songs these days, I think her reflections upon present, future and hope there also applies to nowadays... Wonder if it'll even make her revisit these songs for the tour

It only took a worldwide pandemic to stop the Trouble tour.

Go into Avex's bunker and record some music now luv

Hah! Nah, she deserves a nice real long break!

Can't wait for ayu to troll us with a "Hi guys, I've taken a year long hiatus and I know I said music is my life, but life is too good with my son and I'm just gonna stay on an indefinite hiatus! My hearing is back, too!"

^That has crossed my mind!

This did make me laugh. And we all thought the Trouble Tour was going to end in 2020!

It would be a total troll if Ayu announced TROUBLED 2021 TOUR for next year.

I would rather have her going on hiatus taking care of her health and her son than having the TROUBLE tour extended next year and still no new music. This tour will never eeeeeeend haha.

I can imagine her releasing coronavirus-inspired song at some point, other than that I don't expect any new material and of course Trouble tour will continue eventually despite all impossible odds.

I don't really know what to feel
I'd hope she could release something new and make use of it as a new concept for a different tour when this is all over, but I also hope she can rest and take care of herself...

Better not to record music at the studio, after all "stay home" messages people will rip her apart if she go somewhere

I hope she's using the downtime to rest and write some fresh material.

I'd say it's unlikely she's doing new music but probably spending tons of time with her baby and cooking and doing all other kinds of motherly things.

I think that if we get another Ayu album in the next year or two, it could possibly be like an I am..., as we're currently going through a period of considerable reflection as a global society. Even more so as Ayu is a mother now - I'm sure she has a lot to convey about starting her own family. Her comments about becoming a mother following her announcement (i.e. her privileges in contrast to others) were insightful. She has a strong voice, I hope that she continues to share it with us.

For this reason also, I don't think that the next tour will be TROUBLE continued. I think she'll change the theme, as she has previously done in times of great struggle and change.

What if she cancels the tour and we don't hear anything again until late in the year when AYUMI HAMASAKI STARTING OVER COUNTDOWN LIVE 2020-2021 and Duty 20th Anniversary edition is announced as a soft reboot of her career/annual cycle.

look like avex already running out of ideas that can cover up all the canceled show.
instead the avex youtube limited free live streaming end at Mar 31, they now extended till Apr 30.
for Mar, they uploaded 107 show, they now reduce till 79 show, reason unknown.
>> https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...able_polymer=1

^ Does that mean they will remove 28 shows or only upload 79 shows in April?

I'm susprised that people are expecting her to record new songs while there's a mortal virus out there - which caused the tour to be canceled -, and not considering the fact that she's at home enjoying her NEWBORN after working non stop for more than 20 years... Alright.

I love how you made it look like Avex just decided to cancel the concerts for no reason lol

no.
they stop upload at the end of Mar at total 107,
then they removed 30 show at the beginning Apr without uploading new one,
then yday they upload 2 more new show,
so now is 79 in the playlist.

I believe one of the disclaimers is that some things uploaded are subject to be taken off earlier than others. They probably are spreading out uploads more since it could go on for way longer than the period that they originally planned for.

IIRC, most of the 30 removed are LDH videos (e.g. EXILE).

They removed them before I decided to watch them :-(

i think she could be giving this corona virus hiatus to work on a new music
i have no doubt that ayu had even a small studio at home

even koda kumi was recording at home
this could be a chance of a new corona virus song, or even some mother-inspired song

She has a baby to breastfeed.

she deserves her rest people :rolleyes

That didn't stop her from going on tour

I didn't read it as a demand, it's a genuine question and we all are starving for new material for sure. But I thought it was important to note: writing songs during a quarantine isn't that easy. I'm in contact with a lot of artists from my city and they are reporting a lot of mental health issues and lack of inspiration due the uncertainty of these times.

Also, I guess doing a tour is less demanding in terms of time than making an album at home with a baby child. When she's touring, there are rehearsals in the beginning of it and sound check before every show, but she has the rest of the week (since she does only 2-3 shows per week) to take care of her and her child. Staying at home 24/7 with no possibility of going out is a different and stressful situation, even to the crazy rich ones lol

Not all women breastfeed lol

In France actually many well known singers have released songs about the COVID-19 crisis, thanking health-care workers for their efforts. I can count at least 3 different songs related to the health crisis by french singers.

I think that this period + the birth of her son could be a huge source of inspiration for lyrics. But well, I've kinda lost hope to hear new music from her so I don't really expect anything.

If it was like 5-10 years ago, maybe it'd be likelier but at this point I think she mostly wants to get back on stage, do the TikTok stuff, and take care of her kid at the moment.

...there's nothing wrong with 1) hoping Ayu spends time with her baby, and 2) hoping that she releases new music, or creates content for her fans (as she has with her Tik Tok). However, it is wrong to insinuate that Ayu cannot do both these things at once (feeds into the grand life narrative that women have to dedicate the entirety of their time to being a mother). I hope Ayu does simply what she wants to do now in these uncertain times, which is present alongside my hope that she does continue to create throughout the year - they're not incompatible, you can wish and hope for both.

She can do both things if she wants.

I’ve also kind of given up hoping for music. It’s kind of like, it’ll come when it comes.

I think she's semi-retired in terms of creative work — now we can be grateful to witness the annual Evolution/SURREAL medley live for the next couple of decades.

This is something that first needs a J-DRAMA and then you can expect Utada to do a theme song.

Ayu should stay away from singing about the pandemic. She's had enough bad publicity and the last thing she needs is for someone to say that she is milking the crisis for cash.

She could make a charity single and donate to an organisation that helps parents while the schools are closed. (As she is a new mom)
That sure whould be some good publicity.

After listening to the song Yoshiki did with will.i.am I hope I will never have to listen to something similar from Ayu. I'm not even sure if it's the thought that still counts here... But see (hear) for yourself, if you dare. :laugh
https://youtu.be/lz-DoaHi3zo

She doesn't make public her donations, she is a pure soul :)

Oh yeah I didn't say that Ayu should sing about the pandemic, I was just saying that the pandemic doesn't refrain people from releasing music, some people are actually making songs about it lol

I don't think she'd outright sing about it anyway, but this period and the quarantine allows a lot of self-reflection time that can help creating lyrics. :P

Sure :D However I think that a) she is simply not happy with what she is coming up with b) she just isn't thinking about creating anything new, potentially as she doesn't want to over-saturate the fans and give sometime so that the negative publicity around her disappears so she could start fresh in a couple of years...

Anyways that song with Yoshiki is plain awful.

What? I like it. Message is nice, they made it at home

All May Performances are cancelled too...

has anyone got their refunds already from the tickets? do they refund you automatically or do you need to request them to refund you? I have tickets to June 2nd and 3rd which might be postponed as well later

[Important] Information about self-restraint at concerts scheduled for May.
 

Previously, we have announced the postponement of the following 12 concerts due to the COVID-19 pandemic after lengthy discussions with related parties, prioritizing the safety of concert attendants.

February 29, 2020 (Sat): Aichi - Nagoya Congress Center Century Hall
March 1, 2020 (Sun): Aichi - Nagoya Congress Center Century Hall
March 19, 2020 (Thursday): Fukushima - Koriyama City Cultural Center
March 21, 2020 (Sat): Aomori - Aomori City Cultural Hall
March 30, 2020 (Monday): Okayama - Kurashiki City Auditorium
March 31, 2020 (Tue): Hiroshima - Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall
April 4, 2020 (Sat): Osaka - Festival Hall
April 5, 2020 (Sun): Osaka - Festival Hall
April 11, 2020 (Sat): Kyoto - ROHM Theatre Kyoto
April 12, 2020 (Sun): Kyoto - ROHM Theatre Kyoto
April 18th, 2020(Sat): The Kanazawa Theatre in Ishikawa
April 19th(Sun), 2020: The Toyama Aubade Hall in Toyama


As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage on and following the declaration of a state of emergency by the Japanese government in the whole entire Japan, we have decided to postpone the following concerts as well.

＜Canceled performances＞
May 2nd, 2020 (Sat): Gunma Beisia Culture Hall
May 3rd, 2020 (Sun): Gunma Beisia Culture Hall
May 9th, 2020 (Sat): Yamanashi YCC Prefectural Culture Hall
May 10th, 2020 (Sun): Yamanashi YCC Prefectural Culture Hall
May 13th, 2020 (Wed): Hyogo Kobe International House Kokusai Hall
May 14th, 2020 (Thu): Hyogo Kobe International House Kokusai Hall


We understand that many are living in constant fear and stress over the COVID-19 menace, not just in Japan but everywhere in the world.
Thus, we were looking forward to cheering you up in any way possible. However, after considering the current situation, we believe that it would be unwise to hold a concert at the moment and decided to postpone the concerts with great grief.
We apologize for making this announcement just before the concerts as we are keeping an eye on the situation that is changing daily.
We deeply regret the fact that we are disappointing our fans who were looking forward to these concerts, but we ask for your kindness and understanding during these circumstances.

The ticket you purchased will be required for a refund or entry to a rescheduled concert.
Please keep it in the meantime.

We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 epidemic situation and official statements from the federal and regional governments as well as other related parties, and update you regarding the concert scheduled for 2nd June (Tue) at Tokyo International Forum Hall A in Tokyo and the concerts beyond on the ayumi hamasaki Official Website and related online media.
With regard to the 18 concerts which have been postponed, we are doing our best to reschedule them.
Once a decision is made, we will announce the details of these rescheduled concerts and refunds on the ayumi hamasaki Official Website and related online media.




To everyone who always supports us.


ayumi hamasaki and the whole band hope they can provide some relief to your constant anxiety by standing by you emotionally.
We hope that the splendid time with you returns one day. Let us wait patiently for that day.
When you feel wobbly, please remember the song we sung together that you are not alone.

We sincerely look forward to the day when we see you again.


17th April, 2020 (Fri)
ayumi hamasaki, all performance members, and all staff members

https://avex.jp/ayu/news/detail.php?id=1082992

Do you think June Performances will have been cancelled too？

I do. Maybe only Tokyo dates

i'm pretty sure they will postpone the whole tour. i think it would be irresponsible to have concerts when we have a easily infectious virus going on around the globe if we don't get that vaccine before the tour was scheduled to end

Its a shame we prob won't get to see the DVD/broadcast with the latest/good setlist including And Then...

though I do find it cringe to watch Ayu perform in halls..she's above that x

Cringe?

Idk, she said in her Numero interview that she enjoys halls because she gets to go to places she’s never performed before, and also enjoys being closer to her fans. I think as long as her production level stays consistent with the way it has been, seeing the same show but in a more intimate setting would be amazing.

Do you also cringe when she plays the Zepp venues for the TA LIMITED LIVE tours?

It's cute for TA LIMITED LIVE but I find it a bit awkward to see what wants to be an arena concert (or would be) into a hall venue.

^I agree. I like halls for TA tours, but what she does lately is really cringy. It looks as if she would like to do an arena tour, but can't anymore, so she tries to bring the same gigantic show to a hall. For me her hall tours don't work. A hall tour it should be different from an arena tour. More personal. All those dancers and the show she puts on doesn't give it a personal feeling for me. Actually it does the opposite.

Actually TA LIMITED TOUR is not Hall tour，In Japan This venue is call "LIVE HOUSE TOUR" or "ZEPP TOUR"


STUDIUM > DOME > ARENA > HALL > LIVE HOUSE/ZEPP

New video was uploaded in Ayu channel.
It's M performance collection from 2000 to 2017.
there is M performance in CDL 16-17 that we don't have the BD/DVD release

https://youtu.be/k0KPaBnYzws

Just watched this ^ I hope they upload this for some of her other songs too, it was really nice!

^ I dont think they will, they chose M because it is the theme song for the drama that started airing yesterday. Nonetheless I watched it live and it was cool to see all those performances back to back :)

there’s new angles from 16-17’s M! just please release that dvd/blue ray already, i need to buy something from ayu, its been too long.

This. Also this was a really good "classic" countdown live for recent years.

Typical that Ayu finally performs kanariya but it doesn't get a proper release.

Hall tours are brilliant. SHE'S RIGHT THERE.

This may be a little off-topic. But I just thought of something. You know what she should’ve done for this tour (if it resumes): since it’s the 20th anniversary of her first tour and she sings Whatever (like she did in version 1), she should’ve worn the exact same outfit (for both yours in 2000). The silver jeweled dress with the big collar and silver boots with the tiara. I say that because it would be an awesome callback to when people first saw her onstage for her first tour. But also it would get a lot of publicity.

I think a GREAT hall tour would be an “unplugged” type live.

It would make use of the intimate space.

Or an “anti” tour like Kylie Minogue did. Singing rare songs, unsung songs, b-sides. At this point most of her songs have been sung, but it would be interesting, for example, if she limited herself to -only- album songs. No singles. It might spark some creative juices.

I'm already thinking we'll never get to see that Whatever/And Then opener! Gutted.

^ I also really wanted to see that! Two of my favorite songs

I never heard M fro. Countdown Live 2016-2017. Her vocals were great!