[article] A BEST 2 has shipped 1.9 million copies

[truehappiness]

あゆ台湾公演成功、１万人前に熱唱

　【台北２４日＝木下淳】浜崎あゆみ（２８）が台北アリーナで、初の海外単独ライブを行った。国外ツアーの 皮切りとなる台湾公演は、台湾史上最速で完売。プレミアチケットを手にした約１万人のファンにヒット曲の数 々を披露し、イリュージョンでも魅了した。今回の海外進出は、所属レコード会社エイベックスのアジア戦略の 一環で、アジア最強のエンターテインメントを目指す企業の大事なトップバッターを任された。

　客席に垂れ幕を見つけた浜崎が、顔をくしゃくしゃにして笑った。「みんなで歌うから聴いて　あゆが『せー の』って言って」。うれしそうに「せーの！」とマイクを向けると、約１万人が「Ｗｈｏ…」を日本語で大合唱 した。浜崎は中国語で「みんなありがとう。愛してるよ」と感謝し、お返しに同曲のサビを中国語で熱唱した。 最後は「あゆ！」コールが館内を揺るがした。

　約５０００個の宝石が輝く和服姿からサンバまで、世界を意識した７種の衣装を用意して変幻ステージを演出 した。愛する米ラスベガスのショーを参考に、昨年の全国ツアーで世界的マジシャン、ピーター・マービー氏に 師事して精度を上げたイリュージョンの数々を惜しみなく披露。やまない喝采を、両手をあげて受 け止めた。

　過去に写真集の発売イベントや日中競演ライブに招待されたことはあったが、海外の単独公演は初めて。エイ ベックスのアジア進出の試金石として入場券の動向が注目されたが、１万席は、わずか２時間で完売した。昨年 、台湾で公演した嵐は１日かけて１万５０００席、台湾トップ歌手ジョリンでも２万席に２日かかっていた記録 を更新し、台湾史上最速となった。

　浜崎は、エイベックスが仕掛けるアジア戦略を背負って公演に臨んだ。「アジア最強のクリエイティブ能力を 持つエンタテインメント企業」の目標を掲げるレコード会社の顔としての訪台だった。９８年７月にエイベック ス台湾を設立。昨年１１月には北京にエイベックス・チャイナを起こすなど、エイベックスが理想とするアジア 全域で通用する歌手を体現した。

　浜崎は来春、活動１０周年を迎える。日本で２枚計１９０万枚を出荷し、当地でも発売中の最新ベスト盤「Ａ　 ＢＥＳＴ２－ＷＨＩＴＥ－」「Ａ　ＢＥＳＴ２－ＢＬＡＣＫ－」は、節目の来年に発売するのが自然だった。だ が、アジアのファンの前に立つ今回のツアーを盛り上げるため、発売に踏み切った。来月には香港、上海でも公 演を行う。

While the article itself isn't necessarily about the sales and stuff [It's mostly about the Taiwan tour and so on..] it mentions the shipment later on ;D

Excite translation of the bolded/italicized section:

Hamasaki comes next spring and the tenth anniversary in act. Two piece 1.9 million pieces in total were shipped in Japan, and it was natural also in this place to be going to put latest best board "A BEST 2 -WHITE-" "A BEST 2 -BLACK-" under the sale on the market next year of the turning point. However, to pile up a tour this time when it stood in front of the fan of Asia, it started to the sale. It will perform also in Hong Kong and Shanghai next month.

Courtesy of nikkansports.

[Vienni]

Wow, really ??? 1,9 mil copies.. o_O
Only in Japan, rite ?

[4ever*ayu]

this number is outside the oricon's, right?
only in Japan?? what about the overseas sales?
_____________________________

set created by CREAtivITO
THE GREATEST TOUR
ayumi hamasaki ASIA TOUR 2007 A ~Tour of Secret~
HUGE SUCCESS at TAIWAN!!!!!!
NEXT STOP IS HONGKONG ON APRIL 7TH !!!!
LET'S SUPPORT AYU

[hiroshi_ben]

If all of this 1.9 million copies will be sold,it will be so damn cool!

[norain]

Hmm, it doesn't seem logical, it's close to 650K now, and (miss)understood was at 850K before it shipped a million. Heck, even Secret didn't ship a million domestically

[immel]

I hope everyone notices this is NOT sales.

Originally Posted by norain

Hmm, it doesn't seem logical, it's close to 650K now, and (miss)understood was at 850K before it shipped a million. Heck, even Secret didn't ship a million domestically

(m)u shipped a million on its release date.

[AyuGAME]

i think she can sold about 500k outside japan, and hope A best 2 can sold about 1,5m in japan, so totally it sold 2m

[DerrickRocks]

i think the article is bull A-Best 2 seriously has not sold that many this soon unless it is strictly talking about outside japan

[andre2907]

It's SHIPPED, not SOLD. Shipped is SOLD TO STORES.

Plus, it isn't possible to A BEST 2 Ato sell that much outside Japan because all the markets Ayu is popular are very small (Taiwan, Singapore) and have insgnificant sales numbers, except China, of course, but with piracy and stuff, I really doubt she sold over 200k of A BEST 2.

And the 1.9 million shipment is JAPAN ONLY.

Originally Posted by Peger

Shipped copies aren't actual copies sold, they're just the amount that were sold to the stores. They probrably just thought A BEST would do better than it's doing now, and that's why they shipped more copies earlier relative to Secret and m(u).

Exactly.

But actually, AVEX is quite happy because they made money of the SHIPPED copies. But the CD stores probably aren't very happy...

[JinHamasaki]

Originally Posted by andre2907

And the 1.9 million shipment is JAPAN ONLY.


Exactly.

But actually, AVEX is quite happy because they made money of the SHIPPED copies. But the CD stores probably aren't very happy...

I doubt Oricon can count every single sale in every single store (online and what not). I'd estimate that 500,000 are left in stores...and there are literally thousands upon thousands of music stores.

I was at the HMV in Shibuya and they had about 10-15 copies on display.

[truehappiness]

DerrickRocks, if you didn't know, shipped copies are not the same as sold copies. :|

[ayu_fan929]

Well it's already sold 1.2-1.3 million in Japan. Let's say it sold another 200k in all of Asia so that would mean around 500k still out there?

[salmon]

wow... Im also interested how many overseas version had been sold till date

[truehappiness]

Well, knowing some people, they probably will think that shipped=sold D:

[cater2u]

im confused

[LacusClyne]

Originally Posted by cater2u

im confused

well, for example some online websites do not count towards Oricon like YesAsia. and oricon calculate most of the sales IN japan

[Sim']

Thanks for this information =)

Avex was really expecting HIIGH sales then =/

[Vienni]

Wait a sec, so in japan only, it sold around 1,2 mil & shipped around 1,9 mil, so the total is 3,1 mil ? Correct me if I'm wrong. Thx.

[CHAS_AYU]

I have confidence that A BEST 2 will have a great sales.
Since 1.9 million copies are shipped, there must be a great demand.
Avex won't make so many copies if there is a low demand, otherwise, they will make a loss.

[Peger]

Shipped copies aren't actual copies sold, they're just the amount that were sold to the stores. They probrably just thought A BEST would do better than it's doing now, and that's why they shipped more copies earlier relative to Secret and m(u).