Who's is Ayu's family?

[waterballoon]

Well, SunshineSlayer, it seems like you stay at a high-end neighborhood when you visit Japan eh? Haha, you stay in a military hotel or something right?

Anyway, it's gonna be so cool if you see Ayu's mum. You can show her the MOTHER thread and record her LOL-ing at the atrocity of it all. XD

[waterballoon]

Well, SunshineSlayer, it seems like you stay at a high-end neighborhood when you visit Japan eh? Haha, you stay in a military hotel or something right?

Anyway, it's gonna be so cool if you see Ayu's mum. You can show her the MOTHER thread and record her LOL-ing at the atrocity of it all. XD

[chloeM]

nice idea balloon~

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by waterballoon

Well, SunshineSlayer, it seems like you stay at a high-end neighborhood when you visit Japan eh? Haha, you stay in a military hotel or something right?

Yes, it is located in a high end neighborhood. It's kind of a center for foreign diplomats and what not around there - it has a high concentration of foreigners world-wide that live there which is probably why it is a popular spot for Japanese celebrities to live as well. (they can walk around more freely in a more foreign neighborhood where they aren't likely to be recognized.) I believe I mentioned on this forum a long time ago that I actually ran into Akanishi Jin of KAT-TUN on the street once. (back in 2006) I also have heard first hand stories that Namie shops all the time at the local super market - doesn't wear makeup or anything and has no security around her, she just shops normally. That always gave me a positive impression of her.

Originally Posted by mimika

Can you share the address of ayu mom's flower shop???

It actually has a website now: http://www.hanabi-a.jp/

It's a freaking expensive store. I'll probably buy a candle or something, lol.

[krazeyo]

Wow.. its like 200 dollars for preserved flowers O______O... Gawwwwd. even Ayu's mom is able to collaborate with Hello Kitty! It at least looks nice for 630 dollars; flowers in a snow globe are not bad. =p

There's also photos of the shop, and it doesn't seem too impressive; I'm guessing the biggest draw is that this store is owned by Ayumi's mom. Other than that..I don't really see any point to go into this store..it kind of looks like a wedding planner store from the outside

[visionfactory]

that's seems a very interesting place to visit thanks SunshineSlayer!!

[pommy48]

wow, not what i imagined the store to look like...looks more like a fancy waiting area~

oh the "Crea Hiroo 1F"

what's that? the street? @_@ or just the building?

[chloeM]

i would want to buy chocolate~

[rookies]

hanabi seems like a really expensive store. -___-

[mcluva420]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Yes, it is located in a high end neighborhood. It's kind of a center for foreign diplomats and what not around there - it has a high concentration of foreigners world-wide that live there which is probably why it is a popular spot for Japanese celebrities to live as well. (they can walk around more freely in a more foreign neighborhood where they aren't likely to be recognized.) I believe I mentioned on this forum a long time ago that I actually ran into Akanishi Jin of KAT-TUN on the street once. (back in 2006) I also have heard first hand stories that Namie shops all the time at the local super market - doesn't wear makeup or anything and has no security around her, she just shops normally. That always gave me a positive impression of her.



It actually has a website now: http://www.hanabi-a.jp/

It's a freaking expensive store. I'll probably buy a candle or something, lol.

i saw ayu's momz name there...

maybe namie brings haruto too
i wanna go there someday

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by krazeyo

Wow.. its like 200 dollars for preserved flowers O______O... Gawwwwd. even Ayu's mom is able to collaborate with Hello Kitty! It at least looks nice for 630 dollars; flowers in a snow globe are not bad. =p

There's also photos of the shop, and it doesn't seem too impressive; I'm guessing the biggest draw is that this store is owned by Ayumi's mom. Other than that..I don't really see any point to go into this store..it kind of looks like a wedding planner store from the outside

Quite a few Tokyo stores look that way, probably due to the limited space for things. The most expensive stores tend to have the least amount of stuff in them. $20.00 dollars for a single rose head!

Originally Posted by pommy48

wow, not what i imagined the store to look like...looks more like a fancy waiting area~

oh the "Crea Hiroo 1F"

what's that? the street? @_@ or just the building?

I smiled when I saw that. I've never seen a street there named Crea, so I'm guessing they own the whole building and named it Crea - makes me wonder what is on the other floors. Perhaps her mother lives above the shop?

[pommy48]

oh that's really cute! so i have a question, when ayu is on tour, does she take her dog along? or her mother take care of them...and do her dogs live with her mom since ayu's mom have that crea blog thing

[krazeyo]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

Quite a few Tokyo stores look that way, probably due to the limited space for things. The most expensive stores tend to have the least amount of stuff in them. $20.00 dollars for a single rose head!



I smiled when I saw that. I've never seen a street there named Crea, so I'm guessing they own the whole building and named it Crea - makes me wonder what is on the other floors. Perhaps her mother lives above the shop?

I was thinking that too, but I expected more, since her mom probably got a big start-up from Ayu. Maybe a nicer wall colour or shelves or something...Not so white and plain-looking.

Her mom likes CREA (the dog) right? So it might be cause of the dog that she named it Crea Hiroo. I remember she pretended she was CREA (Her mom's kind of weird when you think about it.. XD..) She might have also named it CREA just to get more publicity for her store from Ayu fans too =P

Do you know anything else about the boyfriend?? =P It's kind of interesting

[C+R+E+AYUMI]

[QUOTE=SunshineSlayer;1926233]Another thing that makes me question the validity of this photo is the fact that her mother looks much older in 1976 than she does now - no matter what, Botox is not going to make you look younger than you did 30 years ago.(if you assume that the 1976 photo is actually valid)[QUOTE]

You're terribly right...she seems like in "Death Becomes Her"..do you remember that film? soo funny LOL

mmhh..and if the woman in the pic was something like her grandma?? We all know that asians seem younger in their age comparing to westerns

[AyUta]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

It's been common knowledge that Ayumi's mother opened a shop called Hanabi. It was opened back in 2002 I think. The shop mostly sells things like flowers and chocolate. She runs it along with the man that she is supposedly dating - who is also the man that is supposedly Ayu's ex boyfriend from a long time ago. Twisted much? I just never knew what the address of the place was until recently. (I found it on a Japanese message board) It is located in a very high end neighborhood that many celebrities live at - Ayu must have been supporting her mother monetarily in order for her to not only open a shop, but to do so in that neighborhood. I google mapped it and was surprised to find that it is actually only a few minutes walk from where I stay and on a street that I've been down numerous times before. How I didn't notice it, I'll never know - I just simply didn't even think to look for it since I didn't think it was anywhere near where I was.

Wow! I wonder if Ayu ever visits the shop.

[Hazard]

What exactly does it mean by 'preserved'? Do the flowers last for a very long time?

Also, on the chocolates page, are the little sqaure candies fudge of some kind?

[krazeyo]

^Yep, the flowers have been dried, so they last for a long time =P It's purely for decoration purposes (I think of HANABI as a gift shop, since no one would really buy any of that for themselves)

The chocolates to me look like mochi, but I'm not too sure, perhaps someone can translate it. I doubt you get a toothpick for eating chocolates.

[mimika]

wow this place is sooo expensive! how does 1 bunch of preserved flowers come up to $1000 USD!

omg omg....holy

[mimika]

is ayu's mom name hamasaki mariko?

http://www.hanabi-a.jp/company/index.html

[Polyrhythm]

Who is Ayu's family?....hmmm....I'd say they'd be the Hamasaki's.