Mainichi Daily article of Ayumi

[ayu_ready?]

Pushing 30, rivals circling, and now deaf in one ear: it's tough at the top for Ayu

Pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki confirmed earlier this month what her nastier critics have been saying about her tone for years -- she's deaf, at least in her left ear. And Sunday Mainichi (1/27) says the 29-year-old superstar's ailment isn't being helped by her increasing isolation in the music world.

Hamasaki used a special member's only blog she writes to reveal she'd lost her hearing.

"Actually, last year I had a hearing test that revealed my left ear doesn't work at all, and the doctor said there's no operation that can fix it," Sunday Mainichi quotes the songstress writing to her fans.

Hamasaki has actually known for years that her hearing was going bung, and has twice postponed national tours because of it.

Nonetheless, now her secret is out in the open, Hamasaki is determined to forge ahead with her plans to tour the country from April, but the disclosure of her deafness has also opened another can of worms for her.

"I read everything she wrote on her blog and it seems she kept the news all to herself, not telling her relatives or staff," entertainment beat journalist Yuji Watanabe says. "I think rather than the deafness itself, the bigger problem (for Hamasaki) is why she kept such a problem held so tightly in her heart."

Hamasaki has long known it's lonely at the top. She has almost single-handedly kept her record company Avex at the apex of the Japanese music world, but realized as the company's queen bee she can't afford to have a public perception of weakness. She only told two people of her hearing problems -- Tomoya Nagase, the boy band Tokio member and her longtime ex-boyfriend, and Mika Noguchi, the president of panty manufacturer Peach John.
Sunday Mainichi 01/27
Sunday Mainichi 01/27

Hamasaki's career is also not as sturdy as it once was. During her 10 years on the scene, her every album has come out at No. 1 on the charts in the week that it was released. But "Guilty," her latest offering that came out on New Year's Day, only reached No. 2, giving greater credence to suggestions that younger, flashier singers such as Kumi Koda and others of her ilk are about to usurp Hamasaki's title.

As for Hamasaki's actual condition, otological expert Tetsuro Ogata suspects she may have Meniere's disease.

"She's got either sudden deafness or Meniere's disease. Her hearing has become progressively worse over a number of examinations, so I think it's probably more likely to be Meniere's," Ogata tells Sunday Mainichi, noting that sudden deafness arises out of the blue and can be caused by such things as viruses or stress, while the condition also believed to have affected Beethoven starts with hearing difficulties and dizziness before progressing to hearing loss.

By Ryann Connell
credits:mainichi-daily and ayu_ready?@AHS

[criminal]

Did Ayumi know about her condition when she and Tomoya were together or did she tell Tomoya after they had broken up, near the end of the year?

Thanks for posting the article.

Kinda' makes me wonder how lonely she really is .__.

[ayu_ready?]

^yup

Originally Posted by criminal

Did Ayumi know about her condition when she and Tomoya were together or did she tell Tomoya after they had broken up, near the end of the year?

I dunno. the article doesn't say exactly...

[CHE.R.RY]

This article only made me more depressed about Ayu's half-deafness. But I always suspected Ayu must be extremely lonely. I want to give Ayu a big hug

[polka-dot-jewel]

She told Tomoya? I thought she said she only told Mika...

Interesting article. She probably didn't know HOW to tell everyone, especially since she had her countdown coming up, and a new digital single out. I'd do the same thing, to be quite honest.

She'll probably never tell us, but maybe one day she'll tell us what exactly she has that made her left ear deaf.

Thanks for the article!

[kinomaniac]

I'm sure she'll overcome all of this. I don't mean career-wise. Of course I want her career to be at its best. I'm sure (or at least hoping that) she'll overcome all these problems in her personal life and just keep doing what she likes - music. She doesn't need the pressure of being the queen. She's an amazing musician, there's no need for such title, as she doesn't need reassurance.

[Yoake]

Thank you for sharing

[ayu_ready?]

though...I think she should realise that somehow the family is more important than a career

[ronin542001]

Originally Posted by kinomaniac

I'm sure she'll overcome all of this. I don't mean career-wise. Of course I want her career to be at its best. I'm sure (or at least hoping that) she'll overcome all these problems in her personal life and just keep doing what she likes - music. She doesn't need the pressure of being the queen. She's an amazing musician, there's no need for such title, as she doesn't need reassurance.

I agree with you 100 percent. She does not need to be number 1 to keep making amazing music. Ayu's Queen of Jpop status was not what attracted me to her, but rather it was her originality in music and lyrics that brought me in as a fan. I am pretty sure it will stay that way as well.

[tokyoxjapanxfan]

why do these articles always bring in koda kumi and such people? its frustrating. they also failed to mention that it was a two week total as opposed to the normal one week total for the album.

[Peger]

ugh. hayters be haytin

[Teyla]

thanks for sharing

[criminal]

Originally Posted by tokyoxjapanxfan

they also failed to mention that it was a two week total as opposed to the normal one week total for the album.

I don't really see what difference that would make... A bunch of other Ayumi's albums were released on January 1, so.. The way SoundScan [not Oricon] reported their first week sales changes nothing, in my opinion.

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

though...I think she should realise that somehow the family is more important than a career

AYu was taught at a very early age that it isen't. She hardly has any family at all.


Regarding her so called "decline" she was the highest earning artist last year, she's still on top of the game, and honestly unless times flashing coochie counts, no-one puts on as flashy shows as ayu, everyone knows that.

GUILTY was a great album and it will end up being the top ten best selling albums of 2008. Just like every other album she released. She just made a bad desicion on release date.

[Diana]

Awww.. I feel so sorry for her She sings with all her heart and one day... no, I won't say it!

[Calico]

I'm also not in the same boat as the author about how "concerned" we should be about how long she kept it to herself. What was she supposed to do? Go and blab about it the moment she found out? Sheesh.

[maxikot]

I really don't like the tone of the article. It's kind of poisoning her image :/ Why haven't they written earlier before she announced her deaf illness. And now when they know that she can't hear on one ear they write that she is going down etc... I really, really don't like the article.

[stickyrice]

I love how the article says GUILTY only reached #2.

[jon_the_d]

she's also kicking ass in the rest of asia too....I'm sure she'll be generally pleased and optimistic about her career.

just go tto see how she gets on with her tour....