Ayumi Hamasaki 1st artist to achieve 13 consecutive years of No. 1 albums

Ayumi Hamasaki 1st artist to achieve 13 consecutive years of No. 1 albums

TOKYO —
Ayumi Hamasaki, 32, will soon become the first artist in Japan to achieve 13 consecutive years of No. 1 albums after Oricon Album Rankings announced that her new album “Love Songs” is set to hit the top of the charts on Jan 3. The new album is Hamasaki’s 17th No. 1 album in total since her debut was released in 1999.

A track by Naoya Urata featuring Hamasaki, titled “Dream On,” is also set to hit the No. 1 spot in the singles chart on the same day. She will be the first album and single No. 1 position holder since pop group Arashi managed the same feat in 2007, three years and one month ago. It will be nine years and three months since Hamasaki has topped both charts simultaneously.

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'Single' Akina Minami wins Wedding Best Dresser Award

Akina Minami
SANKEI

TOKYO —Akina Minami, 21, was named one of three winners of the inaugural Wedding Best Dresser Awards this week, despite being single and unattached. Minami won in the category of TV personality. In the model category, the award was scooped up by Marie, 23, while 19-year-old
Tomomi Itano from AKB48 took the gong in the idol category—both of whom are also single.

At the awards ceremony, Minami appeared in a wedding dress and told attendees, “All girls long for a white wedding, so I’m pleased to have been chosen for this award.” When asked about her own wedding prospects, Minami replied, “I’d like to get married at around 24 or 25, but I don’t have a boyfriend right now and my friends tell me it’s not going to happen anytime soon. But when the day comes, my ideal ceremony would be at Disneyland with all my friends.”

In response to the news that comedian Toshifumi Fujimoto, 39, of comedy group Fujiwara, and 23-year-old TV personality Yukina Kinoshita recently tied the knot in a hotel affiliated with the Tokyo Disneyland resort, Minami responded, “I’ve been beaten to it, so it’s going to look like I’m copying them. I think I’ll scratch that idea.

Katy Perry to perform in Japan next spring

Katy Perry

TOKYO —American pop singer Katy Perry, 26, will be coming to Japan in May for her first Japanese concerts since her marriage. So far, concerts on the May 23 and 24 have been announced at Tokyo’s Studio Coast live event space, with further dates expected in Osaka and Nagoya.

Perry married popular British comedian Russel Brand, 35, in India on Oct 23 this year. The sudden announcement of her forthcoming Japanese performances will delight fans, as the dates will mark her fourth visit to Japan since August of last year. The Japan performances are part of Perry’s second world tour.

Perry, who has been nominated in four categories for this year’s Grammy Awards, said in a statement to media: “It’s been an amazing year. I’m really grateful for all the support I’ve received from my Japanese fans.”