Wed, December 24, 2008 (3:49pm EST)
In a quiet week on the charts, Ayumi Hamasaki went unopposed for the #1 spot, with 128,000 copies of her new single, "Days / GREEN." This is the latest in a streak of 19 consecutive chart-toppers, stretching back to April 2002. Overall, she has had 31 number-ones.
Also in the top ten were BUCK-TICK at #5 and Yukari Tamura at #6. At #8 was the new single from Rina Aiuchi, who released the song just in time to make this her 9th consecutive year with a top ten single.
On the albums chart, Mr.Children and EXILE remained in the #1 and #2 spots, respectively. Ai Otsuka had the best of the new releases, with "LOVE LETTER" ranking #3 at 104,000 copies. A soundtrack for the "Bleach" anime series sold roughly half that amount to make it to #4.
Also in the top ten were BUCK-TICK at #5 and Yukari Tamura at #6. At #8 was the new single from Rina Aiuchi, who released the song just in time to make this her 9th consecutive year with a top ten single.
On the albums chart, Mr.Children and EXILE remained in the #1 and #2 spots, respectively. Ai Otsuka had the best of the new releases, with "LOVE LETTER" ranking #3 at 104,000 copies. A soundtrack for the "Bleach" anime series sold roughly half that amount to make it to #4.
Wed, December 24, 2008 (3:35pm EST)
Retired talento Ai Iijima (real name Matsue Okubo) was found dead in her apartment on Sunday afternoon. Police are still investigating the cause of her death, though some people suspect that it may be a suicide. Iijima was only 36 years old.
A friend of Iijima who works at her management agency became worried after being unable to contact her for several days. The friend visited Iijima's apartment in Shibuya and was let in by the building manager. Iijima was discovered lying face-down, and an ambulance was called for. However, the medical team determined that she had already been dead for a few days. The exact time and cause of death are currently unknown.
Iijima started her career in 1992 as an AV actress, and she quickly became one of the most popular adult stars. The following year, she left the industry and released her first single. At the same time, she began making regular appearances on various television shows.
In 2000, Iijima gained even more recognition with "Platonic Sex," a semi-autobiographical novel that became a best-seller. By the time she announced her retirement from show business in March 2007, she had established herself as the most successful celebrity to transition from the adult industry to mainstream entertainment. Even after retirement, she kept a highly popular blog, which was last updated early this month.
A friend of Iijima who works at her management agency became worried after being unable to contact her for several days. The friend visited Iijima's apartment in Shibuya and was let in by the building manager. Iijima was discovered lying face-down, and an ambulance was called for. However, the medical team determined that she had already been dead for a few days. The exact time and cause of death are currently unknown.
Iijima started her career in 1992 as an AV actress, and she quickly became one of the most popular adult stars. The following year, she left the industry and released her first single. At the same time, she began making regular appearances on various television shows.
In 2000, Iijima gained even more recognition with "Platonic Sex," a semi-autobiographical novel that became a best-seller. By the time she announced her retirement from show business in March 2007, she had established herself as the most successful celebrity to transition from the adult industry to mainstream entertainment. Even after retirement, she kept a highly popular blog, which was last updated early this month.
