(the) Road to the Deep East

J-CAST is reporting a very touching, but a little weird news regarding Japanese most famous female singer, Hamasaki 'Ayu' Ayumi.

http://www.j-cast.com/2008/06/29022614.html
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According to this article and her official blog, last fall, while Hamasaki was staying in Los Angels for recording, the 'elder sister' of Hamasaki passed away. The news was brought by her mother from Japan, but Ayu's staffs didn't tell it to Ayu because they thought she must be shocked and wouldn't be able to continue her work anymore in America.

Ayu explains, " I didn't know anything , and said to friends 'I didn't get any mails (from her sister) recently?'" But Ayu didn't didn't have a grudge against her staffs. 'I guess it was very hard to keep the secret.

She went to her elder sister's house as soon as she returned to Japan, but when she arrived at her house, her body had already been burnt to ashes. She was so shocked so that she just squatted down and couldn't stand up again for hours. It took a long time for her to accept the reality.

To make the matter worth, in the year end of 2007, it turned out she lost her hearing of her let ear. But after a mental conflict, she overcame her trauma, and she promised her 'elder sister' to continue singing. .

And she concludes before the end of her concert tour on her blog, speaking to her elder sister in heaven. 'Watch me to the end , sister!!'

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It's a little touching tale, but when I read the article first, before I was moved deeply, I felt some anger against her agency, avex. Why didn't they tell the news to Ayu promptly??' If I were in the same situation and it turned out the organization I belong to conceal the death of my family member for a commercial reason, I'm sure I'll curse the organization forever, and kill them all.

However, after a research, I found a point to defend avex staffs.

Hamasaki doesn't have any sisters or brothers. She is an only child. According to her fans, the person Ayu calls 'elder sister' (姉貴, Aneki) is one of her close friends, so her fans can understand that she is not talking about her actual 'elder sister.' It is still against our ethics that a company doesn't tell one's friend's death, but it's rather than the case of one's family member.

But then, another question occurs to me. Why Ayu's mother told her death to staffs, not telling Ayu directly? Some may say it's because she is in America and her mother didn't know where she is, but Ayu said herself that she complained about the lack of mails from her elder siter, or her friend. It suggests she could receive mails from Japan in Los Angels. Why didn't her mother sent phone-mail to her directly??

Now I have to conclude , this story is not 100% truth. But I won't say she is telling a lie. It must be true that one of her sister died young, and she was shocked by the news. But it looks there are too much dramatized points.

And we should recognize, avex thinks this is a beautiful tale and allowed to Ayu to tell it publicly. One thing I can say is when you think your family important, you shouldn't join this company. Even when your wife died, the news may be concealed for a business reason.


[UPDATED]
J-CAST revised the article, and in the current version, it is clearly described that the person who died was 'a friend whom Ayu adores like a real sister.' And J-CAST also deleted the part 'the mother notified the staffs.'

So, the news article became more moderate than before, but the point avex staffs didn't report her friend's death to Ayu for a business reason still exists, then I still have to think, avex , or Japanese music industry, is a money-mad asshole.