Last year, Namie Amuro got off to a new start, and also marked the milestone of the 20th anniversary since her debut. After the major success of her sold-out 5 Major Domes Tour, “Worldwide Namie Amuro’s” Asian Arena Tour is in full swing! Because of this, ViVi wanted to bring a more polished approach and shine. The fashion theme was “Only White and Gold”. From “girly white” to “Striking MIX White” , we wanted to give a stylish seasonal appearance.

AMURO’S PRIVATE TALK

AMUROCH
You threw out AMUROCH dolls during your Asia Arena Tour as a present?!

“Once in a while during a live, I’d throw out used towels, so for the Asia tour, I wanted to throw out the signed AMUROCH dolls they were selling! But I’d never thrown one before and it dropped like a rock….(Laughs) So AMUROCH didn’t fly on the first day, but on the second day I threw a lot of them~”

STARBUCKS
Last year, you finally had your introduction to Starbucks! (Laughs)

“Actually, up until that point, I’d just never really had any. But the “Green Tea Matcha Latte” is refreshing and delicious, so if you’re reading this go and try it yourself. It’s really yummy. (H) Then again, green tea is good every day. (Laughs) And make sure to get soy milk without syrup. (H) When you have a Starbucks in hand, it’s a good morning. (Laughs)
She certainly didn’t appear at the shooting today with a Starbucks in hand. Amuro-san… ^^;;;

PINK JACKET
You had bought a really flashy pink jacket.

“I was wondering if it would be just right to wear to Hong Kong, but while I was thinking that, I also thought it was really cute! I was lured into buying the jacket. And sure enough, people noticed it was me. “This is Amuro.” And it made me stand out better. The newspapers the next day were reporting on my pink jacket. (Laughs) I felt completly safe if I ever was to get lost. (Laughs)”

This is the 21st year since your debut. You want to start with a new feeling!

–Last year, Namie Amuro’s 20th Anniversary Dome Tour was met with a high approval rating, and satisfied both generations of old fans and incoming new fans. Late in February, her 20th Anniversary live DVD achieved the feat of simultaneously topping the Oricon weekly rankings. And still she continues to create new records by appearing more often than anyone else as ViVi’s cover girl. On the subject of the Live DVD, what was it like looking back on the recording on the dome tour?

“I really enjoyed the dome tour from the bottom of my heart, and I had a lot of fun!! I got to shout “Tokyo!” during the live. (Laughs) If you asked me what I enjoyed the most, it would be performing my old songs! The songs were especially chosen by fans with a vote and ranking, but I didn’t know they knew some of the ones that got chosen! I was kind of embarrassed singing some of these songs after so long, but it also really excited me, too. Because it was so much fun, I ended up shouting unintentionally during the live…(Laughs) I think people will really enjoy the DVD this time! When I was shooting the photos for the jacket and looking at old scenes, I was reminded of the things I had been doing back then. “Ah, at that time I was~” I became a little emotional during it. I also matched my movement with the music and performances back then. I wanted to imitate my old self (Laughs). It was somewhat amusing, and I hope lots of people pay close attention when they watch, because I had a lot of fun doing it!”

–With Taiwan and Hong Kong, your Asia tour is in full swing. Has anything left an impression on you so far?

“I’ve had so much fun everywhere! Because it isn’t necessary to go every year, it excited me a lot. Some people even did Amuro cosplay and it made me really happy! There was even some AMUROCH cosplay! There was a large amount of people, particularly in Taiwan. I was surprised because there were even more people that met me at the airport than the last time I came. The reaction from various countries was very interesting, and I’m glad that no matter what country, I’m happy that people can enjoy my music. Even though I sang in the local language in my previous Asia tour, people still memorized the original Japanese lyrics, and I enjoyed singing together with everyone! During the Asia Promotion last year, everyone in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore warmly recieved me and I’m grateful to be able to be there again for my live.”

—-And now a year later, you’re going to be releasing a new original summer album!

“It is a very summery album! The tempo will convey the energy and feeling of summer. There’s a lot of dance numbers. Though I’m still in the middle of recording it. And there’s also the theme song to TBS’ drama “Soratobu Kouhou Shitsu” and the theme song to “Mezamashi TV”. After I’m finshed (recording), I hope to shoot some MVs in foreign countries.”

–The festive feeling of your 20th Anniversary is now over, and you’re now on your 21st year.

“Though my 20th anniversary was a milestone, I didn’t feel any different than on any of my past anniversaries. But this once I was able to show the culmination of everything, and I was able to regain a freshness so I could proceed ahead. Now….how should I say it….I want to try to do everything that I can do now, and greedy feelings have sprung up in me in a good way. Before I had to wonder, “Huh? That didn’t work well”, and I’d have to change or even stop what I was doing. But from now on, I want to keep moving forward and changing without ever stopping. For so many reasons I want to continue facing and walking forward steadily. I also what to continue transforming myself. Without thinking about it too much or too little, I want to continue advancing with a good, natural rhythm.”

On this 21st year, she is starting a new chapter and opening another door. For us, her presence will continue to be felt in a big way, and she will certainly continue to be someone people look up to. ViVi will continue to support superstar Namie Amuro in the future!