Sakamoto Masako
September 17, 2018

Pop diva Namie Amuro donned a “yukata” summer kimono and joined about 15,000 of her fans to enjoy a fireworks show in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, which saluted her retirement on Sept. 16.

The pyrotechnics lit up the night sky to the accompaniment of 13 of Amuro’s songs in a tribute to the singer’s quarter-century domination of Japan’s entertainment scene.

The same night, the 40-year-old icon posted a message titled “To my fans” on her official website that concluded with, “Thank you so much for the 25 years.”

Amuro took the stage for the final time during a music festival in the city the previous night. She sang an eight-song set that included “Hope.”

Among the numbers, Amuro sang four duets: “Grotesque” with Ken Hirai; “Unusual” with Tomohisa Yamashita; “I’m Not Yours” with Jolin Tsai; and “Black Diamond” with Double.

She concluded the set with her song, “How Do You Feel Now?”