(I wasn't right back (lol))

(a photo is uploaded. please check her official site)

Thank you for waiting. The winner of the Grand Prix for August is . . . "Ehime Prefectural Budokan"

I just finished my two days shows at Ehime Prefectural Budokan in Matsuyama, yesterday and the day before yesterday!

You know it was such a unique venue. Exterior, interior - everywhere was made of wood! Bloody amazing! Every single part of the venue - floors, corridors, walls, roofs, just all of them! The band members found it quite unique too and they were all taking lots of photos!

I felt so relaxed in the dressing room with a ryokan-like atmosphere that I almost said "Aww~, maybe I could cancel the show and come around Dogo Onsen instead, eat and sleep there~" (I lied.)

I gave up Onsen and did the show actually!! Although it was the smallest venue of the whole tour, we got louder cheers, handclaps and applause than any other places, which thrilled me, the band and staff all Whew~! This feels much better than Onsen~! - I finished the day one in a good mood.

However. Right after the show we started the meeting for the next day at backstage and . . .
Huh? My voice sounds rougher than I expected . . . ? Come to think of it, during the show I got tickles in my throat a few times and I coughed a few times secretly as I couldn't help it.

Me: "Maybe I might have an allergy."

All the staff: "Eh?!"

Me: "I mean, fact is I'm allergic to cedar. Could this place use lots of cedar? I don't think so actually~ahahahahah."

I was curious about this a little so I checked the official site of Ehime Prefectural Budokan before I went to sleep

Hmmm. It says "the interior is lignified as much as possible" . . . "Approx. 3,000 m³ of natural wood and laminated wood of cedar is used as the wooden truss roof system and columns"





C, cedar . . . ?
3,000m³ . . . ? (Just how much of cedar is that? Mom please tell me)


That can't be true (*sniff*)

Come to think of it, I remember I've seldom told others about this allergy thing . . . 'cause I don't walk past lumber dealers with someone very often, and I seldom enter architectures full of cedar wood . . .
Ponpon . . .

I'm not allergic to pollen. I'm allergic to "cedar wood" only! You know, even my dad didn't know I had an allergy to "cedar woods." That's why he booked this venue for the tour.

I got allergy pills in a hurry and went into the day two! Well you can work it out with guts and sweat once the show starts

But halfway through the show, I once felt a severe tightness in my throat which almost set off my panic like "Uggh! Why now when I'm singing a ballad! I, I can't breathe! I can't open my t, throat-!" - so I ripped down the choker tied tightly around my neck myself and threw it onto the stage though it was while I was singing. (lol)

Could just be a matter of my feeling, but I felt kinda a little better; anyways I just concentrated on singing and the tight feeling was gone before I knew! Seemed like the pills worked

Anyway, it was good I did the show livelily, with no allergic symptoms, happily, to the end~.

I make it a rule never to tell you things like happenings at backstage, technical troubles or physical condition problems, but I wrote this one because this Ehime Prefectural Budokan case was so rare, uncalculated that I couldn't help but laugh. (lol)

Only 4 shows left for Utada United 2006, before I knew it! Too quick! I'll keep doing my best until the end-!

That's the end of the story on "That Can't Be True" Awards for August