(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

"That Can't Be True" Awards for August

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

This has nothing to do with the body of the message, but this is my favorite uchiwa(paper fan) during the tour this time. My dad sat on it without knowing when I left it on the sofa. The uchiwa, which memorized the shape of my dad's bottom . . . I'm still using it.


Now let me announce the winners of "That Cant' Be True" Awards for August~
First, "An ice rink turned sauna?!" is selected to receive the jury's special award

The more I did the show, the higher the temperature on the stage got! Profuse sweating! No wonder I couldn't help but look forward to Sapporo shows.

I arrived in Sapporo in the evening of the day before the show. A welcome of cool breeze raised my expectation! "Here it comes! The Sapporo shows! In Makomanai Ice Arena . . . God, what a cool sound of the words! It could be a little cooler than usual . . . Could make me feel a little better as well . . . I, who is physically fragile secretly, is wearing myself out now . . . !"

And on the show day! I was called to the rehearsal, and headed from the backstage onto the stage. On the way to stage, the staff people told me "Well, today the stage is really hot~, take care please~" one after another.

Huh? What are they talking about? Are they kidding me?

I stepped onto the staircase of the stage. Eh? The temperature rises 1 degree every time I go up a stair



A ngggggggahahh!! Hooooooooooooooot!!!! This is the hottest stage ever!!! What's happening!!!

"Yes that's right~, this venue was established in 1972, the Winter Olympics year, and got no air conditioning~. Good luck!"


That can't be true.


And the show started. From the stage the audience looked like < very modest audience at an open-air festival >! (lol) The amazing people getting into the music without getting out of line despite their being thrown water . . . they were all sweating like that!
I was also excited on the stage like "Oh, so I had a sweat gland here? Seems like this sweat gland just awoke! Congratulations!" (I'm not sure what is what now)

After all, we had the hottest temperature in Makomanai Ice Arena shows in Sapporo during the tour

I learned a lesson, which was, this is what happens to you when you expect things like "Coolness could make me feel a little better"!
Get a grip!



Now I am pleased to announce the winner of the Grand Prix
I'll be right back

I reached the finish line

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

Yes, because the finish line was there . . .


Now let me explain the what-the-heck image above!

It was when I was strolling in Nakajima Park in Sapporo the other day . . .

Oh, here comes a jogger. Looks quite authentic. I mean the shortness of that gym shorts, the cut edges on both sides, the thinness of the cloth are quite . . . (Got it? (lol))

Oh, here comes another jogger. Again wearing an authentic gym shorts! I say this is what's great about Hokkaido! (?) Everyone is so healthy~! Which is a great thing.

. . . Like that, I was being impressed by those runners with authentic gym shorts; the word was that the 2006 Hokkaido Marathon was to be held the next day, and that the finish line was somewhere in this park. No wonder the runners were seen here and there.

I walked on and got into this zone where lots of white tents and big trucks were lining. That's right, the finish line was already set up!! That was the first time I saw the finish line of marathon live, which quickly raised my excitement level!!

I went straight to take some ceremonial photos there with no hesitation. (stared by the staff people around)

I'm sorry for all who participated in the Hokkaido Marathon on the next day! I reached the finish line before you!



You don't run to the finish line; you just come across it while taking a walk. That might be the way life is~

I took a stroll

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

I've been living with almost no sunlight, just like the girl in Taiyou no Uta. Too unhealthy! No wonder you're light-skinned! Get some sun!

So, I took a walk in the large park right in front of the hotel yesterday in the morning, as I had time before leaving Sapporo

I headed out with 2 of my staff, with the walking map I got from the hotel in my hand!

The park seemed to be fairly large according to the map. 3 of us had a strategy meeting briefly. Hmmm~it's been a while since I last stared at a map this seriously. Considering time constraints, we selected B Course out of some other courses. Well it was just, a course to circle the park quite normally.

Alright, here we go~!

"Uh-oh, H, Hikaru-san, you're going the wrong way!"

I went off the route 15 seconds after the start
Weeeeep Mommy~

Come to think of it, I just remembered I was a person with zero sense of direction . . . *says it with feeling*

After that I was still going the wrong way every time we ran into a fork in the road. My staff pointed to the right way like "This way" every time. After all, I ended up just walking the road just as directed by them.

I-It's fun to take a stroll Hahaha . . .


Well at least I returned the hotel safe! I got some sun after a long time! I learned I should never go into the places like woods alone! (lol)

It was a crisp morning.

If only I could go on a short trek in Hokkaido. Well maybe another! time

Kuma Chang's travel diary ~Sapporo version~

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

"Hokkaido    is a nice place to be    Hikaru-chan

Kuma-san is with me!"

I missed the chance to tell you, but

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

- this tastes so good.

I just finished Sapporo two days. Will talk about it another time!

It seems like, I got hooked on a TV documentary starting from around 10 am, in just tow days. I don't think it's on the air only in Hokkaido, but the air time would be very much different by location~. I wonder if I could watch it in Tokyo as well~.

It's a historical documentary led by this erotic historian woman with her reporter-ish coverage. It's rich in content, and most of all, the woman is somehow erotic! I may not think that way that much if I see her on the street, but I say what makes her so attractive is the gap between her looks and the fact she's a historian, her English accent, and the picture of her speaking at ruins, rocky places and such!

Maybe I could check this with Hokkaido people?? If you watch this program in Tokyo please let me know~!


Ahhh~ I'm so sleepy! I go to bed now!

Good night . . . *mumble mumble* . . .

The rich 3

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

'Think it over carefully! What is it that Kuma Chang really wants?!'

"Uhih . . . Eh   Me is okay if pillow-san is with me like now   And if me can get febrezed sometimes   And if Hikaru-chan takes care of me"

'See, all of them doesn't cost so much money.'

"Ah That's right What's the matter with me Money is scary"

'Don't lose track of yourself. How about if you put that one thousand yen in your bag for the time being?'

"Yup. *rustle* Say Hikaru-chan Do China and Japan not get along?"

'We saw a lot in the news as today was the day World War II ended. It's said that China is angry because Prime Minister Koizumi visited Yasukuni Shrine. Oh yeah my Kuma Chang, maybe you get worried about it because you are made in China, don't you?'

"Yup Me don't like fights"

'It seems like reconciliation is not that easy because of many reasons like the wars in the past, current politics or economy, each one's thoughts and whatnot. And yet, wars still break out here and there.'

"Eh   Why"

'I wonder why too. You know, sometimes Kuma Chang loses track of yourself, right? Sometimes human beings do something strange depending on conditions and environments. If only we could forgive each other.'

"We two can get along well"

'Yeah, we can.'

"Me get kinda tired now *mumble mumble*"

The rich 2

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

"Gueheheh~ Money Money Moneyy~"

'Oh boy! What happened to you my Kuma Chang!'

"Fortune~! Fame~! Uhihihihihh~"

'Hey get a hold of yourself!! They say money changes everything, but I didn't expect even Kuma Chang to
be blinded by money, I can't believe it . . . !'

To be continued

The rich

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

"Hehe  Me won a thousand yen in LOTO6!

What should me do   Shoud me buy salmon   Or should me save it"


To be continued

My addiction 2

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

I'm telling you
It's reading.

It's my favorite book of the moment, my dear Goethe's "Theory of Colours," and "me in just-got-out-of-bed hair & pajama & glasses" in the photo.
I took this image myself when I was in Nagoya the other day!

Also, in the background - if you're a Kuma Chang fan you'll love it - you can see the rear shot of that dude, for the first time ever . . . ! (see that's his tail!!)

I'll take more of Kuma Chang's rear shots secretly if this is received well . . . Ha ha ha

Awww . . . my Kuma Chang's tail . . . *pant pant*

It's just Tetris, but it's more than just Tetris

Mmmmmm! How frustrating~~~~!!

The Tetris match-up event.

The result of my games against 30 of the brave, who was selected in a drawing, was 26 wins and 4 losses.
Grrrr!! I intended to make it 30 consecutive wins~! I should've entered the venue earlier, checked the environment and done a warm-up~!! Grrr~I definitely wanna do it over again~! And I wanna win all my games~!

The 1st match, and the 2nd match. I lost 2 games against 2 young women. This can't be happening! Mistakes after mistakes after mistakes! Come on! Am I having a nightmare?!
This sucks, I go home now! Honestly, now I feel like crying.

The 3rd match. Calm down me! Let this controller and my mind unite! Time to fight! And . . . I got a good win!!! Finally I played in good order! Yes I won't get beaten again!

"YES!!" I almost shouted, but I found the venue was packed in the atmosphere of some subtleness.


. . . My opponent was a 7-year-old girl, of all opponents.

er . . . I, I'm sorry, normally I'm not this fierce . . . Aw, pl, please don't give me that look . . . so . . . say . . . Maybe we could play Tetris again some time . . .

So the next thing I knew, I found myself enjoying the matched so much that I could forget about the tiredness by the tour.

And finally! The matches against the assassins from Nintendo! There you are! They're the expert guys from Tetris-DS R&D Department! I'm extremely honored and happy just to have a match with them. But then again I wanna win, absolutely!!!

The result was: I got beaten by the 1st assassin, but I defeated the 2nd assassin after a tough battle!
I was deeply moved. For the first time in my life I put my whole heart into playing Tetris, and now I feel like, I have no more regrets in my Tetris life. (I wanna do it over again, though (lol))

A billion thanks to you all

Come to think of it, I say everyone did their best under that awkward condition! Indeed! I hope those people who came all the way from a distance enjoyed the event very much~. If only we could've had more time and done some talks and stuff!
Feeling some magical sense of unity, we all the participants took a ceremonial photo together at the end of the event, and the curtain came down in a friendly atmosphere.

You know I . . . I don't have my own fan club, so perhaps this Tetris event could've been the most fan club meet-up-like event ever . . .
What a singer I am! (lol)
I find this kind of thing pretty good
Everyone had a good fight, and I'd like to thank you all very much

(I know I'm saying this too much, but I wanna do it over again (lol))

Unexpected drawing result

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

I'm not kidding.
I'm serious. Really.

The LOTO6 tickets we got in Nagoya. I thought we wouldn't win, but just in case, I checked the drawing result on the site of LOTO6.

Well, let's see.

So is it here? No, it's the result of last week. Oh, here it is. Um, the result of 8/10 . . .
First off let's check my ticket.

('-' )(._. ) Hmmm. Aw, I drew a losing ticket! Any numbers don't match the winning ones. I thought I was always lucky in lotteries~. But you can't blame anybody.

Alright, then let's check Kuma Chang's ticket too.

('-' )(._. ) So, the first one is 04 . . . Oh, this one matches.

('-' )(._. ) The next ones, lost, lost, lost, oh my.

('-' )(._. ) Hm? Mmm?

('-' )(._. ) . . .


. . . !


Ku . .

Ku, Kuma Chang---! He drew a winning ticket---!

Get real---! A bear drew the winning ticket, even though it's the 5th prize! (lol)

Now I'm starting to wonder what the results of all the tour staff are like! My dad said he lost too, by the way. I'd feel sorry if there were a few winners but Kuma Chang. (lol)

Well personally I don't feel the sting of defeat at all, as I couldn't hit the side of a barn! (I, I really don't!) I think I'm now saving my luck for tomorrow's Tetris event!

Yes. Tomorrow, I'm to join in the Tetris match battles for a Nintendo event!!! A lot of the people who wanted to battle me applied for this, and the chosen ones, how many was it, like 30? The battle against a good number of the brave is awaiting me.

I will fight trying to knock all of them down no matter if they were young or old!
I'm already trembling with excitement! (this is a lie, actually)

I feel my heart racing . . . I would suck if I turned out to be weak after I talked a lot about my love to Tetris . . . Oh God please, may I report a good result tomorrow . . . !

Kuma Chang's gloom

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

In this morning . . .

"*sigh*"

'What's wrong, my Kuma Chang?'

"It's not a good hair day today Hikaru-chan. Me have a problem with summer because summer is humid. My hair become moist and get swollen   And my body feel heavy."

'Hair? My Kuma Chang, so you're caring about your hairstyle that much? Sorry for my using 2 humidifiers in my room all the time!'

"Yup Hikaru-chan is to blame! Humidity 70% is like you are in jungle. Me is a city-bred bear you know. Me is getting popular rapidly so Hikaru-chan is jealous of me and mean to me   That hurts that hurts"

'No you've got that wrong~! I'm a singer so I'm trying to moisten my throat~!'

"Eh   So Hikaru-chan is a singer"

'Yes I am.'

"Oh yeah. Then you couldn't help it Me will forgive you if you help me to do my hair."

'Sorry for the always-high humidity room. It's tough being a bear.'

"It's not easy being a singer too   Hikaru-chan   Me will be behind you"

Extra

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

"Hehehe   Not so fast   Hikaru-chan

The winning LOTO6 ticket will be mine!"

A sequel to "My addiction"

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

I got this "ooiri"bukuro ("full-house bonus" bag) right before the show! A LOTO6 ticket is in it! I heard the winning numbers will be announced tomorrow, well actually today! *gets excited* I hope I can win

Well!
This is about what I wrote a while ago, but the message titled "My addiction" I wrote in June . . . to be honest, I got great responses to it!!

"Same here, same here!!"
"Me too, Me too!" - those voices came from across the country . . . !

A lot of people sent me emails of sympathy for my confession telling "sometimes there is this moment of 'massive explosion of my mysterious anger-like, love-like emotion' for me when I hold the pillow so hard that I almost squash it up."

Guys, are you serious?! Damn it, you make me feel like setting up "The Pillow Club"!

Seems like many people thought it was just them who felt that way~. Which I can relate to, because you seldom talk about your love for pillows with your colleagues or friends. (lol)

I wonder how common this phenomenon could be? I'm kinda curious about it.

Without my pillow I've never experienced that feeling that I have when I feel the pillow to my face, clutching it tight, quavering. Would be fun if there was any medical term defining it as some sort of a distinctive psychologic phenomenon. Something like "pillow seizure," for example. (lol) (I guess it couldn't be . . . )

You're a very profound thing, Pillow-san . . .
I love you . . . ! *snuggles*

These days I think I'm so happy just because I can rest my head into my soft pillow every night

Whew, two days in Nagoya were full of excitement. I worked very hard! I sang as if I were squeezing something out of my soul. Woot! (I wrote like this but actually, while typing these words right now I am wasted like a cicada's shell)

Good night

Kuma Chang's travel diary ~Nagoya version~

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

"Nagoya    is a nice place to be, Hikaru-chan.

Pillow-san is with me!"

'Good morning, my Kuma Chang.'

"Can I take this Pillow-san    home with me?"

'No you can't! The hotel staff will get angry! It would trouble me if they said Utada Hikaru stole a pillow~.'

"Me got it   Me almost became a thief-bear. Awwww Pillow-san . . . "

At backstage, during the show . . .

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

Tada! That's Kuma Chang, together with Shika(deer)-chan rucksack that Imaizumi-san the cello player gave me!
They two were sitting together like this during the show.

"Shika-chan Everywone is gone Me wonder where they are What they are doing"

. . .

"You are a quiet deer aren't you"

. . .

"Me find we are similar Shika-chan Me can't believe this is our first meet Me feel a bond with you Me don't know why"

Maybe they were talking like that, maybe not. (Can that be called "talk" first of all?)


PS I made a big mistake in my previous message of this afternoon. It had to be Sasadango(bamboo rice-dumpling), not Sasamochi!!! I'm sorry about that, all you guys in Niigata! (*sniff*)

Niigata story

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

"What is it"

'I heard it's Sasamochi(bamboo ricecake)!'

"Omochi? It looks kinda hard and dry"

'No no, first you take these hard leaves away and then you'll find soft omochi inside.'

"Me say complex structures it has Hikaru-chan"

That's what we were talking about at backstage before the show on Day One in Niigata. Everyone was in a sorta relaxed, chill-out mood. Was it because the staff was getting tired? Or because of the regional chill-out mood? Or because of more hotness in August?

But when the show started and I went on to the stage, oh my God.

The audience of Niigata was unexpectedly amazing!! They were all too hot, though I hadn't had any particular image of them like that before~! What the heck was that!

Things went like that. Which I enjoyed very much.

I loved rice and salmon of the breakfast I had after I returned the hotel and slept and woke up!
Yes that's right, lately I've been having Japanese-style breakfast only.

Hurray for Japanese-style breakfast!

On Day Two, the temperature inside the venue was even higher than Day One, and I sweated all over, which made me wonder at the structure of my own body and think "This can't be true!". I've never sweated that much in my whole life. The excitement of the audience was so strong too Which I enjoyed very much! (What a rough impression this is, if I say so myself . . . )

I loved salmon of Makuno-uchi bento I had in Shinkansen after I returned the hotel and had a shower and headed to the station! Niigata salmons, you are the best! Sorry for eating you! Your energy made me work a lot harder!

Hurray for salmons!

(I have this feeling that I talked about Niigata salmons rather than Niigata shows)

In my fave T-shirt

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

I found a hole . . .

did you hear that?ma'amoh no

*sniff*