Phew~

I wanna tell you about recent events around me but I'm too lazy to write all here~! (lol)

Maybe I could write a message in the airplane to Miami tomorrow.

Where to start, okay yesterday - no, was it two days before? Anyway my album has been released on iTunes US and it's come straight in around 2nd or 3rd of Pop chart! Isn't it awesome? The record company (Island Def Jam) was pretty surprised by this, which was funny (lol)

I did the in-store events (something like "you interact with your fans" kind of events) at this popular big US cosmetic stores in LA, then NY. The store in NY where I visited today, is facing the 5th street and hundreds of people were waiting around the store when I arrived there and it was insane! Like I've never made such a fuss even in Japan (lol)

It was like the state of "Yong-sama's coming to Japan" (lol)

There were far, far more people and excitement there than expected, which made the record company people surprised as well. Actually I myself was surprised too.

There were lots, lots of people who couldn't enter the store and they were flooding to the street, or rather mobbed . . . It was hard to get in and out of the store as our car was surrounded by the people, but we saw no serious troubles thanks to the help of NYPD! You know, NY is quite strict with this sort of situation and many events were cancelled.

Whew American fans are so intense that I was surprised! These recent promotional works make me realize how humble and quiet Japanese are (lol)

Oh, I've written quite a few things already.

Oh and one more thing, do you remember I wrote Gene Simmons of KISS was to come as a guest in the message I posted before I made an appearance in a morning news program (something like tabloid show in the morning in Japan) in LA the other day?

We waited for a long time and I was with him during that time in the same dressing room (lol) He was such a funny guy that all my band staff couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He knew Japanese words to flirt with girls. Well I was surprised when I met him and he said to me "Ohayo Gozaimasu Anatawa Uchikushii Desu (good morning, you are beautiful)" but anyway he was always cracking jokes and I was very much impressed.

We talked about some general things too. He said he hated the internet (lol) He said it's because there's bunch of illegal downloads of music everywhere which brings no money to musicians, which keeps newcomers starving and whatnot. He said he also didn't like blogs (lol)

It was such a surreal morning come to think of it . . .

So much!

(this message is originally written in English. please check her official site)

So sorry!

(this message is originally written in English. please check her official site)

KTLA

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

(this message is originally written in English. please check her official site)

Kuma again!

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

They're shouting "Kuma, Kuma" repeatedly on TV in the US!

(It's actually I-wa-ku-ma, though)

I'm watching the World Baseball Classic Championship with Korea and Japan on TV. Together with Kuma Chang and Pillow-san.

When you say "Iwakuma" in English pronunciation you stress the word on "ku," which makes the part "kuma" sound very remarkable (lol) I・AM・SO・EXCITED☆

Today I did this taping of a TV show from early in the morning, that taping of video comments for Asia region, also did interviews and such. Whew I worked a lot!

Tomorrow I'm to perform on a live news show in LA from even earlier in the morning than today. I heard Gene Simmons of KISS will appear in a different guest section within the same show. (lol)

Maybe I could sing Come Back To Me wearing KISS makeup

OK I'm just joking


'This game is so much fun isn't it, Kuma Chang! Do you know the rules of baseball?'

"Me   dun know   much   but   baseball is nice   they are saying   kuma kuma !"

Ku-ma!

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

(this message is originally written in English. please check her official site)

Radio Ga Ga

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

(this message is originally written in English. please check her official site)

March sickness

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

I met a couple of my friends in NY for the first time in a long time. All of them looked mentally exhausted!

This friend who's working in the economy-related industry looked so tired because of the sudden busyness that came as the economy started to get worse (or started to collapse, should I better say?), and this another friend who's aspiring to become a painter while doing desk work, said s/he had low energy due to the depressed feeling from "March sickness" (long winter is over but spring is late).

Somehow they made me think of myself too!

You can take a rest, if your work is too hard and you feel like taking a rest, right?

You can do nothing, if you don't feel like doing anything, right?

I thought it's important to live your life simply, naturally just as you feel, along with the thoughts like those above. It might take more courage to do so than straining yourself too hard.

I heard Kumas don't strain themselves too hard!

"Bonjour"

Hopping around

( ´_ゝ`)ﾉBonjour♪

Seems like the video of Come Back To Me is released on Japanese iTunes Store for a week only.

Also I'm happy to learn the snippet of "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence - FYI," a song in my new album was aired in M-Ste, and it's well appreciated!

You can preview it at utada.jp.

So the album release date in Japan is the 14th. Just around the corner! We've put off the release date in the US until May, as we thought it would be better to have more time for promotional activities. It seems around May is the best time cause the countermeasure to bootleg issues needs to be developed. Okay, I hope it were considered from the first (lol)

Still I heard the digital release date in the US is set on the 24th of this month, as unchanged and planned! I wanna let you listen to "FYI" as soon as possible~.


Oh speaking of which, I've got the sample CD of "This Is The One" Japanese version yesterday! And for some odd reason I opened it in a Thai restaurant!! (lol)
I gave it a look-over, pleased myself then started eating foods leaving it on the table, then this Thai employee woman came over, stared hard at the CD and asked me "Is it you ma'am?" So I cheerfully replied "Yeff! Dat's aight! *munch munch*"("Yes! That's right! *munch munch*") (●＾口＾●)



We've finished proofreading the official books and they're to be released on the 19th in Japan. All the staff put an extremely lot of work into them, seriously. So far the books have a very good reputation from the concerned people who've already read them. I'm pretty sure both "Ten" and "Sen" have turned out to be very interesting, good books so I wanna put them out into the world as soon as possible.

The album is finished, two books wrapped up and I'm here exhausted, but lots of work never stop coming and I have no time to tire myself out, man this is tough. ＿|￣|○ I wanna take a break for a while. ＿|￣|○

This month is like full of promotions in the US. Radio shows, internet, TV appearances ... there are many things scheduled.

I'll do my best, hoping I won't fall down!

Anyway, Thai food is really good. I love it more than I can say. I also love Vietnamese food and Indian food. But probably my most favorite would be Japanese food （*´ー｀*）

Video's done!

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

(this message is originally written in English. please check her official site)