Ayaka doesn’t look too happy with being number 1 this week. There’s no pleasing some people eh?

The next single from Cornelius’ Sensuous album, Breezin‘, has been put on YouTube by some lovely person.

This week, happy hat-wearer, Seamo, flies to number one with his second album. What a lucky fella.

Still sitting next to her guitar instead of playing it, Kaoru Amane is back at the top spot. Poor Glay.

In response to the stationary sales of CDs in Japan, HMV is launching an Internet-based music distribution service, hosting a library of more than 1 million songs in October. Similar to other online music sellers, the songs will be from a variety of major and independent record labels and cost 150 yen ($1.28/£0.68) per song. HMV Japan also plans to widen their library to 1.5 million by early 2007. Tower Records Japan, also intends to offer a similar service, but beginning with a library of 1.5 million through Napster Japan in October.

The 2nd annual New York-Tokyo music festival takes place this year on 30th September in Central Park. Performers from Japan include Hifana, Mighty Crown and Samurai Jazz artists PE’Z. “Music - Games - Anime” events are given equal status on the poster, but the site seems light on details. Expect a talk by someone who watched half of Akira at a friend’s house once.

Visit the festival’s official site.

Via Anime News Network

Plastic Bamboo fact about this week’s number 1, Koichi Domoto:
Koichi loves cats, but claims that he cannot keep one because of allergies.
Aww!

Position/Title/Artist/Publisher

01. Mirror - Koichi Domoto - Johnny’s Entertainment
02. Mihimagic - Mihimaru Gt - Universal Music
03. Fukumimi The Best Works - Fukumimi - BMG Japan
04. Wave - Yuki - Epic Records Japan
05. Princess Fergie:The Dutchess - Fergie From Black Eyed Peas - Universal Music
06. Shonannokaze-Riders High - Shonannokaze - Toy’s Factory
07. Beautiful Songs - Various Artists - Warner Music Japan
08. B’day - Beyonce - Sony Music Japan International
09. Parade - Shikao Suga - BMG Japan
10. Vocalist2 - Hideaki Tokunaga - Universal Music

Chart provided by Oricon

Guitar heroes, GLAY, hit the top-spot this week. From their Wikipedia entry:

Officially, the name “GLAY” is a deliberate misspelling of the word “gray” representing the style of music they wanted to play; a mixture between rock (black) and pop (white). “We know it’s not how you spell the color in English, but it’s our way of being different.” - GLAY

Sure. If it was a mistake then just say it was! We don’t care!

Position/Title/Artist/Publisher

01. Natsuoto/Hennayum: Thousand Dreams - GLAY - Toshiba EMI
02. Taiyounouta - Kaoru Amane - Sony Records
03. Sorafune/Do!Do!Do! - Tokio - Universal Music
04. Tarako-Tarako-Tarako - Kigurumi - Victor Entertainment
05. Thanks! - Gam - Hachama
06. Fever To Future - Gym - Johnny’s Entertainment
07. Maboroshi - Garnet Crow - Giza Studio
08. Kosaten Days - Haruka Ayase - Victor Entertainment
09. Tree Climbers - Kaela?Kimura - Nippon Columbia
10. I Wanna… - Se7en - Nexstar Records

Chart provided by Oricon

Madonna kicked off her four day Japanese tour tonight, with a performance at Osaka’s Kyocera Dome to 30,000 fans. This was the 48 year old’s first concert in Japan since 1993, and tickets were 14,000 yen (£64/$119), and “special” tickets 50,000 yen (£227/$426). A second date at Osaka’s Kyocera Dome is tomorrow, and then it’s 2 dates at the Tokyo Dome on 21st and 22nd September to conclude her visit.

Source: Crisscross

It’s good to see former Judy and Mary vocalist, Yuki, ‘win the charts’ as I like to call it. She deserves it just because she has a nice opening page on her website.

Position/Title/Artist/Publisher

01. Wave - Yuki - Epic Records Japan
02. Shonannokaze-Riders High - Shonannokaze - Toy’s Factory
03. Parade - Shikao Suga - Bmg Japan
04. B’day - Beyonce - Sony Music Japan International
05. Vocalist2 - Hideaki Tokunaga - Universal Music
06. Kanojo - Aiko - Pony Canyon
07. Beautiful Songs - Various Artists - Warner Music Japan
08. Empire - Kasabian - Bmg Japan
09. The Very Best Of Pizza Of Death - Various Artists - Pizza Of Death Records
10. What’s Up? R&B Greatest Hits - Various Artists - Universal Music

Order Wave by Yuki from YesAsia.

Chart provided by Oricon

Kaoru Amane sits next to an acoustic guitar and moves up one place on the singles chart to claim this week’s top spot.

Position/Title/Artist/Publisher

01. Taiyounouta - Kaoru Amane - Sony Records
02. Tarako-Tarako-Tarako - Kigurumi - Victor Entertainment
03. Sorafune/Do!Do!Do! - Tokio - Universal Music
04. Fever To Future - Gym - Johnny’s Entertainment
05. Boogiewoogi66 - W-Inds. - Pony Canyon
06. Tree Climbers - Kaela?Kimura - Nippon Columbia
07. Tonight?Tonight?Tonight - Beat Crusaders - Defstar Records
08. Henshin/Synchronicity ?Sutekinaguzen? - Mariya Takeuchi - Warner Music
09. I Wanna Know - Ai - Universal Music
10. “Q” - Aaa - Avex

Chart provided by Oricon

American indie record label, Matador, who has been responsible for releasing all Cornelius albums (well, 2) and singles in the US and Europe since 1998, has said that they will not be releasing the new Cornelius album, Sensuous. In a forum posting on the official Matador board, co-founder Gerard Cosloy stated:

“Matador will not be releasing the new Cornelius album. When and if there’s any news to pass along concerning another label’s plans for the album outside of Japan, we’ll do our best to pass the info along.

thanks,
GC”

Oh well. Time to import. Sensuous is release in Japan on 25th October. You can preorder from YesAsia.

Takeshi Terauchi, everyone’s favourite Japanese surf guitarist, has, with the help of his ‘Bunnys’, created an entire album of classical music in an amazing surf-guitar style. “That’s amazing!” I hear you say. Well, hold on, what’s even more amazing is that radio station WFMU has the entire album free to download right now. Go go go!

Via Boing Boing

Beyonce enters the chart this week at number 4 with her album B’day. Apparently, she had her actual birthday moved to coincide with the release date.

Position/Title/Artist/Publisher

01. Shonannokaze-Riders High - Shonannokaze - Toy’s Factory
02. Kanojo - Aiko -Pony Canyon
03. Vocalist2 - Hideaki Tokunaga - Universal Music
04. B’day - Beyonce - Sony Music Japan International
05. Beautiful Songs (Kokoro De Kiku Uta) - Various Artists - Warner Music Japan
06. Every Single Day-Complete Bonnie Pink (1995-2006) - Bonnie Pink - Warner Music Japan
07. Black Jack Best Album - Various Artists - Avex
08. Crispy Park - Every Little Thing - Avex
09. Daniel Powter - Daniel Powter - Warner Music Japan
10. Daniel - Mongol800 - Highwave

Chart provided by Oricon

This is the first of many regular posts on Plastic Bamboo, giving you the latest chart news from Japan. To kick things off it’s the singles chart. This week’s number 1 is pop professionals Gym with Fever to Future. To see a video of three haircuts dancing on a roof, go here.

Position/Title/Artist/Publisher

01. Fever to Future - Gym - Johnny’s Entertainment
02. Taiyounouta - Kaoru Amane - Sony Records
03. Un Rock Star - Orange Range - Sony Records
04. Sorafune/Do!Do!Do! - Tokio - Universal Music
05. The Fourth Avenue Cafe - L’arc En Ciel - Kioon Records
06. Garana - Sukimaswitch - BMG - Japan
07. Let It Beat! - Aaa - Avex
08. Dirty Old Man (Saraba Natsuyo) - Southern All Stars - Victor
09. Kimiwo Hanasanai - Komekome Club - Sony Records
10. Salamander - Ellegarden - Dynamord

Chart provided by Oricon