Ayuready? was a late night Japanese

talk show A talk show is a television programming, radio programming or podcast genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show', pp.3-4Erler, Robert (201 ...

that ran from 2002 to 2004. The show's format consisted of the host, singer-songwriter

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer-songwriter and producer. Nicknamed the "Empress of Pop" on account of her influence throughout Asia, she is widely recognized for her versatile music production, songwriting, and live performances. Hamasaki is the List of ...

, interviewing and performing with musicians and other celebrities. The show also featured regular guest hosts Hokuyo (北陽), a comedy duo consisting of Abukawa Mihoko and Saori Ito. The show was broadcast on TV Oita every Saturday, and

TV Miyazaki Miyazaki Telecasting Co., Ltd. (abbreviation: UMK, Japanese language, Japanese name: 株式会社テレビ宮崎) callsign JODI-DTV (channel 3) is a Japanese TV station in Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Miyazaki. Currently branded as TV Miyazaki (テレビ ...

every Sunday. Its last episode aired on March 20, 2004.

Show details

''Ayuready?'' had a total of seventy-four episodes, the majority of which featured celebrity guests who took part in various activities. The first regular activity, Ayu no Omotenashi (''Ayu's Hospitality''; あゆのおもてなし) featured Hamasaki preparing and eating requested food with the episode's guests. Ayu Kukkītaimu (''Ayu Cookie Time''; あゆクッキータイム) was introduced from episode eight, and had guests answer questions from opened fortune cookies. Some episodes also featured the segments Hokuyō Taimu (''Hokuyo Time''; 北陽タイム) and Live Corner (ライブコーナー).

Episode list

*01: Guests:

Tsunku , known professionally as , is a Japanese singer, record producer, and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Sharam Q. As a songwriter, Tsunku is the primary producer for Morning Musume and other Hello! Project acts, such as Co ...

, Makoto,

Takeshi Kitano , also known as in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. During hi ...

; Song performed: " LOVE (since 1999)" ith Tsunku*02: Guests:

DA PUMP is a Japanese boy band made up of lead vocalist, Issa Hentona and MCs Ken Okumoto, Yukinari Tamaki and Shinobu Miyara. The band formed as students at Okinawa Actors School in 1996. They made their debut on the Avex Trax subsidiary avex tune unde ...

; Song performed: "'If..." ith DA PUMP*03: Guests: Kuzu; Song performed: "生きてることってすばらしい" (''It's Wonderful to be Alive'') ith Kuzu*04: Guests: TRF; Songs performed: "寒い夜だから..." (''It's Cold Out, So...'') and "Crazy Gonna Crazy" ith TRF*05: Guests:

EXILE Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

Papaya Suzuki , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese celebrity most famous for his dancing and for his afro hairstyle. He originally intended to be a singer, but gave up due to a drastic gain in weight. According to his official web site, he is 178 ...

, Oyaji Dancers; Song performed: "Your Eyes Only" ith EXILE*06: Guests:

Fumiya Fujii is a Japanese musician, actor and former lead singer of The Checkers born in Kurume. His younger brother is Naoyuki Fujii, a musician and former sax player for The Checkers. His eldest son is Fuji TV announcer Kōki Fujii. He formerly belonge ...

, Wada Akiko; Song performed: "古い日記" (''Old Diary'') ith Wada Akiko*07: Guests:

Porno Graffitti , also known as , are a Japanese Rock music, rock band from Onomichi, Hiroshima, Onomichi (formerly Innoshima, Hiroshima, Innoshima), Hiroshima Prefecture. The band got their name from the album ''Pornograffitti'' by the band Extreme (band), E ...

; Songs performed: "サウダージ" (''Saudade''; ''Nostalgia'') and '"アゲハ蝶" (''Swallowtail Butterfly'') ith Porno Graffitti*08: Guests:

Akiko Wada is a Japanese singer, tarento and businesswoman from Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture. She has various nicknames, one being "Akko". Due to her above-average height (174 cm or 5’8.5"), she is also nicknamed "jotei" (女帝), meaning " ...

; Song performed: " True Love" ith Fumiya Fujii*09: Guests:

Akina Nakamori is a Japanese Singing, singer and Actor, actress. She is one of the most popular and List of best-selling music artists in Japan, best-selling music artists in Japan. Akina achieved national recognition after winning the 1981 season of the tal ...

; Songs performed: "Desire-情熱" (''Desire-Passion'')and "

Shōjo A is the second single by Japanese entertainer Akina Nakamori. Written by Masao Urino and Hiroaki Serizawa, the single was released on July 28, 1982 by Warner Pioneer through the Reprise label. It was also the first single from her second studio al ...

" ith Akina Nakamori*10: Guests: Every Little Thing; Songs performed: " Dear My Friend" & "

You In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

" ith Every Little Thing*11: Guests:

Kyoko Fukada is a Japanese actress and singer. She is represented by the agency Horipro. She won the award for Best Actress at the Yokohama Film Festival for '' Kamikaze Girls''. Biography Kyoko Fukada was born and raised in Tokyo, on 2 November 1982. ...

; Songs performed: ' White Christmas" & " Dearest" ith Kyoko Fukada*12: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #1 (Part 1) *13: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #1 (Part 2) *14: Guests:

Kiroro is a Japanese pop duo from Yomitan, Okinawa that debuted in 1996. History Kiroro debuted in 1996 as an independent band, and later made their major debut in 1998 with the song "". They performed on ''Kōhaku Uta Gassen'' in 1998, 1999 and 2001. ...

; Song performed: "長い間" (''A Long Interval'') ith Kiroro*15: Guests:

Tatsuya Ishii , also known as Tatuya Ishii (born September 22, 1959) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, artist, and industrial designer from Ibaraki Prefecture. Biography In 1985, he debuted as vocalist in the band . In 1992, their single won the Japanese ...

; Songs performed: "君がいるだけで" (''Just Because You're Here'') and "浪漫飛行" (''Romantic Flight'') ith Tatsuya Ishii*16: Guests:

Hitomi Shimatani is a Japanese pop singer. Formerly signed to the Avex Trax label for 22 years, Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/ pop style for her music. Shim ...

, Cocorico; Songs performed: "亜麻色の髪の乙女" (''The Maiden with the Flaxen Hair'') & " Papillon" ith Hitomi Shimatani*17: Guests: Mach25,

Tetsu and Tomo Tetsu and Tomo are an owarai duo. They have made appearances on variety shows such as Bakushou. Tetsu usually dresses in red and Tomo in blue. Their act has been around since at least 2001, and is generally musical in nature. When not performing ...

; Songs performed: "Sons of the Sun" and "A Happy Day" ith Mach25*18: Guests:

Hideaki Tokunaga is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter and actor. Although Tokunaga failed to pass the test of '' Star Tanjō!'' in 1982, he debuted as a recording singer in 1986. After he released hit songs such as " Yume o Shinjite" (the first ending theme of ...

Gokuraku Tombo , meaning ''Heavenly Dragonfly'', was a manzai comedy duo consisting of and . Members of the Yoshimoto Kogyo entertainment conglomerate, they performed on the Fuji TV variety show '' Mecha-Mecha Iketeru!'' Their main act was based on arguing an ...

; Song performed: "輝きながら…" (''Shining While''...) ith Hideaki Tokunaga*19: Guests:

; Song performed: "壊れかけのRadio" (''Broken Radio'') ith Hideaki Tokunaga*20: Guests:

Matsu Takako (born on June 10, 1977) is a Japanese actress and pop singer. Personal life Matsu was born to a family of buyō and kabuki actors, including her father Matsumoto Hakuō II, her mother and businesswoman Noriko Fujima, her uncle, Nakamura ...

, Michiko Shimizu; Songs performed: "

Ashita, Haru ga Kitara is a song by Japanese entertainer Takako Matsu from her debut album, ''Sora no Kagami'' (1997). It was released on March 21, 1997, through Bertelsmann Music Group, BMG Japan as her debut single (music), single. The song was written by Yūji Sak ...

" & "明日にくちづけを" (''Kiss Me Tomorrow'') ith Matsu Takako*21: Guests:

Kenichi Mikawa is a Japanese singer and TV personality, known for his outspoken views and style. Mikawa was born in Suwa, Nagano as . He recorded a number of hit songs as a male ''enka'' singer in the 1960s and 1970s. The most well-known of his songs includ ...

Kiyoshi Hikawa is a Japanese enka singer who was born on September 6, 1977, in Minami-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.Hikawa Kiyoshi: Pr ...

; Songs performed: "さそり座の女" (''Scorpio Woman'') ith Kenichi Mikawa& "きよしのズンドコ節" (''Kiyoshi's Zundoko Bushi'') ith Kiyoshi Hikawa*22: Guests:

Mitsuhiro Oikawa is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer and actor who is represented by the talent agency, Mother Enterprise. He graduated from Seijo Gakuen Junior High School and High School and Seijo University Faculty of Law A faculty is a d ...

, Hokuyou; Song performed: "Intense Romance" ith Mitsuhiro Oikawa*23: Guests:

Maki Goto is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, "Love Machine (Mo ...

, Imada Koji; Songs performed: "うわさのSexy Guy" (''Rumored Sexy Guy'') & " Who..." ith Maki Goto*24: Guests:

Masami Hisamoto is a Japanese comedian, actress, singer and tarento from . She belongs to the Wahaha-Hompo talent agency, appearing on variety shows like ''Waratte Iitomo!'' and ''Hirunandesu!''. She has also been a notable adherent to Soka Gakkai since 1984 and ...

, Wada Akiko; Songs performed: " M" ith Masami Hisamotoand "

Rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

" *25: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #2 *26: Guests:

Koichi Iwaki is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival for the 1986 film '' Minami e Hashire, Umi no Michi o''. He was a Zainichi Korean until April 5, 2017, when he naturalized. Iwaki is also a racing car driver. ...

; Song performed: '

Change the World "Change the World" is a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick and recorded by country music artist Wynonna Judd. A later version was recorded by English singer Eric Clapton for the soundtrack of the 1996 film ''P ...

' ith Koichi Iwaki*27: Guests:

Mini-Moni was a sub-unit of the Japanese idol girl groups Morning Musume and Coconuts Musume. It was formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2000 and associated with Hello! Project. The group was founded by Morning Musume members Mari Yaguchi, Nozomi Tsuji, and ...

; Song performed: "ロックンロール県庁所在地" (''Rock n' Roll Prefectural Capitals'') ith Mini-Moni*28: Guests:

Kiyoharu , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter, known as frontman of the rock bands Kuroyume and Sads. In 2003, he began a solo career, performing as both singer and guitarist. Career Kuroyume and Sads K ...

; Song performed: "Masquerade" ith Kiyoharu*29: AyuReady? Compilation: Best 10 Songs *30: Guests:

Sonim Seong Son-im (born March 10, 1983), known mononymously as , is a Japanese-born Korean actress and singer associated with Amuse Inc. She debuted in 2000 as the lead singer of the pop duo EE Jump. In 2002, she debuted as a solo singer with "Curr ...

; Song performed: "カレーライスの女" (''The Woman Who Makes Curry and Rice'') ith Sonim*31: Coverage of the Rainbow House cafe construction *32: Guests:

Tamao Nakamura (born July 12, 1939 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese actress. Her father is kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is k ...

, Sekine Tsutomu; Song performed: 'To Be' *33: Guests:

Tetsuya Takeda Tetsuya Takeda (), born April 11, 1949, is a Japanese folk singer and actor. Takeda is perhaps most known in Japan for his starring role in the Tokyo Broadcasting System's (TBS) long-running, highly rated television drama '' Sannen B Gumi Kinpa ...

; Song performed: "贈る言葉" (''Words of Endearment'') ith Tetsuya Takeda*34: Guests: Mika Kano, Kyoko Kano; Song performed: "

Can't Take My Eyes Off You "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, and first recorded and released as a single by Gaudio's Four Seasons bandmate Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and rea ...

" ith Mika Kano*35: Guests: Mika Kano, Kyoko Kano; No song performed *36: Guests: Hanerutobira; No song performed *37: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #3 *38: Guests:

Anna Umemiya is a Japanese television personality and model. Born in Tokyo, she is the daughter of a Japanese father and an American mother, herself a former model. Her father, Tatsuo Umemiya, was an actor, and former original Iron Chef is a Japanese ...

, Jun Nagura; Song performed: " Ourselves"; Rainbow House cafe opening *39: Guests: Toshirou Yanagiba, Kunikazu Katsumata; Song performed: " Greatful Days" *40: Guests: Ken Kaneko, Ken Nakagawa; Song performed: "Ourselves" *41: Guests: Takashi Fujii, Kosugi Kane; Song performed: 'Greatful Days" *42: Guests:

Maki Ohguro is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter from Sapporo, Hokkaido under B-Gram Records label. Biography In 1989, she passed Being Inc.'s singers audition, the "3rd BAD". In 1992, she debuted with the single "Stop Motion" released under B-Gr ...

; Song performed: " La La La" ith Maki Ohguro*43: Guests:

Junichi Ishida is a Japanese actor and television personality from Tokyo. He is married to professional golfer Riko Higashio. Biography Junichi Ishida was born in Tokyo. His father was a foreign correspondent for NHK, and he lived in the U.S. from the ages o ...

Shoko Aida is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink, after which she became a solo artist. Career She debuted as a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink. She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 199 ...

; Song performed: "Greatful Days" *44: Guests: Yuki ( TRF), / Kaori Mochida ( Every Little Thing),

BoA Boa, BoA, or BOA may refer to: Snakes * Any member of the Boidae, a family of medium to large, non-venomous, constricting snakes ** Any member of the Boinae, a subfamily of boid snakes *** Any member of ''Boa'' (genus), a group of boid snakes * ...

, Tomiko Van (

Do As Infinity Do As Infinity is a Japanese pop and rock band that formed in 1999 with three members: vocalist Tomiko Van, guitarist Ryo Owatari, and guitarist and composer Dai Nagao. The band's name is sometimes abbreviated as DAI, alluding to the fact tha ...

) - Behind the scenes clips of A-Nation 2003; No song performed *45: Guests: Maki Kuroudo, Zebra; Song performed: " Hanabi (Episode II)" *46: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #4; Song performed: "Hanabi (Episode II)" *47: Guests:

Hideyuki Nakayama is a Japanese ''tarento'', presenter, actor, and comedian. He is nicknamed and . He is represented with Watanabe Entertainment. He dropped out from Tsunamu Elementary School, North Junior High School (up to two semesters for three years), Persi ...

, You; Song performed: "

Forgiveness Forgiveness, in a psychology, psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may have felt initially wronged, victimized, harmed, or hurt goes through a process of changing feelings and attitude regarding a given ...

" *48: Guests:

Takanori Jinnai is a Japanese actor, film director, and singer. He made his directorial debut with '' Rockers'' (ロッカーズ or ''Rokkazu''), a 2003 film based on his years as vocalist for the punk rock band The Rockers (ザ・ロッカーズ). He was nomi ...

; Song performed: "

" *49: Guests:

Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensation (psychology), sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around ...

; Song performed: "I Love World" ith Dream*50: Guests: Toshisuke Nakamura,

Yoshinori Okada (born 19 March 1977 in Ōno, Gifu) is a Japanese actor. He has starred several TV series such as '' Atsuhime'' (2008) and '' Nobuta. O Produce'' (2005) as well as movies such as '' Densha otoko'' (2005). He is a high school graduate and does n ...

Takashi Tsukamoto is a Japanese actor, singer, and model. Music career Tsukamoto has released three single CDs: "Itsudemo Boku wa" (いつでも僕は, Anytime I am...), "Hitorigoto" (ヒ・ト・リ・ゴ・ト, Soliloquy), "New Morning". Film career Tsukam ...

; Song performed: "かわいいあの娘" (''That Cute Girl'') ith Toshisuke Nakamura*51: Guests: Tetsuja Tamayama; No song performed *52: Guests:

Anri , better known as , is a Japanese singer-songwriter from Yamato, Kanagawa, Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture. In a career spanning more than 40 years, she achieved commercial success and popularity in the city pop music scene during the 1980s. She ...

; Song performed: "オリビアを聴きながら" (''Listening to Olivia'') ith Anri*53: Guests:

Hanawa is a Japanese singer and comedian raised in Saga City. He began his career in 1997 going throughout the 2000s distinguishing himself by use of his bass guitar throughout comedy acts. He rose to fame in Japan during 2003 for a comical song abou ...

; No song performed *54: Guests: Yoshihiro Kai; Song performed: "Anna" ith Yoshihiro Kai*55: Guests: Fujiki Naoto; Song performed: "

No Way to Say "No Way to Say" is a song by Japanese singer and songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on November 6, 2003, by Avex Trax. The track was written by the singer herself, while the composition was done by the singer herself under the pseudonym Cr ...

" *56: Guests:

Shizuka Kudo , known by her maiden name , is a Japanese singer, actress and former idol, born in Hamura, Tokyo, Japan. She was a member of Onyanko Club between May 1986 and September 1987 and went on to have a successful solo career with 11 number-one hit ...

; No song performed *57: Guests: Shizuka Kudo; Songs performed: "恋一夜" (''One Night in Love'') & "嵐の素顔" (''True Face of the Storm'') ith Shizuka Kudo*58: Guests:

W-inds is a Japanese Pop music, pop boy band managed by Vision Factory and signed to the Pony Canyon label since 2000. The group consists of Ryohei Chiba and Keita Tachibana; Ryuichi Ogata left the group in 2020. Tachibana is the lead singer of the gr ...

; Song performed: "Super Lover (I Need You Tonight)" ith W-inds*59: Guests:

Princess Tenko (born ; June 29, 1959), best known under the stage name of Princess Tenko and formerly , is a Japanese pop singer turned magician specialising in grand illusions. Biography She was born Mariko Itakura in Arai, Niigata on June 29, 1959. At a yo ...

; Song performed: "

" *60: Guests: Kouji Kikawa; Song performed: "Kissに撃たれて眠りたい" (''Send Me to Sleep With a Kiss'') ith Kouji Kikawa*61: Guests: Kick Tha Can Crew; No song performed *62: Guests:

; Song performed: "

" *63: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #4 *64: Guests:

Hiroshi Tamaki is a Japanese actor and singer from Nagoya, Japan. When he was still in high school, he was discovered by a talent agent while out shopping with friends. He made his debut in the drama ''Am I Weird?'' (私ってへん？ ''Watashitte Hen?'') in ...

; Song performed: " Because of You" *65: Guests:

Show Aikawa is a Japanese actor. Career Show Aikawa was born in Tokushima Prefecture, Tokushima and raised in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kagoshima. Aikawa has appeared in a number of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films, including ''Eyes of the Spider'', ''Serpent's Path' ...

; Song performed: " Angel's Song" *66: Guests:

Shingo Yanagisawa is a Japanese actor, ''tarento'' and comedian. He graduated from Matsuda High School. He is nicknamed . He is represented with Hercules. Filmography Variety TV dramas Films Voice acting Internet dramas Original videos Radio Music v ...

; Song performed: " Because of You" *67: Guests: Haruhiko Katou; No song performed *68: Guests:

Masayuki Suzuki Masayuki Suzuki (鈴木雅之, ''Suzuki Masayuki'', born September 22, 1956, in Ōta, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer best known as a former member of pop group Rats & Star (previously called ''Chanels''), and for performing the opening themes for ...

; Song performed: "Lonely Chaplin" ith Masayuki Suzuki*69: Guests:

Toshio Kakei (born 10 August 1962 in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, with a pop ...

; Song performed: "

Memorial Address ''Memorial Address'' is the debut mini-album by Japanese singer Ayumi Hamasaki. Avex Trax released the album on December 17, 2003, in both physical and digital formats; it was her first album to be released in CD+DVD format in addition to the ...

" *70: Guests:

Puffy Puffy can refer to: People * Charles Puffy (1884–1942/1943), Hungarian film actor * Sean Combs (born 1969), American rapper and entrepreneur * Mike Bordin (born 1962), American drummer for the rock band Faith No More * Jeff Dubay (born 1968), Mi ...

; Song performed: "これが私の生きる道" (''This is my Way of Life'') ith Puffy*71: Guests:

Hitomi Kuroki Hitomi Kuroki (Japanese: ; Katakana: ''Kuroki Hitomi''; born October 5, 1960, in Kurogi-Machi, Yame District, Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese actress and film director. Her birth name is Shoko Ichiji ( ''Ichiji Shōko'') née Egami ( ''Egami Shō ...

; No song performed *72: Guests: Cream Stew; Song performed: " Moments" *73: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #5 *74: Best-of AyuReady? Compilation #6

References

External links

* http://www.eneabba.net/ayu/video/other/10.ayuready/index.htm {{Ayumi Hamasaki Ayumi Hamasaki Japanese television talk shows 2002 Japanese television series debuts 2004 Japanese television series endings 2000s television talk shows