name
Ayu's family name, "Hamasaki", is comprised of two characters when written in Kanji:
"Ayumi" can be written using one Kanji character and the Hiragana character for "mi". However, on many of Ayu's newer albums, her given name is written in Hiragana, while the Kanji is reserved for her surname.
As one of my professors is fond of saying, names in contemporary Japan are an absolute mess; it is no longer uncommon for characters to be chosen for their look instead of their phonetic reading, and more and more women's given names are written in Kanji instead of kana--it's difficult to address someone based on the kanji alone. Fortunately, Ayu's name is "traditional" in the sense that she uses kana for her surname and the Kanji in her family name retains its phonetic reading.
The writing of her name is partially responsible for her rocket to superstardom. From early in her career, she and her team have been consistent with her image, despite the constant change in wardrobe. Since the release of LOVEppears, "ayumi hamasaki" has appeared in all lowercase, serif letters on official merchandise. Although it began as a detail on the back cover, by A BEST it was featured on the spine of the album itself and has remained the same for every album since.
Perhaps more unusual is Ayu's choice of a penname. When she is credited for composing or arranging a song, she uses the moniker "CREA", a name she chose after one of her dogs (pictured at the left). However, if she is credited for lyricizing, performing, or producing, she uses "ayumi hamasaki".
