TeamAyu

TeamAyu is Ayumi Hamasaki's official fan club. It launched in 1999 as Ayumi Hamasaki Online Fan Club, then re-launched as TeamAyu in June 2000.

This page is incomplete and will be updated with more detailed information in the future.

History

Ayumi Hamasaki Online Fan Club

The fan club began accepting members in July 1999, and officially opened for access in September. A subscription to the avex alert! service was a prerequisite for fan club access.

The fee was 6,000 yen, to be made via money transfer at the post office; after making the transfer you were instructed to e-mail a fan club e-mail address with your information to finalize your membership; once you received your confirmation e-mail, which could take up to two weeks, you could log in to the ayu fan club with your avex alert! login information.

Official Benefits List as of September 1999

Issuance of a premium membership card*
Participation in Ayu BBS/Chat system
Ayu original photo gallery
Ayu Diary
Downloading screensavers, etc. (in the "ACCESSORIES" section)
Plus the promise of more services in the future, at the time "still under planning and production".

*While this was listed as a benefit from the beginning, it would be about six months before physical membership cards were finally sent out to members.

The Ayu BBS/Chat did include Ayu making posts on the BBS (as a "Message from Ayu" class of post), which were like blog entries.

According to TA Magazine issue 1, the first AYU'S DIARY video was posted on October 9th, and was called "First Diary".

The website also included a "REPORTS" section, not listed as a feature, as of the release of LOVEppears. This section was any combination of photos, text, and video, much of which was publicly-available material (like CMs and PVs) merely put here for ease of access or in case you missed it. The first fan-club exclusive report was "Ayu's New York Photo Diary," uploaded October 9th or 10th, 1999.

TeamAyu Relaunch

As of January 29, 2000, the fan club was given the official name "ayumi hamasaki Online Fan Club 'TeamAyu'". On March 4 it was announced that membership cards would finally be sent out and that members should double check their shipping address; they were mailed out on March 31st in time for arrival around April 3rd. This initial membership card was packed in a small thick cardboard folio with a business card sized CD-ROM that included a greeting from Ayu and PC wallpapers of 1999 behind-the-scenes photos.

In July, the TA site had a short "hidden photo" game/event, where photos of Ayu were hidden somewhere on the site. After about nine days of hidden photos, the images' locations were published, and this began the feature that would become the long-running "Today's 1 Photo" feature on the site.

Benefits as of October 2000

Issuance of premium membership card
Participation in MEMBERS BBS
Report delivered in video format
PHOTO GALLERY
Screen saver & wallpaper download
Invitation to watch TV programs, etc.
Concert ticket priority reservation

Ayu's Diary was also still included, but was not called out specifically on the Information page.

Magazine Era (2001-2005)

In early 2001, around the release of A BEST, TeamAyu finally got its own TeamAyu.com website, rather than the club being a subsection of Ayu's official site. You could now join the club via a web form instead of sending an e-mail (although payment was still made separately from the web form), and avex's alert! system no longer existed and was therefore not required anymore. Membership was also now separated out into two tiers, "A course" for 6,000 yen and "B course" for 4,000 yen. The higher-cost "A course" was the only part that allowed for access to the members-only TeamAyu website. Both tiers gave members access to the official TeamAyu magazine, published every few months, and bonus merchandise.

Some of the behind-the-scenes photo galleries from the original Online Fan Club site were migrated over to Ayu's public official website as additional "Special Issue" reports. Those included the WHATEVER video shoots, the ayu-mi-x CM shoot, the LOVE~Destiny~ music video shot, the TO BE jacket photo and video shoots, the Boys & Girls video shoot, the A single jacket photo shoot, and the A Film for XX cover & insert photo shoot.

Benefits as of April 2001 (A-Course)

Original goods as a bonus for joining
Issuance of membership card
Published newsletter
Advance reservation of concert tickets
Info on public recording of TV events, etc.
Mail order sales of original merchandise
Participation in MEMBERS BBS
Report delivered via video footage
PHOTO GALLERY
Download screensavers & wallpapers

Ayu's Diary and "Today's Photo" were also included as part of the A-Course web site but were not called out specifically on the Information page.

Benefits as of April 2001 (B-Course)

Original goods as a bonus for joining
Issuance of membership card
Published newsletter
Advance reservation of concert tickets
Info on public recording of TV events, etc.
Mail order sales of original merchandise

The MEMBERS BBS on the A-Course website was closed in Spring 2003.

During the run of Ayu's TV variety show "ayu ready?", the TeamAyu site featured an "ayu ready?" section for behind-the-scenes photo galleries and videos for each episode.

fc.avex.jp Era (2006-2013)

The TeamAyu website was revamped in early 2006, migrating to avex's newly-created internal fanclub organization, and most of the members-only website contents from before that relaunch were not retained, and have been lost.

Benefits as of May 2012

Issuance of original membership card
Issuance of membership benefits and continuation benefits
Published TeamAyu Magazine (newsletter)
- Planned to be published twice a year

Issuance of Original Novelty items twice a year
- The "Original Novelty" benefits are common to A and B courses, but with a more "luxurious" version for A course members.
Issuance of greeting cards twice a year
Access to A course member-only site
- ayu's DIARY
- MOVIE & VOICE
- DEAR ayu
- Screensaver downloads
Advance reservation sales for concert tickets
- In the event of a ticket lottery, priority will be given to course A
Mail order sales of concert goods and FC original goods
Priority invitations to public TV and radio programs, events, etc.
Receive the latest information via e-mail

For Ayu's 15th Anniversary, TeamAyu members got two exclusive wallpapers of photos from the "ayu" photobook.

International Launch (2014)

At Ayu's 2014 a-nation appearance in Singapore, it was announced that TeamAyu would relaunch with an entirely new website and finally be accessible to fans outside of Japan.

As of Ayu's birthday, October 2, the website was given a completely different design and layout, making it more current with post-2011 web design trends (including giving the site a responsive mobile layout), and changing the names & content of the main sections. A Google auto-translation option was added as well, and many of Ayu's blog entries would be given official English translations.

This site migrated much of the old site's content into an Archive section. While it was a lower cost subscription (down to 3700 yen per year), and did officially allow access from international fans now, TA members no longer received the magazine or physical benefits (aside from sporadic lottery-style gifts and TA-exclusive purchasable items from mu-mo), or a physical membership card.

The web site offered a digital replacement for the magazine, however only one installment was ever uploaded.

The physical membership card was replaced with a QR code to be scanned at concert venues for any exclusive benefits.

TeamAyu App Era (2023-)

Now that avex no longer used Global-FC.com for fan club services and instead migrated their fan clubs to a new company, the TeamAyu website services closed as of June 2023 to move all users to an app-based service instead. The price of membership tripled to about 10,000 yen per year, phone & PC wallpapers were eliminated as a benefit, and the app does not allow for any auto-translation service. While there are exclusive behind-the-scenes videos, there is no way to watch them on a screen any larger than your phone. In 2024 a scratch card gacha feature was introduced, where for a small microtransaction fee members could try their luck at winning prizes.

Website Contents List

No currently-available contents will ever be shared here.

Much of what's listed about the fan club's earliest contents is only known thanks to Wayback archives of news updates posted on the old Ayu fansite Ayu! Love! Ayu!. Thank you, Joijoi, for documenting this even if some fans complained about it at the time.

Ayu's Diary

While this section of the site was eventually exclusively a video diary, in the earlier days it wasn't. At first it was a mix of text & video, and then a mix of voice & video. By 2004, it had become exclusively a video diary column. When I know for sure something is a video diary, I will make note of that.

[1999-10-10] Ayu announces that she'll be holding her first national tour in the spring, teases that there may be a photobook coming out soon, and that a song called "LOVE~refrain~" exists.

[1999-12-04] Regarding Kouhaku appearance.

[1999-12-14] Video Diary of Ayu's comments after the "First Book 'A'" handshake event.

[1999-12-15] Regarding waratte iitomo.

[1999-12-16] Video letter (unsure if this is actually in the Ayu's Diary section). Ayu says she's currently shooting the jacket photo for "Fly high".

[2000-01-04] Video (unsure if it's in the Ayu's Diary section). Happy New Year message recorded from the CDTV Special dressing room on January 2nd.

[2000-01-15] Video Diary from right after the "A clips" home video jacket shoot.

[2000-01-25] Video diary after the "Fly high" video shoot (although we don't yet know what song the PV is for).

[2000-02-09] Video Diary from after "ayu-mi-x II" jacket photo shoot.

[2000-02-16] Valentine's day message. Ayu says she's in a hotel (not in Tokyo), working on the next song, and it'll be an hour drive to the studio the next day. She also mentions that her new TV commercial (she doesn't say what the CM is for, but in retrospect it's the first Tu-Ka CM) will be starting that month.

[2000-03-14] A mysterious poem that might possibly be lyrics.

[2000-03-14] Video diary from the studio during the vogue/Far away/SEASONS single jacket shoot

[2000-03-18] Video diary during the concert tour 2000 pamphlet photo shoot

[2000-03-24] Video diary explaining that the "trilogy" she mentioned on a recent BBS report is "vogue," to be released in April, "Far away," to be released in May, and a third single in June. She also asks for fans to post in the BBS what they want from the TeamAyu website renewal planned for mid-April.

[2000-04-05] Video letter from the Hey! Hey! Hey! dressing room

[2000-04-11] Video letter revealing that she woke up at 6am to film a music video all day at Ofuna Studio.

[2000-04-12] Ayu introduces the two assistant stylists

[2000-06-03] Video letter with the answer to a recent quiz question

[2000-09-02] Video letter filmed after a recent live performance

[2000-09-02] Handwritten message from Ayu (not sure if this is in the Diary section)

[2002-07-09] Video message from CDTV, with her dogs

[2003-10-01] Video diary

[2004-05-22] Video diary from just before MTV SUPER DRY LIVE 2004 (Date is date filmed, not sure if it was uploaded the same night)

[2004-06-13] Video diary from the "INSPIRE" PV shoot

[2005-06-03] Video diary

[2005-06-04] Video diary answering a daily quiz question about where Ayu is

[2005-06-08] Video diary from the "fairyland" video set

[2005-07-23] Video diary

[2005-07-25] Video diary

[2006-01-01] Video New Year's Message (not sure this was in the "Diary" section)

[2006-02-17] Video diary of the WE MEN magazine shoot off-shot (this is the kind of thing that would be in Reports but the title card says "video diary")

[2006-03-06] Video diary of Ayu signing "(miss)understood" posters for winners of a TeamAyu quiz

[2006-05-24] Video diary from the BLUE BIRD pv shoot

[2006-07-26] Video diary from a-nation

[2007-01-01] Video New Year's Message

[2007-03-23] Video diary

[2009-09-01] TeamAyu 10th Anniversary greeting video

Photo Gallery

[1999-10-10] Momo no Tennensui & Ringo no Tennensui CM shoot

[1999-11-05] ayumi hamasaki Secret Live at Akasaka Blitz

[1999-11-17] Shibuya Tower Records surprise promotional appearance, August 13 1999

[1999-11-25] Avex J-Pop Night before show backstage shot

[1999-11-25] 2000 Calendar shoot, August 1999

[1999-12-14] "appears" single jacket photo shoot

[1999-12-23] "kanariya" single jacket photo shoot

[2000-02-25] "appears" music video shoot

[2000-02-25] "kanariya" music video shoot

[2000-03-01] "Fly high" music video shoot

[2000-05-09] After the first day of concert tour 2000

[2000-06-06] Make-up and rehearsal from day 1 of the tour, April 28th.

[2000-06-07] Behind-the-scenes photos and unreleased images from day 1 of the tour, also previously published in "FLASH" magazine (on sale May 30th)

[2001-??-??] Vol. 38: NEVER EVER" TV-spot shooting

[2001-??-??] Vol. 39 Endless sorrow jacket shooting

[2002-02-21] Vol. 56 "MTV asia awards 2002" Off-Shot

[2002-??-??] Vol. 60 MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2002

[????-??-??] 2003 Calendar shoot (Might possibly have been a report)

[2003-11-06] Vol. 81 A museum ~30th single collection live~ Entrance Exhibition

[2003-11-06] Vol. 82 No way to say Promotion Video shoot Off-shot

[2003-12-18] Vol. 83 ANGEL'S SONG Promotion Video Shoot Off-Shot

[2003-12-18] Vol. 84 Because of you Promotion Video Shoot Off-Shot

[2003-??-??] RAINBOW PV shoot (May have been a report)

[2004-??-??] Moments PV shoot (May have been a report)

[2004-??-??] INSPIRE PV shoot

[2006-08-31] Vol. 110 a-nation 2006

[2006-09-21] Vol. 111 a-nation 2006

[2006-10-19] Vol. 112 (miss)understood Tour Videos

[2006-10-26] Vol. 113 (miss)understood Tour Videos

[2006-11-02] Vol. 114 (miss)understood Tour Videos

[2006-12-14] Vol. 115 ViVi December 2006 shoot

[2006-12-14] vol. 116 Secret & Panasonic Xmas Ad Campaigns

Reports

If "behind the scenes" isn't noted here, the post is of the video or TV commercial itself, not any exclusive or new contents.

[1999-11-10] "appears" full PV

[2000-02-15] "A clips" cover photo

[2000-02-16] "Fly high" full PV

[2000-02-17] "Fly high" 30s CM

[2000-02-19] concert tour 2000 flyer images (front, back, and double-page spread)

[2000-02-19] concert tour 2000 30s CM

[2000-02-22] "A clips" promotional video

[2000-02-29] Tu-Ka TV Commercial shoot behind-the-scenes photos, commentary, and possibly video?

[2000-03-04] ayu-mi-x II CM

[2000-03-16] Tu-Ka TV Commercial shoot behind-the-scenes (part 1)

[2000-03-17] Tu-Ka TV Commercial shoot behind-the-scenes (part 2)

[2000-03-25] Tu-Ka TV CM 15s and 30s versions.

[2000-03-28] Five minute video of Ayu playing Tekken 2 and getting very invested in it apparently.

[2000-03-31] Tu-Ka "Expansion/Development version" TV CM 15s and 30s versions (on TV since the 25th) <-- need to look up translation of that lol

[2000-04-06] concert tour 2000 merchandise planning (part 1); includes a look at posters and "small items".

[2000-04-07] concert tour 2000 merchandise planning (part 2); includes footage of the Ayu figure in its clear plastic packaging.

[2000-04-08] concert tour 2000 merchandise planning (part 3); seems to include the pamphlet and posters.

[2000-04-13] Tour staff meeting at the rehearsal venue on April 8th

[2000-04-17] Tu-Ka "Expansion/Development version" TV Commercial shoot behind-the-scenes (vol. 1 & vol. 2)

[2000-04-18] Tu-Ka "Expansion/Development version" TV Commercial shoot behind-the-scenes (vol. 3 & special mini live?)

[2000-04-18] Tu-Ka "Expansion/Development version" TV Commercial shooting report

[2000-04-19] concert tour 2000 rehearsal footage (vol.1) - Notably, the singing parts are muted

[2000-04-20] concert tour 2000 rehearsal footage (vol. 2)

[2000-04-22] "vogue" 15s and 30s CMs

[2000-04-26] Kose Visee press conference Behind the scenes (three videos)

[2000-04-28] Kose Visee press conference (three videos)

[2000-04-29] "vogue" PV

[2000-05-02] Photo(s) of Ayu looking at the tour pamphlet

[2000-05-03] concert tour 2000 merchandise planning (caps specifically)

[2000-05-13] "Bicycle Biker Gang Appears!?" CM shooting (but it doesn't say what CM)

[2000-05-16] "AYUMI HAMASAKI Fishing School" - per Joijoi, "a video of Ayu fishing during a break in a commercial shoot... [but] it's hard to tell what she's doing."

[2000-05-19] "Far away" 15s and 30s CMs

[2000-05-20] Tu-Ka third CM shoot behind-the-scenes video and written report from Mr. Kaz. It was filmed on April 6th at a large studio in Kawasaki on a set built to resemble a European underground passage. Filming for the short hair & black dress "character" began at 2:30 PM. The cross necklace was custom made for the CM. Ayu was listening to "REFRAIN ga yonderu" by Yuming in the studio. Because Ayu's eyes were closed for the steps taken at the start of the CM, she naturally veered away from walking forward in a straight line and they had to do multiple takes. At 11 PM they shot the long haired "character" with a white top. A large fan made ayu's hair move, and a projector put the words on her chest. As the camera moves forward on rails to zoom in on Ayu, she blinks because of the fan and they have to do it again. Reshoots start at 6 AM the next day.

[2000-05-31] "Far away" PV

[2000-06-08] "SEASONS" PV

[2000-09-12] "Duty" and "SURREAL" jacket photos, track list, and comment from Ayu (not sure if this is in the Reports section)

[2000-09-24] Tokyo FM radio appearance (4 videos)

[2000-09-29] "Duty" 15s and 30s CMs

[2000-09-30] "SURREAL" full PV

[2000-10-11] Tu-Ka TV CM behind-the-scenes shoot report

[2001-??-??] Vol. 79 NEVER EVER TV Spot

[2002-02-28] Vol. 129 Dearest Promotion Shoot and Making video

[2002-05-10] Vol. 149 ARENA TOUR 2002 5/10 Osaka Vol.2

[2002-??-??] Vol. 150 Maxi Single "H" Jacket Shoot OFF-SHOT

[2002-??-??] Vol. 162 "tsuki ni shizumu" Making (Digest Version)

[2004-07-01] Vol. 177 MTV THE SUPER DRY LIVE 2004 Making

[2004-07-15] Vol. 178 Morinaga Hi-Chew TV-CM Report

[2004-07-27] Vol. 179 INSPIRE TV Spot

[2004-09-09] Vol. 180 Morinaga BAKE CM shoot Report

[2004-09-24] Vol. 181 Panasonic Lumix FX-7 TV-CM report

[2005-07-02] Vol. ? ~zoku - shiawase sagashi no tabi~ in Hawaii ("fairyland" video shoot report)

[2006-09-07] Vol. ? Zespri Kiwi Press Conference on September 1

[2006-09-14] Vol. ? Panasonic D-Snap/D-Dock Press Conference

Today's Photo

[2000-07-22] The first nine "hidden photos" revealed.

Accessories/Wallpaper/Screen Saver/Decoration

The specific name of Ayu's desktop customization downloads section has changed and shifted its content focus repeatedly over the years. Some of them have been put in a "Special" section that also included special events, live reports, and announcements. For simplicity, I'm keeping them all listed together here.

[1999-09-xx] The site probably launched with some content here. There is at least one screensaver, I believe.

[2000-01-22] Three new wallpapers added. (per Joijoi at Ayu! Love! Ayu!, this was the first update to this section in awhile.)

[2000-02-09] Screensaver version 2 added

[2000-04-29] Wallpapers added (probably vogue or Kose Visee related, as it was during that era)

[2000-08-12] Screensaver version 3 (probably concert tour 2000 related?)

[2001-03-28] Screensaver Ver 4.0 ("A BEST" theme)

[2001-03-28] Six "A BEST" CM Making wallpapers

[2001-12-20] Christmas ayu's Wall Paper

[2002-01-24] "I am..." screensaver

[2002-08-08] "H" screensaver

[2003-xx-xx] "A BALLADS" screensaver

[2003-11-20] "No way to say" screensaver

[2004-05-27] "ARENA TOUR 2003-2004 A" Special Screensaver

[2004-12-xx] "MY STORY" screensaver (with or without clock)

[2006-03-xx] "Startin'" screensaver

[2006-06-xx] "BLUE BIRD" screensaver

[2006-xx-xx] "Secret" screensaver

[2007-xx-xx] "A BEST 2" screensaver

[2007-07-xx] "glitter" screensaver

[2007-09-xx] "talkin' 2 myself" screensaver

[2008-01-xx] "GUILTY" screensaver

[2008-04-xx] "Mirrorcle World" screensaver

[2008-09-xx] "A COMPLETE" screensaver

[2008-12-xx] "Days/GREEN" screensaver

[2009-02-xx] "Rule/Sparkle" screensaver

[2009-03-xx] "NEXT LEVEL" screensaver

[2009-08-xx] "Sunrise/Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~" screensaver

[2009-12-xx] "You were..." screensaver

[2010-04-xx] "Rock'nRoll Circus" screensaver

[2010-07-xx] "MOON" sceensaver

[2010-09-xx] "crossroad" screensaver

[2010-09-xx] "L" screensaver

[2011-04-xx] "50 SINGLES Live Selection" screensaver

[2010-12-xx] "Love songs" screensaver

[2011-08-xx] "COUNTDOWN LIVE 2010-2011 ~do it again~" screensaver

[2011-xx-xx] "FIVE" screensaver

[2012-03-xx] "Party Queen" screensaver

[2012-11-xx] "LOVE" screensaver

[2012-12-xx] "again" screensaver

[2013-02-xx] "LOVE again" screensaver

[2013-12-xx] "Feel the love" screensaver

[2014-07-xx] "Colours" screensaver