Aya Matsuura 松浦 亜弥

Profile
* Name: 松浦亜弥
* Name (romaji): Aya Matsuura
* Nickname: Ayaya (あやや)
* Profession: Actress, model, and singer
* Birthdate: 1986-Jun-25
* Birthplace: Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
* Height: 155cm
* Star sign: Cancer
* Blood type: B
* Family: Two younger sisters
* Talent agency: Hello Project

Career
Aya auditioned in 2000 for the 4th Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition, and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part of what was later known as Hello! Project. It is a common misconception that Aya originally auditioned to be a part of Morning Musume, which she didn't.[1] After being chosen from that audition, Aya Matsuura began her solo career. In time she would become one of Hello! Project's biggest acts.

Aside from a successful solo career, Aya Matsuura (nicknamed Ayaya), has also done numerous collaborations with other members of Hello! Project, including special, usually short lived groups Gomattou with Maki Goto and Miki Fujimoto; Nochiura Natsumi with Maki Goto and Natsumi Abe; and DEF.DIVA with Maki Goto, Natsumi Abe, and Rika Ishikawa. She's also done the "Folk Song" series which feature Yuko Nakazawa and other Hello! Project artists, as well as Hello! Project's shuffle groups (3-nin Matsuri in 2001, Odoru 11 in 2002, Salt5 in 2003, and the larger H.P. All Stars in 2004).

She has also collaborated with Miki Fujimoto as a duo named GAM that debuted September 2006. Their first single, "Thanks!" reached the #2 position on the Oricon.

Matsuura has appeared in many commercials for various companies; notably Pretz snack foods, Epson color printers, and Kirin beverages. Currently she also takes part and co-hosts the television show Utawara with other names in Japanese entertainment such as Johnny Jimusho's Jun Matsumoto.

Matsuura starred in the Japanese film Sukeban Deka: Codename = Asamiya Saki opposite Rika Ishikawa, released on September 30, 2006.

On October 9, 2006 both concerts she was supposed to hold that day were cancelled due to her not feeling well.[2] Soon several unsourced rumours emerged considering the possibility she might be suffering from Temporomandibular joint disorder.[3] Following the cancellation of the two concerts, Matsuura's management confirmed the rumours, reported the young idol had been taking painkillers to continue working and scheduled a press conference to discuss her condition.[4][5] On the following day Matsuura made a public statement on PBS apologizing to her fans and expressing her desire to get back to her singing career as soon as possible.

Since her press conference, Matsuura has returned to her normal hosting duties on her weekly radio show, "Matsuura Aya no All Night Nippon" and has returned to singing in a limited capacity, as most recently demonstrated on her appearance on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on October 23, 2006.

On March 8, 2008, Matsuura—as a secret guest—performed at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Special Olympics Japan Winter National Games, a national event in preparation of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games to be held in Boise, Idaho.[6][7] She performed the song "Kizuna", to be released on May 21, 2008 as her 20th single.[8]

It was announced on October 19, 2008, on the official Hello!Project website, that Matsuura will graduate from the Elder Club & Hello!Project all together on March 31st, 2009.

Trivia
* Her 2004 single "Watarasebashi" (Watarase Bridge) is a cover of Moritaka Chisato's 1993 original. The bridge in the title is one of twelve bridges that cross the Watarase River in the city of Ashikaga.
* Matsuura stated in an October 23, 2006 interview on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ that her parents have had to remove the family placard from their house due to harassment from fans and bosozoku, as the rarity of their surname makes the house easy to locate in Himeji.
* Matsuura had a dog named Nana, but it died of liver disease.
* She has stated that she is the type of person that only eats one type of food at a time in a meal.

Discography

Albums
# Title Release Date Peak Rank Sales Total Weeks on Chart
1 First Kiss 2002-01-01 #2 301,530 13
2 T.W.O 2003-01-29 #2 316,986 18
3 X3 2004-01-01 #10 124,939 9
– Matsuura Aya Best 1 (松浦亜弥ベスト1, Matsuura Aya Best 1?) 2005-03-24 #2 121,361 13
4 Naked Songs 2006-11-29 #24 18,961 2
5 Double Rainbow (ダブル レインボウ, Double Rainbow?) 2007-10-10 #22 11,764 2

Singles
# Title Release date Peak rank Total sales Weeks on charts
1 "Dokki Doki! Love Mail" (ドッキドキ! Loveメール, "Dokki Doki! Love Mail"?) 2001-04-11 #10 72,070 6
2 "Tropical Koishiteru" (トロピカ～ル恋して～る, "Tropical Koishiteru"?) 2001-06-13 #7 64,490 6
3 "Love Namidairo" (Love涙色, "Love Namidairo"?) 2001-09-05 #3 172,340 9
4 "100Kai no Kiss" (100回のKiss, "100Kai no Kiss"?) 2001-11-28 #2 102,820 7
5 "Momoiro Kataomoi" (♥ 桃色片思い ♥, "Momoiro Kataomoi"?) 2002-02-06 #2 224,480 13
6 "Yeah! Meccha Holiday" (Yeah! めっちゃホリディ, "Yeah! Meccha Holiday"?) 2002-05-29 #2 130,960 19
7 "The Bigaku" (The 美学, "The Bigaku"?) 2002-09-19 #2 115,480 18
8 "Sōgen no Hito" (草原の人, "Sōgen no Hito"?) 2002-12-11 #2 92,995 11
9 "Ne~e?" (ね～え?, "Ne~e?"?) 2003-03-12 #3 121,776 10
10 "Good Bye Natsuo" (Good Bye 夏男, "Good Bye Natsuo"?) 2003-06-04 #3 88,483 11
11 "The Last Night" 2003-09-26 #3 57,451 8
12 "Kiseki no Kaori Dance" (奇跡の香りダンス, "Kiseki no Kaori Dance"?) 2004-01-28 #3 80,322 7
13 "Hyacinth" (風信子 (ヒヤシンス), "Hyacinth"?) 2004-03-10 #7 56,400 13
14 "Your Song ~Seishun Sensei~" (Your Song ~青春宣誓~, "Your Song ~Seishun Sensei~"?) 2004-07-14 #3 41,306 10
15 "Watarasebashi" (渡良瀬橋, "Watarasebashi"?) 2004-10-20 #6 47,857 6
– "Tensai! Let's Go Ayayamu" (天才! Let's Go あややム, "Tensai! Let's Go Ayayamu"?)
Theme song of "Hamtaro the Movie 4" 2004-11-26 – – –
16 "Zutto Suki de Ii desu ka" (ずっと 好きでいいですか, "Zutto Suki de Ii desu ka"?) 2005-02-23 #7 45,022 8
17 "Ki ga Tsukeba Anata" (気がつけば あなた, "Ki ga Tsukeba Anata"?) 2005-09-21 #5 56,822 9
18 "Suna wo Kamu you ni... Namida" (砂を噛むように・・・Namida, "Suna wo Kamu you ni... Namida"?) 2006-02-01 #14 20,212 5
19 "Egao" (笑顔, "Egao"?) 2007-08-29 #16 13,286 5
20 "Kizuna" (きずな, "Kizuna"?) 2008-05-21 #20 6,007 1

DVDs
Title Release Date
Matsuura Aya First Concert Tour 2002 Haru "First Date" at Tokyo Kokusai Forum
(松浦亜弥First Concert Tour 2002春「First Date」at東京国際フォーラム, Matsuura Aya First Concert Tour 2002 Haru "First Date" at Tokyo Kokusai Forum
?) 2002-08-07
Matsuura Aya Single M Clips 1 (松浦亜弥シングルMクリップ1, Matsuura Aya Single M Clips 1?) 2002-10-09
Bi Shojo Nikki I, II (美・少女日記 I, II, Bi Shojo Nikki I, II?) 2002-12-11
Aya no DNA (亜弥のDNA, Aya no DNA?) 2003-01-16
Yeah! Meccha Live at Nakano Sun Plaza (Yeah! めっちゃライブ at 中野サンプラザ, Yeah! Meccha Live at Nakano Sun Plaza?) 2003-02-19
Alo-Hello! (アロハロ!, Alo-Hello!?) 2003-02-26
Sōgen no Hito (草原の人, Sōgen no Hito?) – With the original casting 2003-03-05
Ne~e? (ね～え?, Ne~e??) 2003-03-12
Kotomikku Daijiten Jōkan, Gekan (ことミック大辞典 上巻, 下巻, Kotomikku Daijiten Jōkan, Gekan?) 2003-05-02
Musical "Sōgen no Hito" (ミュージカル 「草原の人」, Musical "Sōgen no Hito"?) 2003-05-21
Good Bye Natsuo (Good Bye 夏男, Good Bye Natsuo?) 2003-06-04
Moero! Manābu 1, 2 (燃えろ!マナー部1, 2, Moero! Manābu 1, 2?) 2003-07-02
Concert Tour 2003 Haru ~Matsu Ringu Pink~ (コンサートツアー2003春～松リングPink～, Concert Tour 2003 Haru ~Matsu Ringu Pink~?) 2003-09-18
Kiseki no Kaori Dance (奇跡の香りダンス。, Kiseki no Kaori Dance?) 2004-01-28
Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2003 Aki ~Ayaya Hit Parade!~ (松浦亜弥コンサートツアー2003秋 ～あややヒットパレード!～, Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2003 Aki ~Ayaya Hit Parade!~?) 2004-02-04
Matsuura Aya Single V Clips 2 (松浦亜弥シングルVクリップス2, Matsuura Aya Single V Clips 2?) 2004-04-14
Musical Real Audition!! (ミュージカル リアルオーディション!!, Musical Real Audition!!?) 2004-05-12
Alo-Hello! 2 Matsuura Aya (アロハロ!2 松浦亜弥, Alo-Hello! 2 Matsuura Aya?) 2004-07-07
Single V Your Song ~Seishun Sensei~ (シングルV Your Song ～青春宣誓～, Single V Your Song ~Seishun Sensei~?) 2004-07-28
Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2004 Haru ~Watashi to Watashi to Anata~ (松浦亜弥コンサートツアー2004春～私と私とあなた～, Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2004 Haru ~Watashi to Watashi to Anata~?) 2004-08-11
Single V Watarasebashi (シングルV 渡良瀬橋, Single V Watarasebashi?) 2004-11-10
Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2004 Aki ~Matsu Crystal Yoyogi Special~ (松浦亜弥コンサートツアー2004秋 ～松クリスタル 代々木スペシャル～, Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2004 Aki ~Matsu Crystal Yoyogi Special~?) 2004-12-01
Single V Zutto Suki de Ii desu ka (シングルV ずっと 好きでいいですか, Single V Zutto Suki de Ii desu ka?) 2005-05-02
Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2005 Haru 101 Kaime no Kiss ~Hand in Hand~ (松浦亜弥コンサートツアー2005春 101回目のKiss～Hand in Hand～, Matsuura Aya Concert Tour 2005 Haru 101 Kaime no Kiss ~Hand in Hand~?) 2005-06-20
Single V Ki ga Tsukeba Anata (シングルV 気がつけば あなた, Single V Ki ga Tsukeba Anata?) 2005-09-28
Hello Pro Party! 2005 ~Matsuura Aya Captain Koen~ (ハロ☆プロ パーティ～！2005 ～松浦亜弥キャプテン公演～, Hello Pro Party! 2005 ~Matsuura Aya Captain Koen~?) 2005-12-07

Videos
* 2001-04-25 – Bi Shojo Nikki Part 1 (美・少女日記 1, Bi Shojo Nikki Part 1?)
* 2001-06-27 – Bi Shojo Nikki Part 2 (美・少女日記 2, Bi Shojo Nikki Part 2?)
* 2001-09-05 – Bi Shojo Nikki Part 3 (美・少女日記 3, Bi Shojo Nikki Part 3?)
* 2001-12-12 – Bi Shojo Nikki Part 4 (美・少女日記 4, Bi Shojo Nikki Part 4?)
* 2002-08-07 – Concert Tour 2002 Haru "First Date" at Tokyo Kokusai Forum (ファーストコンサートツアー2002春「ファーストデート」 at 東京国際フォーラム, Concert Tour 2002 Haru "First Date" at Tokyo Kokusai Forum?)
* 2002-10-09 – Matsuura Aya Single M Clips 1 (松浦亜弥シングルMクリップス1, Matsuura Aya Single M Clips 1?)
* 2003-02-19 – Yeah! Meccha Raibu at Nakano Sun Plaza (Yeah! めっちゃライブ at 中野サンプラザ, Yeah! Meccha Raibu at Nakano Sun Plaza?)
* 2003-02-26 – Alo-Hello! (アロハロ!, Alo-Hello!?)
* 2003-03-12 – Ne~e? (ね～え?, Ne~e??)

Solo Photobooks
* 2001-12-01 – Matsuura Aya 1st Photobook (松浦亜弥 1st写真集, Matsuura Aya 1st Photobook?)
* 2003-02-14 – Alo-Hello! (アロハロ!, Alo-Hello!?)
* 2004-01-15 – Mā! Chura (まっ!ちゅら, Mā! Chura?)
* 2004-06-25 – Alo-Hello! 2 (アロハロ!2, Alo-Hello! 2?)
* 2005-03-19 – a

Concert Photobooks
* 2002-06-04 – First - Date (ファースト・デート, First - Date?)
* 2004-07-07 – ~Watashi to Watashi to Anata~ (～私と私とあなた～, ~Watashi to Watashi to Anata~?)

Other Photobooks
* 2003-04-11 – Ayaya to Mikitty (アヤヤとミキティ, Ayaya to Mikitty?)
* 2003-09-30 – Matsuura Aya in Hello! Project 2003 Summer
* 2004-03-13 – Matsuura Aya in Hello! Project 2004 Winter
* 2004-09-28 – Matsuura Aya in Hello! Project 2004 Summer
* 2005-07-06 – Nochiura Natsumi Live Photobook "Triangle Energy" (後浦なつみライブ写真集「Triangle Energy」, Nochiura Natsumi Live Photobook "Triangle Energy"?)

TV shows
Show TV station Start date End date
Hello! Morning (ハロー!モーニング。, Hello! Morning?) TV Tokyo, etc. April, 2000 2007-04-01
Victory! ~Foot Girls no Seishun~ (Victory!～フットガールズの青春~, Victory! ~Foot Girls no Seishun~?) Fuji TV and others 2003-11-22
Aijo Ippon! (愛情イッポン!, Aijo Ippon!?) Nippon TV and others 2004-07-17 2004-09-18
Minna no TV (ミンナのテレビ, Minna no TV?) Nippon TV and others 2005-04-13 2005-09-28
A Nippon TV and others April 2005 2005-06-26
Utawara Hot Hit 10 → Utawara (歌笑Hotヒット10 → ウタワラ, Utawara Hot Hit 10 → Utawara?) Nippon TV and others 2005-10-16 2007-01-28
Ayaya Golf (あややゴルフ, Ayaya Golf?) Nippon TV 2006-04-04 2006-09-26
Inochi no Kiseki (命の軌跡, Inochi no Kiseki? the 50th anniversary of Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Co. Ltd. starting telecasting) CBC, TBS, and others 2006-10-25
Ayaya Golf 2 (あややゴルフ2, Ayaya Golf 2?) Nippon TV 2007-04-04 2007-09-26
Meringue (メレンゲの気持ち, Meringue?) Nippon TV, etc. 2007-04-07 Still running

Movies
* Ao no Honou (2003)
* Sukeban Deka: Codename = Asamiya Saki (2006)

Radio
* Matsuura Aya Let's do it!! (松浦亜弥 Let's do it!!, Matsuura Aya Let's do it!!?) – JOLF, etc. (April, 2001—2005-03-27)
* Matsuura Aya All Night Nippon (松浦亜弥のオールナイトニッポン, Matsuura Aya All Night Nippon?) – JOLF and other thirty-five radio stations in Japan (2005-03-30 — 2006-12-27)
* Matsuura Aya FIVE STARS– InterFM 76.1 (TUESDAY 松浦亜弥) (Start date 2007-10-02)October 2007-Current

Commercials
* Pretz (2002 – 2006, Ezaki Glico)
* Tesera (2002 – 2004, FT Shiseido)
* Gogo no Kocha (since 2003, Kirin Beverage)
* Colorio Printer (2003 – 2005, Epson)
* Sega PuyoPuyo Fever (2004)
* Papico (2004 – 2006, Ezaki Glico)
* Pocky (2004 – 2005, Ezaki Glico)
* Sky PerfecTV! (2004 – 2005, SKY Perfect Communications)
* Super Mild (2004 – 2005, FT Shiseido)
* Scooter Let's 4 (2004 – 2005, Suzuki)
* Nissin Yakisoba UFO (2005 – 2006, Nissin)
* Aoyama Trading (Youfuku no Aoyama) (since 2005)
* Youpack (since 2005, Japan Post)
* Scooter Address V50 (2006, Suzuki)
* Expressway ETC (since 2007, song only)
* Center-in (since 2007, Unicharm), etc.

Video games
* Guitar Freaks 8th mix / drummania 7th mix (Momoiro Kataomoi, covered by Yu Uchida)
* Donkey Konga (Japanese version, Momoiro Kataomoi covered by an unknown artist)
* Daigasso! Band Brothers (Yeah! Meccha Holiday, instrumental)
* Go-Go-Tea Miniature Golf (Kirin Beverage)
* Donkey Konga 2 (Japanese Version, Yeah! Meccha Holiday)