Yesterday saw singer Koda Kumi (23), popular in the club scene, become the mama of a different kind of club for a day. It was all part of the promotion for her greatest hits album – she said that if it became a million sller, she’d “open” her own hostess club in the upscale Ginza district. Well, the album has sold 1.4 million copies and Koda already had a day’s training from a real Ginza mama. So she got dolled up in a kimono, in contrast to her usual no-bra low-cut style, and arrived at the club by limousine. She had 30 “Koda-musume” lookalikes on hand to cater to the 100 or so music industry types and three fans lucky enough to get a special invite, out of 10,000 who applied. Today she returns to her regular job, but has another marketing stunt up her sleeve. From December 7, she will release a new single every week for 12 weeks. And if the all make the Top 5? “Hmm, maybe take a turn as a pro wrestler?” she wondered.
• Yesterday also saw singer Hajime Chitose (26) make her first appearance since becoming a mother. She was on the Sony Music Online website to promote her newly released single “Katari Tsugu Koto” (Hand-me-downs), her first release in almost two and a half years. It was also her first live Web appearance since she made her debut in 2002.