J-pop diva Amuro Namie (30, profile) has extended her run at the top of the album chart to six weeks. “Best Fiction” is enjoying the longest run for a solo female artist on top of the Oricon album chart since Kubota Saki’s “Ihoujin” in 1979-80. The most recent album to keep the No.1 spot for six weeks was “Magic” by Dreams Come True (profile) in 1993-94. Both of those albums enjoyed a long sales run over the year-end/New Year period. To coincide with the release of Amuro’s latest hits collection, she has appeared on 24 different fashion magazine covers. This has helped expand her solid fan base of 20- and 30-something women into the teen market. She recently took part for the first time in Avex’s summer festival tour and is currently preparing for her biggest ever solo tour. That kicks off on October 25 at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba and includes 40 shows in 16 cities across Japan.
• While Amuro has been an idol for girls and young women for more than a decade, Girl Next Door are just starting out. The female trio debuted last week but have already seen their first single, “Guuzen no Kakuritsu” enter the Oricon chart at No.3. Popularly known among their junior and high school girl fan base by the abbreviated “garuneku.”
• The latest of this year’s awards go to Japan’s most beautiful legs. In the 6th annual Parcassio Bikyaku Taisho event sponsored by luxury shoe maker Kuraray, celebrities were chosen by age category: actresses Hirosue Ryoko (28), Seto Asuka (31) and Maya Miki (44). And former Japan volleyball player Sugayama Kaoru (29) was the sports representative.