Hitomi Hayashi

Hitomi Hayashi (林仁美 Hayashi Hitomi*) born May 12, 1984 in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan), is a Japanese singer who rose to prominence as a CM model in Taiwan and Hong Kong. She released the first of her three singles “Hi Low” in the summer of 2006, which earned her a good dose of star power in not only Taiwan and Hong Kong, but in her home country of Japan as well. Her first album included the three singles, and enjoyed moderate success throughout Asia. Later that year, she embarked on a 32-city tour in Japan and Taiwan, well surpassing her mark for ticket sales. In late 2007, Hitomi released her acclaimed follow-up "This Is Hitomi," which spawned successful singles including the #2 hit "Winter Story," a song about the growing suicide trend among youths in Japan. Also in 2007 she took the job playing as the recurring character “Ritsuko” on the Japanese telenovela-style drama “Alone in Shinjuku.” Hitomi Hayashi has also gained a successful worldwide notoriety for working with Jack Tripper's Wardrobe front man Jack Jackson as the lead singer of hit Alt-Rock supergroup Parody In Flight.
== 2008 ==
In 2008, Hayashi released her third and most successful album, Style Network, her first on new label Urban Kiss Records. The album debuted at #5, becoming at the time Hitomi Hayashi's best debut. The album featured four singles, including StylizeD, Motivate, World Communication, and Ashita to Kyou no Aida (明日と今日のあいだ; Between Today and Tomorrow), with two of the singles becoming #1 hits on the Asian music charts. The success continued that year with the release of two compilation albums, including the Hayashi's first #1 album This is "Collection" and remix selection This is "Remixed" which debuted at #3.
== love: undercover and 2009 ==
Following her most successful year to date, 2009 looks to be just as promising, as Hitomi Hayashi returned with a successful thirteen-date arena tour. The tour sold out all dates across Japan, a first for Hitomi Hayashi. In May, a statement from Hayashi's distributor J-STAR Asia announced that Hitomi was working on a fourth studio album entitled love: undercover, set for a mid-summer release. The forthcoming release of the album was delayed due to Hayashi's growing health concerns and hospitilization. The album finally released in September, and climbed to number six on Japan's Oricon charts. In early November 2009, Hitomi Hayashi appeared at Tokyo's J-Records in Shinjuku, where she announced that her next album, entitled Chakra had started production, and that it would be Hayashi's English Language album debut.
== Health Concerns ==
On the late evening on August 11th, 2009, Hitomi Hayashi was rushed to Tokyo's Metropolitan Ohkubo Hospital in serious condition after suffering from shock due to Severe Hypercalcemia. Hayashi has a history of Hypercalcemia, a condition resulting from increased calcium levels in the blood. A day later, on August 12th, Hayashi remained in serious yet favorable condition. On August 18th, in the latest press conference by Hayashi's manager Makoto Irino, it was announced that Hitomi was scheduled to be released from the hospital by the end of that week.
=Discography=
=== Albums ===
Year	Title 	Chart positions (Asia)
2006	Hypermotive 	37
2007	This Is Hitomi 	14
2008	Style Network 	5
2009	love: undercover	7
2010	Chakra 	N/R
=== Singles ===
Year	Title 	Chart positions (Asia)
2006	Hi-Low 	12
2006	Hypermotive 	54
2006	Happy 	113
2006	Summer Story 	98
2007	Something About The Kiss 	93
2007	Winter Story 	2
2007	Remind U2 (feat. MASAMATIXXX) 	4
2007	I Would Stand Up For You 	21
2007	Nothing At All 	16
2008	StylizeD 	15
2008	Motivate 	1
2008	World Communication (featuring Momo and DJ Kyoko)	4
2008	明日と今日のあいだ 	1
2009	FLASH POINT 	6
2010	FREAK/FAKE 	NR
=== Collections ===
In 2008, Hitomi Hayashi is scheduled to release at least two compilation albums.
Year	Title 	Chart positions (Asia)
2008	This Is 'Collection'	1
2008	This Is 'Remixed' 	3
Category:Artists
Category:J-Pop
Category:Japanese artists