An era has come to an end: Japanese pop queen Namie Amuro will retire tomorrow

This weekend, Japan's iconic pop star Namie Amuro will hold her final concert before officially retiring.

Namie Amuro is one of the best-selling artists in Japanese music history, having sold 38 million records in her career. In 1992, at the age of 14, Namie Amuro debuted as a member of the idol group Super Monkey. Due to her rapid rise to fame, the group's name was changed to "Namie Amuro WITH SUPER MONKEY'S".

After the group disbanded, Namie Amuro began her hugely successful singing career.

Her first two singles received positive reviews, but it was her third single, "Don't Wanna Cry", that established her as Japan's biggest star in the 1990s at the age of 19.

She then released the album "Sweet 19 Blues", which became the best-selling album in Japanese music history at the time and is still a classic today.

The following year, Namie Amuro released the single "Can You Celebrate?", which became the best-selling single by a Japanese female singer, selling 2.75 million copies.

At the same time, Namie Amuro was also the queen of the pop world at that time. Countless young women imitated Amuro's dressing style. Miniskirts and boots became a must-have for many women. They also imitated Amuro in terms of hair color and eyebrow shaping.

That year, a trendy word even emerged: "Amuraa", the Amura phenomenon.

It was the golden age of Japanese pop music. In addition to Namie Amuro, Ayumi Hamasaki and Utada Hikaru also dominated the melodies on various radio stations. Today, Utada Hikaru is still active, but Ayumi Hamasaki has long lost her glory and even become a joke in many media. In comparison, Namie Amuro is an evergreen.

Over the years, Namie Amuro has maintained her own position in the Japanese entertainment industry, releasing successful albums in different decades.

Last fall, she shocked many fans when she announced that she would retire on September 16, 2018, the 26th anniversary of her debut.

After announcing the news, Namie Amuro has been busy participating in various public events, interviews and visits over the past year. Now it's time to say goodbye to her fans, and even the "One Piece" animation has paid tribute to her.

Japan Airlines also launched a Namie Amuro-themed aircraft in Okinawa Prefecture to commemorate her outstanding contributions in her acting career.

Her retirement album, Finally, was released on November 8, 2017 and has sold 2.25 million copies.

"After September 16, I will never be on stage again. I would like to thank all the fans and people who have supported me over the past 25 years and given me memories," the 40-year-old Amuro announced at the Tokyo Dome last June.

Namie Amuro's retirement concert will be held in her hometown of Okinawa Prefecture on Sunday.