Amuro Namie is just an awesome singer. If I remember correctly, she is the first Japanese singer that I heard. Naturally, that explains part of my fondness for her music. But really, you should check out some of her stuff. She was queen in the mid to late '90's, but now her popularity has waned quite a bit. But she still has some great standby songs. If you are going to Japan, you can get most of her stuff at bargain bin prices, and it is a darn good deal. Just check her tunes out.