Animexchanges

Arashi‘s newest single, “Ashita no Kioku / Crazy Moon,” easily topped the charts this past week, selling more than 502,000 copies. This marks their 15th consecutive number-one single and 22nd overall. It is also their second single in a row to sell over 500,000 in the first week, a feat that has not been achieved since Keisuke Kuwata in 2001.

GReeeeN’s “Haruka” picked up the #2 spot at 63,000 in sales, and Ringo Shiina‘s newest landed at #3. Ikimono Gakari (#7), SPEED (#8), and Yui Aragaki (#10) also had new releases in the top ten.

Meanwhile, news was also made with the latest posthumous release from ZARD, “Sunao ni Ienakute.” Ranked 5th on the charts, it became ZARD’s 43rd top-ten single, tying her for the current record with Southern All Stars, SMAP, and Ayumi Hamasaki. Originally released as a B-side on her second single back in 1991, “Sunao ni Ienakute” has been recorded as a new version with singer Mai Kuraki featured in the song’s chorus.

On the album charts, the #1 spot was taken by “Trash We’d Love” from The HIATUS, a new band formed by ELLEGARDEN‘s Takeshi Hosomi. It sold 80,000 copies, beating out Ken Hirai‘s new album, “Ken’s Bar II.” Other artists in the top ten were May J. (#4), Yoko Kanno & The Seatbelts (#6), Yuna Ito (#7), and MEG (#10).