This poll is about Asian artists. It seems to include both actors and singers... Because there's also Maki Horikita and Ikuta Toma in there.

I never agree with lists that rank BasicYUI in upper positions.

This is like on a fan page and is not like is oricon or whatever, so idk why is it upsetting.
I find it cool that she's known in other countries outside of asia.

Nah.
J-rock, visual-kei (and later kpop) ever been popular among european teenagers. J-rock and visual kei communities are way larger than jpop ones.
But that's cool she's there though.

^
true :yes

Half-wrong. Visual Kei is huge in Europe but nobody listens to j-rock.

Anyway this ranking is pretty fair. Ayu's is probably the most listened japanese solo singer in Europe. She's only overtaken by Miyavi, Gackt and YUI in this ranking if you delete bands, actors and kpop singers.
This ranking is relevant cause we obtain the same result in the online poll French J-music Awards which is set each year : YUI first, then Ayu and Gackt, and only then Kumi Koda.

But it's only relevant of huge jpop fans who visit online community, not all listeners of the wider audience.

Online fans listens a little more to YUI cause she has made some anime music, but in fact there's surely some people who listens to Ayu and still never go to such websites or facebook pages, don't know YUI or don't even watch animes.

I mean there's still a chance Ayu is the most famous japanese singer in the wider audience.

Don't act like your are surprised she's ranked. She's one of the top most, if not the most famous japanese singer in Europe really. It's a fact.

LOLOL @ LM.C being on the list. I guess it just shows how much more popular Visual/J-Rock is outside of Japan with "otakus" than it is within Japan. I mean, LM.C outranks Ayu here, but her lowest sales are LM.C's best sales in Japan. I love LM.C, btw.

ditto ... and not just ayu ....+those VK/jrock group have been touring a lot in europe compare to some major jpop artist who limit themself to asia

#4 Super Junior :heart
#24 LM.C (that was unexpectedly nice to see) :luv2

Many artists I love there... and some I can't stand too... I wish Ayu was higher, but oh well, that's not bad either.

^
If this ranking was made in 2007/8 she would be very high ^^ I think it was her peak in France !

Nobody? I don't think so.
Laruku are the most famous j-rock band in Europe compared to other bands. Also you mentioned GACKT who's a j-rock singer now, same as MIYAVI.
Visual kei is more famous than j-rock. But saying nobody listen to it it's quite wrong also j-rock it's such a huge musical genre (where visual-kei come from though).

I don't know how it's going in other european countries, but here in Italy those j-rock singers are still pretty popular way more than Ayu, Kuu and Namie. Hikki's not, mainly because of KH though.

To be honest french fans kinda lost faith to see her one day in concert (as if it would happens by the way :rolleyes ), no one would wait until the end of time, even less when others artists come here (Miyavi did a kind of mini tour here with 5 dates, and they were full or at least close to) ... plus if you really want to see her, you just have to go to her hotel when she pop out here or London.

But if you really wish to see the state of j-music in France, you should wait for the french j-music awards and not some random poll on facebook .... but why do you think that visual or j-rock are higher than Ayu ? Because they came and will come again for concerts, nothing more, they fulfill what fans wish. I saw almost all the japaneses artists I wished to see live, except Pierrot but as they disbanded, it's another problem. Now I'm more eager to see DEG again in concert (and they will come back) than endlessly hope for an Ayumi concert. By the way I would choose DEG over Ayumi for a concert, no matter if I saw them each times they came here.


This!

^Ah yes, but would you be eager for a DEG AND AYU DOUBLE BILLING IN FRANCE? Because tbh as cracked out as that sounds, I'd totally go for it.

Visual kei is kind of a slowly dying fanbase overseas. Not that it's going AWAY, but as j-rock becomes more prevalent, visual kei bands become less so. There's this silly mistake people keep making in equating visual kei bands to j-rock bands, and while the latter may have started as the former and changed (hello, DEG?) they are in no way the same thing.

By the way, did anyone see One Ok Rock on there? I didn't see them, so they may not be on the list but I was just curious.

I love Ayumi Hamasaki, but I'm split in this discussion a tiny bit because I really like J-rock, some VK, and stuff like that. XD So, I'm not too disappointed about Ayu not being super high on the list 'cause I like to hear about other musicians doing well....

...Even if this is not a super official important list.

Love how all the artists I thought were rubbish are in the top 10 XD