Actually, no, the first & more complex "hama" character IS her real name. The difference between her Chinese name & birth name is ONE missing stroke on the "Ayumi/Bu" character. See if you can spot it
I don't think I've heard of any solo artists using their birth name, as written, for their stage name, and there's a rule (unwritten? not sure) that if you change talent agencies, you change your name or how it's written. (Her Aidoru name has a slightly different "saki" character than her current Avex name - the top right radical is different.)
All Ayu's names!!
Birth: 濱崎歩 (
Hamasaki Ayumi)
SOS Modeling Agency: 浜崎くるみ (
Hamazaki Kurumi)
"Ryuko no Ken": 浜﨑歩 (
Hamazaki Ayumi)
Sun Music Talent Agency: 浜﨑あゆみ(
Hamasaki Ayumi)
Nippon Columbia: AYUMI
avex trax: 浜崎あゆみ (
Hamasaki Ayumi)
Drizzly: AYU
Chinese: 濱崎步, 滨崎步 (Mandarin HYPY:
Bin Qi Bu; Cantonese Jyutping:
Ban Kei Bou)