[Pieces_of_SEVEN]

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

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)

thanks for this reference. ;-)