The release date for "歌姫ベスト – 25周年anniversary Selection" has been set … again. These are the links on HMV:
http://www.hmv.co.jp/Product/detail.asp?SKU=1203747 (CD only)
http://www.hmv.co.jp/Product/detail.asp?SKU=1203754 (CD + DVD)
There is only the mention of 「いい日旅立ち」 as a new song and the contents of the DVD are clips of Akina recording during 「歌姫２」「歌姫３」 and some interviews.
From a marketing standpoint, the decision to remarket this on 17th January is the work of a genius because Momoe Yamaguchi was born on 17th January 1959 and this seems like Akina’s part "tribute" to Momoe (or the press might pick that up as a "selling point"). Personally, I hope that there will be some new songs but if they are just going to use 17th Jan as a selling point, then we may be disappointed.
The DVD for "Live Tour 2006: The Last Destination " has also been set on the same date!!! However, HMV has used wrong information to advertise this new release, hence my shock when I saw the cover art and then scrolled down with relief when I saw the song list. Ha! Ha!
http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1204875
Nonetheless, this is great news for Akina fans and I can’t wait to see if 「GAME」 is added in the final edit.
On another note, 1982 produced some of my favourite female JPop idols so I am rather excited to see what their companies have to offer for their "real" 25th anniversary. Universal is releasing a revival series for some of them priced at only 999 yen (at the moment, only 堀ちえみ and 早見優 have been announced though they are both not from Universal), so I’m not holding out for it, but hopefully, they will a proper Best Collection for 早見優 in the near future.
Update:
This is great. I think an album tribute to Momoe would be even a better idea instead of a BEST album.
In my opinion, Akina has way too many BEST album and it’s no longer a big deal for non-Akina’s fan.
For all of our fanatic, it’s something to look forward to.
As always, thanks for the report.
Thanks Very Much! For This Report.
About Yuu Hayami And Chiemi Horie How About Iyo Matsumoto. I Remembered Recently. A CUTTIE MOMMY. Debut. With MICKEY MOUSE MARCH. Single. Just For The UTABAN Show Interview.
Momoe Yamaguchi. Just My Favourite IDOL For The J-POP GOLDEN Age.
But I Waiting For One Akina Nakamori TRIBUTE! °_° 
Yes, I agree that a full tribute to Momoe would be better than this Best but I guess we can only hope that this can be an idea for her 30th Anniversary.
As for Matsumoto Iyo, I guess you are right. She deserves a full catalogue Best as well but she does have some on sale now which are pretty comprehensive, just not complete. I don’t like many of her earlier works but love almost all of her later ones.
I hope that their companies, like Chiemi’s last year, would release only a Best Collection with all the A-side singles of their careers. Unlike Akina, their B-sides are mostly fillers except for a few. I hope that Pony Canyon is listening because the only Yu’s Best on sale right now is so incomplete.
why did it have to be the last tour of akina? mm..
That’s great news about the upcoming releases.
Akina’s comment regarding the last concert doesn’t bode well, though…
"This is my last concert here" – and optimistic reading could be she will be doing concerts elsewhere? but i think that’s stretching it a bit far.
for someone playing the concert and dinner show circuit that much, she’s cutting off her revenue stream by declaring something like that. much as i hate for her to have to eat her words later (should she do another concert), i can’t bear the thought that that was indeed her last concert.
She did "eat her words" about the last calendar and pamphlet, but yet the "comebacks" were pretty shocking! Ha! Ha!
So, there is a history. Even our favourite "风飞飞" (please don’t ask us who that is) said that. She might take a break next year but she might come back when she realises how much money she earns from them. She is not getting younger as well so she will need to think about her future.
I hope she meant something else. It doesn’t make sense for many reasons. If it’s really going to be the farewell tour, the marketing should have been done a lot bigger. She can definitely get a lot more publicity.