reached an excessive ¥12 billion (approximately $106124280 US dollar) by the end of the year, which hugely effected the stock prices of the company. A Best was certified sixteen-times-platinum (adjusted to 4x Million by June 2006) by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) with physical shipments of four million units in Japan. Additionally, the album is the second best-selling album of the 2000s decade in Japan. Promotion The promotion for A Best was extensive. Between March and April 2001, Hamasaki appeared in over 40 magazines within Japan. She travelled different areas in Japan to take part in the photo shoots, but was told several times to wait before commencing. Hamasaki appeared in several commercial advertisements, including the Takanoyuri Beauty Clinic print-only campaign "Pink Pink Festival". She also signed a deal with Japanese make-up company Kose Visee as their spokeswoman. Hamasaki became the spokeswoman for the KDDI Corporation subsidiary company Tu-Ka, which manufactured 2G PDC cellular operator's in three metropolitan areas (Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka). Hamasaki confirmed that she would perform two concerts in Tokyo, at their Tokyo Dome stadiums. During rehearsals of the tour, Hamasaki had to stop due to problems with her hearing in her left ear. Because of this, specific songs had to be cut from the concert tour because of its high frequency levels. Despite this, she did not postponed the rehearsals or concert dates due to tight scheduling. Hamasaki had been hospitalized a few times for consultations, but a doctor confirmed that continuing her to pursue music would result in permanent hearing loss. During some stage rehearsals at Tokyo Dome, Hamasaki became sick due to her hearing problems and could not finish the performances. Because of this, the rehearsals had to be hurried. On July 6, 2001, the concerts first tour date, over 30,000 fans lined up for the show. However, tour organizers had asked them to wait longer due to Hamasaki's hospitalization. Hamasaki returned from the hospital, and was escorted to the stage with a wheelchair. Both concerts were commercial success, selling out on both tour dates, and made her one of few "top-drawer" Japanese artists to hold a concert at the Tokyo Dome. With sales from both the concert and album, Hamasaki was recognized as the top selling artist of 2001 with over 24 billion yen. In the aftermath of the tour, Hamasaki had become completely deaf in her left ear. She documented