Personal Life
After Imai's shotgun wedding in 2004 due to her pregnancy, tabloid magazine Shukan Bunshun quoted a source known to Eriko that her management agency had stopped paying her monthly wage of 200,000 yen and promptly expelled her from the company apartment. After struggling for several months, her company relented its punishment by signing a new contract worth 20,000 yen a month.
Eriko's nickname is Mikan Seijin (Tangerine Alien). She is an accomplished guitar and flute player. She also plays the piano, as well as composing and writing songs. She is good friends with Hikaru Utada and called her father on air on behalf of her fans when she underwent ovarian cancer surgery. Eriko was once voted as the most popular artist from Japan in Hong Kong, surpassing other popular singers.
Eriko began to learn sign language with her son during early 2008. She is also avid in saving the environment by doing bottle-cap collections.
Read more about this topic: Eriko Imai
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