H is an EP by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, featuring songs later included on her fifth studio album Rainbow (2002).

The EP contains the songs "Independent," "July 1st" and "Hanabi," all written and co-composed by Hamasaki (under the alias Crea), alongside composer Dai Nagao and producer Max Matsuura.

Hamasaki had written and recorded the three songs when she was still hurt and influenced by the events of the September 11 attacks and the completion of her fourth studio album I Am... (2002).

The lyrical content deals with freedom, fun and sadness, continuing themes seen on her previous album.

The EP was commercially successful in her native Japan, peaking at number one on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart.

On New Year's Day 2002, Hamasaki released her fourth studio album I Am... from Avex Trax.

[8] While promoting I Am..., Hamasaki performed for the first time outside Japan at the 2002 MTV Asia Music Awards in Singapore.

[13] The song received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success, peaking at number one on the Oricon Charts and selling over 400,000 copies.

Avex Trax director Yasuyuki Tomita and Hamasaki had discussed having a song with a baseball theme.

[8] These themes had also been explored throughout I Am....[20] The lyrical content is "uplifting and cheerful" and talks about fun experiences; Hamasaki commented, "This was the first time I had ever written a song ["July 1st"] from this viewpoint, and I even surprised myself!

[23] According to Tomita, Hamasaki had placed microphones in Tokyo Dome during one of her concerts, to recorded the audience's voices and "cheerleader" hand claps, as a way to incorporate inspiration from her fans.

"[8] Tomita felt that Hamasaki was trying to move outside of the Japanese domestic market by incorporating British trip hop influences.

[24] On different versions of the cover artwork, Hamasaki is accompanied by the male model Atsuko Kubota, who professionally goes by the name Minori.

[24] The artwork features Hamasaki sitting on a Harley Davidson in front of a beach, leaning and smiling away from the camera.

[27][28][29] All physical editions featured an additional black and white lyric sheet, a post card from Avex Trax and a Japanese Windows Media Player promotion flyer.

All of the songs from H were remastered in Los Angeles, California by Bernie Grundman and Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, in order to have a "more powerful" feel on the compilation.

Adam Greenberg from Allmusic reviewed the parent album Rainbow and favoured "Independent" and "Hanabi," but failed to mention "July 1st."

He felt that "Hanabi" "focuses strongly on her vocal qualities as well as some interesting phrasing [...]," while he concluded that the song "Close to You" "[...] never quite gets off the ground, especially when compared to the ending track, ["Independent,"]"[22] Greenberg, who had written the extended biography of Hamasaki on the same website, had listed "Hanabi" as one of her career standouts.

For "Independent," the reviewer called it an "upper dance tune" and felt the song sounded "aggressive.

"[21] For the second track, the reviewer commended the song's composition and production and called it a "summery, refreshing dance tune."

"[50] According to Oricon sales, H is Hamasaki's fifth-best-selling single in her musical career, behind A, "Seasons," "M" and "Boys & Girls.

[56][C] The song "Hanabi" was a commercially successful sleeper hit, becoming certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan in January 2015, for selling 100,000 legal downloads since its release twelve and a half years prior.

For "July 1st," Hamasaki was featured with the song on a lipstick commercial for KOSE Visee make-up in Japan.

[59] Hamasaki has performed the three songs on several of her Asian-based tours; Credits adapted from the EP's liner notes.