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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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“Bara to Samurai” scheduled for June 25 release in theaters
Posted on April 21, 2011 by tokyograph
The official website for “Geki x Cine: Bara to Samurai” opened earlier this month, revealing that the movie will roll out in theaters on June 25. Starring Furuta Arata and Amami Yuki, it is the latest cinematic release in the “Geki x Cine” series of theatrical plays, which represent a new style that is designed to be recorded on film.
“Bara to Samurai” was originally performed last spring by Gekidan Shinkansen for the troupe’s 30th anniversary. The play is a follow-up to the earlier “Goemon Rock,” which also starred Furuta as the legendary bandit Ishikawa Goemon. The story is set in 17th century Europe, and the character of Ishikawa Goemon is joined by a female pirate called Anne the Tornado, played by Amami. The story unfolds when Anne is discovered to be the heir to the throne of a small country.
The rest of the cast includes Urai Kenji, Yamamoto Taro, Kanda Sayaka, Morina Miharu, Hashimoto Jun, Takada Shoko, Awane Makoto, and Fujiki Takashi.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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10th a-nation tour includes AKB48 alongside top Avex artists
Posted on April 21, 2011 by tokyograph
Avex held a press conference today to announce details for this year’s a-nation tour, which will proceed despite the effects of the earthquake in the Tohoku region. This will be the 10th time that the annual tour has been held, and its full name has been set as “a-nation 10th Anniversary for Life: Charge & Go! Weider in Jelly.”
While the expected Avex artists such as Hamasaki Ayumi and Koda Kumi are participating, this year’s lineup also includes idol group AKB48 for the first time. While AKB48 is not signed under Avex, their recently formed sub-unit DiVA is making its debut under Avex later this month.
The artists that were announced today are:
TRF
Every Little Thing
Hamasaki Ayumi
Do As Infinity
Koda Kumi
Suzuki Ami
AAA
Goto Maki
GIRL NEXT DOOR
ICONIQ
mihimaru GT
SEAMO
AKB48
3rd Generation J Soul Brothers
The tour will consist of 7 shows at 5 venues, starting with Ehime (July 30), then Fukuoka (August 6), Aichi (August 13), Osaka (August 20-21), and Tokyo (August 27-28).
Tickets will be sold for 7,900 yen, with 100 yen of the price being donated to charity. In consideration of the power shortages caused by the earthquake and tsunami, Avex will be preparing power supply trucks at the venues. The company also plans to make the Tokyo concert on August 28 available for “free public viewing” at Ito Yokado shops in the tsunami-stricken areas.
In addition, Avex will sell goods bearing the logo “for Life,” and auction off items like the artists’ stage outfits. Part of the proceeds will be donated to charity.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Charts: B’z, Yoshii Kazuya, Kanjani8
Posted on April 21, 2011 by tokyograph
Rock duo B'z ranked #1 this week with their 48th single “Sayonara Kizu Darake no Hibi yo,” with over 130,000 copies sold. According to Oricon’s charts, this extends three records that they already held: most #1 singles (44), most consecutive #1 singles (44), and highest total single sales (34.993 million copies).
Voice actress and singer Mizuki Nana took #2 and #3 with her simultaneously released singles. This makes her the first voice actress to have two releases in the Top 3 under her own name.
B'z – Sayonara Kizu Darake no Hibi yo – 130,195
Mizuki Nana – SCARLET KNIGHT – 55,366
Mizuki Nana – POP MASTER – 51,883
KARA – Jet Coaster Love – 24,399
Toyosaki Aki – SHUN PU – 12,453
Maximum the Hormone – Greatest the Hits 2011-2011 – 12,104
Domoto Tsuyoshi – Eni wo Yuite – 11,484
Tokunaga Hideaki – Tasogare wo Tomete - 10,478
Daikoku Danji – Love Power – 9,954
The Birthday – Nazeka Kyou wa – 8,640
The album charts this week were quieter, with only three new releases entering the top ten. Yoshii Kazuya’s “The Apples” claimed #1 with 38,000 copies, giving him his first chart-topper ever as a solo artist.
Yoshii Kazuya – The Apples – 37,709
EXILE – Negai no Tou – 13,812
Avril Lavigne – Goodbye Lullaby – 11,618
Matsutoya Yumi – Road Show – 11,503
FLOW – FLOW ANIME BEST – 10,303
miwa – guitarissimo – 10,222
Ketsumeishi – Ketsu no Police 7 – 9,968
Radiohead – The King of Limbs – 9,204
Kitano Kie – Kokoro – 8,950
BIGBANG – BIGBANG 4TH MINI ALBUM Japan Edition – 8,700
Meanwhile, Kanjani8’s “Kanjani8 LIVE TOUR 2010-2011 8UPPERS” ranked #1 on both the DVD and Blu-ray music charts. Among male artists, they are just the fifth to achieve that feat. The DVD version sold 135,000 copies and was #1 in the general DVD ranking, while the Blu-ray version sold 9,000 copies to rank #2 in the general Blu-ray ranking.
On the Blu-ray side, the #1 overall seller was the limited edition of the manga-to-movie “Ohoku” (starring Ninomiya Kazunari), with 15,000 copies sold. No other period film has ever topped the overall Blu-ray charts since Oricon started tracking sales in 2008. The last live-action film to rank #1 overall in Blu-rays was “Yatterman” in 2009, starring Sakurai Sho.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Note: Thread has been banned by manager
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Film director Shindo's 'Children of Hiroshima' makes American premiere
Saturday 23rd April, 06:47 AM JST
NEW YORK —
Japanese director Kaneto Shindo’s internationally acclaimed film depicting the horrors of the atomic bomb, ‘‘Children of Hiroshima,’’ made its U.S. premiere Friday at a theater in New York.
The screening of the 1952 film—titled ‘‘Gembaku no Ko’’ in Japanese—at BAMcinematek in Brooklyn was part of a retrospective titled ‘‘The Urge for Survival: Kaneto Shindo.’’ The director, who is from Hiroshima City, turned 99 on Friday.
Also shown at the opening was a 1960 film, ‘‘The Naked Island’’ (Hadaka no Shima), which is considered to be one of Shindo’s outstanding works.
The retrospective, which will run through May 5, was organized by U.S.-based Puerto Rican actor Benicio Del Toro, 44, who is a longtime fan of Shindo.
Including the two films shown at the opening, a total of 11 works by Shindo will be shown during the two-week event. They include ‘‘Devil Woman’’ (Onibaba) from 1964, ‘‘Lucky Dragon No. 5’’ (Daigo Fukuryu Maru) from 1959, and the most recent ‘‘Postcard’’ (Ichimai no Hagaki).
BAM said it will donate proceeds from the opening-day screening of ‘‘The Naked Island’’ to a relief fund for Japan’s earthquake victims.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Papaya Suzuki promotes kiwifruit
Sunday 24th April, 03:33 AM JST
TOKYO —
Celebrity Papaya Suzuki, 44, is this year’s campaign character for New Zealand’s Zespri green kiwifruit. Suzuki appeared at a promotional event with his 9-year-old daughter, Ayaka. “I love Papa,” Ayaka squealed when Suzuki gave her a kiwifruit.
When asked how he will feel when little Ayaka grows up and gets married, he responded, “That’s not for some time. But I don’t want her to bring home any boyfriends who are like me.”
Suzuki added that he unofficially changed his name to “Kiwi” for the purposes of the campaign, but still responds to his stage name, Papaya, anyway.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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WOWOW to launch 3 new channels
Sunday 24th April, 04:38 AM JST
TOKYO —
Cable TV company WOWOW will launch 3 new channels in October. The three new channels are WOWOWPrime, featuring “the best” in latest entertainment, WOWOWLive, which will air live sports and music events, and WOWOWCinema, a 24-hour movie channel. Viewers can subscribe to the new channels for 2,415 yen a month.
Soccer announcer and former Japan coach Takeshi Okada, 54, was present at the launch ceremony. Recently back from teaching soccer classes in tsunami-damaged Tohoku, he said, “When I was up there, I really felt the power of sports; its power to bring hope to people. I think WOWOW has that power too.”
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Met Opera to go ahead with Japan tour in June
Monday 25th April, 04:41 AM JST
NEW YORK —
New York’s Metropolitan Opera has decided to go ahead with its tour of Japan in June. Met general manager Peter Gelb said he based the decision on the lifting of the State Department’s travel advisory to Tokyo and “on official and scientific reports that the areas around Tokyo and Nagoya are safe.”
Gelb said the opera will re-evaluate the decision if the situation worsens.
He added that “our visit to Japan will raise the spirits of the Japanese people, who are in need of visible shows of support and solidarity” following last month’s devastating earthquake and tsunami.
Music director James Levine is to conduct Verdi’s “Don Carlo” in Nagoya on June 5, the 40th anniversary of his Met debut. The tour, the Met’s seventh of Japan, runs from June 4-19.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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2,400 attend funeral for former Candies singer Yoshiko Tanaka
Monday 25th April, 11:00 AM JST
TOKYO —
About 2,400 mourners on Sunday attended the funeral of former Candies singer Yoshiko Tanaka, who died of breast cancer on April 21 at the age of 55. Her funeral in Aoyama drew celebrities who came to pay their respects to the industry legend. A separate altar was also arranged for fans who had gathered to say farewell to Tanaka.
The Candies were extremely popular in the 1970s. The group consisted of Ran Ito, called Ran, Miki Fujimura, called Miki, and Yoshiko Tanaka, called Sue. The trio debuted in 1973 and went on to release a series of hit songs, including ‘‘Toshishita no Otokonoko’’ (Younger Boy), to become an idol group symbolic of the era.
The group dissolved in 1978 at the height of its popularity. The trio’s farewell concert at Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall in April that year drew about 50,000 fans.
Ito, 56, told the press after the funeral: “I’m glad I was able to stay by her side until the end. She struggled for 7 hours. She is finally at peace.”
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Kanjani8's Maruyama Ryuhei gets first movie role in “Wild 7"
Posted on April 22, 2011 by tokyograph
 
Kanjani8 member Maruyama Ryuhei (27) will appear in his first movie, it was announced today. He is joining lead actor Eita (28) in the movie adaptation of Mochizuki Mikiya’s action manga “Wild 7,” which was unveiled in February.
The original manga, serialized between 1969 and 1979, revolved around a group of seven motorcycle-riding outlaws who receive authorization from the police to combat criminals and terrorists. Eita is playing Hiba Dairoku, the leader and the youngest of the group.
Maruyama has been cast as the member Pairou (or possibly Pyro), an original character for the movie taking the place of the character Happyaku from the manga. Pairou’s grandfather is American, making him a quarter-American. His specialties are explosives and machinery.
Filming is already in progress and is planned to finish in May. Warner Bros. has not yet set a release date for the movie.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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FLOW to perform at FanimeCon, Anime Central
Posted on April 22, 2011 by tokyograph
Anime conventions FanimeCon and Anime Central both announced on Friday that pop band FLOW will be attending as musical guests this year. This will be FLOW’s second year in a row performing at Fanime Con.
FLOW will be promoting their newest album, “FLOW ANIME BEST,” which entered the weekly sales charts at #5 in Japan this past week. The U.S. edition of the album is being released on May 10.
Anime Central is being held on May 20-22 in Rosemont, IL. FanimeCon is the following weekend on May 27-30 in San Jose, CA.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kobayashi Satomi stars in “Tokyo Oasis”
Posted on April 22, 2011 by tokyograph
Kobayashi Satomi is starring in a new film called “Tokyo Oasis.” The movie reunites her with co-actor Kase Ryo, who previously worked with her in the films “Megane,” “Pool,” and “Mother Water.”
Matsumoto Kana, who directed “Mother Water,” is again behind the camera but is being joined by co-director Nakamura Kayo. The two of them, along with “Mother Water” screenwriter Shiroki Tomoko, are in charge of the script.
The story will be told through multiple episodes, revolving around an actress named Touko (Kobayashi) and the people she encounters on the way to some destination. It all starts when Touko runs away from a filming location while still wearing a mourning dress, and it continues with a convenience store, a small cinema, and a run-down zoo.
Kase plays a man named Nagano, who asks Touko for a ride at the convenience store. Harada Tomoyo plays one of Touko’s former colleagues whom she runs into at the cinema, and Kuroki Haru plays a young woman who is constantly failing in her exams and interviews.
Matsumoto plans to film the movie in the suburbs of Tokyo over a two-week span, starting on May 26. Theatrical release is planned for October 22, 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Maeda Atsuko to release debut solo single “Flower” on June 22
Posted on April 22, 2011 by tokyograph
Rumors of a solo debut by AKB48’s Maeda Atsuko are now confirmed. Her first single is titled “Flower” and will be used in her movie “Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management wo Yondara” (“Moshidora”), which opens in theaters on June 4, 2011.
Maeda personally announced the news on Saturday during AKB48's handshake event at Nagoya Dome. The song is said to be a slow ballad and will be released on CD on June 22. There will be 3 versions, with different coupling songs and DVD content. It will be released through King Records, the same label as AKB48. More details will be revealed at a later date.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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AKB48 family to start regular theater shows in Singapore
Posted on April 23, 2011 by tokyograph
The official blog of AKB48 announced on Friday that the group will begin holding regular theater performances in Singapore, like the ones they stage at their Akihabara theater. This is the first case of the group doing such shows overseas on a regular basis.
The current plan is to hold two performances a month, starting on Sunday, May 15. Although the first one will be AKB48 members only, there are also plans for shows by SKE48, NMB48, and SDN48. Ticket information and the names of the participating members will be announced later on.
AKB48 aims to continue expanding its overseas activities. The group already has an official shop in Hong Kong, and the regular events there have been very popular. It was also revealed in February that producer Akimoto Yasushi has plans for a Taiwan-based group expected to launch this summer.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Hiking Walking’s Matsuda Hiroaki marries actress Ando Sei
Posted on April 24, 2011 by tokyograph
Comedian Matsuda Hiroaki (34) of the duo Hiking Walking is now married to actress Ando Sei (27). Both of them openly announced their marriage on their blogs yesterday.
One source says that they met in 2007 when they both appeared on the same television show, and their relationship later turned romantic. They eventually registered their marriage this year on April 23, the day they announced it. It is said that they do not have plans for a wedding ceremony.
Matsuda and his comedy partner Suzuki Q-taro (36) have been active since 2001. Just last year, Suzuki also got married to a stylist.
Ando made her acting debut as a child in the musical “Annie” in 1990. She later became known as an “Oha Girl” on TV Tokyo’s “Oha Star” television show in the late ’90s. She has also appeared in several films and dramas, in addition to her theatrical acting.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Matsuda Shota, Sasaki Nozomi star in “Afro Tanaka” live-action film
Posted on April 24, 2011 by tokyograph
Noritsuke Masaharu’s gag manga series “Afro Tanaka” is getting a live-action movie adaptation. Matsuda Shota (25) will star as the afro-haired protagonist, while model Sasaki Nozomi (23) will play the heroine of the story.
The “Afro Tanaka” series, which runs in Big Comic Spirits, started with “Koukou Afro Tanaka” in 2002-2004 and was followed by “Chuutai Afro Tanaka,” “Joukyou Afro Tanaka,” and the current “Sasurai Afro Tanaka.”
The manga revolves around Tanaka Hiroshi, an afro-haired boy who transfers to a high school in a fictional city in Saitama, and his everyday life with his friends. The various series followed him as he left school, moved to Tokyo, and began working. It is not yet known which time period the movie will focus on, but filming is said to already be close to done.
“Afro Tanaka” is being directed by the young Matsui Daigo (25), who debuted as a screenwriter a couple years ago, when he became the youngest ever to write for an NHK drama series (“Futatsu no Spica”). He then directed part of the Fuji TV drama series “0 Go Shitsu no Kyaku.”
The script for the movie is written by Nishida Masafumi (“Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora”).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Second “GANTZ” movie earns 550 million yen in first weekend
Posted on April 25, 2011 by tokyograph
“GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER” finally hit theaters this past weekend. Cinema Today reports that its opening 2-day gross amounted to nearly 552 million yen from an audience of almost 424,000 viewers. While early numbers indicated that it was performing slightly better than the first film that was released in January, it ended up falling short of that movie’s opening weekend of more than 590 million yen.
The first “GANTZ” film has earned approximately 3.4 billion yen to date, with a total attendance of 2.73 million moviegoers. Despite performing worse at the outset, “GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER” is still aiming to surpass that number and possibly reach 4 billion yen.
Last Friday, the day before the movie’s premiere, NTV aired “ANOTHER GANTZ,” an edited version of the first film that removed some scenes and added new ones. It was announced later that night that “ANOTHER GANTZ” is already going to be released on DVD as a Director’s Cut Edition on May 13, just three weeks after the broadcast. A website for the release has been launched.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Naomi Kawashima and patissier husband prepare meals for evacuees
Tuesday 26th April, 03:00 AM JST
IWATE —
Actress Naomi Kawashima and her husband, patissier Toshi Yoroizuka, prepared meals for refugees in tsunami-stricken Iwate and Kamai on Sunday. Representing the charity Chef-1, the couple and about eight other chefs traveled from Tokyo to participate. Kawashima helped children bake cakes and other sweets at several shelters in the area.
Kawashima had not been to the area since 1987, when she visited to film a television series. “It was such a beautiful place. But now it’s like a completely different world,” she said.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Christel Takigawa launches new book on why she loves Paris
Wednesday 27th April, 03:00 AM JST
TOKYO —
French-Japanese newscaster Christel Takigawa, 33, held a talk show to launch her new book this week at the Marunouchi branch of Maruzen bookstore. The book is titled “Reasons to Love: The Lifestyles of My Favorite Parisiennes.”
The book describes Takigawa’s favorite aspects of life in Paris, where both she and her father were born. Takigawa told the audience how she gleaned so much information from simply visiting the city’s markets and restaurants, and from interviewing its female politicians. The book also attempts to convey a sense of Parisian approaches to work, elegance and decision-making.
Takigawa said she recently visited several of the areas worst hit by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, including the town of Minamisanriku. Having seen the devastation with her own eyes, she said she has decided to donate part of the proceeds from her book to earthquake charities.
The book costs 1,600 yen.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Actor Tanaka Minoru dies at 44
Posted on April 26, 2011 by tokyograph
44-year-old actor Tanaka Minoru passed away on Monday afternoon, after being found hanged in his apartment in Ota, Tokyo. Police are investigating the matter, but they say that the likelihood of suicide is high.
At some time after 3:00pm on April 25, he was discovered in his apartment, and a family member called 119. Tanaka was taken to a hospital, where his death was confirmed.
According to Tanaka’s manager, who had spoken with him the day before about work, there was nothing unusual about the actor’s behavior. His agency, Oscar Promotion, stated that there had been no problems at work, so it was at a loss to explain the reason for Tanaka’s death. Meanwhile, a vague entry in Tanaka’s blog posted on April 11 suggests that he likely had something weighing on his mind recently.
Born in 1966, Tanaka grew up in Tokyo. After graduation, he joined the acting school Mumeijuku, which is led by actor Nakadai Tatsuya. In 1990, he starred in the television series “Rinrin to,” one of the few NHK morning dramas in history to have a male lead.
Tanaka acted in dozens of films and television shows, including the “Onsen e Ikou” series and “Ultraman Mebius.” Last December, he changed agencies to Oscar Promotion, and his last television appearance was in the WOWOW drama special “Saisei Kyoryuu” on March 6 of this year.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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