Ayaya Reveals Truth About Health Problems
August 31, 2011
Singer Matsuura Aya (25, photo right) spoke publicly about her health problems for the first time on her blog yesterday. She revealed that she is suffering from endometriosis, a common but little-understood condition that affects a woman's uterus and which was diagnosed in 2007. "Ayaya," as she is popularly known, is a former solo member the Hello! Project, although she originally auditioned to join Morning Musume in 2000. She quickly became one of the most popular young female stars of the decade, appearing in a wide variety of movies, dramas and commercials. Transexual talento Haruna Ai even built a whole career on a lip-synching Ayaya impersonation routine.
Matsuura graduated from Hello! Project in March of 2009 and played her last concert tour later that year, saying she was taking a break for "two or three years." She has made few public appearances since, working mostly on TV. She starred in an ABC TV drama in April and was a regular on the NTV variety show "Merenge no Kimochi." She has now stepped down from that show, and this week recorded her final appearance. The show (photo), on which she finally spoke about her health problems, will air on September 24.
Endometriosis is when the kind of tissue that normally lines the uterus grows on the ovaries, behind the uterus or on the bowels or bladder. Rarely, it grows in other parts of the body. This "misplaced" tissue can cause pain and very heavy periods and, if left untreated, infertility. The cause of endometriosis is not known.
Troubled former Morning Musume member Kago Ai (23) was admitted to a Tokyo hospital yesterday morning after an attempted suicide. An employee of her management company rushed to her apartment in the capital at about 11:55am after receiving a phone call in which Kago said she was about to kill herself. The staffer found Kago semiconscious on the floor, with shallow cuts on her wrists, and called emergency services. She was taken to the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center in Hiroo. According to police at the Azabu station in central Tokyo, the talento was diagnosed with acute drug intoxication from an overdose, believed to have been tranquilizers, but her condition is not believed to be life-threatening.
Kago's actions were no doubt triggered by last Tuesday's arrest of her 44-year-old boyfriend Ando Haruhiko on charges of attempted extortion. Kago was present at the time and also subjected to police questioning. Ando describes himself as the director of a restaurant business but is allegedly running something closer to a prostitution ring for elite Tokyo businessmen and celebrities. He has been charged with using his connections with the Yamaguchigumi, Japan's most notorious yakuza organization, to get out of debts totaling some ¥20 million. Police are in the middle of a coordinated campaign to sever ties between organized crime and showbiz. Exposed relations with the Yamaguchigumi is what recently forced top star Shimada Shinsuke (55) to retire.
Kago, who has been in showbiz since she joined Morning Musume at the age of 12, was fired from the group in March 2007 for repeatedly breaking non-smoking rules. She has written and spoken publicly about her history of wrist cutting, and she appeared at a suicide prevention event in September 2008. Though her relationship with Ando is probably not a healthy one for her, it did allow her to rebuild something of a career. She released her comeback solo single in 2009, performed solo overseas for the first time last year in New York, and this year she released a jazz DVD. Kago, a country girl from Nara, has continued to enjoy a rich lifestyle and lives in Ando's apartment in the luxurious 25-story Ark Towers East close to the Spanish embassy.
Kago has been trying to leave her management agency, Mainstream, for several months. But the company insists that she honor the two years remaining on her contract. She has fought back by holding a concert and starting up a blog without company approval. In an attempt to buy her way out, she is said to have turned to Ando for help. Speaking to reporters at the hospital yesterday Mainstream president Itoh Kazuyuki said Kago refuses to see him. He said he thought she was no longer living with Ando and he has repeatedly urged her to leave him.
Kago Ai’s lawyer speaks on suicide attempt
Posted on September 12, 2011 by tokyograph
Kago Ai’s lawyer Sadatomo Yoshinori released a statement to the media via fax on Monday, acting as her proxy to explain the situation regarding her suicide attempt on Sunday morning.
According to Sadatomo, he was on the phone with Kago that morning, and she told him, “Sensei, it looks like I cut my wrist.” Sadatomo urged her to go to the hospital, but she responded, “It’s fine. I just wanted to rest a bit, so I’m going to rest.” After that, she stopped responding, so someone from her management was sent to her apartment. Kago was found on the floor with a slit wrist and a stupor apparently caused by consuming a large amount of tranquilizers.
In the statement, Sadatomo also talked about Kago’s motive behind the suicide attempt.
Her boyfriend Ando Haruhiko, whom she was living with, was arrested on September 6 for attempted extortion. He tried to get out of a 20 million yen debt through intimidation, hinting to the other person that he had close connections to the Yamaguchi-gumi yakuza syndicate.
Kago began feeling some responsibility for the whole incident, to the point of thinking that Ando had perhaps been arrested for her sake. It was previously reported in June that Kago had been having conflicts with her agency Mainstream due to her relationship with Ando, and that her request for independence was rejected because of her contract. At the time, she publicly stated that her lawyer had managed to dissolve her contract, but it appears that the matter is still not over.
Mainstream president Ito Kazumitsu has tried visiting Kago at the hospital, but for two days in a row he has been unable to meet with her. Regarding Sadatomo’s explanation regarding her motive, Ito said, “That’s completely baseless. He’s making it [Mainstream's] fault.”
Ito also commented, “Maybe Kago still hasn’t been released from Ando’s mind control. My message to her? Contact me!” It is said that Kago has been out of contact with the agency since about half a year ago. Although Mainstream seems to still insist that Kago is under contract, it is possible that this incident may cause the company to cancel the contract.
Reports say that Kago is currently healthy, and she may be released from the hospital soon.
Morning Musume’s 10th generation revealed
Posted on September 29, 2011 by tokyograph
On Thursday, Morning Musume held a concert at Nippon Budokan as part of their current tour, which will end with a second Budokan concert on Friday. While leader Takahashi Ai will graduate from the group at the end of the tour, four new members are being added as part of the group’s 10th generation.
The 10th generation audition was held this summer, attracting approximately 6,000 applicants. Out of that competitive field, 4 members were selected, and they were revealed on stage during Morning Musume’s concert on Thursday.
The new members are Iikubo Haruna (16), a fashion model for Love Berry previously known by the name Dan Hau; Ishida Ayumi (14), a dancer for Dorothy Little Happy; Sato Masaki (12); and Kudo Haruka (11), a former Hello! Pro Egg member.
With the graduation of Takahashi and the addition of these four members, Morning Musume will grow to a total size of 12, with an average age of 15.8 years old.
Former Morning Musume member Nakazawa Yuko dating businessman
Posted on October 27, 2011 by tokyograph
Dream Morning Musume member and former Morning Musume member Nakazawa Yuko (38) is currently dating a businessman of the same age, reports this week’s FRIDAY.
The magazine says the man works in an IT-related business and resembles actor Uchino Masaaki (43). He and Nakazawa were recently introduced to each other by a friend and they began dating in August.
The two spent a night together at Nakazawa’s apartment after a dinner date at a Roppongi sushi restaurant. FRIDAY also published photos of the couple embracing on the street in front of the apartment.
Nakazawa’s management office declined to comment on her private life.
Nakazawa was previously in a long relationship with V6 leader Sakamoto Masayuki (40), but they broke up in August 2010.
Michishige Sayumi, Tanaka Reina star in “math battle” drama series with other Hello! Project members
Posted on November 21, 2011 by tokyograph
Morning Musume members Michishige Sayumi (22) and Tanaka Reina (22) will co-star in a “math battle” drama series this winter, titled “Suugaku?Joshi Gakuen.” This is the first time that either of them has starred in a television series.
The story, developed with the cooperation of the International Mathematical Olympiad in Japan, is set at a specialized math school, where Michishige and Tanaka both take on the roles of “suugaku joshi” (“math girls”). Naturally, the show will incorporate various mathematical functions and formulas into the story and dialogue.
Sakurada Dori (19) has been cast as the only boy in the entire school.
Besides Michishige and Tanaka, other Hello! Project members will appear on the show as rivals. Specifically, the girls will mainly be chosen from Mobekimasu, the combined group that brings together Morning Musume, Berryz Kobo, °Cute, Mano Erina, and S/mileage.
So far, the announced guest stars include Tsugunaga Momoko, Sudo Maasa, Yajima Maimi, Nakajima Saki, Suzuki Airi, Mano Erina, Wada Ayaka, Fukuda Kanon and Tamura Meimi.
NTV will broadcast the series on Wednesday nights at 12:59am, starting on January 11.
Terkini...Kalau yg dalam PV Love Revolution tuh...sumer dah graduated ....tp diorg bergabung balik jd group Dream Morning Musume.. pastu meng over shadow current Morning Musume..
Kalu based PV We Alive tuh.. ada 3 org remaining Members jerk... Si Risa (Dalam tuh dier rambut tocang ) dah jadi Group Leader and otomatic jadi H!p Leader gak .. Sayumi dah Jadi Sub Leader ngn Tanaka Reina Dah jadi the only Lead Vocalist (dulu dier tagteam ngn Ai takahashi)
Current Line Up ada 12 Member
1 - 5th Gen (Gokkie Member)
2 - 6th Gen ( Rokkie Member)
1 - 8th Gen
4 - 9th Gen (Kyukki Member)
4 - 10th Gen ( Jyukii Member..kot)
So based line up yg ada skang ni ... Tsunku macam nak jdkan riho (9th Gen) sebagai penganti Ai-chan which aku rasa mmg layak kot..tp not so sure lagi laa since ai-chan br grad ..and 10th gen baru masuk..the next single (1st single witout ai-chan) only will come out next jan..so tak tau sapa yang akan di push ke depan bersama sama Tanaka Reina ngn Riho.. mayb someone from 10th gen kot..takpun Risa...
Based on current Line ...aku suka si Erina ( 9th Gen) sebab dier punyer character byk persamaan ngn My KAmei Eri
kejap2.. berdasarkan dlm PV we go alive tuh.. ader sorg yg cam nasha aziz .. da ader jugak yg kiut miut.. alah lupe plak nama nyer.. jap ehh.. sebab aku ader wat avvy.. tpi xkenal nama....
yg baju kuning kat ats tuh saper ehhh?? yg merah kat avvy kedua neh plak saperr??
ouhh takahashi ai-chan laa tuh..dier br grad last month.. ..dier jadi 6th leader Morning musume selama 4thn...dier jadi member selama 10thn.. kira selama 4thn..dier laa jad The Ace...Sumer single start 2006 dier yg jadi Lead Vocalist (disamping tanaka reina ) ..so skang ni since dier dah takder..49th single akan determine laa camana nasib morning musume..