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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Ebizo-Mao wedding gets average 18.7% viewer rating
Wednesday 04th August, 05:00 AM JST
TOKYO —
Nippon TV’s coverage of the the much-anticipated wedding between kabuki star Ebizo Ichikawa, 32, and freelance TV presenter Mao Kobayashi, 28, on July 30, achieved an average viewer rating of 18.7% in the Kanto area according to Video Research Ltd. The program hit its peak at 9:13 p.m. when Kobayashi shed tears during her thank you speech to her parents, capturing ratings of 26%.
Celebrity weddings have in the past secured even bigger ratings, with the live broadcast of the 1987 wedding between Hiromi Go and Yurie Nitani securing 47.6%, and the 2007 wedding between Norika Fujiwara and Tomonori Jinnai capturing 24.7%.
Koda’s new single “Suki de, Suki de, Suki de. Anata dake” will be released Sept 22.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Button, Jessica an Item Again
July 26, 2010
It seems that romance is back on for British racing driver Jenson Button (30) and fashion model Michibata Jessica (25). The couple's relationship was first reported at the beginning of last year and there were rumors of marriage last summer. Michibata claimed that a proposal was in the works if Button won the Formula One championship, but that title came and went without any news of wedding bells. Then in May things were said to be on the rocks due to the pressures of separate careers and a long-distance relationship.
But recently there was media speculation of a reunion when they were spotted dining out in London after the British Grand Prix earlier this month. Confirmation came over the weekend after qualifications for the German Grand Prix as Button told reporters he would be joined by Michibata at next week's event in Hungary. She also posted to Twitter that she and friends had been cheering on her boyfriend at a sports bar in Tokyo.
Button has a new team this year but is currently in second place and in contention to defend his championship title. Michibata, whose father is half-Argentine, half-Italian, and whose mother is Japanese, has been modeling since she was a child, though the western media has gone a bit overboard in describing her as a "supermodel." She speaks fluent English and Japanese, as well as Spanish and some Italian.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Nishioka, Tokuzawa to Tie the Knot
 
Chiba Lotte Marines leadoff batter Nishioka Tsuyoshi (25) and popular fashion model Tokuzawa Naoko (25) both updated their blogs at the weekend to formally announce their upcoming wedding. The couple plan to tie the knot on July 27, which sees the start of the second half of the baseball season and is also Nishioka's birthday.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Hakamada Yoshihiko to Wed Pin-Up Girl
Hakamada Yoshihiko (37) is having a good year. The popular actor was recently announced to the cast of next year's NHK taiga drama, and yesterday it was revealed that he is engaged to young "guravia aidoru" (pin-up model) Kawanaka Ai (25). According to a source close to the couple, they met through mutual friends about two years ago but only started dating this spring. Hakamada is said to have proposed about a month ago.
The couple plan to get married on August 8. But with Hakamada now in preparation for his key role as Toyotomi Hidenaga (1540 - 1591) in "Gou - Himetachi no Sengoku," which starts filming in September, it's likely that they won't have a wedding ceremony or reception until next year.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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America Gets Ready for X Day
July 27, 2010
With X Japan gearing up for their long-awaited U.S. concert debut, the Los Angeles Times has put its spotlight on the rock band. The cover of its Arts & Books supplement on Sunday featured the headline, "America, Meet Yoshiki" and a photo of the band leader and drummer. The article - the kind of exposure the band needs if it is to have a chance of breaking into the U.S. market - gave a potted history of the band and compared their January rooftop video shoot in downtown Hollywood to similar stunts by The Beatles and U2. It included several quotes that confirmed Yoshiki's ambitions for overseas success ("People say, 'You cannot get to the moon.' I want to get to the moon! The moon being the American market."), but also others that revealed his band mates may not quite share that level of enthusiasm.
And the reason for the sudden attention to a band that formed in 1982? X Japan are scheduled to become the first ever Japanese artists to perform at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago on August 8, and then they kick off their North America tour on October 1 in support of their first original album in 14 years. For the J-rock and visual-kei pioneers, it really is a make or break opportunity in the U.S.
In related news that is hugely meaningful to die-hard fans of the band, it was revealed yesterday that the two shows at Yokohama Nissan Stadium on August 14/15 may well have a very special guest. Bassist and original member Taiji is said to be enthusiastic about the idea of performing on stage with his old friends for the first time in 18 years. He posted on his blog about meeting them for drinks recently and sharing stories about the old days, back when the band was known simply as X. The news of a possible reunion will make a quick sellout of the 150,000 tickets all the more likely. Tickets go on sale July 31.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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NTV Announcer Jumps to Death
NTV announcer Yamamoto Masumi was found dead in front of her high-rise apartment building in Sendai early yesterday morning. She was just 34. A suicide note addressed to her family was found and Miyagi Prefecture police are treating the death as such. Yamamoto's death came as a shock to those who knew her, particularly as she married last year and had her first child in February. She took maternity leave last August and had done mainly narration work since her baby was born. It is not known whether motherhood or its effect on her career was connected to her suicide.
A graduate of the prestigious Gakushuin University, Yamamoto joined NTV in 1999 and worked as an announcer on a variety of sports and news shows. She was a reporter in Turin for the Winter Olympics in 2006 and was considered one of the few joshiana who could also handle the job of sports announcer. She also had a scuba diving license and it was through that hobby that she met her future husband.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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East Meets West
July 28, 2010
Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie (35) is in Tokyo this week on her latest PR trip. She and her four children flew into Narita Airport on Monday, but dad Brad Pitt (41) was left at home this time. At a press conference held in a central Tokyo hotel yesterday, Jolie said she took the kids to a toy store to pick up some of their favorite Ponyo and Totoro goods. She was joined on stage by local actress Kuroki Meisa (22), who presented her with a bouquet. She later said she had been too nervous to look the Hollywood star in the eyes.
Jolie was in town to promote "Salt," directed by Phillip Noyce, an all-out action thriller in which she plays a former CIA agent who just may be a Russian double-agent. The movie opens in theaters here on July 31.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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In Blackjack the House Always Wins
To promote the DVD release of season 4 of the popular U.S. medical drama series "House," marketers have teamed up with none other than the Father of Japanese manga. TV commercials and posters for the DVD feature "House" star Hugh Laurie (51) and manga physician Black Jack, one of the most popular creations of Tezuka Osamu (1928-89). It is the first ever collaboration between a Tezuka character and an overseas drama. The commercials will air from August 4.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Japan's Venice Hopefuls
Japan has a couple of strong contenders in the running for this year's Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, as the lineup for the competition was announced yesterday. "Noruwei no Mori" (Norwegian Wood), the first ever adaptation of Murakami Haruki's cult novel, is the high-profile choice. With Vietnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung at the helm, it stars two of Japan's most highly rated young actors in Matsuyama Kenichi (24) and Oscar nominee Kikuchi Rinko (28).
It will be up against the latest movie from popular director Miike Takashi. "13-nin no Shikaku" (13 Assassins) stars the always solid Yakusho Koji (54) and is a remake of a 1963 samurai drama that is famous for its 30-minute climactic fight scene. The chambara style of movie (even with its weird choice of "Desperado" by The Eagles as its theme tune) might have an edge with a festival jury that is headed by American director Quentin Tarantino.
2010 marks the 67th year of the Venice event, the oldest film festival in the world. To date there have been three Japanese winners of the grand prix: Kurosawa Akira's "Rashomon" (1951), Inagaki Hiroshi's "Rickshaw Man" (1958), and Kitano Takeshi's "Hanabi" (1997).
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Band Manager Killed in Crash
July 30, 2010
The manager of visual-kei rock band Vistlip was killed in the early hours of this morning in a car crash. According to Nagano Prefecture highway police, a van carrying members of the band and staff hit the wall inside a tunnel on the Joshinetsu Expressway. Band manager Sakakibara Asako (31) was thrown out of the vehicle and died on the spot. The vehicle belonged to vocalist Matsushita Tomo (24), who along with the other six passengers suffered minor injuries. The band were returning from a show in Kanazawa city. Vistlip had a minor hit last year with "Ozone," the ending theme for the anime series "Yugioh."
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Shokotan stars in mobile drama
Mon, July 26, 2010 (9:55am EDT)
Idol and talento Shoko Nakagawa (25) has been given a starring role in a drama for the first time. She will play the lead in "Koi no Tadashii Houhou wa Hon ni mo Sekkeizu ni mo Notteinai," a mobile phone music drama being released through DOR@MO.
The drama is being handled by movie director Tetsuo Shinohara ("Heaven's Bookstore"). Nakagawa plays a librarian who has trouble connecting with others, but she meets an architect (played by D-BOYS member Hiroki Suzuki) and a slightly strange love story ensues. The drama's motif is the song "Sen no Kotoba to Futari no Himitsu," which Nakagawa is releasing as part of a double A-side single on August 18.
The story will last 10 episodes, with the first one being released on August 8. A trailer was already released on Monday.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Go Morita to lead stage adaptation of Mishima's "Kinkakuji"
Mon, July 26, 2010 (11:24am EDT)
The Yukio Mishima novel "Kinkakuji" (translated in English as "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion") is being adapted as a stage play, starring V6's Go Morita (31). Acclaimed director Amon Miyamoto (52) will be in charge of art direction.
"Kinkakuji" was one of the major works of Mishima's career. The story follows a young, disturbed Buddhist acolyte named Mizoguchi who ultimately attempts to burn down the famous Kinkakuji temple (properly called Rokuonji). Morita will play the part of Mizoguchi.
The play has been chosen as the first production to be performed at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre, which is planned to open in January 2011. As long as the theatre opens on schedule, "Kinkakuji" is expected to be performed early next year.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Shun Oguri to star in stage version of "A Clockwork Orange"
Tue, July 27, 2010 (7:13pm EDT)
Actor Shun Oguri (27) will star in a stage version of the Anthony Burgess novel "A Clockwork Orange," set to be performed early next year. This will be the first time that the story is adapted for the stage in Japan.
The best known adaptation of "A Clockwork Orange" is Stanley Kubrick's film in 1971. However, it has also received multiple theatrical adaptations in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
According to Horipro, which is handling the production of the play, there have been plans to adapt the book to stage previously in Japan, but an appropriate actor for the brutal character of Alex could not be found. But after Oguri's roles in the "Crows ZERO" movies and in the stage version of "Caligula," Horipro felt he fit the part and gave him an offer last summer.
Masahiko Kawahara will direct. Performances are scheduled to start in January 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Katsunori Takahashi to lead next year's "Shinshun Wide Jidaigeki"
Tue, July 27, 2010 (7:36pm EDT)
Actor Katsunori Takahashi (45) is taking on a new challenge, as he has been given his first lead role in a jidaigeki television drama. He will play the part of Kuroda Yoshitaka (also known as Kuroda Kanbei) in TV Tokyo's annual "Shinshun Wide Jidaigeki" program at the start of next year.
The drama is tentatively titled "Sengoku Shippuden Futari no Gunshi: Hideyoshi ni Tenka wo Eraseta Otokotachi." It focuses on Kuroda, who was one of the chief military strategists under Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the Sengoku period.
Takahashi, best known for his salaryman portrayals in dramas such as "Salaryman Kintaro" and "Tokumei Kakarichou Tadano Hitoshi," has appeared in a historical drama before, but this is said to be his first true jidaigeki role. To top it off, the show is a "Shinshun Wide Jidaigeki," which means that it will be 7 hours long.
"Sengoku Shippuden Futari no Gunshi" is scheduled to air on January 2, 2011, but the broadcast time has not yet been decided.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Charts: SMAP, Team Dragon
Wed, July 28, 2010 (9:14am EDT)
SMAP's new album "We are SMAP!" sold 180,000 copies this week to rank #1 on the charts, giving them their 11th number-one album (5th consecutive). They now have a number-one album in three consecutive decades ('90s, '00s, '10s), becoming just the third group to accomplish that feat after Southern All Stars and CHAGE and ASKA (both currently have a streak from the '80s to the '00s).
Singer JASMINE took the #3 spot with her first album. The rest of the top ten included new releases from Megumi Hayashibara (#6) and Gackt (#7), as well as a "Katekyo Hitman Reborn!" character album (#9).
http://upload.indomp3z.us/pics/2010/1279507693/AKB48%20(Team%20Dragon)%20-%20Kokoro%20no%20Hane.jpg
In singles, the top seller of the week was "Kokoro no Hane" from AKB48 sub-unit Team Dragon, which sold 80,000 copies. the GazettE was #2, followed by Ketsumeishi. Megumi Hayashibara released a new single this past week (in addition to her album), mirroring her #6 spot on the album rankings. Choshinsung (#7), Minori Chihara (#9) and BoA (#10) also made the top ten with new songs.
On the overall DVD sales ranking, the movie "BANDAGE" (starring Jin Akanishi) was #1 in its first week, selling 37,000 copies.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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TBS to drop Saturday drama time slot
Wed, July 28, 2010 (7:46pm EDT)
On Wednesday, broadcaster TBS announced that its Saturday 8:00pm hour will be turning back into a variety show time slot this October. The "Hammer Session!" drama series is currently airing in that slot.
In April 2008, TBS changed the time slot from variety to drama, starting with the live-action series "ROOKIES." That series did fairly well, but most dramas in that time slot have averaged under 10% ratings, with the notable exception of Takuya Kimura's "MR.BRAIN" last spring.
TBS stated that it is making the change with the aim of revitalizing the time slot.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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"Fushigi Yugi" gets theatrical adaptation
Thu, July 29, 2010 (8:53am EDT)
Yu Watase's popular manga series "Fushigi Yugi" is being adapted to the stage. The news was announced on Wednesday by the Shogakukan magazine Flowers, which currently serializes the manga's prequel, "Fushigi Yugi Genbu Kaiden."
The stage adaptation is being produced by promotion company Amipro and directed by Shintaro Sugano. So far, only Mao Miyaji (26) has been announced as a cast member. More details will be made available on Shogakukan's website.
A total of 9 performances are scheduled over a five-day span (October 20-24) at The Pocket theater in Nakano, Tokyo.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Four AKB48 members to start solo manga projects
Thu, July 29, 2010 (9:41am EDT)
   
Four AKB48 members are getting their own solo comic strips in the manga magazine Weekly Young Jump. The four girls - Mayu Watanabe, Yuki Kashiwagi, Rie Kitahara, and Rino Sashihara - will take turns each week, starting with the magazine's Volume 38, on sale on August 19.
The titles of their manga (subject to change) are "Mayuyu: Mangaka Debut Keikaku," "Yukirin no THE Idol Quest," "Kitarie no Mousou Bungaku Shoujodou," and "Sasshi Bishoujo-ka Keikaku." As the titles suggest, the comics will reflect each member's own personality.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Actress Kayako Sono passes away
Thu, July 29, 2010 (10:39am EDT)
Actress Kayako Sono recently died at her home in Setagaya, Tokyo, apparently due to natural causes. She was 80.
Sono lived alone in her Setagaya home. A relative visited on July 27 and called police after discovering that Sono had collapsed in the bathroom. Sono was known to be alive on July 26, as she had talked with a friend.
Sono was originally from Tokyo but grew up in the Kansai region. She made her first television appearance in 1953, while she was still in high school. She went on to act in countless supporting roles in films and television dramas, including "Hosoude Hanjouki," "Arigatou," and "Onna wa Dokyou." She was also active in theater and appeared in television commercials.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Mr.Children makes new documentary
Thu, July 29, 2010 (11:40am EDT)
Rock band Mr.Children is making a documentary film called "Mr.Children / Split The Difference," which will be shown in select theaters across the country for a limited time.
"Split The Difference" was the title of a series of six free, live performances that Mr.Children held in March and April of this year, limited to fan club members and other invited guests. The performances, held in a recording studio, at Motion Blue Yokohama, and at The Globe Tokyo, were all recorded. The collected footage is being turned into a 115-minute movie, which will be part-documentary and part-concert.
This is not the first music documentary for Mr.Children. Fifteen years ago, in 1995, they released a similar movie titled "es: Mr.Children in Film."
Trailers for "Mr.Children / Split The Difference" will start at the end of this month. It will then screen in a small set of theaters for only two weeks, starting on September 4.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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