Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]

whitedove

"Yajiuma TV" to replace "Yajiuma Plus"
Fri, September 3, 2010 (1:02pm EDT)

TV Asahi announced last month that it will be ending the morning news show "Yajiuma Plus," and now its successor has been revealed. The similarly named "Yajiuma TV! ~Marugoto Seikatsu Jouhoukyoku~" will take over the time slot and expand it by half an hour, starting on October 4.

"Yajiuma Plus" currently airs on weekdays 5:25-8:00am, and on Saturdays 6:30-8:00am under the name "Yajiuma Saturday." The new "Yajiuma TV!" will replace both and start half an hour earlier on weekdays (4:55am). Naturally, new segments will be introduced, such as chefs of famous restaurants sharing their techniques, and personal ranking lists by celebrities.

The new main emcee will be popular male weathercaster Tsukasa Yoda (44), with female announcers Yuuki Ooki (29) and Makiko Kato (25) stepping up from their current roles on "Yajiuma Plus" to assist as main hosts. Kazuhiko Yoshizawa (55) will continue to be in charge of the "newspaper corner," which presents selected stories from the day's papers.

On Saturdays, the show will be led by announcers Yuko Yajima (28), Naoko Kubota (28), and Masako Yagi (24).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

JAL launches Arashi Jet
Sat, September 4, 2010 (11:58am EDT)



Japan Airlines, which is currently undergoing reconstruction due to its financial troubles, is looking to boost its business with Arashi's help. The airline has commissioned a single "Arashi Jet," which is basically a Boeing 777 whose fuselage is decorated with a 5-meter-tall, 20-meter-wide seal bearing the images of Arashi's members, along with the title of their latest album, "Boku no Miteiru Fuukei."

The plane will take its first flight on Sunday at 1:30pm, flying from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Osaka. The plane is expected to be primarily used for domestic flights, serving the routes between Haneda and three other airports: New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Itami Airport in Osaka, and Fukuoka Airport in Fukuoka. JAL plans to use the plane until January 2011.

In addition to the Arashi Jet, JAL will be selling the "Boku no Miteiru Fuukei" album (with a specially designed cover) in-flight on several of its domestic routes.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Shape Up Girls' Fumie Nakajima marries
Sat, September 4, 2010 (1:18pm EDT)



Former Shape Up Girls member Fumie Nakajima (42) is officially married, her agency has announced. She and chef Akira Watanabe (45) turned in their marriage registration on September 1.

It was reported in May that the two were engaged, and it was formally announced in June. The two had already been dating for several years before their engagement.

Nakajima is the third member of Shape Up Girls to tie the knot, after Eri Imai (39) and Mayumi Kajiwara (43). Mamiko Mise (40) is the only member who is still single.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Idol China Fukunaga takes a break
Sat, September 4, 2010 (1:28pm EDT)



In a blog update on Friday, gravure idol China Fukunaga (29) announced that she is taking a temporary break from show business.

Fukunaga has been in the industry for six years, but she stated that she has now found something she wants to do outside of show business. After discussions with her management agency, it was officially decided that she would halt her activities as an idol while she pursues her new interest. She did not provide further information about her plans, however.

At the end of her message, she said that she would be glad to do more show business-related work in the future if she gets the chance.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Takashi Shimizu's next 3D film is "Rabbit Horror"
Sat, September 4, 2010 (11:53pm EDT)



Horror director Takashi Shimizu (38) is already working on his next 3D picture, it has been learned. Last year, he created "The Shock Labyrinth 3D," Asia's first 3D film. He has reunited the staff from that movie for "Rabbit Horror 3D," starring Hikari Mitsushima (24).

The film is being shot by cinematographer Christopher Doyle, using Panasonic's dual-lens AG-3DA1 camera. The story's concept appears to have taken some inspiration from "Alice in Wonderland," as it revolves around a stuffed rabbit and an alternate world. In the film, Mitsushima's younger brother has received the rabbit, and night after night he is beckoned to that mysterious world. The wary Mitsushima aims to unravel the secret behind the rabbit, though her father ultimately informs of her of a shocking truth.

Mitsushima's supporting cast includes Teruyuki Kagawa (44), Nao Omori (38), and Tamaki Ogawa (38). Filming is already expected to wrap up on September 8, as Shimizu will be headed to the Venice Film Festival next day. Last week, it was announced that Shimizu is heading the jury of the festival's 3D competition. However, he also plans to show a few minutes of footage from "Rabbit Horror 3D" at the event.

"Rabbit Horror 3D" will be released theatrically in 2001.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Versailles' Masashi becomes official member
Sun, September 5, 2010 (8:07pm EDT)



Visual-kei band Versailles announced during their concert on Saturday that support bassist MASASHI has become an official member. MASASHI has been playing with the band for about half a year, helping to fill in the gap left by the death of bassist Jasmine You in August 2009.

MASASHI now officially completes the quintet, but Versailles is keeping the memory of Jasmine You alive by declaring themselves as having 6 members, similar to X Japan and the late guitarist hide.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Rinko Kikuchi dating director Spike Jonze
Sat, September 4, 2010 (10:34pm EDT)



Actress Rinko Kikuchi (29) appears to be dating American director and producer Spike Jonze (40), known for movies such as "Being John Malkovich" and "Where the Wild Things Are." Their relationship was discovered at the Venice Film Festival (currently running until September 11), where they made no effort to hide their affection.

Kikuchi is at the festival along with co-stars Kenichi Matsuyama (25) and Kiko Mizuhara (19) for the screening of their movie "Norwegian Wood." After the screening on Thursday night, Kikuchi and Jonze were seen walking together while holding hands. During an event the next night, Kikuchi was seated at a table with Mizuhara and others, but she openly exchanged looks with Jonze and was even seen kissing him.

According to one source, the couple met in December 2009 when Jonze visited Japan to promote "Where the Wild Things Are." They were introduced to each other and instantly hit it off. Kikuchi's agency has acknowledged the relationship, though they said it has just barely started.

One of Kikuchi's bases of activity is New York, and she reportedly flew from there to Venice together with Jonze. After the festival ends, they plan on returning to New York.

Jonze was previously married to director and actress Sofia Coppola from 1999 to 2003. Kikuchi, on the other hand, was rumored to be living with Argentinian-born model and talento Federico Aletta in 2007.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Koichi Domoto to star in Kansai Yamamoto's version of "Seven Samurai"
Sun, September 5, 2010 (8:36pm EDT)



Fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto (66) is putting together a stage production called the "KANSAI SUPER SHOW: Shichinin no Samurai," based on Akira Kurosawa's famous 1954 film "Shichinin no Samurai" ("Seven Samurai"). KinKi Kids member Koichi Domoto (31) will star as the character Kikuchiyo, who was originally played by legendary actor Toshiro Mifune.

Yamamoto has apparently been preparing this production for the past three years. Although it is based on the Kurosawa movie, he explained that it will be set in the present day and that the method of expression will be completely different. It is being reported that Yamamoto plans to make it a 90-minute "spectacle show" with no lines of dialogue.

The rest of the "seven samurai" will be played by Akira Emoto (61), Riisa Naka (20), kickboxer Masato (31), Dachou Club's Ryuhei Ueshima (49), Olympic gymnast Yukio Iketani (39), and dancer Kaiji Moriyama (36). However, the entire cast is said to consist of 500 people.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

More Western movies being dubbed as Japanese audiences tire of subtitles

TOKYO —

The number of Western movies subtitled in Japanese is rapidly declining as 3D movies become more common and viewers grow more averse to reading text on screen.

Instead, many theaters are opting to show films dubbed in Japanese.

About 40% of the theaters that showed “Avatar,” the world’s first full-length commercial 3D film, used the dubbed version. That ratio climbed to 60% for “Alice in Wonderland” and about 60% for “Toy Story 3.”

“Inception,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, wasn’t done in 3D, but about 40% of the copies showing here are dubbed in Japanese.

Film distributors in Japan acknowledge that subtitled movies have traditionally been the way to show foreign films in Japan, with the dubbed versions used mainly for animated movies aimed at families with children. In Western countries, however, it’s the reverse: Most foreign movies are shown with the actors’ voices dubbed in the local language.

Nowadays, many Japanese viewers are complaining how difficult it is to read subtitles on screen, movie distributors said.

“Many theaters have started saying they don’t need the subtitled versions anymore because dubbed versions can draw more audiences,” said a sales representative at a major movie distributor.

“The spread of 3D movies will further decrease the number of theaters showing subtitled versions,” the source said.

Natsuko Toda, a noted translator of movies, believes the subtitled version is the best form for enjoying a foreign movie because the true voice is one of the major attractions in the performance of an actor or actress.

Japanese people have long preferred subtitles because of their strong adoration of foreign culture, the country’s high literacy rate and the nature of kanji, which can convey much information in a small space, Toda said.

“It’s good that audiences can have more choices, and I’d be happy if dubbed versions help people who didn’t like foreign movies to see more of them,” Toda said. “But I hope that people don’t start relying on dubbed voices because they can’t read kanji.”

Yamamoto has designed "samurai fashion" costumes for the show, which will be complemented by lots of visual effects from water to fire to wire-flying. It will be performed at the Ariake Coliseum on November 20-21, with an anticipated total audience of 32,000. However, Yamamoto is hoping to have the show performed overseas as well.

An official website for the show launched on Monday.

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove

Calling It a Day        
September 06, 2010



Nezu Jinpachi (62) has decided to retire from his long and successful acting career. The decision was announced by his wife Kimika (47) on today's edition of the TV Asahi show "Super Morning." He has been hardly since since he was sidelined by health problems in 2002. A fatal traffic accident in July 2004 and further health problems led to depression. His decision to retire was due to a loss of confidence in his acting ability. His wife says he plans to continue working as a writer and producer.

Nezu made his acting debut in a theater group in 1969. He had a few years of TV and movie experience before landing a part in the popular 1978 taiga historical drama on NHK. He later went on to work several times with the legendary Kurosawa Akira, including major roles in "Kagemusha" (1980) and "Ran" (1985).

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove

175R Calling It Quits



Also calling it quits, at least temporarily, are the rock quartet 175R. They announced today that after their December tour of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka, they will be taking an extended break. In a statement, the band said, "We aren't taking it as a negative thing, but as a chance to polish our individual skills." Made up of Shogo (vo), Kazya (g), Isakick (b) and Yoshiaki (dr), the group formed in 1998 and made their major-label debut in 2003. They had their first Oricon No.1 the same year with "Sora ni Utaeba." Their sixth and most recent original album, "Japon," was released earlier this year but only made No.55 on the chart. Shogo (30) was married to Speed member Imai Eriko (26) from 2004-07.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove

BAD GIRLS & WILD WOMEN OPEN A FUN FILLED WEEK OF J-POP INSPIRED EVENTS AT NEW PEOPLE

September 6, 2010 by J!-ENT

Shochu Distiller Haamonii Hosts Pre-Show Reception; TokyoScope DELUXE Is The 1st of 5 Nights Of Pure Japanese Pop Culture Leading Up To The J-Pop Summit Festival 2010 On September 18th



San Francisco, CA, September 7, 2010 – NEW PEOPLE and VIZ Cinema have announced a very special session of the popular TokyoScope Talk DELUXE film lecture series with a look at sexy cinematic vixens in Bad Girls & Wild Women on Monday, September, 13th at 6:00pm.

The evening will be complemented by a rare theatrical screening of the classic “pinky violence” prison film Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion. Adults only due to mature subject matter; 18+ General admission tickets for the discussion and film screening are $20.00.

TokyoScope Talk DELUXE: Bad Girls & Wild Women finds hosts Patrick Macias (Editor, Otaku USA), delving into the dark world of Stray Cats, Female Prisoners, Delinquent Bosses and other sexy bad girl roles from Japanese cult cinema. For the “DELUXE” session of the series, Macias will introduce the history of classic pinky violence, followed by director Shunya Ito’s film, Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972), which is based on a manga comic series by Toru Shinohara, and epitomized the exploitation film genre that was popular in Japan the 70s. This event will also be followed by an after-party and Q&A.

For the pre-event reception beginning at 6:00pm, NEW PEOPLE will offer J-Pop gift bags and present inventive spirits and beverages from Shochu distiller Haamonii. Haamonii is a new low calorie Japanese spirit created from over 400 years of tradition that mixes like vodka but with far less calories and a very smooth, floral-inspired taste. Haamonii, which means harmony in Japanese, won a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute and is hand-crafted in small batches in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This lively event also kicks off J-Pop Week, offering five consecutive nights of pop culture inspired events that culminate with the J-Pop Summit Festival 2010, on Saturday, September 18th in San Francisco’s Japantown. Tickets are now available on www.J-Pop.com <http://www.j-pop.com/> .

J-Pop Week continues at NEW PEOPLE every night through Friday, September 17th with a variety of events celebrating Japanese and Asian film, anime, fashion design, music and other forms of pop culture. Special gift bags containing a variety of fun premiums will be given to all ticket holders each night. Check www.J-Pop.com <http://www.J-Pop.com>  for a complete list of nightly events.

The J-Pop Summit Festival 2010 will present a variety of fun Japanese pop-inspired attractions including fashion shows, a theatrical film premiere, live art performances, and mini-concerts by some of Japan’s hottest bands. Innovative artists and companies from the Bay area and Japan will join in with an array of products for sale in open air displays on both sides of Post Street and a food court highlighting Japanese cuisine will further complement the celebration. More details are available at: www.J-Pop.com <http://www.J-Pop.com> .

VIZ Cinema is the nation’s first movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX&#174;-certified sound system.

Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT

whitedove

Kento Hayashi stars in Motoharu Sano-Yukihiko Tsutsumi collaboration
Mon, September 6, 2010 (10:03am EDT)

In March, musician Motoharu Sano (54) celebrated the 30th anniversary of his career with a concert in Ebisu. At that time, he announced that he would be collaborating with movie director Yukihiko Tsutsumi (54). Now, curious fans have been given details about the project, which will take the form of a television drama special titled "Coyote, Umi e."

The drama is described as a "road movie" story, incorporating themes of "liberation" and "harmony." Sano wrote the script, partly based on his own experiences during his time in New York. The story is set in that city, as well as in Brazil and Japan. Naturally, the drama will heavily use Sano's music.



Young actor Kento Hayashi (19) stars as Haru, whose father (Shiro Sano) has suddenly disappeared. In search of his father's secrets, Haru travels to New York. There, he gets his first exposure to the Beat Generation culture, and through that, he gradually comes to understand a bit more about his father. One scene will have Hayashi doing a poetry reading at the historic St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, located in Manhattan.

"Coyote, Umi e" will be broadcast on WOWOW in January 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

"Cherry Nights" manga gets live-action drama
Mon, September 6, 2010 (10:23am EDT)



Dragon Odawara's comedy manga "Cherry Nights" is being adapted as a live-action television series, starring comedians Ayumu Kato (35) of the duo Zabungle and Yu Sawabe (24) of the duo Haraichi.

The original comic, which has been running irregularly since 2005, revolves around the everyday lives of two male virgins rooming together in a run-down apartment. Kato takes on the role of Kaoru Eto, a 30-year-old who boasts of being popular with the ladies, passing on his imaginary romance techniques to his eager 18-year-old disciple Hajime Tamura (played by Sawabe).

The "Cherry Nights" drama will be aired by BS Fuji late on Sunday nights (2:00am), starting on October 10.


Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Takeshi Kitano planning "Outrage" sequel
Mon, September 6, 2010 (11:48am EDT)



It is being reported that director Takeshi Kitano (63) has decided to work on a sequel to his most recent movie, "Outrage." The film opened on 155 screens in June, earning 4th place in its opening weekend and grossing 750 million yen so far. Kitano is apparently hoping to capitalize on that success with "Outrage 2," which is aimed for a fall 2011 release.

Early in his directing career, Kitano became known for his violent yakuza films such as "Violent Cop" and "Sonatine." He later took a turn with recent works like "Takeshis'" and "Kantoku Banzai!," but "Outrage" marked his return to yakuza films after roughly a decade.

Kitano spoke highly of the "Outrage" cast, saying that he felt he was able to create an interesting movie. However, he said that upon close analysis, it just barely made the grade in his mind, so he is aiming to make an even more interesting and enjoyable work.

"Outrage 2" will be jointly distributed by Office Kitano and Warner Brothers. The project is still in the preparatory stages, so the story details are unknown at this point, but it is said that Kitano plans to add new big-name cast members.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Umika Kawashima, Aoi Nakamura star in mobile drama
Mon, September 6, 2010 (8:06pm EDT)



Actress Umika Kawashima (16) and actor Aoi Nakamura (19) are co-starring in a BeeTV mobile drama titled "Sekai no Owari ni Saku Hana." The drama tells of the painful first love between Taiyo and Saki, two youngsters who have been suffering from kidney disease since childhood and are waiting for transplants.

Kawashima and Nakamura worked together in a commercial for Calpis Water last year, but this will be their first time playing opposite each other in a drama. Other cast members include Shiro Sano (55), Michiko Hada (41), Yuta Nakano (24), and Mariko Tsutsui (47).

"Sekai no Owari ni Saku Hana" will begin distribution on September 20. A total of 12 episodes are planned for release.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Eri Fukatsu takes Best Actress in Montreal
Tue, September 7, 2010 (2:20am EDT)



On Monday in Montreal, actress Eri Fukatsu (37) was awarded Best Actress at the 34th Montreal World Film Festival. She received the prize for her role in Sang-il Lee's "Akunin," which stars her and actor Satoshi Tsumabuki (29).

Fukatsu is the first Japanese to win Best Actress at the festival since Yuko Tanaka (55) took it in 1983 for her performance in "Amagigoe." However, Japanese have won other awards at the festival in recent years, including Yojiro Takita's "Okuribito" in 2008 (Grand prix des Americas) and Kichitaro Negishi's "Viyon no Tsumabuki" in 2009 (Best Director).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Natsuki Kato, Chisato Nakata play Gothic Lolita sisters in "Musashino-sen no Shimai" movie
Mon, September 6, 2010 (9:33am EDT)



In August, it was reported that the manga series "Musashino-sen no Shimai" by Yukiwo would be turned into a theatrical film. It has now been confirmed that the movie is live-action, and that it will star actress Natsuki Kato (25) and AKB48 member Chisato Nakata (19).

The story is a comedy about the carefree lives of two beautiful sisters in Saitama who love Gothic Lolita fashion. Kato plays the older sister Ran, an unemployed girl addicted to the internet, while Nakata plays Pandora, who works part-time at a maid cafe.

The movie's release date has not yet been announced.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Former Morning Musume members become Afternoon Musume for coffee CMs
Mon, September 6, 2010 (10:57am EDT)

Seven of Morning Musume's OG members have been appointed as the new image characters for Coca-Cola's coffee product "Georgia Go-Houbi Break." Together, they will be known as the unit "Afternoon Musume," though their activities will be limited to the new series of commercials.



Afternoon Musume consists of Yuko Nakazawa, Kaori Iida, Natsumi Abe, Kei Yasuda, Makoto Ogawa, Mari Yaguchi, and Miki Fujimoto. The seven of them will play attendants in the commercials, which will tell a story set in the samurai quarters.

The first commercial will feature only five of the members (without Yaguchi and Fujimoto), though actor Keisuke Koide will also make an appearance. The commercial's song will include lyrics such as "afternoon coffee nomou yo, gogo ni," reminiscent of Morning Musume's debut single "Morning Coffee" (which had the line "morning coffee nomou yo, futari de"). Broadcast of the commercial is set to begin on September 8.

Yaguchi and Fujimoto are set to appear in the second commercial of the series, but no starting date has been announced for it yet.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Japan’s orchestras battle to survive

By Dan Grunebaum



TOKYO —

The life of an elite classical music conductor is about as glamorous as you might imagine: Hubert Soudant lives in Italy but travels to Japan several times a year to direct the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra (TSO), on top of the many orchestras he’s invited to guest conduct worldwide.

But take away the black-tie concerts and glitzy after-parties, and there are the mundane tasks of planning the year’s concerts. When we join Soudant at his hotel in Shinagawa, the Holland native is critiquing the marketing campaign for the TSO’s new Mozart series. Leading a Japanese orchestra, he says, presents unique challenges.

“Music is totally different in Japan than in Europe,” he explains. “A music director in Tokyo has the main number of important concerts in the year, but he doesn’t have a decisive grip on the whole thing. When I was the music director in Salzburg, I was pushing ideas, and they were realized.”

Soudant says that, apart from the Yomiuri and NHK orchestras, there is pressure on Japanese ensembles to remain profitable. This means that popular tastes dictate much of any given year’s programming. “In Europe, orchestras’ budgets are subsidized at least 90 percent by the state, whereas here we get only 10%. So musicians have to earn their keep, and they cannot be very critical. It’s a battle to survive, and if the organizer says, ‘I’d like to have the TSO play this or that,’ we have to follow.”

The result is a program heavily dependent on the greatest hits of the classical repertoire, with little time for contemporary composers—a situation markedly different from when Soudant was first invited to Japan in the ’80s. “If you look at the program of an entire year, there is very little modern music,” says the conductor, who is now in the sixth of his ten-year tenure as TSO music director. “In the Bubble, they could afford to do a lot of modern works because the sponsorship was there, but today there is no sponsorship.

“Thirty years ago, everyone was building big concert halls. Everyone had lots of money, and the conductors and soloists were the biggest. That has changed. Everything has to do with money. Why did Rembrandt go to Amsterdam to paint? Because the money was there. And so it is for every art form—you go where the possibilities are.”

The upside of the Darwinian struggle among Tokyo’s eight symphony orchestras is that it keeps them in fighting trim. “You see now in Europe with the poor economy, where do they save money? On the things you don’t need—music and art,” Soudant says. “As a result, all these institutions are now facing difficulties, because they never learned how to survive. But here it is a battle to survive, and only by the quantity and quality of its concerts can the TSO exist.”

Citing the past week as typical, Soudant says after premiering one of classical music’s most difficult operas, the TSO immediately began its Suntory Hall concert series. “The day after I began planning the next season, then on Saturday we do the Mozart matinee in the morning and then play the opera. On Sunday at 11 o’clock, they play Schubert, and also in the afternoon. You cannot believe it!”

The result is a highly disciplined orchestra, but also one in which burnout is endemic. “I have to pay attention,” says Soudant, who—despite not speaking Japanese—works without a translator. “Sometimes they work so hard that I have to think about how not to tire them too much, so they still have the energy to give me a good concert. For instance, last Sunday they played opera and they were dead—but we had to rehearse Mozart. They trust me to do right by them because I have led this orchestra for many years.”

Despite its reputation of producing little more than clones, the conductor praises the Asian classical music machine that in recent decades has populated the world’s orchestras with Chinese, Japanese and Korean prodigies. “It’s wonderful when you have a little child and a method to learn, and he or she is very happy to do it,” says Soudant, himself a youthful French horn prodigy. “I think there is a bit of jealousy. I have nothing against this, because through this method the string sections of the Japanese orchestras are splendid. The best of these youngsters join orchestras and the super talents become soloists—and then we talk about personality and interpretation.”

When Soudant first arrived from Salzburg in 2004, his goal was to trace the history of classical music with one orchestra. Having conducted the TSO in composers from Mozart to Schoenberg, he’s already achieved his ambition with four years left in his tenure.

“I am a musician who likes music, and I will go where they want me,” he concludes. “I am not in a mood anymore to make a career—I have made my career. I want to feel happy to go to rehearsals, to do concerts, and produce excellent music. That is the only thing that interests me. I am not at all interested in becoming more famous. I have reached a certain level. Some people believe in me—others don’t. I don’t mind.”

Hubert Soudant conducts the TSO on Nov 27 at Suntory Hall and Nov 28 at Muza Kawasaki. Both concerts feature pianist Dang Thai Son performing works by Chopin and Bruckner. For a complete schedule see www.tokyosymphony.com.

This story originally appeared in Metropolis magazine (www.metropolis.co.jp).

Source: www.japantoday.com