Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]

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X Japan Tour Starts in L.A.       
September 27, 2010



Rock band X Japan finally kicked off their first ever North American concert tour, performing for about 2,300 fans at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday. After the support act Vampires Everywhere!, X Japan took the stage at 9pm. Representatives of the band's late guitarist Hide made it known the same day that they didn't want the band to use his image onstage as they usually do. That led to some last-minute setlist changes, But the band were in good form, but they still played 14 songs, including recent additions "Jade" and "Born to be Free." There was even a bit of stage diving by vocalist Toshi. The tour will take in seven cities and finish in New York on October 10. The band are due to tour Europe in the New Year.

Meanwhile it was announced that X Japan have signed a contract with the William Morris entertainment agency, the biggest in the world. A global version of their "Blue Blood" online fan club is on the way and radio promotion of the band's first original album in 14 years is due to start in the U.S. on October 1.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Rocky Vs. Chiyonofuji?       
September 27, 2010



Over the weekend, Rocky star Sylvester Stallone (64) was in Japan for the first time in more than two decades to promote his latest action flick "The Expendables." He hooked up with an old friend from his last trip, former yokozuna (grand champion) Chinofuji (55), now known as Kokonoe oyakata (stable master).

The pair last met in 1988 (photo above), when Chiyonofuji - known as The Wolf - was at the peak of his dominance and Stallone was promoting "Rocky 3." "The last time I saw him he took me to his house. He was in training. I do action in the movies but he does it for real. He's a real superstar," said Stallone. He added, "He looks younger now than he did then. He should be in the movies!"

He also got to watch live sumo for the first time, watching the second-to-last day at of the tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, and met current yokozuna Hakuho (25). The Mongolian sumo star lifted up the Hollywood star for the cameras. "He was heavy. I have no arm strength," Hakuho said. Yesterday he went on to win his fourth tournament in a row and is now on a 62-bout winning streak. During this tournament he passed the 53-win mark of Chiyonofuji, and he will have Futabayama's 71-year-old record of 69 in his sights at the next tournament in November.

With sumo's recent troubles and scandals, a bit of Hollywood glitz and PR was very welcome. Stallone was more than happy to oblige, saying he was very impressed by the simplicity of Japan's national sport. "It's so fantastic about the fury of the sport," he said. "It's so easy to follow. The rules are simple. It's why people love it. It's man versus man." The Expendables opens in Japanese theaters on October 16.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Sachi Suzuki gives birth
Fri, September 24, 2010 (1:52pm EDT)



Sachi Suzuki (30), a model in fashion magazine AneCan, is now a mother. Her agency announced that she gave birth to a baby girl on Friday.

Suzuki also wrote about the happy news in her blog that evening, saying that the delivery went safely and that her daughter weighed 3,728 grams at birth.

Suzuki has been married since September 2009.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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STANCE PUNKS drummer to leave next month
Fri, September 24, 2010 (2:01pm EDT)



Rock band STANCE PUNKS has announced that drummer Kenichi Kaki is leaving the group. His last performance as a band member will be at Shibuya O-WEST on October 18.

Kaki officially joined the band in 2004. In his official comment on the band's website, he thanked STANCE PUNKS' fans for their support up until now, though he did not reveal his reasons for leaving.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Shoko Nakagawa directs prologue to "Nanase Futatabi"
Fri, September 24, 2010 (3:13pm EDT)



Multi-talented idol Shoko Nakagawa (25) is expanding her repertoire even further, taking on her first directorial duties for a short film. The piece is a prologue to Kazuya Konaka's "Nanase Futatabi," which is based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's classic sci-fi novel of the same name.



Nakagawa is known for doing many things, including singing, acting, and drawing manga, but this is her first time directing. She is said to be a big fan of Tsutsui's works, so she was excited to take on the project. The short is about 7 minutes in length, leading up to the story in the feature-length film. Sei Ashina (26) stars in both, playing a young woman with the ability to read minds, who bands together with others possessing similar powers to fight against an organization that is trying to eliminate them.

Filming for the short took place earlier this month. In an unusual move, the distributor Toei has decided that the prologue will be screened right before the actual movie, so that audiences don't miss out on that part of the story. "Nanase Futatabi" will open in theaters on October 2.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Masaya Kato's first child
Sat, September 25, 2010 (1:36am EDT)



On Friday, actor Masaya Kato (47) announced on his official website that he has become a father. His first child, a daughter named Marina, was born earlier that day.

Kato got married in 2006 to a surgeon (38) whom he met after injuring himself during a movie shoot in 2004. Kato currently appears in the movie "THE LAST MESSAGE: Umizaru," which opened in Japan on September 18.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Saki Takaoka gives birth at home
Sat, September 25, 2010 (1:48am EDT)



Actress Saki Takaoka (37) gave birth to her second earlier this month, it has just been learned. According to multiple people close to her, her new daughter was born in Takaoka's own home, where she currently lives with her boyfriend, her mother, and her two sons.

News of Takaoka's pregnancy first surfaced in July, when newspapers also reported that she was dating a businessman (43) that she met at the end of last year. Although they are already living together, it is now said that the two do not have plans for marriage at the moment. It is also not yet known when Takaoka will return to work.

Takaoka was previously married to actor Naoki Hosaka (42) for eight years before divorcing in 2004. Takaoka's two sons, aged 12 and 10, are from that marriage.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Hiroshi Tachi stars in NHK jidaigeki dramas
Sat, September 25, 2010 (2:21am EDT)



Actor Hiroshi Tachi (60) has landed two lead roles in NHK historical dramas. The first will be a special aired on January 1, titled "Onmitsu Hichou," followed by a related series called "Onmitsu Happyakuyacho" that starts a week later on January 8.

For Tachi, these will be his first appearances in a jidaigeki television drama since the 2006 taiga drama "Komyo ga Tsuji." It is also his first time as the star of a drama on New Year's Day.

In "Onmitsu Hichou," Tachi plays the samurai Kamiya Shozaemon, ordered to uncover the truth behind an incident known as the "Ninjo Jiken," which later led to the downfall of Tanuma Okitsugu, a senior counselor of the Tokugawa shogunate. "Onmitsu Happyakuyacho" is set 34 years later, and there Tachi plays Shozaemon's son Matajuro.

Filming for both works started on September 18. Tachi's supporting cast includes Kiyotaka Nanbara (45), Cunning Takeyama (39), Tatsuomi Hamada (10), Maki Mizuno (40), Keiko Matsuzaka (58), Norihito Kaneko (32), Takashi Sasano (62), and Masahiko Tsugawa (70).

The "Onmitsu Happyakuyacho" series is scheduled for Saturday nights at 7:30pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Miho Takagi hit in minor car accident
Sat, September 25, 2010 (1:24pm EDT)



Actress Miho Takagi (48) was hit in a minor traffic accident a few days ago. Fortunately, she suffered no injuries.

At around 3:00pm on September 21, Takagi was walking across the street at an intersection in Roppongi, Tokyo. A taxi, driven by a man in his 60s, had ended up stopping in the crosswalk due to traffic. In order to get out of the pedestrians' way, the driver attempted to move the car, but in the process the car hit Takagi.

Police are looking into the incident, though they currently believe the driver was at fault for not sufficiently checking the safety of his maneuver.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Mai Oshima becomes regular on "Get Sports"
Sun, September 26, 2010 (2:25am EDT)



Former AKB48 member Mai Oshima (23) is now a regular on TV Asahi's sports program "GET SPORTS" (Sunday nights, 12:30am). Starting on September 26, she will be in charge of a new segment called "Karada no Kyoukasho" ("The Body's Textbook"), in which she presents the training regimen of a top-class athlete.

Each time, Oshima and one of the show's hosts, Kiyotaka Nanbara (45), will attempt the same training, under the guidance of a professional trainer. They will also explore questions such as which part of the body the training affects, and why athletes have adopted that training.

This is Oshima's first regular role on an actual sports program. She commented that she was worried that her appearance on the show will cause the show's image to change, but her sports background should be a good fit. Oshima used to play volleyball in junior high and has run a marathon twice.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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andymori drummer to leave
Sun, September 26, 2010 (4:55am EDT)



Rock band andymori has revealed that drummer Hiroki Goto is leaving the group, though he will continue with his music career on his own. Goto's last performance with andymori will be on November 27 in Kichijoji, Tokyo.

Based on the message on the band's official website, it appears that Goto wants to pursue a different musical direction from the other two members of andymori. His departure was decided after many discussions held by the band members and staff. Despite the decision, the members have a positive attitude toward their futures.

andymori still has four other scheduled performances before the November 27 concert.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Reiko Okabe becomes a mother
Sun, September 26, 2010 (9:30am EDT)



Talento Reiko Okabe (31) revealed in her blog that she gave birth to her first child, a boy, on Saturday afternoon. She said that the delivery was easy, taking only 12 hours from the start of her labor pains, and 5 hours from the time she entered the hospital.

Okabe, who got married this past April, has been known for hosting horse racing programs and other television shows. She started out her career with the audition show "Yume Ouentai," where she was part of the unit Yumekko Musume along with the late actress Miyuki Kanbe. Okabe later formed the unit PepperMint with another Yumekko Musume member, Chihiro Asakawa.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Do As Infinity to stream 11th anniversary concert on Nico Nico Douga
Sat, September 25, 2010 (11:41pm EDT)



Pop band Do As Infinity has decided to broadcast their next concert online, it has been learned. They are scheduled to perform on September 29 at Shibuya-AX to celebrate their 11th anniversary. The show is titled "Do As Infinity 11th Anniversary LIVE ~More! Core! Rare! Here!~" and will be streamed live for free through the Nico Nico Douga video sharing website.

For the concert, Do As Infinity plans to perform some songs that they usually do not play live, and they have some other special ideas in mind. After tickets for the show sold out on the first day of sale, the band decided on the Niconico Douga live broadcast so that all of their fans can celebrate Do As Infinity's 11th anniversary together.

Also on September 29, Do As Infinity is releasing their new single "JIDAISHIN," available only through the mu-mo shop. They are also giving away the "JIDAISHIN" chaku-uta as a gift to fans who have signed up for their free email newsletter.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Chiaki Kuriyama rocks out with Tomoyasu Hotei for "Gintama" theme
Sun, September 26, 2010 (8:17pm EDT)



Actress Chiaki Kuriyama (25) has lined up her second release as a singer, which will be a collaboration with rock guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei (48). Titled "Kanousei Girl," the song will be used as the opening theme for the "Gintama" anime series, starting on October 4.

Using the artist name CHiAKi KURiYAMA, the actress made her singing debut this past February with "Ryusei no Namida," which was the theme song for "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn." This time, Kuriyama has opted for a rock sound with "Kanousei Girl," with Hotei's help.

Kuriyama has loved rock music for a long time, and she even bought her own guitar to practice at home. Inspired to sing a rock tune, she asked Hotei to create a song for her, and he agreed to her offer. The two have indirectly worked together before - his song "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" was used in the movie "Kill Bill Vol. 1," in which Kuriyama became famous for playing the character Gogo Yubari.

"Kanousei Girl" will be released as a single on November 17.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Mari Natsuki lifts the lid on her beauty secrets

Tuesday 28th September, 07:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Actress Mari Natsuki, 58, the face of the Pola anti-aging skin care series, attended the Pola Ginza Building 1st anniversary event this week. While there she touched on the secrets of retaining one’s youth through diet and skin care routine.

“When I was young, I’d sometimes go to bed with my makeup on, but nowadays I have to make sure I cleanse my face before I get into bed no matter what,” she explained. Among other personal beauty rules she revealed was the importance of course order when eating in a restaurant. “I always have them bring me my dessert before the main course,” she said.

“Thanks to the public’s support, I’ve been in the public eye for over 30 years, although really I can’t help but see myself as something of a failure,” she said. “Despite feeling that way, I decided to give it a go and now, after all these years, I’ve finally come to enjoy it.”

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Win Tickets to See Puffy AmiYumi in NYC       
September 28, 2010



J-pop duo Puffy AmiYumi is heading to New York City as part of the New York Comic Con & New York Anime Festival. They will be performing at Irving Plaza on October 10 along with Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys and Echostream. And Japan Zone has a pair of tickets to give away for the show.

To enter and - as we don't do giveaways very often - have a pretty good chance of winning, all you have to do is drop an email to [email protected] and answer this one simple question - what are Ami and Yumi's family names? Don't forget to include your name, and a phone number and postal address would probably be a good idea, too.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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"Gegege no Nyoubou" ends with strong ratings
Mon, September 27, 2010 (10:11am EDT)



NHK's morning drama series "Gegege no Nyoubou" aired its final episode on September 25. Despite having the lowest-rated first episode ever for an NHK Asadora (14.8%), the show's ratings improved greatly during its six-month broadcast run, resulting in a strong overall average of 18.6% in the Kanto area (15.9% in Kansai).

The last episode achieved a 23.6% rating in the Kanto region, the highest of the entire series. In the Kansai region, it achieved 17.9%. Despite the poor start, the show has consistently been reaching over 20% ratings during the past several weeks. The 18.6% series average is the highest since "Dondo Bare" in 2007.

"Gegege no Nyoubou" starred Nao Matsushita (25) as the wife of "Gegege no Kitaro" mangaka Shigeru Mizuki, while Osamu Mukai (28) played Mizuki himself.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Saki Aibu, Kei Tanaka, Takaya Kamikawa form love triangle in mobile drama
Mon, September 27, 2010 (8:28pm EDT)



Saki Aibu (25) is set to star in a new mobile phone drama on BeeTV, titled "Sayonara no Koi." The story is described as the "ultimate love triangle," in which she plays opposite Kei Tanaka (26) and Takaya Kamikawa (45).



Aibu plays an agency employee named Sena, who was raised by a single mother. She is engaged to a fellow employee who is the son of a politician (Tanaka), but her heart is also pulled by a former genius composer who currently works as part of the cleaning staff for her building (Kamikawa).

The drama is scheduled to last 12 episodes, coming out every Thursday after its premiere on October 1. Other cast members include Ritsuko Tanaka, Maju Ozawa, and Emiri Nakayama. The theme song "Tsuki to Taiyou ni Yureru Sora" is being sung by miray, who will also appear in the drama as herself.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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New J Soul Brothers to release debut single in November
Mon, September 27, 2010 (9:05pm EDT)



In July, EXILE announced that they would restart the unit J Soul Brothers with a new lineup, including current EXILE members NAOTO and NAOKI. On Monday, the complete lineup was revealed during EXILE's concert in Aichi.

In addition to NAOTO and NAOKI, the new J Soul Brothers includes Gekidan EXILE members ELLY and Kenjiro Yamashita, plus new recruit Takanori Iwata. EXILE also held an audition to choose two vocalists, and the winners were Ryuji Imaichi (24) and Hiroomi Tosaka (23). In total, the group has seven members.

The new generation of J Soul Brothers will debut with a single titled "Best Friend's Girl," set for release on November 10. A second single is already planned for release in December.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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AKB48 members appearing in Vogue Nippon
Mon, September 27, 2010 (11:18am EDT)



AKB48 members Atsuko Maeda, Yuko Oshima, Tomomi Itano, and Sayaka Akimoto are appearing in "VOGUE girl," a supplement included with the November issue of women's magazine VOGUE NIPPON.

The issue, which goes on sale on September 28, features the four members each promoting different brands. Oshima is wearing Cartier, Maeda is wearing Tiffany, Itano is wearing Bulgari, and Akimoto is wearing Chaumet.

In addition, VOGUE girl is releasing a free application for the iPhone and iPad at the end of this month. An interview video with the 4 girls is also being released. A short teaser of the video is currently available on the Vogue website.

Source: www.tokyograph.com