Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]

whitedove

"Mainichi Kaasan" supporting cast unveiled
Mon, October 4, 2010 (12:08pm EDT)



The movie "Mainichi Kaasan," based on an autobiographical manga by popular writer Rieko Saibara, had more of its cast revealed on Monday. It was already announced in July that the leads are being played by divorced couple Kyoko Koizumi and Masatoshi Nagase, but several more names have now been added.



Distributor Shochiku has stated that this is the first Japanese film in which a real divorced couple (Koizumi and Nagase) play a married couple on screen. Koizumi plays the part of manga artist Rieko Saibara herself, with Nagase playing the husband Kamoshida. Their mutual friend, an editor named Gonzo, is being portrayed by Arata Furuta, while Nao Omori plays Shimada, the editor in charge of Saibara.

Child actors Kosuke Yabe and Mau Konishi have been cast as Saibara's son and daughter, respectively. Terue Shoji, Tomoko Tabata, Ken Mitsuishi, Sawa Suzuki, Rie Shibata, Akira Hokuto, Tamae Ando, and Kyoko Toyama will also appear.

"Mainichi Kaasan" is being released on February 5, 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Mao Inoue's supporting cast in "Ohisama" revealed
Mon, October 4, 2010 (12:30pm EDT)



A press conference was held on Monday to announce the main cast of NHK's upcoming Asadora series, "Ohisama." Set to air next year from March 28 to September 24, the show stars actress Mao Inoue (23) as a young woman named Yoko who lived through World War II. Details of the story were already revealed this past August.



Ayako Wakao (76) plays the part of Yoko as an old woman, who serves as the story's narrator as she reflects upon her younger days. Kanako Higuchi (51) has been tapped for the part of Yoko's mother-in-law. Other cast members include Tomoyo Harada (42), Yuki Saito (44), and Yasufumi Terawaki (48).

UPDATE: The cast also has Hikari Mitsushima (24), Yuki Yagi (9), Kazuyoshi Kushida (68), and Maiko (25).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

"Ooku" earns nearly 500 million in opening weekend
Mon, October 4, 2010 (10:15am EDT)



The live-action adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's manga "Ooku," starring Kazunari Ninomiya and Kou Shibasaki, opened this past weekend. The box office tally from its first three days (Friday-Sunday) was approximately 470 million yen, with about 400,000 tickets sold.

This is said to be a good start for the film, which is now predicted to reach 3 billion yen by the end of its theatrical run. Opening day was on the first of the month, when theaters offer cheaper tickets, so attendance numbers reached roughly 170,000 moviegoers, mostly women across a wide age range.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Higashiyama, Ikuta co-star in two Mishima plays
Mon, October 4, 2010 (8:21pm EDT)



Yukio Ninagawa (74) will direct two well-known Yukio Mishima plays next February. Both of them will star Shonentai member Noriyuki Higashiyama (44) and Toma Ikuta (25).

The two plays are "Madame de Sade" and "My Friend Hitler." In a unique experiment, both will be performed on the same stage, using the same cast and set, despite the differences in story. "Madame de Sade" is set in 18th century Paris and tells the story of the Marquis de Sade through the perspectives of six women. "My Friend Hitler," on the other hand, is naturally set in Berlin during World War II.

"Madame de Sade" consists of only six female characters, while "My Friend Hitler" has only four male characters. In "Madame de Sade," Higashiyama has been cast as the Marquis de Sade's wife Renee, with Ikuta playing Renee's sister Anne. In "My Friend Hitler," Higashiyama plays the protagonist Ernst Rohm, opposite Ikuta as a young Hitler. The supporting cast (for both plays) includes Mikijiro Hira (76).

"Madame de Sade" and "My Friend Hitler" will be performed between February 2 and March 2 of next year at the Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Shibuya.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Sonny Rollins at 80 still wows loyal jazz fans in Japan



TOKYO —

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins—one of the last surviving legends of the golden era of jazz—has just turned 80. His hair is a burst of white, and he staggers a bit when he walks on stage.
  
But when he plays, he still sounds like a 20-year-old, and his Japanese fans can’t get enough.
  
Rollins is back this week on an 80th birthday tour in this nation long known for its love of jazz.
  
It’s also a place where Rollins feels at home. Since 1963, when he first visited Japan, Rollins has studied Buddhism, yoga and meditation, and frequents the temples and bamboo forests of the ancient capital of Kyoto.
  
“Maybe I was Japanese in my past life,” he told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from his home in Germantown, New York, ahead of his trip.
  
Rollins, who turned 80 on Sept 7, has visited Japan more than 20 times, almost always playing to sellout crowds.
  
Each time, he brings the unmistakable power of his legacy, which includes collaborations with some of the biggest names in jazz—Max Roach, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk.
  
The crowd at JCB Hall in Tokyo on Monday clapped adoringly at his solos and gave him a long standing ovation after his 1 1/2-hour performance. He has three other concerts in Japan through Saturday.
  
“He was gorgeous,” said schoolteacher Shoko Tateishi, who has heard Rollins three times, as well as Chet Baker and Ron Carter. “You didn’t sense his age a bit.”
  
Throughout his trademark piano-less performance, with Bob Cranshaw on bass, Russell Malone on guitar, Kobie Watkins on drums and Sammy Figueroa on percussion, Rollins’ sound was full and energetic—befitting his reputation as the “saxophone colossus.”
  
Rollins believes Japanese people gravitate to his music because it is beyond the barriers of language or nationality.
  
“Jazz is a very universal music. There is no doubt about it,” he said. “When you hear jazz, there is something in it that gives you the feeling of something bigger than this particular life that we live in. That’s why jazz is such a great music.”
  
Rollins, who still practices daily and insists his pursuit of perfection is far from over, shrugs off getting older, although he acknowledges he is physically weaker and can’t eat as much ice cream as he used to.
  
He feels pretty much the same as that moment he fell in love with jazz—after hearing Fats Waller’s piano as a child.
  
“And so being 80 is just a number,” he said. “I know that the body is here for just a minute, but the soul is always here.”
  
On stage, Rollins, wearing a bright red shirt, was tireless, swaying to the rhythms, playing ballads, standards and calypso-inspired compositions, wrapping up with his signature tune “St. Thomas.”
  
Hajime Ban, a 69-year-old designer, was in tears after the performance.
  
“At this stage in his life, he is no longer human,” he said. “I don’t want to think this is the last time we’re going to be able to hear him.”
  
Rollins doesn’t dwell on his past, although he is one of a handful left standing among the giants of jazz, who were so critical in defining the art form during the 1950s and 1960s.
  
“I am still able to play my horn. It is a blessing. It is a gift. I am not looking backward at all,” he said. “Eighty is fine.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove

Yoko Ono reflects on John Lennon's 70th birthday

Wednesday 06th October, 05:32 AM JST



LOS ANGELES —

If John Lennon had lived to be 70, Yoko Ono thinks he would have been more relaxed about the milestone than he was about his 40th birthday.
  
Ono recalls the ex-Beatle fretting about reaching that number: “I can’t believe I’m going to be 40!” she said he told her.
  
“I said, ‘John, John—40’s not so bad, you know?’”
  
Sadly, it would be his last year. Lennon was shot to death on Dec 8, 1980, almost two months after turning 40.
  
But in the three decades since, Ono has worked to keep his legacy vibrant, and continues to do so with the approach of his 70th birthday on Saturday.
  
Eight of Lennon’s albums have been remastered and are being rereleased this week as single albums as well as two boxed sets. There is also a remixed version of Ono and Lennon’s 1980 “Double Fantasy” album.
  
Other projects include a “Box of Vision” commemorative set featuring artwork and a place to store Lennon’s music; all-star concerts; a film about a young Lennon, “Nowhere Boy,” out this week; and a screening of the documentary “LennonNYC” in Central Park on his birthday.
  
Ono will spend what would have been Lennon’s birthday in Iceland, celebrating with a concert by her Plastic Ono Band and the lighting of the Imagine Peace Tower in his honor. In a recent interview, the 77-year-old artist and peace activist talked about her mission to keep Lennon’s memory alive.
  
AP: John Lennon was a musician and an activist. Are enough musicians and artists trying to have an impact on social change?
  
Ono: Of course, they’re all doing it. It’s great. When John and I started doing it, you know, we were looking around—“Are we the only people?” It was a bit like that. But now I think there’s so many musicians, they’re very strong, strong sort of activists. All of them. It’s great.
  
AP: What do you think would have been John’s take on the turmoil in the world today?
  
Ono: He would have been totally angry. ... He would have felt like he wanted to run somewhere and just bang something or strangle someone, you know? But then I think, I’m sure he would have relaxed and decided he should still be an activist. We need to really do something about the world. Otherwise, we’re all going to blow up together.
  
AP: What do you think of “Nowhere Boy”?
  
Ono: Well, first of all I was surprised because this director (Sam Taylor-Wood), she’s beautiful, I mean physically very beautiful, (a) young person. ... But then the thing is, she made it and she was really good to make this. This is her first film. Incredible, right? She’s like a miracle. And everybody performing in it, they’re very good. And I was surprised, because this is the first time that anybody—well, maybe they read the books or something—but anybody understands how John’s childhood was. And how much painful, how painful it was for him. ... I was very, very thankful that Sam Taylor-Wood made this film. Very truthful film, yeah.
  
AP: One hundred years from now, what do you want people to know about John Lennon?
  
Ono: First of all, I’m not sure if I’m not going to be there. Things are changing in this world so much and it might be like we’re all going to live as long as we want to. And also John might come back. We don’t know anything. So I’m not going to answer that question.
  
AP: How did you decide what music you wanted to rerelease with the boxed sets?
  
Ono: The only thing that I probably had something to do with, to decide, is I didn’t put “Two Virgins,” I didn’t put “Life With the Lions,” because they’re too sort of avant-garde in a way. ... I wanted to introduce John as an incredible, special rocker first. And then he dabbled in some avant-garde things and that’s OK, but that’s a lot of me is in there, so I thought, “Well, you know, let’s not do that.”
  
AP: The song “Woman”—what does it mean for you to listen to that song years later?
  
Ono: Of course, it was very flattering that John wrote that. But at the same time I was the one who was around. I was very lucky. Many painters, you know, they paint their wives, which is kind of like a maybe cheap and simple way of doing it, I don’t know. But that’s what they do. So he used me in that sense and probably I inspired him or something. But I think he’s talking about all women and I think that’s very important.
  
AP: Do you still put his music on and listen to it?
  
Ono: I listened to his music almost every day or every other day or something the past 30 years because there’s other requests and things, and for business reasons I listened to them. But it’s not a very relaxing thing to do. I don’t listen to his songs to just relax, because then, you know, it just makes me feel sort of, well—it’s painful in a way.

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove

Major Japanese publisher holds manga exhibition in Turkey

Wednesday 06th October, 11:14 AM JST

ISTANBUL —

Major Japanese publisher Shueisha Inc kicked off Tuesday ‘‘Discover Manga! The World of Shonenjump,’’ an exhibition at a museum in Istanbul to promote Japanese comic books. The first overseas manga exhibition by Shueisha runs through Oct 17 at Istanbul Modern and is one of the official events of Japan Year 2010 in Turkey.

Original drawings of popular comics, such as ‘‘ONE PIECE’’ and ‘‘Dragon Ball,’’ carried in Shonenjump, a weekly comic magazine, are displayed at the museum, while video presentations show how manga artists create the comics.

While Japanese cartoons are on air in Turkey, comic books are not yet published there.

‘‘We hope people around the world will read Shonenjump,’’ said Hisashi Sasaki, chief editor of the weekly magazine, which had hit overseas markets for the first time in 2002. ‘‘We believe that we can market the magazine in Turkey.’‘

Visiting the exhibition, a 30-year-old woman said she was impressed with the superb illustration skills of Japanese comics.

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove

Aya Ueto: 'Forbidden love is heartbreaking'

Wednesday 06th October, 04:30 AM JST



TOKYO —

Aya Ueto, 25, and Hiroki Narimiya, 28, will be supplying the voices for the Japanese-language version of the upcoming vampire movie, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.” In the movie, which opens in Japan on Nov 6, Ueto voices Bella Swan, the female love interest of the vampire Edward Cullen, voiced by Narimiya.

Ueto was a bit reticent at a press event to promote the film, possibly due to recent upheavals in her personal life. It came to the media’s attention last month that Ueto’s eight-year relationship with Go Morita, 31, had come to an end shortly after they publicly announced their relationship.

The couple had kept their romance secret for so long that rumors abounded that while Ueto was interested in marriage, Morita was under pressure to avoid doing anything to harm the popularity of his “boy band” V6. With a pained smile, Ueto told the assembled press, “Forbidden love is heartbreaking.” When asked if the rumors of her split with Morita were true, Ueto reportedly answered with a silent nod.

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove

Second Divorce for Yoko Zetterlund       
October 06, 2010



Barcelona medal-winning spiker Yoko Zetterlund (41) has divorced for the second time, according to today's issue of the weekly magazine "Shuukan Bunshun." A member of the U.S. bronze-medal-winning volleyball team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Zetterlund has played a wide variety of roles in the Japanese sports industry since the mid-1990s. Her hectic work schedule is said to have led freelance announcer Kusano Hiroshi (41), son of talento Kusano Hitoshi (66), to file for divorce, ending their 4-year marriage in August. Zetterlund divorced her first husband, an American, in 1999.

Born in San Francisco, Zetterlund moved to her mother's home country of Japan at the age of 6. She began playing volleyball while a junior high student and helped her school win the national championship. With her mother as head coach, her high school team also won a national event, and Zetterlund went on to represent Japan at the junior level. But even after continued success at the college level, fierce competition made it difficult for her to make the national team and she decided to choose American rather than Japanese citizenship. She went to the U.S., where she successfully tried out for the national team, shortly before graduating university in 1991. After graduation she joined the Fuji TV network but soon returned to the U.S. to train for the Olympics. She also participated in the 1996 Atlanta games before coming back to Japan. She led the Daiei Orange Attackers, Japan's first pro team, to two championships. She retired in 1999.

In addition to her role as a sports commentator, she's also a writer, public speaker and is on the national administration board for the volleyball, basketball and soccer leagues.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove

Second Generation Showbiz Marriage



Happier news for two offspring from established showbiz families who are planning to tie the knot. Nishina Masaki (28) is the eldest son of actor Matsukata Hiroki (68) and actress Nishina Akiko (57), while Takigawa Hanako (22) is the daughter of the late actor Achiha Shinsuke (1940-2007) and actress Takigawa Yumi (59). The younger couple's relationship was first reported in January when they traveled to Guam, and they will hold their wedding ceremony there next January.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove

ONE NIGHT ONLY – HATSUNE MIKU CONCERT ENCORE SCREENING AT VIZ CINEMA NEXT MONDAY

October 5, 2010 by J!-ENT

JAPAN’S TOP VIRTUAL IDOL – HATSUNE MIKU – RETRUNS TO VIZ CINEMA FOR A SPECIAL ENCORE PERFORMANCE

Internet Sensation’s Live Concert Film Screens For One Night Only; Hatsune Miku Creator To Also Attend And Give Insights



San Francisco, CA, October 5, 2010 – VIZ Cinema and NEW PEOPLE are proud to present a special encore performance of Hatsune Miku U.S. Live – for One Night Only – on Monday, October 11th at 7:15pm.

The Hatsune Miku’s 39's Giving Day Film Concert captures the excitement and upbeat fun that was Project DIVA Presents Hatsune Miku’s Solo Concert, which took place earlier this year at the futuristic Zepp Tokyo venue. The concert featured the singer, backed by a “live” band called the 39S Members. She performed 39 songs while being projected on a transparent screen set up on the stage, making her look like a living-sized hologram playing with a live band.

Also set to make a very special appearance at the screening will be the man behind the creation of Hatsune Miku, Hiroyuki Ito, president of Crypton Future Media. Prior to the screening, Ito give audiences the back story on the birth and development of Hatsune Miku and the growing international interest in her. Don’t miss this rare chance to see this internet virtual phenomenon on the big screen and purchase one of a very limited supply of Japanese First Edition Blu-ray disc sets!

Miku Hatsune is a virtual pop idol that has taken Japan by storm. She was born as the premiere product in the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series developed by Crypton Future Media. The technology, originally designed for professional musicians, enables users to synthesize singing by inputting lyrics and a melody. In Japan, Vocaloid singers have become the hottest new trend in the pop culture landscape. Miku Hatsune features a singing voice based on samples of voice actress Saki Fujita.

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®-certified sound system.

About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT

whitedove

Beautiful legs: Meisa Kuroki, Yuka, Reiko Takashima
Tue, October 5, 2010 (10:59am EDT)



On Monday, fashion brand Parcassio held its 8th annual Bikyaku Taisho award (known as the Clarino Bikyaku Taisho since last year), given to celebrities in honor of their beautiful legs. As always, three awards were presented by age category: Meisa Kuroki (22) won in the 20s category, Yuka (30) won in the 30s category, and Reiko Takashima (46) won in the over 40 category.

Since 2006 there has also been a sports category, but this year it was replaced by a men's category. The first winner is former soccer player Takashi Fukunishi (34).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Mika Kaneda, Sota Nakazawa celebrate first child
Tue, October 5, 2010 (7:08pm EDT)



Talento Mika Kaneda (26), the wife of J League soccer player Sota Nakazawa (27), has given birth to the couple's first child. The baby girl was born on the morning of October 3.

Kaneda mentioned in her blog that the delivery took 29 hours from the time her water broke.

Kaneda and Nakazawa got married in June 2009 and held their wedding ceremony in January 2010. Nakazawa currently plays for Gamba Osaka.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Announcer Anna Kobayashi to marry chef
Tue, October 5, 2010 (7:45pm EDT)

Anna Kobayashi (30), an announcer for Yomiuri TV, is soon getting married. Her partner is Nakanobu Kayama (40), the owner and chef of the restaurant Kanofu in Tokyo's Ebisu neighborhood. The two plan to register their marriage on October 10, though their wedding ceremony is scheduled for next spring.

The couple met in October 2008 when Kobayashi visited the restaurant, and Kayama is said to have fallen in love at first sight.

Kobayashi is known as one of the MCs for NTV's popular variety program "Himitsu no Kenmin SHOW." She has also been on shows such as "Zoom In!! SUPER" and "News Scramble."

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

'80s idols star in musical "Heroine"
Tue, October 5, 2010 (7:31pm EDT)



Four of Japan's top idols during the 1980s have been chosen to star in a stage musical titled "Heroine ~Onnatachi Yo Tough de Are!~" next year. Ikue Sakakibara (51), Yu Hayami (44), Iyo Matsumoto (45), and Mako Ishino (49) will take on the roles of former idol groupmates reuniting for a day.

Directed by Etsuko Kawasaki, "Heroine" tells the story of an idol group called Muse. 25 years after their breakup, the four members find themselves in the dressing room together again, preparing for their one-day reunion. They begin talking about their past, laying out their dissatisfactions and hidden feelings from their idol days.

"Heroine" will be performed at the Hakuhinkan Theater in Ginza on February 3-10, 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Kumi Koda, Kazuya Kamenashi enter Best Jeanist "hall of fame"
Tue, October 5, 2010 (10:09am EDT)



The 27th annual Best Jeanist awards ceremony was held on Tuesday. This year the awards, which help promote the jeans industry by highlighting celebrities who look good wearing jeans, were given to singer Kumi Koda (27) and KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi (24) for the fifth consecutive year.

72,153 votes were submitted, and both Koda and Kamenashi won by wide margins. Kamenashi took 29,000 votes in the men's category, nearly triple the tally for Arashi's Masaki Aiba. Koda, on the other hand, received close to 13,000 votes.

Public Selection Category - Male
Kazuya Kamenashi - 29,118
Masaki Aiba - 10,696
Jejung - 3,932
Tomohisa Yamashita - 1,872
Koji Iwasawa (Yuzu) - 1,696
Kiyoshi Hikawa - 1,458
Jun Matsumoto - 1,186
Satoshi Ohno - 973
Jin Akanishi - 908
Hiroki Uchi - 672
Public Selection Category - Female
Kumi Koda - 12,961
aiko - 5,456
Namie Amuro - 5,219
Meisa Kuroki - 4,935
Becky - 3,580
Keiko Kitagawa - 3,056
Karina - 2,066
Kaela Kimura - 1,905
Yukie Nakama - 1,796
Anna Tsuchiya - 1,321

With five wins, both Koda and Kamenashi are being placed into the "hall of fame," making them ineligible for future awards. This is the first time that both the male and female winners have entered the "hall of fame" in the same year. Only three other people have achieved that milestone: Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Ayumi Hamasaki.

In addition to the Public Selection category awards, committee selection awards were given to actor Kenta Kiritani (30), AKB48 member Tomomi Itano (19), and talento Ai Haruna (38). The newly established "global" award went to professional soccer star Keisuke Honda (24), who currently plays for CSKA Moscow and accepted the award through a video message.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Ueto, Hiro the Latest Power Couple?       
October 07, 2010



They make a slightly unusual couple, but it seems that actress Ueto Aya (25) and Hiro (41), leader of the pop/dance group Exile, are serious. The two have known each other since Ueto was 12 years old, when Hiro's management agency were in charge of her dance choreography. It seems their teacher-student relationship changed into something more romantic around the beginning of the summer.

It was reported in August that Ueto and Morita Gou (31) of the Johnny's Jimusho aidoru group V6 had split up in May after an 8-year relationship. There hadn't been any romantic rumors about Hiro since he broke up with actress Sada Mayumi (33) in March 2008. Management for the two stars said they hadn't heard anything about the romance, acknowledging only that Ueto was a fan of Exile and good friends with all the group members.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove

“REDLINE” is now ready for release!

by Shiso on October 6, 2010 at 5:46 pm




Studio Madhouse’s animation film, “REDLINE“, held their premier showing on October 6th, and KimuraTakuya (SMAP) who plays the voice of main character, JP, showed up to greet the audience.  This is the 2nd time for Kimura to challenge voice acting, since his first attempt in “Howl’s Moving Castle” in 2004.

REDLINE took over seven years to create, as they drew everything by hand and didn’t use any CG.  REDLINE consists of approximately 100,000 hand drawn pictures.  Kimura said, “I participated as just a voice actor, but the production staff members are who worked really hard to create this world, especially nowadays when we are all manipulated by the power of the computer. &#160lease enjoy and love the world of this film.”



He also talked about Aoi Yu, who played the voice of the heroine, Sonoshee, saying that she had a very charming power playing the role.

“REDLINE” will be released on October 9th, and it will also be released in the U.S at a later time.

http://www.tokyohive.com/2010/10 ... -ready-for-release/

whitedove

Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix: NatsuNiji, Hotaru no Hikari 2
Wed, October 6, 2010 (8:57am EDT)



The results for the summer portion of the 14th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix have been announced. Just under 7,000 votes were placed, and in the end, the five categories were split between "Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku" and "Hotaru no Hikari 2."

Best Drama:
Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku - 1206
Hotaru no Hikari 2 - 1185
Joker: Yurusarezaru Sousakan - 925
Toubou Bengoshi - 709
Gegege no Nyoubou - 592

Best Actor:
Jun Matsumoto (Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku) - 1566
Masato Sakai (Joker: Yurusarezaru Sousakan) - 1270
Masaharu Fukuyama (Ryomaden) - 1109
Yusuke Kamiji (Toubou Bengoshi) - 878
Tomoya Nagase (Unubore Deka) - 663

Best Actress:
Haruka Ayase (Hotaru no Hikari 2) - 2721
Nao Matsushita (Gegege no Nyoubou) - 1199
Yuriko Yoshitaka (Mioka) - 969
Yuki Amami (GOLD) - 928
Yasuko Sawaguchi (Kasouken no Onna) - 322

Best Supporting Actor:
Naohito Fujiki (Hotaru no Hikari 2) - 1074
Ryo Nishikido (Joker: Yurusarezaru Sousakan) - 1039
Osamu Mukai (Gegege no Nyoubou) - 1030
Osamu Mukai (Hotaru no Hikari 2) - 651
Kazuki Kitamura (Toubou Bengoshi) - 583

Best Supporting Actress:
Yuko Takeuchi (Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku) - 1396
Satomi Ishihara (Toubou Bengoshi) - 681
Mikako Tabe (GM: Odore Doctor) - 647
Anne (Joker: Yurusarezaru Sousakan) - 599
Mika Nakashima (Unubore Deka) - 579

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

New SKE48 members unveiled
Wed, October 6, 2010 (9:11am EDT)

Idol group SKE48 recently added 16 members in their 4th generation audition, and the new recruits finally made their first stage appearance together at SKE48's concert in Nagoya on Tuesday.

According to their profiles, all but two of the 16 new members are originally from the Aichi prefecture (where SKE48 is based). The members are:

Asana Inuzuka (16)
Madoka Umemoto (18)
Shiori Kaneko (15)
Kanon Kimoto (13)
Ami Kobayashi (17)
Emiri Kobayashi (16)
Mei Sakai (12)
Aya Shibata (17)
Yumana Takagi (17)
Mai Takeuchi (17)
Rika Tsuzuki (14)
Yuuka Nakamura (13)
Marin Nonoyama (16)
Minami Hara (14)
Honoka Mizuno (15)
Yukari Yamashita (14)



Current members Jurina Matsui and Rena Matsui also took the stage on Tuesday as the duo "Kinect," which was revealed on Sunday as part of a promotional campaign for the Xbox Kinect video game system.

Source: www.tokyograph.com