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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Olivia Newton-John takes stage with daughter
Thursday 14th October, 03:16 AM JST
TOKYO —
In the run-up to the 40th anniversary of her musical debut, 62-year-old singer Olivia Newton-John made a special appearance at Yamano music store in Ginza this week to promote her best-of compilation album “Olivia Newton-John 40/40 - Best Selection.”
The album, which went on sale in Japan on Wednesday, comprises Newton-John’s top 40 songs as voted for by her Japanese fans. The songstress delighted a small group of 60 fans in attendance with an intimate live rendition of her hit song “Physical.”
Joining her on stage were the glamorous, female classical guitarist Kaori Muraji, 32, and Newton-John’s eldest daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, 24, who is set to make her own debut as a singer next month.
Newton-John said of her daughter, “She’s not just a pretty face, her voice is beautiful too.” Lattanzi’s tour of Japan, comprising six dates in five locations, starts on Nov 25.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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One Bad Husband Plays Another
October 13, 2010
Actor Asano Tadahiro (36, photo right) and actress Nagasaku Hiromi (39, photo left) appeared at a PR event in Tokyo yesterday for their latest movie collaboration. "Yoi ga Sametara, Uchi ni Kaerou" (When We Sober Up, Let's Go Home) is an adaptation of the autobiography (right) of the late freelance journalist and war photographer Kamoshida Yutaka (1964-2007). From his exposure to the atrocities by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia through many years of facing death and the weapons of child soldiers, Kamoshida developed a reliance on alcohol that would lead to his death of kidney cancer at the age of 42. In 1996, he met manga-ka Saibara Rieko (45) on location in Thailand. He agreed to be the photographer for her planned cable TV show to be filmed in the Amazon. On their flight back to Asia, he proposed and soon made his first return to Japan in 9 years to get married. He was the inspiration for a regular character in Saibara's "Mainichi Kaasan" comic strip in the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper.
The couple had two children but Kamoshida's drinking took a heavy toll and he was in and out of the mental ward. The two remained close even after their marriage ended in 2003. His autobiography was published in 2006, in which he first revealed his battle with cancer and the couple reunited while remaining unmarried.
Asano, who had a very public divorce from singer Chara (42) last year, said, "I got to play a bad husband, and as I was one myself, I guess I did a good job." Nagasaku, on the other hand, was making her first public appearance since having a baby in May. She said of playing Saibara, "I thought it was a very demanding role, but now I'm glad I did it." Directed by Higashi Youichi, the movie opens on December 4.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Arts Luminaries Light Up Tokyo
October 14, 2010
Tokyo yesterday played host to the five laureates of the "22nd Praemium Imperiale" arts award, with a heavy leaning toward the Italians. This year's recipients - Italian actress Sophia Loren (76), German sculptor Rebecca Horn (66), Italian pianist Maurizio Pollini (68), Japanese architect Toyo Ito (69) and Italian painter Enrico Castellani (80) - received a medal from Prince Hitachinomiya, younger brother of Emperor Akihito. They also received a certificate of appreciation and ¥15 million in cash. The ceremony and a cocktail reception were held at the Meiji Kinenkan in Akasaka in central Tokyo.
"This prize beautifully summarizes my whole work," a dazzling Loren later told a news conference. The Sankei Shimbun quoted Horn as saying, "I'm truly honored. I come to Japan almost every year, and I get a lot of inspiration every time."
The prestigious culture prize recognizes significant lifetime achievement in areas of international arts and culture not covered by the Nobel Prizes, according to the Japan Art Association, who established the award in 1988. In Japanese it is known as the "Takamatsunomiya-kaden Kinen Sekai Bunkasho," which translates as Prince Takamatsunomiya Memorial World Culture Award.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Charts: Arashi, JUJU
Wed, October 13, 2010 (12:03pm EDT)
Arashi has once again proven their superiority on the sales charts. The group's 33rd single, "Dear Snow," sold nearly 501,000 copies this past week, becoming their 4th single this year to exceed half a million copies within the first week. It was also announced this week that their "Boku no Miteiru Fuukei" album reached 1 million copies sold.
EXILE's newest single charted at #2, followed by SCANDAL. Visual-kei band Golden Bomber took the #4 spot, their highest chart position ever. Idol group The Possible also made the top ten at #9.
On the album rankings, JUJU's "Request" sold 110,000 copies, holding on to the #1 spot. She is now just the third artist to top the charts for two consecutive weeks with a cover album, after Takuro Yoshida in 1977 and Hideaki Tokunaga in 2007.
The rest of the top ten included new releases by Shogo Hamada (#2), Motohiro Hata (#3), BEAT CRUSADERS (#4), Shoko Nakagawa (#5), BONNIE PINK (#7), and SPECIAL OTHERS (#10).
On the DVD charts, Kumi Koda's latest live DVD sold 47,000 copies to top the overall rankings. As a solo artist, this extends her record of "most consecutive years with a #1 DVD" (she now has 6), while tying with Hideaki Takizawa for two other records - "most #1 DVDs" (7) and "most consecutive #1 DVDs" (7).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Ghibli's "Arrietty" sets record in theaters
Wed, October 13, 2010 (12:32pm EDT)
The official blog for Studio Ghibli's latest film, "Karigurashi no Arrietty," announced on Tuesday that the movie has now been seen more than 7.5 million times in theaters since its release in July. This has been established as the record for a debut work by a director in Japan.
"Karigurashi no Arrietty" was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who has been involved with previous Studio Ghibli works as animation director and key animator. Hayao Miyazaki wrote the script, which was adapted from "The Borrowers" by English writer Mary Norton.
With 7.5 million box office tickets so far, "Arrietty" should be close to or above 10 billion yen in total gross.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Second child for comedian Daiki Hyodo
Wed, October 13, 2010 (1:02pm EDT)
Comedian Daiki Hyodo (40) is now a father of two. His wife gave birth to their second daughter on Wednesday morning at a hospital in Osaka.
Hyodo and his wife named the new girl Lilia, which he explained as a combination of "lily" and the sound "a," taken from the name of their first daughter Aine. Hyodo said that he plans to work even harder now that his family has grown.
Hyodo is part of the duo Yano Hyodo, one of the groups that emerged from the 9th generation of Yoshimoto Kogyo's New Star Creation school, along with Ninety-Nine, Hosshan, and others.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Wedding bells for announcer Rie Muranishi
Wed, October 13, 2010 (1:23pm EDT)
Popular Kansai TV announcer Rie Muranishi (30) is now married. The network revealed that she has tied the knot with one of the company's employees, said to be the same age as Muranishi. The two registered their marriage earlier this month and are planning for a wedding ceremony in May of next year.
Muranishi's husband joined Kansai TV in 2003 at the same time as she did, though he works in the production department handling variety shows. The pair started out as friendly colleagues, but the relationship turned romantic about a year ago.
Muranishi, who started out as a model during her college days, currently serves as a newscaster on programs such as "Super News Anchor." Kansai TV stated that she intends to continue working.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Announcers Daisuke Fujita, Yumiko Aoi married
Wed, October 13, 2010 (7:46pm EDT)
It was learned this week that NTV announcer Daisuke Fujita (28) and freelance announcer Yumiko Aoi are married. The two plan to hold a wedding party next month.
Fujita and Aoi were introduced to each other through a mutual friend, and they began dating last year. Aoi left her previous management agency this past March, stating that she was planning to get married.
Fujita is mainly a newscaster on NTV's "Sukkiri!!" programs. Aoi currently appears on shows for Tokyo MX and tvk.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kento Nagayama lands first lead drama role
Wed, October 13, 2010 (8:35pm EDT)
Kento Nagayama (21) took on his first starring drama role for an NHK special titled "Osaka Love & Soul: Kono Kuni de Ikiru Koto." A press event was held on Wednesday to announce the completion of production.
The drama tells a love story between a Zainichi Korean (Nagayama) and a Myanmar refugee. The latter is played by a new actress, a Myanmar woman who began studying at Kansai University this past spring. Other cast members include Ittoku Kishibe, Kaho Minami, and Kyoko Mitsubayashi.
NHK will air the drama on November 6.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Mangaka Shintaro Miyawaki dies at 67
Wed, October 13, 2010 (9:01pm EDT)
Manga artist Shintaro Miyawaki died of a heart attack at a hospital in Saitama on October 9, it has been learned. He was 67.
Miyawaki debuted in 1959 and was known for works such as the "Heart Collection" gekiga series, "Hatsukoi Album," and "Pai no Oto Stories." Arguably his most famous work was the satirical manga "The Rapeman," which ran for 13 volumes during the '80s and early '90s before being adapted as an anime and multiple live-action films.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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"Keitai Deka" heroines save Morning Musume
Wed, October 13, 2010 (8:11pm EDT)
The BS-TBS drama franchise "Keitai Deka" is getting its third movie next year, starring the three most recent "Keitai Deka" heroines. As the title suggests ("Keitai Deka The Movie 3: Morning Musume Kyuushutsu Daisakusen! ~ Pandora no Hako no Himitsu"), the film will also feature idol group Morning Musume, acting together for the last time before Eri Kamei, Junjun, and Linlin leave the group.
The "Keitai Deka" franchise has sold more than 1.2 billion yen in DVDs. In addition to the dramas, two movies were released in 2006 and 2007.
  
The new film will star Aya Omasa (19) from "Keitai Deka Zenigata Kai," Azusa Okamoto (18) from "Keitai Deka Zenigata Mei," and Anri Okamoto (16) from the upcoming "Keitai Deka Zenigata Yui" (starts December 4). The three will team up to solve a case in which the members of Morning Musume suddenly disappear while they are on a bus. Shigeru Matsuzaki (60) and Tomiyuki Kunihiro (57) will reprise their roles from the second movie.
The movie is being directed by Hiroshi Ando, who has worked on several of the "Keitai Deka" dramas. Theatrical release is scheduled for February 5, 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Sayaka Akimoto denies rumor of romance with Ouji Hiroi
Wed, October 13, 2010 (7:20pm EDT)
Today's issue of Shukan Bunshun reported that popular AKB48 member Sayaka Akimoto (22) had a man stay over at her place earlier this month. That man is none other than multimedia creator Ouji Hiroi (56), who is currently working with Akimoto on a project called "Double Heroine." However, Akimoto has already addressed the rumor, saying that it is all a misunderstanding.
According to Shukan Bunshun, Hiroi spent the night with Akimoto on October 9. After she returned to her apartment, Hiroi was later spotted entering the same building. In the morning, Akimoto and Hiroi were seen leaving the building at separate times. Shukan Bunshun reports that Hiroi was also at the apartment late at night on October 7.
Best known as the creator of "Sakura Wars," Hiroi began working with Akimoto last summer when he produced the AKB48 musical "Infinity." He is divorced and has two children.
Akimoto responded through her management agency, saying that Hiroi is like a mentor whom she turns to for acting advice, and that there is nothing further between them. In a blog post, she commented that because Hiroi is older than her father, she felt it unbelievable that such a rumor would emerge. Her agency has already warned her to avoid such misunderstandings in the future.
In comments made to the press, Hiroi acknowledged that he stayed over at her place and watched a movie, and even stated that Akimoto has come to his place before. However, he assured that their relationship is limited to one of teacher and student. When asked about the possibility of it turning romantic, he emphasized that there is none.
Another source notes that the apartment building where Akimoto lives is a dormitory used by other people under her agency, including another AKB48 member.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Stallone keeps on hammering away
By Chris Betros
TOKYO —
When Sylvester Stallone turned up for a talk show event with fans for his new movie “The Expendables” at Shibuya AX recently, he must have thought he was attending a casting session for “Rambo 5” instead. The audience was full of young Japanese dressed in Rambo gear – many of whom weren’t even born when Rambo first hit the big screen in 1985. It is a testament to the staying power of an actor whom many critics ridicule, that his faithful fans have stayed with him for more than 30 years.
“I’m very touched by this. I love you guys,” said the 64-year-old Stallone, who was joined by Swedish actor and “Expendables” co-star Dolph Lundgren. “I’ve been very lucky with movies like ‘Rocky,’ ‘Rambo,’ ‘Cliffhanger.’ Now I feel like I’m a teacher and should use that experience to find the next generation of men who want to carry on the action genre.”
“The Expendables” – which Stallone also wrote and directed – is a homage to action movies of the 1980s, and brings together Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Mickey Rourke, as well as former NFL star Terry Crews, former pro wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Ultimate Fighting champ Randy Couture. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger make cameos. Stallone leads his gang of mercenaries, known as the Expendables, to overthrow the dictator of a Caribbean nation who is being propped up by a drug-dealing rogue CIA agent (Eric Roberts).
The story is just an excuse to have a lot of fun, with all manner of murder and mayhem unleashed. Filming the fight scenes with Crews, Austin and Couture got pretty rough, said Stallone, because they tended to get carried away. “They are mean and a little crazy. There were times when they didn’t understand they were making a movie and would try to smash your head through a wall. It’s difficult to keep them calm because they are athletes.”
Stallone was happy to reunite with Lundgren with whom he worked on “Rocky IV.” “He put me in hospital for four days after that, but I forgive him,” said Stallone. “I’ve worked with hundreds of actors and only had chemistry with maybe five. Dolph is one of them.”
Stallone said he is tough on his actors, but added that he is hard on himself, too. “In many ways, actors are like children and I often have to remind them what they are doing. I went to each actor and made sure that they understood the philosophy of this movie, that all of them – despite their different fighting skills—were making the same movie. In a regular job, you can have a bad day and it’s forgotten, but if you have a bad day in a movie, it’s going to be there forever, so I urged them to try and give their best, otherwise they’ll regret it.”
There is one character that even Stallone would find it difficult to be hard on – yokozuna Hakuho. The actor visited the Mongolian grand champion on the day he won his 16th Emperor’s Cup last month, and got a surprise when the yokozuna effortlessly lifted him up. “The fury of the sport is so fantastic,” Stallone said after watching a few bouts.
Afterwards, during the meet-and-greet session with his young fans, Stallone advised them not to let life pass them by. His early life was a struggle to make it in the movie business (he played a punk on a train in Woody Allen’s 1971 film “Bananas,” but one year later, failed an audition to play a wedding extra in “The Godfather,” for example). “You have two choices in life: to fight or quit. My motto has always been to never give up, give in or give out. If I could go back in time to talk to myself as a young man, I would say there may be times when you are trying to find your way in the world and you have to be arrogant or egotistical, but there is a time to put it away. After ‘Rocky,’ I should have tried to be more humble in my private life, which was a mess.”
Stallone said his biggest enemy or fear now was a lack of time. “I want to be challenged, but life is going by so fast.” One new challenge he is enjoying, though, is Twitter. “Yes, I tweet,” he admitted. “I get all sorts of ideas from people and that helps me come up with new ideas.”
One of which is a sequel to “The Expendables,” which he will start filming next March. Bruce Willis will be back in a bigger part, with Mike Tyson a rumored villain, and hopefully, there will be another appearance by Schwarzenegger. “It was great having Arnold for a cameo,” said Stallone. “He loves to make fun of himself. Next time, I’ll make him work even harder.”
“The Expendables” opens in Japan on Saturday.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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NHK drama 'Ryoma-den' to be aired in Taiwan, S Korea, Thailand
Friday 15th October, 02:51 AM JST
TOKYO —
NHK’s serial television drama ‘‘Ryoma-den’’ (Ryoma Story), featuring 19th century revolutionary Sakamoto Ryoma, will be aired in Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand, NHK Enterprises Inc. said Thursday. The broadcasting will begin in those areas from November to next February either as regular program or on cable television.
‘‘I believe people across borders will feel sympathy toward Ryoma’s earnestness,’’ actor and musician Masaharu Fukuyama, 41, who starred in the drama in the reformer’s role, said in a press conference.
The drama, currently being aired in Japan, will be the 14th to be broadcast abroad as a historical drama series of the broadcaster.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Actor Motoki promotes NHK drama
Friday 15th October, 03:59 AM JST
TOKYO —
Popular actor Masahiro Motoki took part in a promotional event Thursday for a special All Nippon Airways Co airplane bearing images of the main cast of a drama series in which he stars. The event came after ANA started flying the special Boeing 767-300 on Sunday, prior to the start in December of the second season of the drama ‘‘Saka no Ue no Kumo’’ (The cloud at the top of the hill) on NHK.
ANA flew the airplane with likenesses of Motoki, Hiroshi Abe, Miho Kanno and Teruyuki Kagawa printed on the fuselage, following a similar picture airplane campaign starting October 2009 ahead of the start of the drama’s first season in December that year.
Motoki said at the event at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, ‘‘I’m satisfied to see the images bigger than those in the first campaign…I am looking forward to air travel on the plane.’‘
Motoki plays an Imperial Japanese Navy officer at the time of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese war in the three-chapter drama, the second and third seasons of which will be aired in December 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Hisako Manda cautions Masaki Nishina to keep an eye on his wife
Friday 15th October, 07:00 AM JST
TOKYO —
Actor Masaki Nishina, 28, attended a promotional event for the Oct 16 release of the movie “Cheri” and got some timely advice from veteran actress Hisako Manda, 52. Nishina, who publicly announced his engagement to actress Hanako Takigawa, 22, on Oct 6, told the press: “Life is bliss.”
When asked about the prevalence of extra-marital affairs these days, he responded, “I continued proposing to her twice a day after I popped the question. There’s no way I could cheat on her.”
However, Manda, who is a close friend of Takigawa’s mother, cautioned Nishina. “Men should pay close attention to their women,” she advised.
The tabloids have been reporting that Takigawa’s mother, 59-year-old actress Yumi Takigawa, was originally against the marriage because she thought her daughter too young.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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A Samurai Tale in Hollywood
October 15, 2010
The director and stars of "Saigo no Chushingura" were in Los Angeles yesterday for the movie's 'Hollywood' premiere. It is the first major Japanese-language project taken on by Warner Brothers, and so it became the first ever Japanese movie to be screened in the Steven J. Ross Theater at the company's headquarters. Director Sugita Shigemichi (67) and stars Yakusho Koji (54) and Sakuraba Nanami (17) received a standing ovation from the audience of 500 industry professionals, including a rare public appearance by WB Chairman and CEO Barry M. Meyer. The movie is scheduled to open in Japan on December 18.
Titled "The Last Ronin" for its U.S. release, the movie is the latest in a long history of adaptations of one of Japan's most famous historical events. A remake starring Keanu Reeves (46) is also said to be in the works. It tells of the 47 Ako Roshi (masterless samurais of Akou) and is the quintessential tale of the "bushido" or samurai code. The story is often used to relate the Japanese world-view as it relates to honor and loyalty. The 47 samurai are left leaderless when their master is forced to commit "seppuku" (ritual suicide) for raising his sword against an imperial court official. The ronin plot their revenge though they know it will inevitably lead to their own deaths.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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"My Name Is Noda" drama returns as regular series
Thu, October 14, 2010 (12:08pm EDT)
This past June, Aya Tsuge's manga series "Noda to Moushimasu" ("My Name Is Noda") was turned into a short drama series on NHK's 1seg 2 channel, consisting of just three episodes. Based on its popularity, it has now been decided that the drama will be extended to 20 episodes, starting on October 29. The first three episodes will be a rebroadcast of the original episodes.
 
The live-action "Noda to Moushimasu" stars Noriko Eguchi (30) as the titular character, a plain college student whose everyday life is full of humorous situations. The show also features AKB48's Yuka Masuda (19) and actress Nobue Iketani (39).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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"Saka no Ue no Kumo" takes to the skies with 2nd promotional jet
Thu, October 14, 2010 (12:32pm EDT)
NHK's ambitious drama project "Saka no Ue no Kumo" will once again be promoted by a specially decorated jet. The plane already went into operation on October 10, but a commemorative event was held at Haneda Airport on Thursday morning.
To promote the start of the drama last year, NHK teamed up with All Nippon Airways last October to decorate the body of one of the airline's jets with images of the drama's main cast. This time, they are using a different plane and a different design. The plane, a Boeing 767-300, bears the likenesses of Masahiro Motoki, Hiroshi Abe, Miho Kanno, and Teruyuki Kagawa.
Production for "Saka no Ue no Kumo" started back in 2007. Filmed over the past three years, the drama's 13 episodes were divided into three parts, to be aired separately. The first part aired last year, and the second will air this year starting in December. The final part is scheduled for late 2011.
The new jet will remain in operation on domestic flights until September 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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"Arrietty" and other Ghibli works to screen at Rome Film Festival
Thu, October 14, 2010 (1:11pm EDT)
Following up on the announcement that Studio Ghibli's "Karigurashi no Arrietty" has been
seen in theaters more than 7.5 million times, it was revealed on Thursday that the movie
will be screened at the 5th Rome Film Festival, being held from October 28 to November
5. Although the movie publicly opened in July, this will surprisingly be its first showing at
a film festival.
"Arrietty" will actually be part of a Studio Ghibli retrospective at the festival, which is
planned to include "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind," "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited
Away," "Only Yesterday," and "Whisper of the Heart." Festival-goers will reportedly also
get to see Ghibli-related documentaries such as "Yasuo Otsuka's Joy in Motion" and
"Hayao Miyazaki and the Ghibli Museum," as well as more obscure ones like "Yanagawa
Horiwari Monogatari."
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Author![Menjengah kehidupan baru Shuhada di OZ [siri pembongkaran acik forum kembali bersiaran]](https://uf.cari.com.my/forumx/mforum/block/cd/cdf437227debf09d1330d6c56eeeda98.jpg)
