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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Management agency president arrested on drug charges
Thu, October 14, 2010 (1:37pm EDT)
Koji Ono (53), the president of management office OMG, was recently arrested on drug
charges. Police took Ono into custody after finding small amounts of stimulants and
marijuana inside his Shibuya apartment.
Ono's apartment was searched on Wednesday afternoon. Police reportedly found about
3.1 grams of crystal methamphetamine and about 2.8 grams of marijuana, along with
related paraphernalia. Ono has reportedly admitted that he had the drugs for his own
personal use.
OMG's current talent roster includes singer Yasuhiro Suzuki (a former member of the
band Off Course) and singer/actor Satoshi Kishida.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Namie Amuro cancels concert due to vocal cords
Thu, October 14, 2010 (1:56pm EDT)
Singer Namie Amuro was forced to cancel a concert on October 14 at the Tokyo
International Forum, due to inflammation of her vocal cords. Amuro's management stated
that she tried to recover up until just before the appointed starting time, but her doctor
ordered her not to perform.
The concert was one of the additions made last month to Amuro's "PAST < FUTURE"
tour, which started in April. She also has another concert at the same venue scheduled
for the next day, October 15.
Ticket holders for the canceled show will be able to attend a new concert scheduled for
December 1.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Former AV star Mihiro to release 3D DVD
Thu, October 14, 2010 (2:43pm EDT)
Actress Mihiro (28), who recently retired from the AV industry, has revealed that her
next image DVD will be released in 3D. The DVD will also be recorded in Biphonic 3D
Sound, promising both the visual and aural sensation of being right next to her.
Mihiro mentioned in her blog last week that she was in Okinawa for the DVD shoot. She
also indicated that she was personally impressed by Yukie Kawamura's most recent
image DVD, which became the gravure industry's first to be shot entirely in 3D.
However, Mihiro's release aims to surpass it with the addition of 3D sound.
Since leaving the AV industry, Mihiro has been receiving a lot of attention by the press
for her biopic "nude," currently playing in theaters. She also recently made headlines due
to a tabloid rumor that she is in a relationship with talento Ken Shimura (60), which she
has already denied.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Yuya Yagira, Ellie Toyota celebrate first child
Thu, October 14, 2010 (7:23pm EDT)
Actor Yuya Yagira (20) and model Ellie Toyota (21) are now parents. On Wednesday
afternoon, Toyota gave birth to their first daughter, who weighed 2,800 grams. Yagira
was present at the birth.
Yagira and Toyota dated for about four years before getting married this past January.
In May, they announced that they were expecting a child.
For now, Toyota will focus on taking care of the child and will return to work when the
time is right.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Jun Inoue injures pedestrian while driving
Thu, October 14, 2010 (7:41pm EDT)
Talento Jun Inoue (63) may soon face charges after an incident this week while he was
driving in the Shibuya area, which resulted in injuries for a male pedestrian.
According to Shibuya police, at around 3:50pm on October 11, Inoue was driving in the
Dogenzaka area of Shibuya. While making a left turn at a small intersection, his front
wheel ran over the right foot of a male part-time worker (25). A witness called for an
ambulance, which transported the man to the hospital. He is said to have fractures in
three toes. Once he submits the medical certificate, the incident is expected to be sent
to the prosecutor's office.
Police plan to charge Inoue with negligent driving resulting in injury, but they explained
that until they receive the medical certificate, they do not know the full extent of the
injuries. Inoue has deeply apologized to the man and in a public statement.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Perfume's Tokyo Dome concert to be aired later on WOWOW
Thu, October 14, 2010 (2:15pm EDT)
Perfume has announced that their November 3 concert at the Tokyo Dome will be
broadcast on WOWOW on November 23, starting at 9:00pm. The show is said to already
be sold out, so fans unable to attend will have the opportunity to enjoy the performance
on television just 20 days later (both November 3 and November 23 are holidays).
In addition, Perfume has also revealed images from their next single, "Nee," set to go on
sale on November 10. The single has a second track titled "FAKE IT," and the limited
edition will come with a DVD containing the music video for "Nee." The limited edition will
also incorporate an accordion jacket design, featuring 10 photographs in honor of the
10th anniversary of their formation.
"Nee" is currently being used in new commercials for the fashion brand Natural Beauty
Basic. The full song is planned to be aired in full for the first time on October 21, during
the group's "Perfume LOCKS!" on Tokyo FM.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Erika Sawajiri in hiding?
Thu, October 14, 2010 (8:21pm EDT)
The Sports Nippon newspaper is reporting that people have recently been unable to
contact actress Erika Sawajiri (24). According to Sawajiri's mother Lila, who was
interviewed by the newspaper, the actress has not been heard from in the past three
weeks.
Lila, who currently lives with Sawajiri in a Tokyo apartment, mentioned that her last
contact with Sawajiri may have been as much as 20 days ago. However, when the
newspaper asked for more details, Lila declined to comment and completely stopped
speaking on the subject.
Sawajiri was scheduled to appear at a press conference for a new commercial on
September 21, but she canceled the day before, apparently due to a high fever. Her last
appearance in front of the press was on September 5.
Sports Nippon speculates that Sawajiri's disappearance may be related to an article
published on a CNN website on September 1. In the article, Sawajiri stated that she
reluctantly gave in to her former management agency, which forced her to give a tearful
apology on TV in 2007 after she was criticized for unprofessional behavior at a press
conference for the movie "Closed Note." The article has apparently caused trouble for
her former agency and other parties, so Sawajiri may simply be avoiding the spotlight for
the time being.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Meet the world's oldest master juggler
By Benjamin Boas
TOKYO —
Maruichi Sennoh stands in the middle of the room twirling a bright blue Japanese parasol. “Anyone can balance a parasol on the palm of their hand with a little practice,” he says, demonstrating this. “Balancing it on the tip of your shoulder takes a little more.”
He then takes the umbrella, turns it sideways, and deftly stabilizes the entire object by its razor-thin rim on his chin. “Now this trick. This one I’ve been working on for about 60 years.” At 70 years old, Sennoh, head of the Edo Daikagura Troupe, is the world’s oldest master juggler.
Daikagura is a form of kagura, one of the oldest traditional performing arts in Japan, with roots in the Heian period. It is known to many Japanese by its signature act, the “shishi-mai” (lion dance), but also includes juggling arts like spinning objects on the top of umbrellas. The Edo Daikagura troupe dates back over 400 years and regularly performs at festivals and celebrations to bring good fortune to participants. Complete mastery of all of their arts requires proficiency in dancing, playing instruments, and juggling, all of which entails rigorous daily practice.
Sennoh should know—he was practically born into the business. At the age of 8, he began his career as the adopted trainee of the 12th master of Edo Daigakura, Kagami Kosen. Five years later, he undertook his first major performance—a party for the Showa emperor in which Sennoh juggled in front of the entire imperial family. Although only 13 years old and performing for what could be called the most intimidating audience in all of Japan, he only dropped his tools once. “After the performance, my father told me it was good that I made that mistake. If I hadn’t, he said, they would have thought I was a god.”
While one might hesitate to call Sennoh’s appearance divine, he’s certainly one of the most energetic ojisan in Tokyo. He also happens to be the most adept member of his troupe. Much of Sennoh’s repertoire involves taking traditional Japanese objects—umbrellas, balls of string, teapots—and manipulating them in amazing ways. “Daikagura is an art for the common people and common objects lie at its soul,” he says as he twirls an umbrella in his hands. “Taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary is what we do.”
Since his imperial debut, Sennoh and his troupe have performed in venues from Manila to Munich and even Las Vegas. “Foreign audiences love us because of the uniqueness of our art,” he says.
The biggest difference between daikagura practitioners and typical jugglers is their adaptability. The troupe claims it can perform its act in any space, no matter how small the stage or how low the ceiling may be. This is primarily possible because, for the most part, practitioners do not move their feet as they perform. They compensate by keeping a straight backbone—similar to Japanese martial artists. “Being based in Tokyo will do that to your act,” Sennoh says with a laugh. “There’s no space in this city! We can perform in sushi shops, bathhouses, geisha teahouses. You name it, we’ve done it.”
All performers must also execute their act in kimonos, which adds additional difficulty by restricting movement significantly. “Jugglers in America, they throw the balls and clubs under their legs, right?” says Sennoh. “We can’t do that—the kimono would get in the way.” Yet the long sleeves of the kimono do have the benefit of accentuating the moves of each performer as they balance, twirl and dance.
The traditional equipment used in daikagura adds another layer of difficulty. “In addition to everyday objects like teapots or umbrellas, we have to make older objects from a previous generation ourselves, like ‘te-mari’ [decorative balls of string],” Sennoh explains. “Western juggling objects are made to be juggled; they spin and fly through the air easily. Not so with our stuff. The teapot that my disciple balances on a stick is just that—a teapot. And if he drops it, it will break, just like a regular teapot.” (Incidentally, part of the reason the teapot trick is so difficult is because the stick is held in the performer’s mouth.)
Mistakes like these do happen during the performance, and the master must be prepared. “I do the running commentary during our acts, and if someone screws up, it’s my job to make sure the audience thinks it’s funny,” he explains. “If I say something like, ‘He did that on purpose!,’ people forget the mistake and focus on the act.” Ensuring that the patter stays with the performance is an important part of daikagura.
Although he may be the best juggler in Japan, Sennoh spends more of his time teaching than he does performing. Leading his troupe and grooming a successor has limited his own appearances to roughly once a month. Yet he has no plans to stop anytime soon. “Retirement? Ha! In our world, you work until you drop. We’re the only people doing this stuff in the world; unless I pass on my skills to the next generation, they’ll disappear.”
“Besides,” he says with a laugh, “if I retired, what else would I do? Dancing and juggling are the only things I can do to put food in my belly. This is how I earn my meals and I’ll do it through my 80s if I have to!”
* The Edo Daikagura troupe holds a workshop each Thursday from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Bunkyo Ward Community Center. 4-15-14 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku. Nearest stn: Korakuen, exit A2. Registration fee (1st time only): 5,000 yen. Class fee: 2,000 yen (1,000 yen under 18 or over 60). Classes are normally held on the third floor. (Look for the jugglers.)
* For more info, see www.edo-daikagura.com or email [email protected]. Tel: 03-3813-6220. (The troupe says: “Our English is very poor. So, please use easy sentences!”)
* On Nov 6, the Brown University Club of Japan will host Daikagura!, a family-themed event featuring the Edo Daikagura troupe and an exclusive 30-minute Q&A with leader Maruichi Sennoh. 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sendagaya Community Center. 1-1-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Nearest stn: Harajuku or Meiji-Jingumae. Cost: 2,500 yen (1,000 yen for children 12 and under). A portion of the proceeds will benefit Polaris Project, a Tokyo-based NGO combating human trafficking. RSVP: [email protected]. Space is limited, so send your RSVP early.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Sugimoto says she feels relaxed being in her 40s
Saturday 16th October, 03:43 PM JST
TOKYO —
Actress Aya Sugimoto, previously known for her provocative image, said she felt relaxed being in her 40s, as she attended a recent event in Tokyo to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the fashion magazine S Cawaii!
‘‘I was so provocative in my 20s and made many enemies. I feel being in my 40s is relaxing,’’ said the 42-year-old television personality, clad in a kimono similar to the type worn by managers of exclusive drinking establishments.
She advised young fashion models who took part in the event to give every ounce of their being when in love, just like she used to.
She played the main role in the 2004 movie ‘‘Flower and Snake,’’ based on an erotic novel of Oniroku Dan.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Film promoting Saitama to start screening at local theaters
Sunday 17th October, 03:43 AM JST
SAITAMA —
A film funded by Saitama Prefecture aimed at promoting the charm of the region neighboring Japan’s capital is set to start screenings at local theaters from Oct 23.
A production team including the local government made the film ‘‘Nemuriba,’’ which means a place to sleep, starring Marie Ono, who hails from the prefecture. Directed by Saitama-based filmmaker Shin Sonoda, it features scenes shot in local towns including the popular tourist spot Kawagoe.
Junko Ishii, a prefectural spokeswoman for the project, expressed hope that the movie will encourage more businesspeople and tourists from all over Japan to visit Saitama, saying, ‘‘I hope it will become a success locally and eventually be screened across Japan.’‘
The film depicts the journey of a woman, born to an American man and a Japanese woman, who ends up working at a parlor called Nemuriba as a ‘‘therapist.’’
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Actor Fukuyama says playing Ryoma Sakamoto has improved his life
Saturday 16th October, 05:58 AM JST
TOKYO —
The experience of playing legendary revolutionary Ryoma Sakamoto in a high-profile TV drama has helped actor Masaharu Fukuyama improve his own life, he said. ‘‘Playing Ryoma gave me a new chance to ponder how I can live my own life better,’’ Fukuyama said, referring to the Japanese reformer in the 19th century, after the final shooting of the ‘‘Ryoma-den (Ryoma Story)’’ yearlong drama on NHK.
Co-actor Teruyuki Kagawa praised Fukuyama, also a popular musician, for a high-quality performance in a climax scene in which Ryoma was assassinated for the last episode to be aired Nov 28, saying, ‘‘He outdid himself as an actor.’’
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Ryoko versus Ryoko in battle of TV tax inspectors
Sunday 17th October, 06:29 AM JST
TOKYO —
This seems to be the season for TV dramas about tax investigators with Ryoko Shinohara and Ryoko Yonekura competing in prime time. Shinohara stars in the new Nihon TV drama series, “Ogon no Buta,” which premieres Oct 20 at 10 p.m., while Yonekura is appearing in “Nasake no Onna” on Thursdays at 9 p.m. on TV Asahi.
In “Ogon no Buta,” Shinohara plays a former con artist who is now a tax inspector investigating various tax evasion schemes and other scams. In her drama, Yonekura plays a similar character—a government investigator tracking down tax cheats.
Asked if her role would spark a rivalry with Yonekura, Shinohara said: “I had no idea about her series. I haven’t seen it. I’ve been so absorbed in ‘Ogon no Buta.’ I better have a look and see what she’s doing.”
This is Shinohara’s first appearance in a TV series since giving birth in 2008. Her father also passed away recently.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Mitsuhashi wins 2nd prize in int'l conducting contest
Sunday 17th October, 10:26 AM JST
PARMA, Italy —
Keiko Mitsuhashi won second prize in the Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition Saturday, the highest prize ever given to a woman in the prestigious Italian contest for up-and-coming orchestra conductors, its organizers said. First prize went to Ayyub Guliyev, 26, from Azerbaijan.
‘‘Women may be inferior to men in terms of muscle strength, but conducting an orchestra is not all about physical strength,’’ said the 30-year-old who lives in Milan, after getting the prize for conducting for Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.
A native of Tokyo, Mitsuhashi began studying conducting at age 16, learning under renowned Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa and also studying in Vienna. In 2008, she won the Antonio Pedrotti International Conducting Competition, becoming the first woman to do so. She was also the youngest winner of the contest.
Mitsuhashi currently leads orchestras in various parts of Europe.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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War photographer Watanabe promoting Nintendo DS game with model
Monday 18th October, 05:46 AM JST
TOKYO —
Yoichi Watanabe, a war photographer and television personality, broke new ground recently as a promoter of a Nintendo DS video game together with swimsuit model Azusa Yamamoto. ‘‘I’m supposed to be a battlefield photographer…I keep asking myself if this is the right job for me,’’ Watanabe said in his distinctive drawl, inviting laughter from staff during filming in Yokohama of a TV commercial for the video game, Momotaro Dentetsu World.
Watanabe plays a passenger on a plane while Yamamoto plays a flight attendant in the commercial, which will air in late November. Asked if he is interested in photographing Yamamoto in a swimsuit, Watanabe jokingly said, ‘‘I would be…intimidated.’’
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Mirai Moriyama becomes father
Fri, October 15, 2010 (11:30am EDT)
On Friday, actor Mirai Moriyama (26) announced on his blog that he is now a father. He mentioned the child's weight at birth (3,198 grams), but chose not to reveal further details, such as the sex or the date and time of birth.
Moriyama unexpectedly revealed in March that he had married and that his wife was pregnant. The two had been dating for a few months before that.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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PUSHIM becomes mother
Fri, October 15, 2010 (11:52am EDT)
Reggae singer PUSHIM announced through her staff blog that she has given birth to her first child, a boy. She mentioned that he was 3,000 grams at birth, but he has already grown to more than that.
PUSHIM first announced her pregnancy in May and stopped doing live performances shortly after that. However, she continued with her music, releasing a new single just last month. She also made unexpected appearances on stage at a couple of events earlier this month, just days before she gave birth.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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AKB48 to appear on SDN48's debut single
Fri, October 15, 2010 (12:23pm EDT)
AKB48's sister group SDN48 recently announced that their debut single, set to go on sale on November 24, will be titled "GAGAGA." On Friday, they revealed further details about the single, including the contents of the bonus DVDs.
"GAGAGA," which features 12 of the SDN48 members on the title track, is being released in two regular editions. Both editions come with the songs "GAGAGA" and "Kodoku na Runner," plus a third track (and off-vocal versions of all three). The first regular edition (version A) will have "Eros no Trigger," performed by one group of under girls (members other than the featured 12). The second regular edition (version B) will have "Sado e Wataru," performed by a second group of under girls.
  
Both editions also come with a DVD that contains three music videos (one for each track). Version A adds to that a special version of SDN48's "Yuwaku no Garter," performed by AKB48 members Yuko Oshima, Haruna Kojima, and Mariko Shinoda at Yokohama Arena, while Version B has footage of SDN48 recording and making their music videos. Each DVD also contains video of individual AKB48 members commenting on SDN48's CD debut (Version A has the first half and Version B has the second half).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Sayaka Akimoto steps down as captain
Fri, October 15, 2010 (1:08pm EDT)
AKB48 member Sayaka Akimoto (22) declared on Friday's "AKB48 no All Night Nippon" radio show that she is resigning as captain of Team K. The move is the result of the recent negative publicity surrounding allegations that she is in a relationship with multimedia creator Ouji Hiroi (56), after it was discovered that Hiroi spent the night at her apartment.
Akimoto tearfully apologized for the trouble that the rumors have caused. She explained that she and Hiroi had watched a movie at her apartment, but he fell asleep and she chose not to wake him up.
Fans sent in many supportive messages, saying things such as "There's no need to quit as captain" and "Isn't it irresponsible of you to resign? Work hard without running away!" However, Akimoto insisted that she is not running away, and that she intends to start over and work hard towards becoming captain once again.
Akimoto's replacement has not yet been decided.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kento Nagayama dating MEG?
Fri, October 15, 2010 (8:40pm EDT)
 
Rumors have surfaced stating that actor Kento Nagayama (21) is dating fashion model and singer MEG (30). According to Sports Hochi, the two were introduced to each other by a mutual friend last year, and they started dating at the start of this year.
Although their relationship is not public, Nagayama and MEG have been seen eating together at restaurants in Tokyo's Minato ward multiple times. It is also said that Nagayama has mentioned the relationship to his close friends and family, including his brother Eita (27).
Nagayama is the youngest of three siblings, and he decided to follow the older Eita (who is the middle child) into show business. Nagayama made his acting debut in the 2007 drama series "Ojiisan-sensei," then landed his first starring role with the movie "Soft Boy" this year.
MEG made her major label debut as a music artist in 2002. In recent years, she has been closely associated with producer Yasutaka Nakata. However, this past summer she declared that she would take a short break from music to "reset" herself before next year, which is the 10th anniversary of the start of her career.
Nagayama's management office says that the two are good friends but insists that they are not dating. A record company representative for MEG said that they were unable to confirm the story at the moment because MEG is overseas.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Erika Sawajiri's mother responds to news reports
Fri, October 15, 2010 (9:39pm EDT)
The Sports Nippon newspaper reported on Friday that the whereabouts of Erika Sawajiri (24) have been unknown for a couple weeks, according to her mother Lila. That same day, reporters from various news outlets flocked to Sawajiri's apartment to get more information, and Lila stated that the actress had been briefly hospitalized last month.
Answering the reporters' questions through the apartment's intercom, Lila said that Sawajiri's health has been poor, as she has caught a cold 4 times in the past 6 months, likely brought on by stress and fatigue. Lila said that the hospitalization happened recently but did not specify when, and she refused to provide any details about Sawajiri's illness. In regard to Sawajiri leaving the hospital, Lila simply said "She got better."
When asked about Sawajiri's current location, Lila explained that she is recharging her energy in a quiet place, but gave no further information. When asked if the two had recently met, she went on to say that they were able to "meet" over the phone since Sawajiri's condition has improved, though she was vague about when that happened. She later expressed her expectation that the actress will be returning home soon.
Lila also said that the initial reports about Sawajiri being missing and unreachable (including speculation that Sawajiri left the house after a fight between the two of them) were all wrong. However, Sports Nippon, which initially broke the story, is maintaining its stance. In its report on Lila's new statements, the newspaper omitted her denial and emphasized that Lila was not able to contact Sawajiri that day (Friday).
Sports Nippon added a few more details, including the fact that other residents of the apartment building have not seen Sawajiri and her BMW since the start of September. Avex's talent management division, which has been aiming to sign Sawajiri under contract, declined to comment on the whole matter, as neither party has even signed a basic agreement yet.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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