Credit lawsuit adds to Manabu Oshio's troubles
Fri, October 15, 2010 (10:43pm EDT)
Manabu Oshio (32) is currently in the process of appealing the 30-month prison sentence he received in his criminal trial last month, but it was learned on Friday that he has also been hit with a civil lawsuit in a separate matter. A Nagoya-based credit firm is seeking compensation and possession of Oshio's car due to several months of missed payments.
In 2008, Oshio purchased a Mercedes Benz, priced at approximately 9.5 million yen. At the time, he signed a contract with the credit firm to pay for the car in the form of a loan, and to serve as his guarantor. In return, Oshio was expected to repay the loan in monthly installments over the next 5 years. However, he has default on his payments since February of this year, so the company filed with the Tokyo District Court to receive possession of the vehicle and 6.3 million yen to cover the remainder of the loan.
Oshio was arrested in August of last year for drug possession and his involvement in the related death of a Ginza hostess. In February, he applied for bail from his detention center as he awaited trial. At the time, his lawyers had prepared 10 million yen, but bail was ultimately denied. Oshio finally underwent trial in September and received a 30-month sentence for drug charges, but he was acquitted of negligence regarding the hostess' death.
Oshio's defense immediately appealed the sentence and has begun preparing for the appeal trial. In the meantime, Oshio was released on bail for 10 million yen earlier this month, but he was back in court on October 15 for the first hearing in the civil case. Oshio's lawyer did not contest the lawsuit, so there will be no further hearings. The judge will announce the decision on October 29.
"Saijo no Meii" manga being adapted to drama
Sat, October 16, 2010 (1:06am EDT)
The manga series "Saijo no Meii" is getting a live-action adaptation in the form of a television drama series on TV Tokyo next season. The news is being announced in next week's issue of the magazine Shonen Sunday.
"Saijo no Meii" is drawn by manga artist Takashi Hashiguchi, best known for the baking-themed series "Yakitate!! Japan." The manga tells the story of a young, gifted pediatric surgeon. It was originally serialized between 2008 and 2010, and a second arc titled "Saijo no Meii ~The King of NEET~" started a few weeks later.
The cast for the drama is not yet known, but the show is scheduled to premiere in January 2011 in a Monday 10:00pm time slot.
Keisuke Kuwata back in the studio
Sat, October 16, 2010 (9:59pm EDT)
Southern All Stars singer Keisuke Kuwata (54) has resumed work on his album, it was revealed on Saturday. It has been about two and a half months since Kuwata was diagnosed with early-stage esophageal cancer, which forced him to take a break for treatment and postpone his album and its corresponding concert tour.
The news was announced during Saturday night's broadcast of Tokyo FM's weekly radio show "Kuwata Keisuke no Yasashii Yoasobi," which has had a replacement host since the start of Kuwata's hiatus. Kuwata's manager appeared on the show to present an e-mail message from the singer, which revealed that Kuwata has been steadily recovering day by day, and he finally resumed work on the new album on October 8. The message also expressed Kuwata's gratitude to his staff and everyone else who helped him through this tough time.
According to Kuwata's management office, he has not recovered enough to do a proper recording session, but he is currently able to make adjustments to previous recordings and has begun singing again at the studio.
The album was originally scheduled to be completed at the end of August, in preparation for release on October 20. After Kuwata was diagnosed with cancer in July, the album was had to be postponed. A new release date has still not yet been decided.
Masaharu Fukuyama plans record-setting tour for 2011
Sat, October 16, 2010 (11:04pm EDT)
After a year of focusing on the taiga drama "Ryomaden," actor and singer Masaharu Fukuyama (41) plans to spend next year focused on his music. Starting in February 2011, he will go on his largest concert tour ever, scheduled to last five months and expected to draw a record-setting total attendance of 600,000 fans.
Fukuyama will kick off the tour on February 24 at Osaka-jo Hall and finish on July 3 at Ehime-ken Budokan. He will perform 46 concerts in 17 cities in front of roughly 600,000 people, surpassing his previous personal record of 500,000 from last year's tour. In fact, that number is said to be a record for any Japanese solo artist, topping the likes of Kazumasa Oda (530,000 in 2008) and Namie Amuro (500,000 in 2009).
The tour will take him to several parts of the country where he has not performed in a very long time. For example, his last concert in Wakayama was in 1990 (the year of his debut), and his shows in Aomori, Nagano, Mie, and Kagoshima will be his first ones there in 17 years.
In particular, Kagoshima was one of the areas where "Ryomaden" was shot. The tour will also stop at other "Ryomaden" filming locations such as Shizuoka and Hiroshima.
Despite his busy schedule with "Ryomaden," Fukuyama has managed to find time to work on his music. Last month, he announced a best album titled "THE BEST BANG!!" for release on November 17. He is also set to perform four concerts in Yokohama at the end of December.
Ayako Imoto to host documentary show
Sun, October 17, 2010 (12:18am EDT)
Comedian Ayako Imoto (24) will soon be hosting a variety show on BS Fuji, titled "Seishun! Imoto no Mon" and scheduled to air on Saturday nights at 11:30pm.
Distinguished by her fake thick eyebrows, Imoto is best known as the "rare animal hunter" on NTV's "Sekai no Hate Made Itte Q!," which was responsible her big break a couple years ago. On her new show, she will be guiding other young talents at the start of their show business careers.
The show takes on the format of a documentary and variety show, focusing on budding talents aiming for success in areas such as acting, singing, and comedy.
The first participants are all students from the same training school that Imoto attended, which is operated by her management office Watanabe Entertainment. Out of the approximately 1,800 students currently taking lessons, 12 aspiring stars were chosen to appear on the show (some are part of a group). They will refine their performance skills over a 5-month period before their final test, in which they will compete to see who can gather the biggest audience. Imoto will follow them throughout the process, documenting their progress and giving them support and advice.
Hitoshi Matsumoto working on next film
Sun, October 17, 2010 (6:48am EDT)
Comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto (47) is back in the director's chair for his third full-length film. Although the title and release window are currently undecided, it has been revealed that the lead role will be played by a man named Takaaki Nomi, who is not professionally in show business.
Matsumoto decided to cast Nomi in his new movie due to his unique personality. He described Nomi as being both the world's most and least interesting guy - since Nomi doesn't think of himself as interesting at all, he is interesting from the perspective that nobody could be that uninteresting.
Nomi currently works at a bar in Shinjuku's Golden Gai neighborhood. However, he has previously appeared on two of Matsumoto's variety shows, "Hataraku Ossan Ningyou" and "Hataraku Ossan Gekijo."
Matsumoto himself starred in his first two movies, "Dainipponjin" and "Symbol." It is unknown whether he will appear in the new film.
Naho Toda ties the knot
Sun, October 17, 2010 (11:18am EDT)
Actress Naho Toda (36) is now officially a wife. On Sunday morning, she registered her marriage, just before holding her wedding ceremony at Meiji Shrine.
Toda announced in March that she was engaged to a doctor who is the same age as her. The two became acquainted last July and started dating two months later.
Toda's agency stated that she plans to continue working as an actress.
SCANDAL to release girl rock cover mini-album
Sun, October 17, 2010 (8:18pm EDT)
The four-member female rock band SCANDAL will release a mini-album on November 17 titled "R-GIRL's ROCK!" The "R" stands for "respect," as the album consists of 7 rock covers of well-known songs by other female artists.
The songs being covered are:
"Rock 'n' Roll Widow" - Momoe Yamaguchi
"Roppongi Shinju" - Ann Lewis
"Koibito ga Santa Claus" - Yumi Matsutoya
"SINKY-YORK" - JITTERIN'JINN
"DAYDREAM" - Judy and Mary
"Sunny Day Sunday" - Sentimental Bus
"secret base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~" - ZONE
Just last week, SCANDAL achieved their highest ranking ever, reaching #3 on the charts with their latest single, "SCANDAL Nanka Buttobase."
Yakkun Sakurazuka launches own management office
Sun, October 17, 2010 (9:13pm EDT)
Comedian Yakkun Sakurazuka (34) revealed in a blog post that he left his management agency at the end of September in order to open his own agency. He stated that his resignation went smoothly.
Sakurazuka is best known for his sailor-uniformed Sukeban Kyoko character on the variety show "Enta no Kamisama," where he got his big break a few years ago. He has also done acting in film and television, and even debuted as a singer in 2006. In addition, he does anime voice acting under his real name, Yasuo Saito.
Yu Abiru dating F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi?
Sun, October 17, 2010 (7:57pm EDT)
Talento Yu Abiru (24) is rumored to be dating F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi (24). Abiru was seen cheering on Kobayashi at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit earlier this month, where he placed 7th overall, the top finish for his team BMW Sauber-Ferrari.
According to a source familiar with the couple, they are said to have met around the end of this summer. They were seen on a date in Shizuoka on October 2, and pictures of the two taken by passers-by were posted online, spreading the relationship rumor.
Actress Hikaru Nishida promoted oysters from Hiroshima Prefecture on Monday during an event attended by Hiroshima Gov Hidehiko Yuzaki. During the event, Nishida and Yuzaki tasted a stew made with Hiroshima oysters based on a recipe from House Foods Corp.
Half of all oysters produced in Japan come from Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan, where they are raised in oyster beds in the Seto Inland Sea.
Yuko Takeuchi appears in Kou Shibasaki's new PV
Sun, October 17, 2010 (8:41pm EDT)
Actress Yuko Takeuchi (30) will appear in the music video for Kou Shibasaki's (29) newest song, "EUPHORIA," being released as a single on November 3. This is Takeuchi's first time in a music video, and she will be playing an alternate version of Shibasaki.
Both Takeuchi and Shibasaki appeared in the 2003 blockbuster "Yomigaeri," but their scenes for that movie were filmed separately. This time they will be closely working together. Takeuchi will wear make-up to resemble Shibasaki, but Takeuchi will be dressed in black while Shibasaki will be dressed in white. Together, they play two sides of the same character.
The two actresses, who both belong to the same management agency, are actually good friends outside of work. They often eat meals together, and Takeuchi has been to Shibasaki's concerts before.
Shibasaki was chosen to write "EUPHORIA" as the theme song of Takeuchi's upcoming drama special "Strawberry Night." Adapted from a bestselling mystery novel of the same name, the drama features Takeuchi playing a police detective for the first time. "Strawberry Night" is scheduled to air on November 13.
Porno Graffitti to play countdown concert at Yokohama Arena
Mon, October 18, 2010 (8:25pm EDT)
Porno Graffitti just finished a lengthy 56-concert tour, but they have announced the special addition of two more shows. They will perform at Yokohama Arena on December 30 and 31, which will be their first year-end and countdown concerts in six years.
Southern All Stars vocalist Keisuke Kuwata usually performs at the arena on those dates every year, but due to his treatment for cancer, his management office decided to have Porno Graffitti fill in for him this year. Vocalist Akihito Okano said that he was honored to be chosen.
Umika Kawashima wins Megane Best Dresser award
Mon, October 18, 2010 (9:45pm EDT)
The 23rd annual Megane Best Dresser Awards were presented on Monday. Actress and 9nine member Umika Kawashima (16) received a special prize as the celebrity whom people would like to see wearing glasses. Kawashima noted that she does use glasses but doesn't wear them for work.
Talento Daisuke Miyagawa won in the entertainment category, while model Rinka was honored for her look in sunglasses. The other winners were announcer Kazuo Tokumitsu, politician Yoshito Sengoku, and businessman Yoshiharu Hoshino.
Miike's "13 Assassins" wins audience award at Sitges
Mon, October 18, 2010 (8:45pm EDT)
The awards for the 43rd Sitges Film Festival have been announced, and Japanese films picked up three of the prizes.
Takashi Miike's "13 Assassins" remake earned the Grand Audience Award, while also winning for best art direction (Yuji Hayashida). Sion Sono's "Cold Fish" won the Casa Asia award.
The last Japanese film to win the audience award at Sitges was Hayao Miyazaki's animated film "Howl's Moving Castle" in 2004.
May'n gets 3D documentary film
Mon, October 18, 2010 (9:18pm EDT)
Singer May'n, best known as the singing voice of "Macross Frontier" character Sheryl Nome, is getting her own concert documentary film, shot in 3D. The movie is titled "May'n THE MOVIE -Phonic Nation-" and will get a theatrical run starting on February 5, 2011.
Shot using 3ality Digital's technology, the movie will mainly focus on the singer's recent concert at Zepp Tokyo, which was the finale of her summer tour. In addition to the 3D footage of the concert, the documentary will also include scenes of the recording of her new song "Phonic Nation," her tour rehearsals, and overseas scenes shot at her concerts in Singapore, Malaysia, and Los Angeles.
The film is being directed by music video and movie director Hideaki Sunaga.
May'n has another performance in Singapore scheduled for November, and she will hold her second Nippon Budokan concert in March 2011. Her first Budokan concert was held this past January, and tickets sold out the day they went on sale.
Keisuke Kuwata resumes work on album after recovering from cancer surgery
Tuesday 19th October, 04:43 AM JST
TOKYO —
Southern All-Stars vocalist Keisuke Kuwata, who underwent surgery for esophageal cancer on Aug 2, has recovered and is able to sing once again.
The news came in the form of a message to Tokyo FM on Sunday night. At the top of Kuwata’s regular radio show, to which he sends weekly status updates, his manager read a statement which informed his waiting fans that Kuwata, 54, was returning to full health and that recording for his new album had finally recommenced.
“I’ve been forced to let music fall by the wayside for over two months now,” Kuwata said in his message. “It feels great to be back in the game. Thank you all so much for your support.”
After the news was announced, the radio station erupted into victorious cheers and applause.
According to sources, there were four tracks left when Kuwata was forced to halt the recording for surgery. “He’s been undergoing physiotherapy to enable him to use his voice again,” said his manager. “Although he’s not doing the final recording yet, slowly but surely he’s returning to his old self.”
Yon-sama invites 600 fans to photo shoot at Tokyo Dome
Wednesday 20th October, 06:45 AM JST
TOKYO —
South Korean actor and heartthrob Bae Yong Joon, popularly known as Yon-sama in Japan, has invited 600 of his fans to attend a formal photo shoot in December when he visits Japan.
The shoot, which is to take place on Dec 14 at Tokyo Dome, has been organized by Japanese cable channel DATV, which brings non-Japanese Asian stars to their fans in Japan. The photo session is part of the “Message! to Asia” charity show and will be filmed in front of a live audience.
Although photo shoots are usually private affairs, this time specially selected fans will not only be able to attend the shoot, they will also be able to take photos of Yon-sama with their own cameras.
The nice folks at New York - Tokyo have asked us to plug an upcoming live appearance in the Big Apple by one of Japan's best rock artists. Boom Boom Satellites, supported by alternative rock band Zamza, will be playing as part of the CMJ2010 Music Marathon & Film Festival. You can check them out on Wednesday, October 20 at Bowery Poetry Club. Organizers said, "this is a special night that CMJ and New York - Tokyo have put together. CMJ badge holders will enjoy the whole night for free and only $10 for those without. Tickets will be gone very quick." You can find out more and pick up tickets here.
Brit music magazine NME has described BBS as "Like The Prodigy fighting Underworld with bloody big sticks." And their CMJ bio says the Tokyo rockers "offer a brutal clash of high-tech hooks, renegade rhythm and distortion-drenched guitar." Meanwhile, two members of Zamza are probably better known for their work with the hugely successful Judy and Mary. In a literary twist, the band's vocalist is also a winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize as well as a movie director.
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