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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Yui Aragaki visits Hawaii for BeeTV travel show
Mon, December 27, 2010 (9:58am EST)
Actress Yui Aragaki (22) will have her own show on the mobile broadcasting service BeeTV. The show is called "Aragaki Yui no Joshitabi in Hawaii" and is described as a "therapeutic travel show" aimed towards women.
Aragaki will serve as the "navigator," presenting information about various aspects of Hawaii, ranging from food to fashion to beauty to power spots. In order to film the show, Aragaki actually traveled to Hawaii for her first time.
24 episodes were shot, with each one lasting about 3 minutes in length. Episodes are planned to be added every Sunday, though the first one will be available on New Year's Day (January 1).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Chiharu, Toshimi Watanabe divorce after 17 years
Mon, December 27, 2010 (10:10am EST)
Talento Chiharu (40) and musician Toshimi Watanabe (44) both announced on Monday that they have divorced after 17 years. They did not mention a specific reason for their breakup.
Watanabe is a member of the hip-hop group TOKYO No.1 SOUL SET, which formed in 1990. They made their major label debut in 1994, the same year that the couple got married and gave birth to a child.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Art-School's Kinoshita, Straightener's Hinata to launch new band at Countdown Japan
Mon, December 27, 2010 (10:44am EST)
Vocalist/guitarist Riki Kinoshita (ART-SCHOOL, KAREN) and bassist Hidekazu Hinata (STRAIGHTENER, Nothing's Carved In Stone) have formed a new band called killing Boy. Their first live performance will be at this year's COUNTDOWN JAPAN music festival.
Hinata was also once a member of ART-SCHOOL, but he left the band in 2003. The new group reunites him with Kinoshita and adds two regular support members: guitarist Shinichi Ito (HINTO, ex-SPARTA LOCALS) and drummer Takanori Ohkita (Nothing's Carved In Stone, FULLARMOR).
killing Boy will put out their first release in 2011 under Kinoshita's label VeryApe Records. The release date and the title are not yet known, but Ahito Inazawa (VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE, ex-ZAZEN BOYS) will be participating as a guest artist.
killing Boy's first perfomance will be on December 31 on the Moon Stage at Countdown Japan (December 28-31). More information about the band can be found on their MySpace page.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Niigata idol group Negicco wins Horipro-Tokyo MX audition
Mon, December 27, 2010 (11:58am EST)
On Monday, management agency Horipro and television network Tokyo MX held the final round of their "U.M.U Award 2010" idol audition, in which local idol groups from around Japan competed for the top prize. The winning group was the trio Negicco, hailing from the Niigata prefecture.
Negicco consists of leader Nao? (22), Kaede (19), and Megu (21). The group formed in 2003 and has been active since then as PR characters in Niigata, mainly promoting the yawahada-negi, a type of green onion. They have already released several CDs, with a repertoire of more than 20 original songs. Their official website is at http://negicco.net/.
As a result of their victory, they will become regulars on the Tokyo MX show "Tokyo Sky-za Icchou Isseki" (Sundays, 7:00am).
The other 9 groups in the final round were:
Ringo Musume (Aomori)
Nagoya Meibutsu! Aijou Iinkai (Aichi)
Otome no Junjou (Fukuoka)
PixyChicks (Nara)
Only one sister (Hiroshima)
Pieace (Saitama)
Mira Maria (Tokyo)
Jewel Kiss (Hokkaido)
Mokkirars (Osaka)
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kamen Rider 1 returns in 40th anniversary film
Mon, December 27, 2010 (7:35pm EST)
Next year's "Kamen Rider" movie, celebrating the franchise's 40th anniversary, has now been revealed. Titled "OOO - Den-O - All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Rider," the film is scheduled to hit theaters on April 1, 2011.
The film is also said to be the first one designated as commemorating the 60th anniversary of the movie studio Toei.
In addition to popular Kamen Riders OOO and Den-O, the movie will feature Kamen Rider 1 as one of the main characters. The story will involve traveling through space and time to Kamen Rider 1's world, and it appears that all of the past Kamen Riders will be making an appearance.
Although Kamen Rider 1 appeared in the 2005 remake "Kamen Rider THE FIRST," this will be the character's first time in an original work since "Kamen Rider Vs. Hell Ambassador" in 1972. The title itself is a reference to the theme song "Let's Go!! Rider Kick" used in the original 1971 television series.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Impulse's Tsutsumishita proposes on "Haneru no Tobira"
Mon, December 27, 2010 (8:04pm EST)
Atsushi Tsutsumishita (33) of the comedy duo Impulse is currently in a serious relationship, it has been learned. During the taping of a special episode of "Haneru no Tobira" that will air on December 29, he proposed marriage to her. However, the outcome has not yet been publicly reported.
The woman is one year older than Tsutsumishita. They met last December through "Haneru no Tobira" and soon became close. He kept the relationship a secret even from his comedy partner Toshiyuki Itakura (32), but he finally revealed it to Itakura and his other co-workers in early November after he had already started thinking about marriage.
For his own proposal, Tsutsumishita was inspired by Mihoko Abukawa's public proposal on "Haneru no Tobira" this past April, which involved her surviving three rounds in a boxing ring against American boxer Stephanie Dobbs.
Tsutsumishita dressed up in a ballerina outfit and danced part of the ballet "Swan Lake." He practiced for a month before putting his plan into action on December 25, when the special episode was filmed at Fuji TV in Odaiba, Tokyo.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Keisuke Kuwata confirmed as special guest at Kouhaku
Mon, December 27, 2010 (6:54pm EST)
Last month, it was rumored that Southern All Stars member Keisuke Kuwata (54) would be making a special guest appearance on the upcoming Kouhaku Uta Gassen. On Monday, his management agency and record label officially confirmed the news.
Although he will not be part of a team, this will count as his first solo performance at Kouhaku. The last time he was on the show was in 1983, when Southern All Stars made their third appearance.
Currently, it is still not known which songs he will perform or when in the program he will appear. It also has not been decided whether he will be at the event itself or will perform through a live video feed.
Kuwata has not performed in public since July, as he underwent treatment for esophageal cancer. He resumed work in October and recently finished his new album.
The Kouhaku Uta Gassen will begin at 7:30pm on December 31.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Michiko Kichise marries businessman on Christmas Day
Mon, December 27, 2010 (7:14pm EST)
Actress Michiko Kichise (35) recently got married, it has been learned. She announced the news in her blog on Tuesday morning. Her husband is said to be a wealthy businessman who is 10 years older than her, earning annual revenues of more than 200 million yen.
Kichise stated that she registered her marriage on December 25. The pair have been dating for about five years after being introduced to each other by a friend. Their relationship was first reported by a women's magazine in March 2009, and there were rumors about a year ago that they had started living together.
In her blog entry, Kichise indicated that she will continue working as an actress.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kouhaku Uta Gassen performance order: SMAP chosen as Ootori
Sun, December 26, 2010 (3:15am EST)
On Sunday, NHK announced the planned performance order for the upcoming Kouhaku Uta Gassen. It is now confirmed that SMAP and DREAMS COME TRUE will be the "tori" (final performance) for the White Team and Red Team, respectively, with SMAP serving as the "ootori" (the last performance of the whole contest).
SMAP previously had the "ootori" role in 2003 and 2005. For DREAMS COME TRUE, this will be their second year in a row as the "tori" for the Red Team, which has not happened since Akiko Wada in 1998-1999. This is also the first time since 1978 that two pop artists have been "tori"; usually at least one of the artists is an enka singer.
It was recently announced that SMAP member Masahiro Nakai is going to be the host of this year's "CDTV Special! Toshikoshi Premier Live," which starts at 11:45m on TBS. Because Kouhaku Uta Gassen ends at 11:45pm, Nakai will have to rush from the NHK studio in Shibuya to the TBS studio in Akasaka. Since he will not be able to make it in time by the start of the "CDTV Special," the show will start out with Nakai on a live video feed.
The first performance of Kouhaku (the "top batter") will be done by Ayumi Hamasaki, for the third year in a row.
The performance order, as announced:
Ayumi Hamasaki - Virgin Road
EXILE - I Wish For You
AKB48 - Kouhaku 2010 AKB48 Kamikyoku SP
NYC - Yoku Asobi Yoku Manabe 100% NYC
Angela Aki - Kagayaku Hito
AAA - Aitai Riyuu
Mitsuko Nakamura - Kawachi Otoko Bushi
flumpool - Kimi ni Todoke
Ayaka Hirahara - Voyagers
Yusuke - Hito
Natsuko Godai - Hitori Zake
Takashi Hosokawa - Naniwabushi da yo Jinsei wa
Porno Graffitti - Kimi wa 100%
Kana Nishino - Best Friend
FUNKY MONKEY BABYS - Ato Hitotsu
Miyuki Kawanaka - Nirinkusa
HY - Toki wo Koe
Kumiko - INORI
Kaori Mizumori - Matsushima Kikou
Hideaki Tokunaga - Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase
Nana Mizuki - PHANTOM MINDS
L'Arc~en~Ciel - BLESS
Yoshimi Tendo - Jinsei Michizure
Shinichi Mori - Erimo Misaki
Hiromi Go - GO!GO!Year Kouhaku Special Medley
aiko - Mukai Awase
Perfume - Nee
TOKIO - advance
Kumi Koda - KODA KUMI 2010 Special Medley
Hiroshi Itsuki - Oshiroi Hana
Akiko Wada - AKKOii! Kouhaku 2010 Special
Yuzo Kayama - Wakadaisho 50 Nen Special Medley
Masaharu Fukuyama - Michishirube
Sachiko Kobayashi - Kaachan no Hitorigoto
Kobukuro - Ryusei
Kana Uemura - Toilet no Kamisama
Arashi - 2010 Kouhaku Original Medley
Ikimono Gakari - Arigatou
Sayuri Ishikawa - Amagi Goe
Saburo Kitajima - Fusetsu Nagare Tabi
Fuyumi Sakamoto - Mata Kimi ni Koishiteru
Kiyoshi Hikawa - Nijiiro no Bayon
DREAMS COME TRUE - Ikite Yuku no Desu feat. The Kouhaku Special Brass Band
SMAP - This is love '10 SP Medley
The order of the special segments have not yet been announced.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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"Okuhida Bojou" singer Tetsuya Ryu passes away
Tue, December 28, 2010 (8:50am EST)
Enka singer Tetsuya Ryu died from a brain hemorrhage on Tuesday morning on at a hospital in the Gifu prefecture. He was 74.
Ryu, whose real name was Tetsunosuke Tamura, grew up in the Gifu prefecture. While he was a middle school student, his vision began to decline. He began working as a masseuse, and at the age of 26 he lost his eyesight. From that point, he began his musical career, eventually debuting in 1980 when he was in his forties.
Ryu's debut song was "Okuhida Bojou," which became a huge hit. He was invited to NHK's Kouhaku Uta Gassen in 1981, and he also received multiple awards for the song. Ryu released several singles after that, though none of them achieved the same fame as "Okuhida Bojou."
About 10 years ago, Ryu suffered his first brain hemorrhage. He recovered from it, but he had been inactive as a singer since then.
Source: http://www.tokyograph.com |
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Do As Infinity countdown concert to be partially streamed on Nico Nico Douga
Tue, December 28, 2010 (9:11am EST)
Do As Infinity has announced that their sold-out December 30 concert at Tokyo's Shinagawa Stellar Ball will be streamed live on the video website Nico Nico Douga. The concert is the first of two countdown concerts that they are performing at that venue on December 30-31.
The set list is said to include many of Do As Infinity's famous songs, as well as new songs from their upcoming album "EIGHT," scheduled for release on January 19. It is also reported that Do As Infinity has a surprise planned for the concerts.
The stream will be available here. Although the broadcast is free, it will not cover the entire concert. Music website Natalie reports that the stream is planned to start at 8:00pm, though the concert is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm.
Do As Infinity also streamed their 11th anniversary concert on Nico Nico Douga in September.
Source: http://www.tokyograph.com |
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ASIAN2 to disband in March
Tue, December 28, 2010 (10:40am EST)
The band ASIAN2 unexpectedly announced on their official website that they are breaking up at the end of March 2011. Although they did not give a specific reason for disbanding, they explained that the four members have chosen to pursue their own separate paths. They further said that they do not have any regrets about their decision and will be moving forward with a positive attitude.
The group currently consists of vocalist/guitarist TATSU, vocalist TWENTY"20", bassist SHOJI, and drummer HIDEO.
ASIAN2 formed in 1999 and made their major label debut under Avex in 2006 with the single "ASIAN VIBRATION." The group just released a new album titled "very" on December 1.
The band was planning to hold three performances next month in Shibuya, Osaka, and Matsumoto to celebrate the release of "very," but all of the concerts have now been canceled.
Source: http://www.tokyograph.com |
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Singer Akiko Wada taken to hospital after car accident
Thursday 30th December, 01:01 AM JST
TOKYO —
Veteran singer Akiko Wada sustained minor injuries Wednesday after her car was rear-ended while waiting at a stoplight at an intersection in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, police said.
Wada, 60, was diagnosed with a cervical spine sprain and lower back contusion at a hospital that she visited after attending a rehearsal for public broadcaster NHK’s annual Red and White Year-end Song Festival to be aired Friday, her management company said. She is set to perform as scheduled in the song festival, the company said.
Police said they are questioning a male driver in his 30s who crashed into Wada’s car.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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LovePlus characters to release cover album
Wed, December 29, 2010 (8:37am EST)
Manaka Takane, Rinko Kobayakawa, and Nene Anegasaki - the three fictional heroines of the popular Nintendo DS dating sim LovePlus - will be releasing an album titled "Utau LovePlus" on January 27, 2011.
The album will feature a total of 10 songs. 9 of them are covers of songs that were once big hits, of which 6 are solos (two per girl) and 3 are duets. The 10th song is an original tune, sung by all 3 of the characters.
The songs being covered are:
"Lum no Love Song" ("Urusei Yatsura" theme song) - Yuko Matsutani
"Watashi ga Obasan ni Nattemo" - Chisato Moritaka
"Asia no Junshin" - PUFFY
"TOMORROW" - Mayo Okamoto
"Sobakasu" - JUDY AND MARY
"Mugon Iroppoi" - Shizuka Kudo
"Delicate ni Suki Shite" ("Creamy Mami" theme song) - Takako Ohta
"Samishii Nettaigyo" - Wink
"Nagisa no Sindbad" - Pink Lady
"Utau LovePlus" is planned to be sold only on Konami Digital Entertainment's online shopping website konamistyle.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Boris to release first major label album with Avex
Wed, December 29, 2010 (12:02pm EST)
Experimental rock band Boris has finally struck a deal with a major record label. On March 16, 2011, they will release a new album through Avex, likely under the tearbridge records sub-label.
Boris started out as a four-piece band in 1992, but it has had only three members since 1996. The group has achieved popularity outside Japan, particularly in the United States, where they have received critical acclaim. They were the opener for Nine Inch Nails' tour in 2008, and they were one of the main artists on the soundtrack for Jim Jarmusch's film "The Limits of Control."
2010 was a strong year for Boris, as they provided a song for the blockbuster film "Kokuhaku" and did a collaboration with Ian Astbury of The Cult.
Boris' new album will be produced by Shinobu Narita, who has been a support musician for Tomoyasu Hotei and has produced songs for a spectrum of artists, including Plastic Tree, D'ERLANGER, LM.C, and Nakano Fujo Sisters.
It has also been announced that Boris will participate in the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Tokyo on February 27. They are expected to unveil material from their new album there.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Charts: Ayumi Hamasaki, Naoya Urata, NEWS, Nana Mizuki
Wed, December 29, 2010 (9:19am EST)
 
On the sales charts this week, singer Ayumi Hamasaki accomplished a fairly rare feat: she was at #1 on both the album and single rankings. Her new album "Love songs" sold more than 180,000 copies, while her collaborative single with AAA's Naoya Urata, "Dream ON" sold over 40,000 copies.
This is only the 11th time that an artist has simultaneously topped the album and single charts. Hamasaki did it twice before in October 2000 and October 2001. The last artist to do it was NEWS in November 2007.
Because this week's rankings are actually counted as the charts for January 3, 2011, Hamasaki has now had a #1 album in 13 consecutive years, from 1999 to 2011. This extends her record of "most consecutive years with a number-one album starting with a first album"; the second most is Akina Nakamori, who achieved a streak of 8 years from 1982 to 1989.
At #2 on the album charts this week was Korean group SNSD (Shoujo Jidai), selling close to 61,000 copies of their Korean-language mini-album "HOOT." Although their recent single "Gee" was also ranked #2, this is the group's first album to make the top ten.
The only other new release in the top ten was a Vocaloid album by mothy (also known as Akuno-P).
As already mentioned, Naoya Urata's "Dream ON" led the single charts. A few other new singles entered the top ten: Daisuke Ono (#5), THE RICECOOKERS (#6), GIRL NEXT DOOR (#7), and ZE:A (#9).
On the overall DVD charts, NEWS took the top spot with 126,000 units sold of their "NEWS DOME PARTY 2010 LIVE! LIVE! LIVE! DVD!" This is their 5th consecutive release to reach #1 in just the music DVD category.
Meanwhile, Nana Mizuki secured the #1 and #2 spots in the music category of the Blu-ray sales rankings. Her "NANA MIZUKI LIVE GAMES x ACADEMY-BLUE-" and "NANA MIZUKI LIVE GAMES x ACADEMY-RED-" sold 16,000 and 15,000 copies, respectively.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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'Yamato' film draws Japanese men in their 30s, 40s
TOKYO —
An action film adapted from the popular anime TV series ‘‘Space Battleship Yamato’’ has proved a hit in Japan, drawing more than 2 million viewers since its release on Dec 1, especially men in their 30s and 40s who were attracted by the original story in their youth.
The film, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Takuya Kimura and Meisa Kuroki, topped the box office rankings in its first week and remained in the top five slots later in the month, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha, adding it has taken 2.5 billion yen in revenues.
Men around 40 years old in the audience have praised the film, with one saying, ‘‘The action version helped me feel the Yamato story was more real.’’ Another said that even though he found many scenes lacking in consistency, making that many discoveries showed ‘‘I’m really into it.’‘
Translator Nozomi Omori, known for his knowledge of sci-fi trends, said the romantic nature of a space voyage and detailed descriptions of the relations between crew members appealed to adults, despite the contradictions of its setting.
‘‘People from the generations who do not know about the boom in the 1970s showed only a tepid reaction to the film, but the Yamato stories retain a mysterious enchantment,’’ Omori said.
The first series of the Yamato story, aired in 1974, depicts an uncharted cosmic voyage in the 22nd century by the spaceship, which was remodeled from the World War II battleship Yamato of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Ayumi Hamasaki 1st artist to achieve 13 consecutive years of No. 1 albums
Friday 31st December, 03:12 AM JST
TOKYO —
Ayumi Hamasaki, 32, will soon become the first artist in Japan to achieve 13 consecutive years of No. 1 albums after Oricon Album Rankings announced that her new album “Love Songs” is set to hit the top of the charts on Jan 3. The new album is Hamasaki’s 17th No. 1 album in total since her debut was released in 1999.
A track by Naoya Urata featuring Hamasaki, titled “Dream On,” is also set to hit the No. 1 spot in the singles chart on the same day. She will be the first album and single No. 1 position holder since pop group Arashi managed the same feat in 2007, three years and one month ago. It will be nine years and three months since Hamasaki has topped both charts simultaneously.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Exile wins Record Taisho prize for 3rd straight year
Saturday 01st January, 12:43 AM JST
TOKYO —
Exile, a 14-man singing and dancing group, has taken the annual Japan Record Award, known as Record Taisho, for the third straight year, with its hit single ‘‘I Wish For You.’’ An award ceremony, the 52nd of its kind, organized by the Japan Composers’ Association and other sponsors, was aired Thursday on Tokyo Broadcasting System.
The J-pop group became the second to win the major music award for three consecutive years, after popular female singer Ayumi Hamazaki, who won the award from 2001 through 2003.
The award is given to a single reflecting popularity over the year among other things.
Teenage girls idol group S/mileage, which made its debut in May with the single ‘‘Yumemiru Fifteen’’ (Dreamy Fifteen), was given the year’s Best New Artist award.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Actress Hideko Takamine dies at age 86
Saturday 01st January, 03:22 AM JST
TOKYO —
Actress Hideko Takamine, known for her appearances in numerous movies in the 1950s and 1960s, died of lung cancer in a Tokyo hospital at 5:28 a.m. Tuesday, her attorney said Friday. She was 86.
Her husband, movie director Zenzo Matsuyama, held a funeral and memorial service for the actress on Wednesday attended by people close to her.
Born in 1924 in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Takamine made her debut in 1929 as a child actor in the movie ‘‘Haha’’ (Mother) and became a popular girl star after appearing in the 1938 film ‘‘Tsuzurikata Kyoshitsu’’ (Writing Lessons).
After World War II, she appeared in a number of movies during what is referred to as the ‘‘golden era’’ of the Japanese film industry.
Her major movies included ‘‘Niju-shi no Hitomi’’ (Twenty-four Eyes) in 1954 directed by Keisuke Kinoshita, ‘‘Ukigumo’’ (Floating Clouds) in 1955 directed by Mikio Naruse, and ‘‘Yorokobi mo kanashimi mo ikutoshitsuki’’ (The Lighthouse) in 1957 directed also by Kinoshita.
She retired from making movies in 1979.
She was also known as a witty essayist and published ‘‘Watashi no Tosei Nikki’’ (My Diary).
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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