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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Southern All Stars front man Keisuke Kuwata makes comeback
Saturday 01st January, 11:42 AM JST
TOKYO —
Southern All Stars front man Keisuke Kuwata made a comeback Friday, appearing on NHK’s annual New Year’s Eve song festival as a special guest after undergoing surgery for esophagus cancer in early August.
This is the first time Kuwata, 54, has made his singing voice heard before the public since he announced in late July that he had early-stage esophagus cancer.
During the TV program, NHK broadcast live Kuwata singing two songs in a Tokyo studio.
After announcing that he had esophagus cancer, Kuwata canceled a planned nationwide concert tour and postponed the release of his new album to concentrate on his surgery and treatment. He resumed recording in October.
As a member of the Southern All Stars, Kuwata has been featured three times in the annual year-end song festival. The last time the band appeared was 1983.
The Southern All Stars made their debut in the late 1970s, and the group has remained popular in Japan’s pop and rock scene.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Pianist Harumi Hanafusa to make American debut at Carnegie Hall
Sunday 02nd January, 05:07 AM JST
NEW YORK —
Celebrated Japanese pianist Harumi Hanafusa will make her long-awaited American debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on January 15. Known for her kaleidoscopic repertoire including classic, romantic and modern works, this one-night only concert presented by Robin Radin Productions features the world premiere of a major new work for piano by the leading Japanese composer, Toshi Ichiyanagi. Furthermore, Hanafusa will focus on works by French composers, including Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit and La Valse; and Debussy’s Images I and II.
Over the past 30 years, Hanafusa has gained tremendous recognition as a pianist and soloist with numerous symphony and chamber orchestras such as Goteborg Symphony in Sweden, Orchestra Lamoureux in France, Franz List Chamber Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Sextet, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Symphony Orchestra of Osaka in Japan. Her piano concertos of Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel and Tchaikovsky are widely known and she is recognized as one of the best performers of French music. Described as “trifling audiences with her extravagant performances,” her style of play is “fashionable and free, sometimes romantic or coquettish.”
Highlighting the evening’s program is a new piano sonata by one of the leading composers in Japan, Toshi Ichiyanagi. He studied composition under Cage while studying at New York’s Juilliard Conservatory in the late 1950s. After returning to Japan in 1961, he introduced many new musical concepts, including Cage’s idea of indeterminacy, exerting a strong influence on the direction of Japanese contemporary music ever since.
Hanafusa has been a major figure in the piano world of Japan, performing regularly as a soloist with Japan’s major orchestras, including the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Tokyo Philharmonic, and in frequent recital and chamber music concerts. Her London recitals and concerto performances, which were broadcast by the BBC in 1993, opened the door for regular appearances in Europe, as well. With her sister Mami Hanafusa, she also performs in Japan as a member of The Hanafusa Sisters Piano Duo.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Ayumi Hamasaki marries Austrian actor
Sunday 02nd January, 07:42 PM JST
TOKYO —
Japanese pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki has tied the knot with Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz in the United States, her office said Sunday.
Hamasaki, 32, and Schwarz, 30, met last August in Los Angeles when she made a promotional film for her song Virgin Road, the office said earlier. Schwarz lives in Los Angeles. In the film, he played her bridegroom.
On New Year’s eve, Hamasaki appeared in the annual Red and White Year-end Song Festival on NHK, one of the most widely watched TV shows in Japan. Clad in a white wedding gown with a hugely extended train, she sang ‘‘Virgin Road.’’
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Ebizo dropped by sponsor after pub brawl
Monday 03rd January, 05:52 AM JST
TOKYO —
Disgraced kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo, who was involved in a pub brawl on Nov 25, has been dropped by sponsor Pip in a forthcoming ad campaign for the company’s Elekiban Z product.
Elekiban Z are small magnets attached to the skin in the belief that they aid blood circulation. The advertising campaign that was due to be broadcast this month has been canceled in light of the publicity over the brawl and the subsequent cancellation of Ebizo’s kabuki performances.
Meanwhile, coverage of the “Ebizo incident” has been on the decline since the kabuki star reached an out-of-court settlement with his alleged assailant Rion Ito, 27, and a former bike gang leader, 29. The media are also said to be spending less time camped outside his house, though a few were there over the year-end period.
Ebizo hasn’t emerged and is thought to be spending time quietly at home with his wife, newscaster and TV personality Mao Kobayashi.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Morning Musume gets 4 new members
Tuesday 04th January, 02:16 AM JST
TOKYO —
Four new members of pop group Morning Musume were introduced at an event called “Hello! Project 2011” in Tokyo on Monday. All 32 existing members of the group were on hand to welcome the newcomers.
After a grueling selection process that took 3 years and 9 months, during which around 9,000 girls applied to join the band, the final four were Erina Ikuta, 13, Riho Sayashi, 12, Kano Suzuki, 12, and Mizuki Fukumura, 14.
In front of 2,000 fans, Ikuta said, “It’s been a long climb to the top and I can’t wait to give it my best,” to which current group leader Ai Takahashi, 24, said: “I’m jealous. We’re an entire generation apart.”
It has not yet been decided when the four new members will begin performing with the band.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Comedian Hazama back in Japan to finish run-and-sail global marathon
Tuesday 04th January, 08:23 AM JST
FUKUOKA —
Comedian Kampei Hazama arrived back in Japan on Tuesday morning on the last leg of his run-and-sail ‘‘Earth Marathon’’ around the globe, docking at Fukuoka Marina in southwestern Japan two years after setting sail into the Pacific. The 61-year-old plans to run some 620 kilometers from Fukuoka City to finish Jan 21 at an open-air concert hall in Osaka Castle Park in the major western Japan city, where he started his journey on Dec. 17, 2008.
After leaving Japan from Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture in January 2009, Hazama sailed or ran across the Pacific, the North American continent, the Atlantic and Eurasia. He departed Saturday for Fukuoka from Qingdao in China’s Shandong Province on a yacht. He suspended his journey April last year to undergo hormonal therapy after being diagnosed with prostate cancer the previous January, but resumed it in June from Turkmenistan.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Kabuki actor Nakamura Tomijuro dies at 81
Tuesday 04th January, 10:49 AM JST
TOKYO —
Renowned kabuki actor Nakamura Tomijuro died at a Tokyo hospital Monday evening of rectal cancer, people close to him said Tuesday. He was 81. Tomijuro, who was designated a human national treasure, had canceled his performances in November due to poor health.
The first-born son of the fourth Nakamura Tomijuro and Japanese dancer Tokuho Azuma, the Tokyo native, real name Hajime Watanabe, made his stage debut in 1943 under the stage name Bando Tsurunosuke.
He succeeded to the stage name of the sixth Ichimura Takenojo in 1964 and the fifth Nakamura Tomijuro after his father in 1972.
Tomijuro was known for his articulate performances, and his best works included the role of 12th-century warrior-monk Musashibo Benkei in ‘‘Kanjincho,’’ one of Kabuki’s most popular dramas.
He frequently performed Kabuki in Europe and in the United States and also worked to keep alive Kabuki dance performances such as ‘‘Musume Dojoji,’’ which was first performed by the first Nakamura Tomijuro.
His works outside of Kabuki extended to films such as ‘‘Sharaku’’ in 1995 and ‘‘Gakko II’’ (School II) in 1996 as well as historical TV drama series such as ‘‘Katsu Kaishu’’ in 1974 and ‘‘Shishi no Jidai’’ (The Era of Lion) in 1980.
After receiving numerous awards for his performances, Tomijuro became a national treasure in 1994, a member of the Japan Art Academy in 1996 and was designated a person of cultural merit in 2008.
He made news in 2003 when he fathered a daughter at the age of 74.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Shinji Maggy, Yuki Yoshida expecting second child
Thu, December 30, 2010 (11:47am EST)
Magician and talento Shinji Maggy (37) and fashion model Yuki Yoshida (31) announced on their official blogs that they will soon have a family of four. Yoshida is currently pregnant with their second child and is expected to give birth between late January and early February.
Maggy and Yoshida got married in August 2006. Their first child, a daughter, was born in January 2008.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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DEXPISTOLS' first album includes Dragon Ash cover
Thu, December 30, 2010 (12:28pm EST)
Electro-dance group DEXPISTOLS have announced a new album, scheduled for release in March 2011. Up until now, they have only released albums as part of their ROC TRAX artist crew. The new album, currently untitled, will be the first using only the DEXPISTOLS name.
In July of this year, they released their first single as DEXPISTOLS, a song titled "FIRE" featuring hip-hop artist Zeebra. The new album will contain more collaborations, including a cover of Dragon Ash's 1999 hit "Grateful Days." The DEXPISTOLS version will feature singer ACO, who also sang for the original Dragon Ash version (along with Zeebra).
Another artist confirmed to be participating in the album is the up-and-coming hip-hop group PSG, who collaborated with DEXPISTOLS for a brand-new song.
More details about the release date, tracklist, and other participating artists will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Tetsu Maeda directs "Gokudo Meshi" live-action film
Thu, December 30, 2010 (11:23pm EST)
The popular manga Gokudo Meshi by Shigeru Tsuchiyama is being turned into a live-action film. The director will be Tetsu Maeda, known for films such as "Buta ga Ita Kyoushitsu" ("School Days with a Pig") and "Youki na Gang ga Chikyuu wo Mawasu" ("A Cheerful Gang Turns the Earth").
"Gokudo Meshi" has been running in Futabasha's Weekly Manga Action magazine since 2006. Like many of Tsuchiyama's other works including "Kuishinbou!," the story has food as its central theme.
The film version of "Gokudo Meshi" is set in a prison on New Year's Day, where a group of cellmates play a game over their osechi (traditional New Year's foods), competing for items from each other's meals by boasting about the most delicious things they've ever eaten.
The movie was filmed over a period of 12 days, and it is said that only 2 of those days were spent shooting scenes that did not involve the characters having a meal.
Tasuku Nagaoka (28) will star, along with Masanobu Katsumura, Shunsuke Aida, Gitaro, Akaji Maro, Fumino Kimura, and Yoji Tanaka. Theatrical release is planned for sometime in 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Keisuke Kuwata announces new album "MUSICMAN"
Fri, December 31, 2010 (11:13am EST)
Southern All Stars member Keisuke Kuwata has announced that his next album is titled "MUSICMAN" and is scheduled for release on February 23. This is his first solo album since "ROCK AND ROLL HERO" in 2002.
Kuwata originally planned to release the album in October of this year, but the recording was delayed due to his treatment for esophageal cancer. He announced this week that he recently finished production on the album.
MUSICMAN will contain the singles "Kimi ni Sayonara wo," "Hontou wa Kowai Ai to Romance," and "EARLY IN THE MORNING." It will also include a new song called "Mister Moonlight" (??????), which is being used in a commercial for Mitsui Sumitomo starting on January 1.
A total of 17 songs have been recorded for the album. There will a limited edition, a regular edition, and an analog edition. Details about the three versions will be announced at a later date.
Kuwata has also revealed that there will be "premium listening party" events at seven locations across the country in February. An application page will launch on his official website on January 15. A special site for "MUSICMAN" has also opened.
Additional info: It has also been announced that a track from the album, "Ginga no Hoshikuzu" will serve as the theme song for the new Fuji TV drama, "CONTROL ~Hanzai Shinri Sousa~" starring Matsushita Nao and Fujiki Naohito.
http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7257 |
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EXILE declares 5 big projects for 2011
Fri, December 31, 2010 (1:20pm EST)
Hot off the heels of their third consecutive win at the Japan Record Awards, EXILE has already announced that they have 5 "big projects" planned for the new year. They will start with a new album on March 9, accompanied by a dome tour.
The new album, titled Negai no Tou, will have "wishes" as its theme. Before that, they will release a single called "Each Other's Way ~Tabi no Tochuu~" on February 9, with lyrics written by ATSUSHI.
They have not yet revealed any details about the "EXILE LIVE TOUR 2011: Dome Tour," but it will be the group's first Dome concerts since they grew to a 14-member group.
In August, their theatrical troupe Gekidan EXILE will perform two stage versions of the movie "Red Cliff." AKIRA will star in "Red Cliff -Ai-," while MAKIDAI will star in "Red Cliff -Sen-." They will be performed during the same time frame at two separate theaters, one in Ginza and the other in Aoyama.
EXILE also has plans for a new VOCAL BATTLE AUDITION. Their previous two auditions in 2006 and 2010 were for male vocalists, but this one will be for women between the ages of 12 and 25, with categories for dance performance and vocals. The audition process will begin in Osaka and Fukuoka on February 5.
The last of the big projects is an event called "Nidaime J Soul Brothers VS Sandaime J Soul Brothers ~EXILE TRIBE~," which will be held at the Kobe World Kinen Hall on July 1-3, 5, 6 and at the Saitama Super Arena on July 30-August 2.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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L'Arc~en~Ciel announces two stadium shows, best albums, DVD set
Fri, December 31, 2010 (2:32pm EST)
During their "20th L'Anniversary Starting Live L'A HAPPY NEW YEAR!" concert at the Makuhari Messe tonight, L'Arc~en~Ciel made several announcements about their 2011 schedule. They will release 3 best albums in February and a live DVD box set in March, then hold two back-to-back concerts at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium in May.
The best albums will be released simultaneously on February 16. They will represent different periods of L'Arc~en~Ciel's career, titled "TWENITY 1991-1996," "TWENITY 1997-1999," and "TWENITY 2000-2010." A special box set with all three CDs and a bonus DVD will be released on March 9 under the title "TWENITY BOX."
On March 30, the band will release a live DVD box set called "FIVE LIVE ARCHIVES 2." The set consists of 5 discs, each featuring a concert that has never been released on DVD before. The five concerts are:
Tokyo Dome - December 23, 1997 (1997 REINCARNATION)
Osaka Cosmosquare - July 17, 1999 (1999 GRAND CROSS TOUR)
LIQUIDROOM ebisu - July 28, 2005 (AWAKE TOUR 2005 Zenyasai "Konya Kiseki ga Okiru!?)
Fuji-Q Highland Conifer Forest - August 26, 2007 (Are you ready? 2007 Mata Heart ni Hi wo Tsukeru!)
Kyocera Dome Osaka - June 8, 2008 (TOUR 2008 L'7.Trans ASIA via PARIS)
Then on May 28-29, L'Arc~en~Ciel will perform two concerts at the Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo. Ticket sales have not yet been scheduled.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Mari Yaguchi to marry Masaya Nakamura?
Fri, December 31, 2010 (3:53pm EST)
 
Sankei Sports is reporting that talento and former Morning Musume member Mari Yaguchi (27) will be getting married next spring to actor Masaya Nakamura (24). Yaguchi first revealed this past May that they were dating.
The two met at a friend's party around the start of 2010 and started dating soon after that. Now after being together for a year, they have apparently decided to tie the knot.
Sources say that Yaguchi has informed several of her friends in show business about her engagement, though no marriage date has been decided yet. It is speculated that the couple may register their marriage before April, when Yaguchi will be participating in a Morning Musume tour with other former members.
No official confirmation of the news has been reported at this time.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Gravure idol Meguru Ishii retiring, marrying
Sat, January 1, 2011 (4:00am EST)
Talento and gravure idol Meguru Ishii (23) announced in her blog on December 31 that she is retiring from show business. At the same time, she revealed that she is getting married to a man not in show business, who is three years older than her.
Ishii made her debut as a gravure idol in 2004. She also began acting in minor roles in television, film, and theater in 2005. However, she has had very little work since 2008, and during the past two years she decided to leave show business.
Ishii is the older sister of Koune Nakazawa (21), another gravure idol managed by the same agency.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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The Birthday recruits former My Little Lover guitarist
Sat, January 1, 2011 (4:29am EST)
Rock band The Birthday has found a new guitarist. Kenji Fujii will fill the shoes of Akinobu Imai, who left the group this past September. The new lineup is already preparing for their first concert together and a couple new releases.
Fujii has mainly been active as a session musician for other artists, though he has been in several bands before, including THE BARRETT, MY LITTLE LOVER, and Hayashi Hideo. Most recently, he worked with The Birthday member Yusuke Chiba on an album by Q;indivi+, a spin-off project of the band Q;indivi.
The Birthday's new lineup will perform their first concert on March 12 at Shibuya's CLUB QUATTRO, as part of a joint event with The Genbaku Onanies.
The band is also starting production on new material, aiming to complete a new single for early spring and a full album for early summer.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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RYO the SKYWALKER ties the knot on New Year's Day
Sat, January 1, 2011 (11:23pm EST)
Reggae artist RYO the SKYWALKER announced on his Twitter account that he is now married. According to his tweet, he registered his marriage at 1:11am on January 1, 2011, at the 24-hour window of a local ward office.
RYO the SKYWALKER mentioned later that he had tried to time his tweet down to the exact second, at 1:11:11.
No information is known about his wife or how long the two have been in a relationship.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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RYUKYUDISKO brothers start solo projects, Tetsushi launches new label
Sun, January 2, 2011 (12:07am EST)
Techno/club music unit RYUKYUDISKO has announced that its two members are starting solo careers. At this time, it appears that they will continue their activities as RYUKYUDISKO while working on their own music.
The Okinawan-based duo consists of twin brothers Tetsushi and Yosuke Hiroyama. They formed in 2002 and released their first mini-album in 2004. They later made their major label debut in 2007 under Ki/oon Records.
For his solo work, Tetsushi launched a new label called Rakuen Records, focused on club music by artists from Okinawa. Since April 2010, he has been using the "Rakuen" name for DJ parties and events that he organized, and he decided to turn it into a label starting this year. The label has its own website, which houses Tetsushi's artist website.
Yosuke has also launched his own website.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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61st Kouhaku Uta Gassen ratings announced
Sun, January 2, 2011 (7:47am EST)
The viewership ratings for the 61st Kouhaku Uta Gassen (NHK, December 31, 2010) have been reported. In the Kanto region, the first half (starting at 7:30pm) averaged 35.7%, while the second half (starting at 9:30pm) averaged 41.7%.
Compared to the previous year, the first half was down 1.4% from 37.1%, but the second half was slightly higher, up 0.9% from 40.8%. This is the third consecutive year that the second half has achieved higher than 40.0%.
In the Kansai region, ratings were up by 2.2% for both halves. The first half averaged 37.1%, while the second half averaged 42.5%.
In the rest of the country, ratings were up everywhere for the first half, except in Fukushima (down 0.3%) and Okayama/Kagawa (down 0.5%). The biggest jump was in Sapporo, rising from 20.8% to 31.5%.
Ratings for the second half were up across the country except in northern Kyushu, where ratings dropped by 3.6%. Niigata had the biggest ratings increase, shooting from 43.5% to 49.6%.
The 61st Kouhaku Uta Gassen was hosted by Nao Matsushita and Arashi. The official lineup had only 22 artists on each team, for a record low of 44 artists. 785,836 votes were cast, and the White Team (male) emerged victorious by a margin of 418,191 to 367,645. This is the 6th consecutive win for the White Team, and the 33rd overall (compared to 28 for the Red Team).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Takako Matsu cuts hair short for 'Twelfth Night'
Wednesday 05th January, 03:32 AM JST
TOKYO —
A new-look Takako Matsu took the stage this week at a rehearsal for producer Kazuyoshi Kushida’s forthcoming production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” at Shibuya’s Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon. Matsu, 33, has cut her hair into a short, more masculine style for the comedy of mistaken identity in which she plays the leading character, Viola, who is shipwrecked during the opening scene.
Viola loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, and believing him to be dead, masquerades as a young page under the name Cesario and enters the service of a duke. The play, which opens Tuesday night, will run at Theatre Cocoon until Jan 26.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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