Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]

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Takuya Kimura to star in TBS's "Nankyoku Tairiku"
Tue, January 18, 2011 (7:45pm EST)



Broadcaster TBS has announced that SMAP's Takuya Kimura (38) will star in a new drama series next fall, tentatively titled "Nankyoku Tairiku ~Kami no Ryouiki ni Idonda Otoko to Inu no Monogatari~." The show is being produced in commemoration of TBS's 60th anniversary, and it is said that it will have the biggest budget of any TBS drama series in history.

The series will focus on Japan's first Antarctic research expedition team, which consisted of 11 members and 19 Sakhalin Huskies. The team stayed at the Showa Base in Antarctica for over a year until 1958 when a second team came to take over, but extreme weather conditions forced the teams to completely retreat from the base, unfortunately leaving behind 15 of the Huskies. When one of the dog handlers returned in 1959 with a third team, it was discovered that two of the dogs, Taro and Jiro, had somehow managed to survive.

That expedition team was also the subject of the 1983 film "Nankyoku Monogatari," starring Ken Takakura (79). That movie earned approximately 11 billion yen, making it the second highest grossing live-action Japanese film in history after "Odoru Daisousasen: The Movie 2."

The drama will not be a remake of the film. Instead, it will be an original script inspired by the book "Nankyoku Ettoutai Taro Jiro no Shinjitsu" by Taiichi Kitamura.



Kimura plays the researcher Takeshi Kuramochi, the vice-leader of the team. His rival, the head weather observer Himuro, will be played by Masato Sakai (37). Teruyuki Kagawa (45) is playing the team leader, while Kyohei Shibata (59) is playing the overall person in charge of the expedition. Other team members will be played by Yusuke Yamamoto (23), Susumu Terajima (47), and Naoto Ogata (43).



Filming will start in February and last more than half a year. Scenes will be shot in Hokkaido, though TBS is also considering doing some filming in Antarctica. The series will begin airing in October in the Sunday 9:00pm time slot.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Yuko Takeuchi goes on a flight of fantasy

By Chris Betros



TOKYO —

When science fiction author Taku Mayamura learned in 1997 that his wife had colon cancer, he began writing a short story for her each day. By the time she passed away in 2002, Mayamura had written 1,778 stories, which he later published as a book titled “Boku to Tsuma no 1778 no Monogatari” (1,778 Stories of Me and My Wife).

Mayamura’s book has been turned into a film starring SMAP singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as the writer Sakutaro and Yuko Takeuchi as his wife Setsuko, and directed by Mamoru Hoshi (“University of Laughs”). “It’s a story about death, but it’s also about the love the characters share. I was really struck with the commitment involved in writing a new story every day,” Takeuchi, 30, said of her first impression of the script. “When the doctor informed the husband that laughter boosts the body’s immune system, he used his flights of fantasy to write a new story for his wife every day. That’s amazing.”

The stories featured in the film are taken directly from Mayamura’s own works and feature eccentric characters like an alien turned newspaper collector and a man who leaves coded messages on people’s answering machines for a living. Takeuchi said Hoshi was painstaking in bringing the details of Sakutaro’s daydreams, replete with rockets and robots, to life on the screen.

In one scene, Sakutaro tells a friend that he may be writing not for the sake of his wife, but to escape from the reality of the situation. “Setsuko tries never to show her own sadness and anxiety,” said Takeuchi. “Perhaps instead of Sakutaro supporting her in this troubling time, it may be the other way around. At least, that’s how I tried to interpret it.”

A solid actress, Takeuchi – who was born in Saitama Prefecture—worked on TV for a while before launching her movie career in 1998 with “Innocent World” and “The Ring.” She won accolades for her work in “Sidecar ni Inu” (2007) and “Closed Note” (2007). She had a busy year in 2010, appearing in two acclaimed films – “Golden Slumber” and “Flowers.” Takeuchi is also sought after for TV ads and can currently be seen in commercials for Suntory The Premium Malt’s and Shiseido’s Tsubaki hair care brand.

Last year, Takeuchi made a foray into U.S. television by appearing in two episodes of the sci-fi series “FlashForward,” which details the lives of a handful of characters who are dealing with the psychic shockwave of seeing a glimpse into their own futures after a mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for two minutes and 17 seconds on Oct 6, 2009. Takeuchi played the future love interest of Dr Bryce Varley. Episode 9 was devoted to her character, but her dialogue was all in Japanese. In casting Takeuchi, director Michael Nankin – who visited Tokyo—said she was a big find and called her “Japan’s answer to Audrey Hepburn.”

Takeuchi said the shoot was a “very interesting experience” because it was something she had never done before. “Even though my dialogue was all in Japanese, I wish that I could have spoken English because it was hard to communicate on the set and I really wanted to be able to chat with other cast members and crew.”

A special “FlashForward” DVD box set will be released by Walt Disney Studios Japan on March 2 and include a special six-minute feature titled “Meet Yuko” that follows Takeuchi behind the scenes of the show. Takeuchi said she would like to achieve more exposure overseas, but acknowledged that she needs to master English first.  

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Kumi Koda to release compilation album in March

Thursday 20th January, 03:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Pop star Kumi Koda, 28, is set to release a CD and DVD set of the live concert she performed in Yokohama Stadium last July. The compilation album, titled “Dejavu,” will include previously released songs such as “Suki. Suki. Suki” and Koda’s forthcoming single “POP DIVA,” which is scheduled for release on Feb 2. The album will also include covers, such as Koda’s rendition of the theme song to TV Asahi’s Friday anime program “Crayon Shinchan.”

The album goes on sale in three configurations: the CD and double DVD set will cost 4,980 yen, the CD and DVD set for 3,990 yen and the CD only for 3,095 yen.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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'Confessions' among 9 foreign-language films advancing for Oscar consideration

Friday 21st January, 04:41 AM JST



LOS ANGELES —

Nine foreign-language films are advancing in the Oscar race. After months of screenings, a committee from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has narrowed the 66 qualifying films down to nine.

The foreign-language films vying for Academy Award nominations are: Algeria’s “Hors la Loi” (“Outside the Law”), Canada’s “Incendies,” Denmark’s “In a Better World,” Greece’s “Dogtooth,” Japan’s “Confessions,” “Biutiful” from Mexico, South Africa’s “Life, Above All,” Spain’s “Tambien la Lluvia” (“Even the Rain”), and “Simple Simon” from Sweden.

Five will earn Oscar nominations, which will be announced Tuesday.

___

Online:

http://www.oscars.org

http://www.japantoday.com/catego ... oscar-consideration

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'Bullets,' 'Confessions' top Asia film nominations

Friday 21st January, 04:51 AM JST

HONG KONG —

A Chinese political satire and a Japanese psychological thriller are the top contenders at the fifth Asian Film Awards as organizers announced the nominations on Thursday.



Jiang Wen’s “Let the Bullets Fly” and Tetsuya Nakashima’s “Confessions” each received six nominations, including best picture and best director.

“Let the Bullets Fly” follows a battle of wits between a bandit posing as a mayor and the local tycoon, while “Confessions” is about a middle-school teacher who terrorizes two students she believes are guilty of her daughter’s murder.

Jiang’s picture, a huge hit in China, has also received attention for its subtle criticism of Chinese corruption. “Confessions” just made the shortlist of nine finalists for the Oscar best foreign film competition. The list will be narrowed down to five nominees later this month.

The two movies will be competing for best picture honors against Chinese director Feng Xiaogang’s earthquake epic “Aftershock,” a massive Chinese hit last year; the Indian drama “Peepli Live”; South Korean director Lee Chang-dong’s “Poetry”; and Thailand’s “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives,” which clinched the top Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival last year.

Feng, Jiang and Lee are also up for best director, along with Japan’s Takashi Miike, who made the samurai movie “13 Assassins,” and South Korea’s Na Hong-jin, who was nominated for the thriller “The Yellow Sea.”

In the best actor category, Hong Kong veteran Chow Yun-fat, who played the tycoon in “Let the Bullets Fly,” will face off against China’s Ge You, star of Chen Kaige’s historical drama “Sacrifice”; “The Yellow Sea” star Ha Jung-woo; Koji Yakusho from “13 Assassins”; and Ethan Ruan, the leading man in the Taiwanese gangster film “Monga.”

Cannes winner Jeon Do-yeon, former Bond girl Michelle Yeoh and “Babel” star Rinko Kikuchi are among the best actress nominees. Jeon played a domestic servant who has an affair with her employer in “The Housemaid.” Yeoh portrayed a retired assassin in the John Woo-produced kung fu thriller “Reign of Assassins,” and Kikuchi a mentally troubled woman in “Norwegian Wood,” Tran Anh Hung’s adaptation of the best-selling Haruki Murakami novel by the same name.

The other nominees are Xu Fan, who plays a widow in “Aftershock,” and “Confessions” star Takako Matsu.

This year’s winners will be announced on March 21 in Hong Kong.

The 13-member jury is chaired by Hong Kong-based director Yonfan and also draws from filmmakers and critics across Asia, as well as officials from the Berlin and Cannes film festivals.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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SpongeBob ties up with McDonald's

Friday 21st January, 05:45 AM JST



TOKYO —

Television personality Imalu appeared with SpongeBob SquarePants during a promotional event to promote a tie-up between the American cartoon character and McDonald’s Japan in Tokyo on Thursday.

‘‘SpongeBob was on television all the time (in Canada), so I naturally became a fan,’’ said the 21-year-old who attended high school in Canada. Her parents are comedian Samma Akashiya and actress Shinobu Otake.

The event kicked off a campaign to promote SpongeBob in Japan, where toys featuring the character will be included in McDonald’s Happy Meals for the first time starting Friday.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Mona Yamamoto gets her MBA

Saturday 22nd January, 03:34 AM JST



TOKYO —

“Talent” Mona Yamamoto, 34, has earned her MBA, she said this week. “I just learned my master’s thesis passed!” she wrote on her blog. She credits her husband for seeing her through the graduate school process.

Yamamoto was enrolled in the Wales University distance learning program, but expressed a desire to attend the graduation ceremony in person.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Korean group KARA caught up in management dispute over earnings

Saturday 22nd January, 07:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Members of Korean pop band KARA, who are big in Japan, are currently embroiled in an acrimonious split with their South Korean management company, DSP Media. The turmoil has led to a round of official statements from the legal representatives of both parties.

DSP has also revealed that of four members of the band who initially had requested cancellation of their contracts, one of them, 20-year-old Ku Hara, has withdrawn her request.

DSP’s Japanese office this week released a statement claiming, “The suggestion that DSP has failed to fulfill its obligations is misleading. The band’s earnings are lucrative and payment is still being made on time.”

On the other hand, the attorney for KARA members Han Seung Yeon, 20, Nicole, 19, and Kang Jiyoung, 17, claims that DSP’s Japanese office has used unfair and dishonest means to prevent the girls receiving a proper share of the earnings. The statement says, “We are hoping to make alterations to the band’s contracts and reach an amicable settlement with all five members.”  

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Somewhere in Tokyo
       
January 20, 2011



Hollywood director Sophia Coppola (39) and actor Stephen Dorff (37) were in Tokyo yesterday promoting their latest movie project. "Somewhere" isn't due for release in Japan until April 2 even though it won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival last September. Coppola says the story, about a self-absorbed movie star (Dorff) whose life changes through his relationship with his daughter (Elle Fanning), was influenced by the birth of her own baby girl shortly before she started writing the script for the project, which she also produced. And of course, the story owes a lot to her relationship with her own father, director Francis Ford Coppola (71).

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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NHK to Cut Back on Sumo Broadcasts

NHK announced yesterday that after the spring tournament ends in March it will no longer broadcast live sumo on its BS2 satellite channel. From the May tournament, the network will only show sumo on its general channel. The decision is mainly because the current lineup of three satellite channels will be reduced to two (BS1 and BS Premium) from April 1. NHK currently airs live sumo from 1pm to 6pm, allowing it to broadcast the junior bouts all the way up to the grand champion(s) whose bouts round out the day's schedule. From May only the bouts featuring "makushita," or upper ranked wrestlers, will be shown.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Beady Eye to Tour Japan



Beady Eye, the rock quartet formed by Oasis vocalist Liam Gallagher (38), are to play their first Japan shows in May, it was announced yesterday. They will play five shows at the Zepp venues in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. The 2,000-capacity live houses are a big step down from the kind of venues Oasis played here before they split in 2009. And making the tickets even more rare is the fact that the band's tour will only take in 13 shows in the UK and Europe.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Hazama Kanpei Completes Earth Marathon!
       
January 22, 2011



Japan Zone takes its hat off to Hazama Kanpei (61), who yesterday completed his mammoth Earth Marathon. The Yoshimoto Kogyo comedian ran and sailed around the entire globe, more than 41,000km in all, over the course of 766 days, and finally crossed the finish line at the Nanba Grand Kagetsu theater. The arrival was televised live and his family and Yoshimoto colleagues - many in tears - were on hand to welcome him. Along the way, Hazama learned that he had been diagnosed with cancer, in what he yesterday described as the most difficult part of his journey. Asked who he would like to dedicate his feat to, he gave the name of musician Iwamano Kiyoshiro, who wrote the theme song for the Earth Marathon but passed away in May 2009, just months after it began.



Hazama, already an experienced endurance athlete, came up with the idea for the Earth Marathon in 2006. He joked at the time that he was going to live as long as it took to complete it. When that joke came back to haunt him and he learned of the cancer a year ago, he said "If I'm going to die, I want to die running!" The following April he traveled to the US with his wife Mitsuyo (53) to undergo radiation therapy. Yesterday, he thanked her profusely for her immense support throughout the journey - she traveled eight times in all to meet him in various parts of the world.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Ringo Shiina to model in new Maquillage cosmetics commercial
Wed, January 19, 2011 (10:17am EST)



Rock singer Ringo Shiina (32) will model in a cosmetics commercial for the first time, it has been learned. She will appear in a new advertisement for Shiseido's Maquillage brand, scheduled to begin airing on February 20.

Shiina will also provide the theme song, titled "Onna no Ko wa Daredemo." She wrote the song specifically for the commercial, and it was arranged by well-known musician Takayuki Hattori.



Shiina announced at the end of last year that she would release a new single on February 23. It is now known that it will be a double A-side, featuring "Onna no Ko wa Daredemo" and another song written by Shiina and composed by Seiji Kameda, the bassist of Shiina's band Tokyo Jihen.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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GO!GO!7188 tribute album to include POLYSICS, Shonen Knife, MONGOL800
Wed, January 19, 2011 (10:29am EST)



Rock band GO!GO!7188 is getting its first tribute album on March 16, titled "GO!GO!7188 TRIBUTE - GO!GO! A GO!GO!" The album will feature covers performed by 10 artists: bloodthirsty butchers, detroit7, Flower Companyz, MONGOL800, opening, POLYSICS, Ataru Nakamura, THE NEATBEATS, Shonen Knife, and George Tokoro.

Details about the album's tracklist will be announced at a later date.

Last year, GO!GO!7188 celebrated the 10th anniversary of its major label debut. The band is currently taking a break due to bassist Akko's pregnancy, but in the meantime, vocalist Yuu has revived her band Chirinuruwowaka.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Charts: Maaya Sakamoto, RADWIMPS, AKB48, Hey! Say! JUMP
Wed, January 19, 2011 (10:57am EST)



Singer and voice actress Maaya Sakamoto has finally topped the weekly sales charts for the first time in her 15-year career. Her seventh album, "You can't catch me," was released last week and sold almost 27,000 copies to earn the #1 spot. Before this, her highest ranking on the charts (for either albums or singles) was #3, which she has achieved on four separate occasions.

STRAIGHTENER's new album ranked #4, while a Noriyuki Makihara tribute album ranked #6.



On the singles chart, rock band RADWIMPS took the top spot with their new song "DADA," selling close to 90,000 copies. This is just their second time to achieve a number-one single.

The other new singles in the top ten came from SuG (#3), Shonannokaze (#4), and NICO Touches the Walls (#7).

Meanwhile, AKB48 became the first artist to ever have 4 singles in the top ten for three consecutive weeks. "Heavy Rotation," "Beginner," "Chance no Junban," and "Ponytail to Chou-chou" all dropped from last week in the rankings, but they still managed to chart at #5, #6, #8, and #9, respectively. "Beginner" has now sold approximately 995,000 copies, which means that it may pass the million mark next week.



In DVDs, Hey! Say! JUMP's "SUMMARY 2010" sold 74,000 copies in its first week to rank #1 in the overall category. This is their third consecutive release to top the overall DVD charts, and their fourth consecutive release to top the music DVD charts.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Noriyuki Makihara releases new single exclusively through Circle K Sunkus
Wed, January 19, 2011 (11:35am EST)



Singer Noriyuki Makihara (41) is experimenting with his next single, "Ringo no Hana," by making it available exclusively through the company Circle K Sunkus. The single will only be sold in the 6,270 Circle K and Sunkus convenience stores throughout Japan, as well as the company's affiliated online shopping site Tokimeki Mall.

There have previously been cases of CD shops and convenience stores jointly selling new releases, but this is the first time that a million-selling artist like Makihara is releasing a CD exclusively through a convenience store chain.

"Ringo no Hana" goes on sale on March 11, but pre-orders already started on January 19. The single is Makihara's first to be released under BUPPU Label, the independent label that he launched in November of last year.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Takashi Yamazaki to direct third "Always" film in 3D
Wed, January 19, 2011 (7:34pm EST)



The hit 2005 movie "Always: Sanchome no Yuhi" is getting another sequel. Takashi Yamazaki is once again taking the director's chair for "Always: Sanchome no Yuhi '64," which will be shot in 3D. Returning cast members reportedly include Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Koyuki, Maki Horikita, Masako Motai, Tomokazu Miura, and Hiroko Yakushimaru.

Yamazaki directed the first film based on Ryohei Saigan's manga "Sanchome no Yuhi" in 2005, which earned 3.5 billion yen and won many awards. Yamazaki delivered the sequel "Always: Zoku Sanchome no Yuhi" in 2007, grossing 4.56 billion yen and winning several more awards.

The first two films were set in Tokyo during the late '50s, as Tokyo Tower was being built. The new movie will be set in 1964, the year that the Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo. Although that was not part of the original manga, Yamazaki showed the proposal to Saigan and obtained his approval.

Shooting started on January 12 and will wrap up in late April. Theatrical release is planned for the first half of 2012.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Hayabusa asteroid probe being turned into movie
Wed, January 19, 2011 (7:56pm EST)

Distributor Toei announced its 2011 movie lineup on Wednesday. One of the highlights of the event was the announcement of a film with the working title "Shouwakusei Tansaki Hayabusa: Harukanaru Kikan," based on the space probe Hayabusa that returned to Earth last year.

Launched on May 9, 2003, Hayabusa was an unmanned probe sent to collect samples from the asteroid Itokawa. After traveling 6 billion kilometers over 7 years, Hayabusa successfully returned to Earth on June 13, 2010.

The movie will focus on the probe's project team and their families. The director and the cast will be finalized soon, with filming anticipated to start this May. The release date has been set for 2012.

Toei's 2011 lineup also includes previously announced films such as the animated "Tezuka Osamu no Buddha -Akai Sabaku yo! Utsukushiku-" and the Korea-Japan action film "My Way" starring Jang Dong-gun and Joe Odagiri.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Ai Takahashi, Dori Sakurada co-star in "augmented reality" drama
Thu, January 20, 2011 (10:09am EST)



On Thursday, Morning Musume leader Ai Takahashi (24) attended a press conference for a new drama that she will star in. As this was her first time in front of the press since announcing her decision to graduate from Morning Musume, she also spoke about her plans for the future.

Takahashi's drama is part of a project called "Koi Choco," a collaboration between BS-TBS and candy company Morinaga Seika's Carre de Chocolat brand. The project will make use of an "augmented reality" application available on Android phones. When users take a photo of a package of the chocolate, a video clip from the drama will play.

The chocolate comes in four different flavors, and each of the four packages will be linked to a different video. There are two stories, titled "Bittersweet Angel" and "Amadan."



In "Bittersweet Angel," Takahashi will play Ayana, a cafe worker who is clumsy in love, while Dori Sakurada (19) will co-star as a young man named Anju who appears before her, calling himself an angel. The same story will be told from each of their perspectives, with "Ayana no Baai" lasting about 13 minutes in length and "Anju no Baai" lasting about 14 minutes in length.

The two parts of "Bittersweet Angel" will also be broadcast by BS-TBS on Valentine's Day (February 14) at 7:30pm. The drama and a making-of will be included on a DVD to be released on March 30.

"Bittersweet Angel" already became available on Thursday through the Android augmented reality application, along with the two parts of "Amadan," titled "Melodrama-hen" and "Seibugeki-hen." Details about "Amadan" have not been reported.

During the press conference, Takahashi stated that after taking on several acting roles, she has developed an interest in acting and wants to try taking on a variety of roles in the future. She also revealed that she is interested in going overseas, so she also hopes to do some language studies.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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andymori wins grand prize in 3rd CD Shop Awards
Thu, January 20, 2011 (11:31am EST)



The 3rd annual CD Shop Awards were presented on Thursday in Tokyo. This year, the grand prize went to the band andymori for their second album "Fanfare to Nekkyou," which was released on February 3, 2010.

andymori formed in 2007. They released their first album in 2009, and they performed at several music festivals that same year. Last year, "Fanfare to Nekkyou" broke the top ten on the daily sales charts. In November, drummer Hiroki Goto left the band, and he was later replaced by Kenji Okayama.

Three runner-up awards were given:

    * Shinsei Kamattechan, "Tomodachi wo Koroshite Made"
    * Sekai no Owari, "EARTH"
    * Motohiro Hata, "Documentary"

The other winners were:

    * 9mm Parabellum Bullet, "Revolutionary"
    * Kuroneko Chelsea, "Neko Pack"
    * Yu Sakai, "Yes!!"
    * Sakanaction, "kikUUiki"
    * Salyu, "MAIDEN VOYAGE"
    * school food punishment, "amp-reflection"
    * Naoto Inti Raymi, "Shall we travel??"
    * Tavito Nanao, "billion voices"
    * Negoto, "Hello!'Z'"
    * FAT PROP, "THE DIE IS CAST"
    * Gen Hoshino, "Baka no Uta"
    * The Mirraz, "TOP OF THE kungfu'N WORLD"
    * Mowmow Lulu Gyaban, "Kuro Nara Kekkou Desu"
    * Yoshiaki Sato, "cacoi" (Hokkaido Block Award)
    * Sonson Bento Bako, "Roman no Nihon" (Tohoku Block Award)
    * SuiseiNoboAz, "SuiseiNoboAz" (Kanto Block Award)
    * Coba-U, "Douyou Reggae II" (Koshinetsu Block Award)
    * Taro Kobayashi, "Orkonpood" (Tokai Block Award)
    * chaqq, "Pleasure" (Kansai Block Award)
    * simploop, "unlock" (Chuugoku/Shikoku Block Award)

Foreign Music Awards:

    * The Drums, "The Drums"
    * Maroon5, "Hands All Over"
    * Vampire Weekend, "Contra"

Source: www.tokyograph.com