Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

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Taiwanese model Lin looks forward to starring with Motoki

Tuesday 07th April, 04:52 AM JST



TOKYO ?

Lin Chi-ling, a popular Taiwanese model who played the heroine role in the film ??Red Cliff,?? says she looks forward to acting together with Masahiro Motoki, an Oscar-winning Japanese actor.

??I would like to perform with Masahiro Motoki,?? Lin said during a recent promotional event in Tokyo for her first photo book. She said she was impressed by his performance in the Oscar-winning film ??Okuribito?? (Departures).

??I?m very happy and it?s fantastic,?? Lin said in fluent Japanese, referring to the release in Japan of the book, whose pictures include scenes from ??Red Cliff,?? a Chinese epic war film.

Lin said she went to a language school in Tokyo in 2000 and is fond of Japanese food. ??My favorite Japanese food is ramen. We also have it in Taiwan but I think the Japanese ramen is much better.??

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Simon & Garfunkel to make final Japan tour in July

Tuesday 07th April, 06:48 AM JST



Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel will make their third and final tour of Japan as Simon & Garfunkel in July, and in the process become the oldest foreign artists to play at Tokyo Dome. The singer-songwriter duo are both 67 years old, and will surpass the record held by Charlie Watts, who performed at Tokyo Dome when he was 65 during a Rolling Stones tour in March 2006.

The pair announced their upcoming world tour in February, when Garfunkel made a surprise appearance at one of Simon?s shows in New York, where they sang a couple of their classic hits together, such as ?The Sound of Silence? (originally titled ?The Sounds of Silence?) and ?The Boxer.?

Simon & Garfunkel will start their Japan tour at Nagoya Dome on July 8 and follow it with shows at Tokyo Dome on July 10 and 11, Kyocera Dome in Osaka on July 13 and finish their tour at Sapporo Dome on July 18.

The concerts will be their first in Japan since 1993 when they played two gigs drawing about 80,000 people in total. Their five concerts this July are expected to attract around 200,000 fans.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Idoling!!! adds three members
Tue, April 7, 2009 (12:01am EDT)



The girl group Idoling!!! announced its three newest members on Monday. Originally a 9-person unit, the group doubled in size last April, but a string of departures resulted in the loss of six members. With this third generation, the group's roster grows to 15.

The three additions are #19 Yurika Tachibana (16), #20 Ai Okawa (15), and #21 Kaede Hashimoto (12). They already participated in the recording of the group's next single, "baby blue," set for release on April 29. Just before that, they will make their stage debut on April 26, at the first of Idoling's newly established series of monthly concerts.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Tsunku announces new H!P foursome
Tue, April 7, 2009 (12:16am EDT)



On the official Hello! Project website, producer Tsunku has revealed the creation of a new unit. The group was first mentioned during a Hello! Project event in Yokohama over the weekend, but now a few more details are available.

Based on performances and recordings starting last year, Tsunku has selected four Hello! Pro Eggs to be the basis of the group: Ayaka Wada (14), Yuka Maeda (14), Kanon Fukuda (14), and Saki Ogawa (12). The first three, along with Akari Saho (13), were part of the temporary Shugo Chara Eggs! unit last year that sang the opening theme for the anime series "Shugo Chara!! Doki."

Tsunku is aiming to have the group make their major label debut in the fall, before the end of this year. Because he wants the group to be as successful as possible, he noted that there is a possibility that the roster may change or gain new members.

The new group does not yet have a name, nor are there any definite plans for their future activities. In the meantime, they will remain as Eggs, working under an indies label.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Manoeri stars in TBS internet drama
Tue, April 7, 2009 (1:06am EDT)



Hello! Project soloist Erina Mano has been chosen to star in TBS's first internet drama. "Koisuru Seiza" is a series of 12 short episodes, each involving a high school girl's love. Each 5-minute episode has a different main character (all played by Mano) and is themed around a different sign of the zodiac.

Mano also sings the show's theme song, titled "Hajimete no Keiken." The single goes on sale May 20.

The first episode of "Koisuru Seiza" has already started streaming on the show's official website. New episodes will be added every Thursday late at night.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Halko Momoi coming to Fanime
Tue, April 7, 2009 (1:32am EDT)



Anime Vice has the word that this year's Fanime convention will be hosting musical guest Halko Momoi. In recent years, the popular voice actress has had multiple appearances at anime conventions, including Anime Expo in 2007.

Fanime will be held on May 22-25 in San Jose, California. The official website is here.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Live-action "Full Metal Panic!" in the works
Tue, April 7, 2009 (2:57am EDT)



Shoji Gatoh's light novel series "Full Metal Panic!" is reportedly being turned into a live-action film. Mandalay Pictures has acquired the theatrical rights to the action comedy series, which revolves around a young sergeant who masquerades as a high schooler in order to protect a girl. The light novels have been adapted into both anime and manga form.



Actor Zac Efron may be involved in the project. Not much else is known yet about Mandalay's plans for the movie.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Veteran emcee Mino Monta (64) likes to speak his mind. But a comment he made on a live morning show yesterday drew an apology from the TBS network. The topic was the upcoming visit by former Russian leader Vladimir Putin in May and how the Japanese government may be expected to help support the struggling Russian economy. Mino quipped, "We could just buy the Northern Territories!", referring to the islands between Hokkaido and Sakhalin. The dispute over their ownership has kept the two countries from ever signing a WWII peace treaty, and is a popular rallying cry for right-wing extremists. Mino's comment was clearly a joke, but his fellow presenters just stared awkwardly at the floor. A TBS spokesperson said, "The comment was not Mino-san's true opinion, but it was an inappropriate choice of words."

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Movie studio Shochiku has announced that it is bringing an end to the long-running series "Tsuri Baka Nisshi" (Fishing Fool Journal). Starring Nishida Toshiyuki (61) as Hama-chan and Mikuni Rentaro (86) as his equally fishing-mad boss Suu-san, the manga adaptation has been a movie theater institution since 1988. It was first shown as a support feature to the even longer-running "Otoko wa Tsurai Yo," with which it has much in common. And when that series came to an end following the death of its star Atsumi Kiyoshi, Tsuri Baka took over as Japan's "kokuminteki" (national) movie. The last movie in the series, the first to be set in Hokkaido, is due for release on December 26 and will be called "Tsuri Baka Nisshi 20, Final." There will be guest appearances from Matsuzaka Keiko (56), Fukiishi Kazue (26) and Tsukamoto Takashi (26). A Shochiku producer says that the studio decided, along with Nishida and Mikuni, several years ago to wrap up the series at 20. Though both actors have had health problems in recent years, he denied that was behind the decision.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Thousands flock to Shibuya to see Hamasaki

Wednesday 08th April, 04:08 AM JST



TOKYO ?

Several thousand people flocked into the main street of Shibuya in Tokyo on Tuesday to see popular singer Ayumi Hamasaki as she made a surprise visit to promote her new book and her album ??Next Level?? in CD shops and the Shibuya 109 shopping mall. ??I?m so glad to be able to take a walk on the streets of Shibuya like this as I haven?t in a long time,?? Hamasaki said, smiling.

??I will be giving the biggest tour since my debut this year. I?m looking forward to seeing my fans nationwide,?? she added. Hamasaki will celebrate the 11th anniversary of her debut on Wednesday. Hamasaki called on people to read her book, which features 102 essays she wrote in the ViVi magazine from the August 2000 edition to the March 2009 edition, an interview and recent photos. ??I hope you will enjoy reading it because it?s really a wonderful book,?? she said.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Singer BoA struggles with English and jet lag during American debut

Wednesday 08th April, 05:09 AM JST



Singer BoA, 22, celebrated the nationwide release of her American debut album, ?Best & USA? (titled ?BoA? in the U.S.), with a special concert on Monday night at Shin-kiba?s Studio Coast in Tokyo?s Edogawa Ward.

The album, which was released in both Japan and America on March 18, hit 127 on the Billboard Chart stateside, but the young singer stated she wasn?t interested in the numbers, commenting, ?More than that, it?s really hard speaking English on the radio and at events in the U.S. Also, every two weeks, I?m going back and forth between here and there, and the jet lag really wears me out.?

In all, the album features nine songs, including the English track, ?Eat You Up.?

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Aya Ueto and Masami Nagasawa top list for boxed lunch candidates

Wednesday 08th April, 09:24 AM JST



TOKYO ?

Matchmaking service Partner Agent conducted an opinion poll regarding men and making lunches, announcing the top male and female picks for ?Who I?d like to have make me an o-bento (boxed lunch).?

Top choices for ?The woman I?d like to have make me a bento? were actress Aya Ueto, in 1st place, followed by actress Masami Nagasawa. Next were gravure idol Megumi Yasu in 3rd, actress Yuka in 4th, and TV personality Becky shared 5th with actresses Miho Kanno, Yukie Nakama and Norika Fujiwara.



Top choices for ?The man I?d like to have make me a bento? were SMAP?s Takuya Kimura for 1st, TV personality and cooking show host Gucchi Yuzo 2nd, TV host Tamori 3rd, comedian and actor Yuichi Kimura 4th, and actor Tatsuo Umemiya 5th.

When asked how they made their decision, men responded that it was based on which celebrities they liked, answering, ?Because she?s cute,? or ?Because I?m a fan.? Women made their decision based on the assumed skill of the candidates, responding, ?Because they?re good at cooking,? ?It seems like they?d make something interesting,? and ?Because their food look delicious.?

The poll, which was conducted over the Internet with 461 single men and women in their 30s, revealed men to be far more idealistic than their realistic female counterparts.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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"GIROPPON" singer Nezumi Senpai forms punk band
Wed, April 8, 2009 (12:32am EDT)



Singer Nezumi Senpai (36) has just launched a new punk band called The Super Rats, which includes the former drummer of The Blue Hearts. So far, Nezumi Senpai is best known for the hit song "GIROPPON," which was released last year as his first major label single.

Other than Nezumi Senpai, the band features three established punk musicians: drummer Tetsuya Kajiwara (The Blue Hearts), guitarist NAOKI (LAUGHIN' NOSE, currently with SA), and bassist Masami Suzuki (De+LAX). Nezumi Senpai himself was part of a punk band when he was younger, but he later gave up on that dream.

The Super Rats will release their first single digitally this month. "PPP - Punch Perma Punk" will be available for mobile phone downloads starting on April 8, followed by PC downloads on April 22.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Charts: Koda sister collaboration ranks #1
Wed, April 8, 2009 (1:55am EDT)



"It's all Love!," the collaborative single between Kumi Koda and misono, topped the charts this past week with over 74,000 in sales. Ever since Oricon launched its weekly sales rankings in 1968, this is the first time that a group composed of actual siblings has taken the #1 spot in its initial week.

Counting singles that reached #1 after the first week, the Koda sisters are the 4th sibling group to accomplish this feat. The first was the male duo Billy Banban in 1972, followed twice by The Finger Five (4 brothers and 1 sister) in 1973 and 1974, and then the Irish sisters The Nolans in 1980.

Kumi Koda is no stranger to the #1 ranking, but misono had never before reached higher than #2 since the start of her career as part of the band day after tomorrow.

The AKB Idoling!!! collaboration ranked #2 on the singles chart, followed in order by Mai Kuraki and Kaori Mizumori. Masayoshi Yamazaki also entered the top ten with a new song at #9.



On the album rankings, Dreams Come True's "DO YOU DREAMS COME TRUE?" regained the #1 seat, after being temporarily ousted last week by Ayumi Hamasaki. The album has now reached the milestone of 1 million units shipped.

The only new release in the top ten albums was "PB" by SPECIAL OTHERS, which landed at #10. Meanwhile, Ayaka's second album "Sing to the Sky" (released last June) jumped up from #278 to #84, apparently fueled by last week's announcement of her marriage to actor Hiro Mizushima and her impending hiatus due to Graves' disease.

Hikaru Utada's second English album, "This Is The One," held onto the #1 spot on the foreign albums chart for the third consecutive week.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Idol Kinbara retired after rumors of affair
Thu, April 9, 2009 (1:57am EDT)



Gravure idol Asuka Kinbara (19) has already retired from show business, reports this week's issue of Shukan Bunshun. Two months ago, another magazine published an article claiming that Kinbara was having an affair with actor Sousuke Takaoka (27), and in the aftermath Kinbara had to quit.

Takaoka is married to actress Aoi Miyazaki (23). In February, Josei Seven ran its claim of an affair, saying that Kinbara and Takaoka were seen together after a party, holding hands while entering Takaoka's apartment. The rumor was flatly denied by both sides, but it seems that the incident still heavily impacted Kinbara's career.

According to Shukan Bunshun, immediately after the rumor surfaced, Kinbara met with her parents in Hokkaido, and they decided that she should withdraw from show business. Last month, the idol informed her agency, Sun Music Brain, of her intention to quit. Kinbara is no longer listed on the company's website, and her last blog entry was posted just before the initial article appeared in Josei Seven.

Shukan Bunshun also notes that the incident had cost Kinbara her role as the image model of prep school Sundai Yobiko, resulting in 1 million yen wasted on posters that had already been printed.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Eita, Juri, Meisa win Hashida Awards
Thu, April 9, 2009 (2:23am EDT)

The winners of the 17th Hashida Awards, given in the field of television, were recently announced. However, this was the 4th consecutive year without a grand prize.

In television shows, honors went to "Atsuhime," "Kaze no Garden," "Around 40," and the documentary "Gaia no Yoake." Among people, screenwriter Eriko Shinozaki was awarded a prize, along with actors Takuzo Kadono and Masato Sakai and actresses Keiko Matsuzaka and Atsuko Takahata.



The newcomer awards, which generally receive more attention for the press, were given to Eita, Juri Ueno, and Meisa Kuroki this year. Journalist Takanobu Fujita received a special award.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Oricon: ideal new co-worker
Thu, April 9, 2009 (3:19am EDT)



With springtime meaning lots of fresh graduates entering companies for the first time, Oricon conducted a survey of 20- to 40-year-olds, asking them which famous person they would like to have as their new co-worker. Sho Sakurai of Arashi and talento Becky took the top spots in the men's and women's rankings, respectively.

For the male rankings, one female stated that Sakurai "thinks quickly and seems like the type to remember things about work quickly." Working as a newscaster for NTV's "NEWS ZERO," Sakurai has gained a lot of attention for his opinions. In the survey, he was followed by Teppei Koike of the duo WaT and pro golfer Ryo Ishikawa.

   1. Sho Sakurai
   2. Teppei Koike
   3. Ryo Ishikawa
   4. Hiro Mizushima
   5. Haruma Miura
   6. Satoshi Tsumabuki
   7. Yusuke Kamiji
   8. Takeru Sato
   9. Junpei Mizobata
  10. Eiji Wentz

Among the women, Becky's regular TV appearances have given her a very cheerful image. Some of the survey takers described her as someone who can "read the situation at hand," and as someone "so lively and cheerful that it'd be a nice breath of fresh air to have her around in the company." Right behind her in the rankings were actresses Aya Ueto and Yui Aragaki.

   1. Becky
   2. Aya Ueto
   3. Yui Aragaki
   4. Maki Horikita
   5. Masami Nagasawa
   6. Aoi Miyazaki
   7. Haruka Ayase
   8. Saki Aibu
   9. Erika Toda
  10. Mikako Tabe

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Hayato Ichihara does hip-hop
Thu, April 9, 2009 (3:27am EDT)



Actor Hayato Ichihara (22) has just launched his official musical career. Going by the name "Hayato," he released his first song "LIFE" as a digital exclusive on Thursday.

Ichihara is reportedly close to artists such as JESSE of RIZE, and since the age of 16, he has been trying to make his own music. The hip-hop tune "LIFE" features Ichihara rapping with lyrics that he wrote himself.

Before this, Ichihara rapped on screen in the 2006 movie "Chekeraccho!!" and gave away a song as a special bonus for a photobook, but "LIFE" is the first time that he has released a song on its own. "LIFE" is now available digitally, but it will also be coupled with another song titled "Noren" on a DVD that comes with his next photobook, "HigH LifE," on sale in May.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Akina Minami stars in next "Ju-on" flick
Thu, April 9, 2009 (4:17am EDT)



Popular idol Akina Minami (19) is slated to star in the latest "Ju-on" film. The cheerful Minami has frequently been in commercials, gravure, and TV variety shows, but her first starring role has turned out to be in a horror movie.

Past "Ju-on" films have starred big name actresses such as Chiaki Kuriyama (24), Megumi Okina (29), and Noriko Sakai (38). The series has gained fame not just in Japan, but also internationally. In 2004, director Takashi Shimizu remade the first theatrical "Ju-on" film as "The Grudge" for American release, and it became the first Japanese-directed picture to hold #1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks.

Shimizu, who wrote and directed the previous films, is supervising the new project, titled "Ju-on: Shiroi Roujo." There were several candidates for director, but in the end, Ryota Miyake (of the "Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi" series) was chosen to take the helm. The movie is scheduled to open in theaters this June.

The excited Minami commented, "I was too scared after reading the script, so I told my manager I didn't think I could do it. But since it was the leading role for the 'Ju-on' series, I thought that I had to do it by any means necessary."

The plot of the movie hasn't been fully released yet, but Minami plays a high school girl with a strong sense for the supernatural, whose friend died in a murder case during her elementary school days.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Aoi Miyazaki stars in "Solanin" adaptation
Thu, April 9, 2009 (12:51am EDT)



On Wednesday, Asmik Ace revealing their upcoming lineup of films, with most of the attention going to the announcement that Inio Asano's popular manga "Solanin" is being adapted as a live-action movie, starring Aoi Miyazaki.



The manga, which was serialized from 2005 to 2006, revolves around a young office worker named Meiko (Miyazaki) and her part-timer boyfriend Nario (Kengo Kora). The two live together, though Meiko is the one providing the real financial support. Nario is the vocalist of an amateur band, and Meiko tries to get him to take a professional music career more seriously. However, they both struggle to find their places as adults.

"Solanin" is being directed by Takahiro Miki, who is better known for making music videos.

Filming starts on April 25. One scene features Miyazaki's character performing on stage, so she has been training in guitar and vocals since the end of last year. Asmik Ace expects to release the film next year.

Source: www.tokyograph.com