Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]

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Perfume announces Tokyo Dome concert in November
Sun, May 30, 2010 (6:58pm EDT)

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On November 3, Perfume will hold their first concert at the Tokyo Dome. They will become just the second technopop unit (after YMO) and second female idol group (after SPEED) to have a concert at that venue.

The concert will be titled "1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11," in reference to the three members preparing for their 11th year together as a group. Perfume has come a long way since their indie days. After teaming up with producer Yasutaka Nakata (of capsule) in 2003, they finally made their major label debut in 2005. In 2008, they achieved #1 on both the single and album sales charts, and they performed back-to-back shows at Nippon Budokan. Now, they will perform for a crowd of about 50,000 fans at their Tokyo Dome concert.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Eric Bossick talks monsters, metal—and being the 'other Iron Man'

By Sarah Cortina



TOKYO —

An American actor from Canada travels the world to promote his starring role in the English-language reboot of a cult Japanese cyberpunk film series. This may sound like an unbelievable scenario, but for the past year or so, it’s been Eric Bossick’s life.

The 37-year-old has long led a nomadic existence. Bossick went from his native Pennsylvania to Singapore and Canada, where he received a BFA in acting from the University of Victoria. He initially intended to find work in Vancouver, but dissatisfaction with life there—Bossick calls it a “heavy, drab city”—made him eager to move. When a Japanese roommate rekindled his long-held interest in Asia, he thought Tokyo was the logical place to start.

Bossick, who originally entered the country on a working holiday visa, says he never intended to stay long. “But there were so many interesting things to explore, and I just kept extending my stay more and more until I had lived here for eight years,” he says.

While modeling, acting and studying photography in Tokyo, Bossick also became involved in butoh, performing with the renowned Asbestos-kan studio, among others. He moved to LA for a brief period, working as a photographer for various magazines, shooting stills for TV and acting as a location coordinator and guide for Japanese film crews. But in the end, he says, “I was really homesick for Tokyo,” and returned in 2007.

The move was certainly a good one. Bossick currently stars in director Shinya Tsukamoto’s man-meets-machine tale “Tetsuo: The Bullet Man.” The movie is a follow-up to the director’s low-budget, black-and-white “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” (1989) and its sequel-cum-reboot “Tetsuo II: Body Hammer” (1992), both of which became cult hits with genre fans the world over.

All three films are variations on the same story: an ordinary man experiences a violent tragedy, and his subsequent rage causes his body to transform into a terrifying amalgam of man and machine. In “Bullet Man,” Bossick plays Anthony, a Japanese-American businessman living in Tokyo with his wife Yuriko (Akiko Monou; Samurai Fiction) and young son Tom. One day, Tom is deliberately run over by a car, and in his search for the boy’s killers, Anthony follows the trail of a mysterious man referred to only as Yatsu (played by Tsukamoto himself). “The movie is a rollercoaster—almost an attack on the audience,” Bossick enthuses.

The actor says he was determined to get the part the moment he heard that Tsukamoto was making a new movie—even before he had any idea what it was.

“I didn’t know much about it at that point,” he reveals, leaning forward and gesturing excitedly. “My assumption was that it was just like any other of his movies… and maybe I could come on and have a kind of walk-on role and then be done.” It wasn’t until the second round of auditions that Bossick learned about the project being a new “Tetsuo” film—or that the role he was auditioning for was no mere walk-on.

But there was one serious obstacle to landing the role. “They were looking for someone who was half-Japanese,” he explains. “And sometimes, people ask me if I’m half or a quarter or something, but I’m really not. So I thought, ‘OK, I have to go in and really blow them away with my acting and be really, really strong, in which case they can’t say no.’” Roughly one month later, Bossick got the call saying he had won the part—and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bossick has spent the last several months touring the festival circuit, including last month’s Tribeca Film Festival and the 65th Venice Film Festival last September, where he and the rest of the cast walked the red carpet. Sounds nerve-wracking, right?

“Well, I’ve done modeling before, and I’ve done a lot of the Tokyo Collections runways. So I’m thinking, ‘I guess it’ll be like doing a fashion show. It’s always about the clothes anyway, right?’” he says with a laugh.

But the highlight of the festival tour was the cast’s trip to New York.

“We blew out the speakers in the theater at Tribeca,” Bossick says proudly. “We were the only film to do that.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove

Yoshino Kimura to play hot-blooded detective

Tuesday 01st June, 06:34 AM JST



TOKYO —

Yoshino Kimura, 34, will be playing the lead role in an upcoming TV Asahi drama that will start in July. The drama, tentatively titled “Keisatsucho Keizoku Sosahan,” will focus on a hot-blooded female detective who specializes in unsolved brutal crimes.

Kimura has already played a clumsy detective in “Onna Keiji - Otomichi Takako,” a program that began in January. Her upcoming role will be a character named Manami Kishi, a detective who is lacking in womanly charms but is cool, clever and skilled at solving crimes.

The actress said, “There’s not a day when we don’t hear news of a murder, and for every murder there’s a family who has had a loss. It’s probably extremely difficult to get rid of that sadness. My character works to relieve victims’ families of any regrets that they might have.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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"Tensai Bakabon" manga gets stage version
Mon, May 31, 2010 (11:38am EDT)

The popular gag manga "Tensai Bakabon," written by the late Fujio Akatsuka, is being turned into a theatrical production this summer. Toru Hosokawa of the Otona Keikaku troupe is directing.

"Tensai Bakabon" began serialization in 1967. The comic follows the misadventures of a mischievous boy named Bakabon, though much of the action focuses on Bakabon's father, who regularly causes trouble with his absurd ideas.





Suzuki Matsuo (47), who heads Otona Keikaku, will play Bakabon's father, while Yoshiyoshi Arakawa (36) plays Bakabon. The mother in the family is being played by Yumiko Shaku (31), who will be making her stage debut with this role. Other cast members include Sarutoki Minagawa, Tadashi Sakata, and Hiroki Konno (of the duo King of Comedy). The music is being handled by Schadaraparr.

Thirteen performances have been scheduled at the Honda Theater in Shimokitazawa, from July 23 to August 1.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Yutaka Takenouchi stars in "Taiheiyou no Kiseki"
Mon, May 31, 2010 (11:12am EDT)

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Yutaka Takenouchi (39) has been cast as a soldier for the first time in his acting career. He will star in the movie "Taiheiyou no Kiseki ~ Fox to Yobareta Otoko," directed by Hideyuki Hirayama and scheduled for release in February 2011.

Next year will be the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film, set near the end of World War II, has Takenouchi playing a feared Japanese soldier known as "Fox," who relentlessly fights against the American forces even after Japan's severe loss in the Battle of Saipan.

The movie is based on Sakae Oba, the Japanese captain whose story was told in the book "Oba, the Last Samurai," written by former U.S. soldier Don Jones. Oba, who was a geography teacher before the war, was the leader of the last remaining Japanese unit in Saipan. He and his small group of men used guerrilla warfare tactics against the American forces, including Jones' unit, until finally surrendering in December 1945, a few months after Japan surrendered.

Executive producer Seiji Okuda said that ever since reading the book about 30 years ago, he had wanted to turn it into a movie someday. With the book out-of-print, it was difficult securing the film rights, but he eventually received approval from Jones' wife.

Part of the movie will be filmed in Saipan. Production includes involvement by American staff, particularly for the depiction of the U.S. forces.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Japan's oldest dancer Ohno dies at 103

Wednesday 02nd June, 03:01 AM JST



TOKYO —

Japan’s oldest and internationally acclaimed Butoh dancer Kazuo Ohno died of respiratory failure Tuesday at a hospital in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, his office said. He was 103. A native of Hakodate, Hokkaido, Ohno joined the dance studio led by Baku Ishii in 1933 and learned modern dance. After a break from dancing during World War II, he gave his first Tokyo performance in 1949.
  
His encounter with Tatsumi Hijikata and his ‘‘Ankoku Butoh’’ (Dance of Utter Darkness), as well as influences from modern dance, led him to establish a style of dancing called Butoh, characterized by white facial and body paint and slow movements. Ohno’s solo Butoh work directed by Hijikata, ‘‘La Argentina Sho’’ (Admiring La Argentina), earned great acclaim and was awarded the Dance Critics’ Circle Award in 1977.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Damages sought against publisher over magazine report on AKB48

Wednesday 02nd June, 03:02 AM JST



TOKYO —

A management company for the popular all-girl pop group AKB48 and its president have filed a suit with the Tokyo District Court seeking damages for a weekly magazine article alleging that the president is having an improper relationship with one of its members, court documents showed Tuesday.
   
The company, AKS, and the president are demanding about 150 million yen in damages from Tokyo-based publisher Bungeishunju Ltd and an apology in its weekly magazine, Shukanbunshun, for damaging their reputation with the article.
   
In its Feb 18 edition, the weekly reported that the company president was having an improper relationship with an AKB48 member, according to the lawsuit. The AKS side has argued that the reports are baseless, have inflicted irreparable damage on the president and the group member, and have seriously affected the group’s activities.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Pregnant singer Kaela Kimura to marry actor Eita

Wednesday 02nd June, 03:03 AM JST



TOKYO —

Actor Eita and singer Kaela Kimura plan to marry as Kimura is pregnant and the baby is due in November, her office said Tuesday.
   
Eita, 27, and Kimura, 25, have been dating since last summer after appearing in ‘‘Kiraware Matsuko no Issho,’’ a movie released in 2006, according to the office.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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"Odoru Daisousasen" goes mobile with new story
Tue, June 1, 2010 (11:28am EDT)



The release of "Odoru Daisousasen: The Movie 3" is just a month away, and at a PR event held on Monday, it was announced that an original story related to the film is being produced for mobile phones.

"Kakarichou Aoshima Shunsaku: THE MOBILE - Jiken wa Torishirabeshitsu de Okiteiru!" is a series of videos aimed at owners of NTT DoCoMo phones. Of course, Yuji Oda (42) stars as the detective Shunsaku Aoshima, and the series focuses on his first case after being promoted to section chief. The story is said to be an important piece connected to the movie.

The first episode reportedly includes a 7-minute scene of Aoshima talking by himself in the interrogation room. The whole series is 12 episodes long, for a total of approximately 73 minutes. Episodes are planned for release every Tuesday and Friday, starting on June 1.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Masato Sakai leads "Joker" detective drama
Tue, June 1, 2010 (7:23pm EDT)



Masato Sakai (36) will star in a new Fuji TV drama series titled "Joker: Yurusarezaru Sousakan," playing a police detective. NEWS member Ryo Nishikido (25) and model Anne (24) have also been cast.




The story's central character is a detective on the Kanagawa prefectural police force (Sakai). During the day, he is known as a "Buddha" for his gentle personality, pouring all of his energy into resolving each case. But at night, he transforms into a cruel punisher as his gentleness gives way to his anger towards the criminals. The series is said to pose questions about what justice and evil truly are.





Besides Anne (who plays Sakai's rookie partner) and Nishikido, the cast also features Takeshi Kaga, Ren Osugi, and Ryo. "Joker" is set to air on Tuesdays at 9:00pm, starting on July 13.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

logy

waaa tak sangka jepun pung ader citer pasal joker....

whitedove

Manga artist encourages kids to get off Internet and into the real world



TOKYO —

Misako Takashima, a Japanese graphic novel creator based in New York, worries that many American teenagers she has met during academic art events rely too heavily on the Internet and are reluctant to try anything in the real world.
   
‘‘I met many children who easily believe that the knowledge they get via the Internet is everything,’’ Takashima said. She is working on a new book due out next year describing her own life, including the tumultuous 11 years since she first came to the United States.
   
‘‘I want young people to learn nothing can change until they take action,’’ said Takashima, who goes by the name of Misako Rocks! in U.S. art circles.
   
The 33-year-old native of the city of Kazo, Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, is a self-taught manga artist and had no professional career in Japan.
   
But she already published three books since 2006 including ‘‘Rock and Roll Love,’’ which was selected by the New York Public Library as a best book for teens after its release in 2007.
   
Unlike Japan, the United States does not have a giant nationwide market of comic magazines for children. Takashima said she learned a key to success as a manga artist should be promotional activities at schools and libraries in order to gain recommendation by noted librarians and teachers.
   
Takashima also talked about a difference from Japanese manga and American graphic novels: Strict guidelines on sexual and violent expression.
   
‘‘I was surprised to see editors and others discuss whether it is acceptable to print pictures of a girl wearing a tank top before publishing. It was interesting to learn even that could be a problem in this country,’’ Takashima said.
   
Her style of creation is not like that of a typical ‘‘manga’’ comic artist who tends to stay in the workplace for weeks at a time. Instead she likes going out and chatting with American teenagers at schools and libraries as well as events featuring manga and Japanese anime.
   
‘‘I can learn a lot, for example, when I go to the cafeteria with children. Sometimes I can see students hanging out with those in the same ethnic group, unintentionally, I guess, and how popular guys behave in the classroom,’’ she said.
   
‘‘I want to write about next-door boys and girls so teenagers can get into the stories really deeply,’’ Takashima said. ‘‘I found the plots of many American comic books a bit surreal or very adult-oriented.’‘
   
Takashima first came to the United States in August 1999 and spent nearly a year as an exchange student in Kirksville, Missouri. After graduating from her university in Tokyo, she went to New York as an aspiring puppeteer.
   
‘‘But it was hard to get by on my own and I even had difficulties finding a place to live,’’ Takashima said, looking back on marriage to a man she had a crush on in New York and subsequent divorce, as well as her time drawing cartoons for a popular satirical tabloid, The Onion.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Marie unveils Didi via Rosso fashion brand

Thursday 03rd June, 03:05 AM JST



TOKYO —

Model Marie, 22, appeared at an event for the Didi via Rosso fashion brand this week. Marie helped oversee the design and development of the brand’s clothing line, declaring herself a “businesswoman” to the press with some shiny new business cards.

“This is the first time I’ve passed out business cards, so I’m pretty nervous,” she said.

When asked what she thought of Erika Sawajiri, 24, displaying her rump on stage at a recent concert, the model grinned and said she thought it was erotic. Marie said the two had talked about “nothing ” recently, borrowing one of Sawajiri’s well-known lines.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Gackt schedules Europe concerts
Wed, June 2, 2010 (10:41am EDT)



On Tuesday, Gackt confirmed his first Europe tour, revealing five concert dates for next month.

Gackt's schedule is as follows:
7/16 - London, United Kingdom
7/18 - Paris, France
7/20 - Barcelona, Spain
7/22 - Munich, Germany
7/24 - Bochum, Germany

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Carp pitcher marries former Takarazuka star
Wed, June 2, 2010 (11:26am EDT)



Hiroshima Toyo Carp pitcher Keisuke Imai (23) has just married former Takarazuka top star Marie Koto (31). They submitted their marriage registration on June 2, as Imai wears the number 62 on his uniform.

Imai and Koto first met in August 2008, and they started seriously dating in January 2009. With Imai based in Hiroshima and Koto based in Takarazuka, they continued their long-distance relationship, and Imai soon proposed that June. Koto, who served as the musumeyaku for the Star Troupe, left the Takarazuka Revue this past March and moved to Hiroshima.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Ryo Nishikido dating Lena Fujii?
Wed, June 2, 2010 (6:55pm EDT)




Ryo Nishikido (25), of NEWS and Kanjani8, is rumored to be dating fashion model Lena Fujii (25). This week's issue of Josei Seven includes photos of the two on a date in late May.

Nishikido and Fujii were seen eating at a restaurant together late at night. After leaving, they kept close to each other as they walked to a nearby parking lot, then drove off in Nishikido's car.

The pair worked together in 2005 for a special Christmas feature of a fashion magazine. At that time, Fujii had to choose a partner for a fake date, and she selected Nishikido.

Fujii broke up with DA PUMP's ISSA (31) this past March. They had been dating since June of last year.

Nishikido's management denies that the two are dating. Fujii's agency also says that they are just good friends.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Charts: AKB48 sells half a million
Wed, June 2, 2010 (10:21am EDT)



Last week, AKB48 released their 16th major label single, "Ponytail to Chouchou." They proved their popularity once again, taking #1 with 513,000 copies sold. This is the first single by a female group to break half a million in opening week sales since Morning Musume's "Renai Revolution 21" in 2000 (515,000 copies), and the first by a female artist since Hikaru Utada's "Can You Keep A Secret?" in 2001 (784,000 copies).

TVXQ's Junsu, under the name XIAH junsu, took #2 with his solo single, selling 195,000 copies. This sets the current record for a solo artist so far this year.

Lia and Aoi Tada's collaborative single ranked #3 for the week, while S/mileage made it to #5. Sata Andagi (#7), ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION (#8), and Etsuko Yakushimaru (#10) also made the top ten.



On the albums chart, Quruli's "Boku no Sundeita Machi" led the way with 20,000 copies sold. Reunited rock band Anzen Chitai was #3, marking their first top-three appearance in roughly 20 years. Right behind them were Seiko Matsuda (#4) and Boom Boom Satellites (#5), while GReeeeN's special album entered at #10.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Eri Fukatsu leads next Koki Mitani film
Wed, June 2, 2010 (7:30pm EDT)



Director Koki Mitani ("The Uchoten Hotel," "The Magic Hour") is working on a new film, starring actress Eri Fukatsu (37). Titled "Suteki na Kanashibari," the movie is a "courtroom comedy" that Mitani first conceived more than a decade ago.







Like Mitani's previous hits, "Suteki na Kanashibari" features a star-studded cast, including Toshiyuki Nishida (62), Yuko Takeuchi (30), Kiichi Nakai (48), Hiroshi Abe (45), and Tadanobu Asano (36).

Emi (Fukatsu) is a third-rate lawyer with no prospects for the future. She is asked to defend a man suspected of killing a wealthy man's wife (Takeuchi). The man claims that on the night of the murder, he experienced sleep paralysis ("kanashibari") in his hotel room, apparently caused by the ghost of a dishonored warrior (Nishida) who died 421 years ago. To support the claim in court, Emi comes up with the ridiculous idea of having the ghost take the witness stand. In addition to playing the victim, Takeuchi also plays her twin sister, who is the actual culprit.

"Suteki na Kanashibari" is scheduled for release in fall 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Conductor Ozawa cancels December trip to Europe

Friday 04th June, 03:06 AM JST



NAGANO —

Eminent Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, who is undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer, has decided to cancel a concert tour of Europe scheduled for December, people close to him said Thursday.
   
Ozawa, 74, made the decision after being told by his doctor to cancel the trip that would have taken him to Prague, Vienna, Berlin and Paris for a total of five concerts between Dec 3 and 10, according to officials of the annual Saito Kinen festival in Nagano Prefecture.
   
Ozawa will appear in a music event beginning on Dec 14 at Carnegie Hall in New York as scheduled, they said.
   
In January, Ozawa said he had been diagnosed with an early stage of esophageal cancer and will cancel all of his concert engagements until making a come back at the festival in the city of Matsumoto on Sept. 5. He has served as the music director of the festival since 1992.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Dolphin hunt film canceled in Tokyo after protests

Friday 04th June, 06:54 AM JST



TOKYO —

A movie theater in Tokyo decided against showing the dolphin-hunt documentary “The Cove” after nationalist pressure and warnings of protests, the distributor said Thursday.
  
In recent months, activists have protested and screamed slogans outside the Tokyo office of the Japanese distributor, Unplugged, alleging that support for the film signals betrayal of Japanese pride.
  
Theater N Shibuya was scheduled to start showing the film June 26. Unplugged said the theater changed its mind after getting deluged with angry telephone calls and being warned that screenings would be met with protests.
  
The American movie that won the Academy Award for documentary this year shows undercover footage of the dolphin hunt in a Japanese village and documents efforts by Ric O’Barry, a former trainer for the “Flipper” TV series, to stop the slaughter of dolphins for food.
  
Takeshi Kato of Unplugged said he remained determined to show the film, and talks will continue with other theaters.
  
“This is definitely not an anti-Japanese film,” he said in a statement. “We believe it is necessary to carry out constructive discussion of the issue.”
  
Most Japanese have never eaten dolphin meat. But some believe killing dolphins and whales is part of traditional culinary culture and resent the interference of outsiders focused on species protection.
  
“The Cove” screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October and at smaller events in Japan but has yet to open to the Japanese public. The Japanese version blurs the faces of some people on screen, such as fishermen, to lessen the possibility of trouble.
  
In April, the U.S. Air Force Yokota Air Base, west of Tokyo, canceled a screening at its on-base theater to show sensitivity to local culture.
  
O’Barry said the film needs to be shown, so that word would spread and Japanese would want the hunts stopped.
  
“Why are they so scared about the truth of the dolphin slaughter getting out?” he said in an e-mail Thursday. “Because they know that the massive dolphin slaughter is indefensible—tragically cruel—scientifically unsupportable.”

Source: www.japantoday.com