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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
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Japanese pop group SMAP's Expo show scrapped
Shanghai - Japanese pop group SMAP's concert at the Expo Cultural Center, scheduled for June 13, has been cancelled due to safety concerns, officials said.
The Expo Coordination Bureau announced the decision on their website and explained the move was to ensure traffic flow and a comfortable visiting experience for the increasing number of visitors to the Expo Garden.
On Saturday, 524,900 people visited Expo 2010 Shanghai, the largest number of visitors on a single day since the event opened on May 1.
However, many believe the cancellation was made to avoid a repeat of the incident on May 30, when thousands of fans for a concert featuring popular South Korean artists were unable to get tickets.
Tickets for the concert were distributed on a first-come-first-serve basis on the day of the event, and turned the ticket release site in front of the Expo Cultural Center into something resembling a battlefield.
The incident left several in need of medical treatment. But Xu Wei, spokesman of the Expo Coordination Bureau, said some disorder during an event of that scale was normal.
The cancelled SMAP show was a big disappointment for fans that had been looking forward to seeing the group's performance. Netizens, again, were the first to express their discontent.
"SMAP's concert was the main reason for my visit to the Expo. I had a ticket and hotel booked.
"Why should I go now?" said one netizen on an online forum of Baidu.
"I was shocked by the reports of the Korean pop concert on May 30," said a netizen named IceCreamCat. "But if organizers don't want this to happen again, why don't they just sell the tickets rather than give them away free?"
SMAP's concert was scheduled for Sunday at the 18,000-seat Expo Cultural Center as part of the celebration of Japan Week following the country's National Pavilion Day on Saturday.
It would have been the group's first performance in China.
SMAP announced their regret that the concert had been cancelled on its official website, but the group said it was hopeful they would perform in China in the future.
Organizers said all performances at the Expo will receive a security evaluation in the future. Those that do not pass the evaluation will be cancelled.
-China Daily/Asia News Network
Source: http://news.asiaone.com/News/Lat ... 0100607-220617.html |
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Hirosue, Nagai end relationship
Mon, June 7, 2010 (10:02am EDT)
The rumored relationship between Ryoko Hirosue (29) and Masaru Nagai (32) has apparently come to an end. According to Sports Hochi, they recently split due to their busy schedules.
The romance was first reported in February 2009 when the magazine FRIDAY spotted the two on a date. It developed into a serious relationship by autumn, but around the start of this year, their busy careers prevented them from meeting often. As their separation continued, they eventually decided to break off the relationship.
Neither Hirosue's nor Nagai's agency has ever confirmed the relationship, though various reports from last year and early this year suggested that the two were getting close to marriage.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Kazuyoshi Saito celebrates first child at 43
Mon, June 7, 2010 (10:11am EDT)
Singer-songwriter Kazuyoshi Saito (43) is now a proud father after 15 years of marriage. On June 3, his wife (44) gave birth to a healthy baby boy, weighing 3,144 grams.
Saito and his wife, who used to work as a writer, married in 1995. They are said to have met when Saito was interviewed for a magazine article.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Hironobu Nomura divorced
Mon, June 7, 2010 (10:51am EDT)
Actor Hironobu Nomura (45) has been divorced since last year, it was learned on Sunday. He and his wife turned in their divorce papers in July, the same month as their 10th wedding anniversary.
Nomura married a stylist (42) in 1999. Their daughter was born in 2001, followed by a son five years later. However, it appears that Nomura and his wife had differing opinions on the direction of their lives, leading them to get divorced last year.
Despite their differences, the two are still on good terms. After their divorce, they continued living in the same home up until this past May. Nomura began living on his own this month, while his wife has custody of the children.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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"JIN" sequel slated for spring 2011
Mon, June 7, 2010 (6:41pm EDT)
The popular, award-winning drama series "JIN" is officially getting a sequel, scheduled for spring 2011. Takao Osawa (42) will reprise his starring role, along with other main cast members including Haruka Ayase (25), Masaaki Uchino (41), and Miki Nakatani (34).
Based on a manga by Motoka Murakami about a brain surgeon who gets sent back in time to the Bakumatsu era, "JIN" originally aired last fall. The series averaged over a 19% rating, with the final episode reaching 25.3%, the highest for any drama series on a commercial network last year.
Osawa commented that he was concerned about the sequel being a retread of the first series. However, the new series is said to be a step up in terms of scale and intensity. One of the highlights will be the assassination of Sakamoto Ryoma (Uchino) and whether the surgeon Jin (Osawa) can save him. New characters being introduced include Nakaoka Shintaro and the samurai Saigo Takamori.
Rumors surfaced earlier this month that Osawa and Ayase are in a relationship, but both of their agencies have denied it. As a result, the series will be receiving extra attention from fans and the media, especially since their characters in the drama are romantic interests.
The show's producer stated that this will be the conclusion of the drama and that there will be no movie version.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Sho Sakurai, Aoi Miyazaki star in "Kamisama no Karute"
Mon, June 7, 2010 (7:15pm EDT)
Arashi's Sho Sakurai (28) is set to star in a new movie by director Yoshihiro Fukagawa, titled "Kamisama no Karute." He will for the first time be joined by actress Aoi Miyazaki (24), who plays the heroine of the story.
Sakurai has been cast as a doctor for the film, which is based on a bestselling novel published last year by an actual doctor named Sosuke Natsukawa. Ichito Kurihara (played by Sakurai) is a local physician in Nagano who meets an elderly woman with terminal cancer. His interaction with her leads to his own growth as a doctor and as a person. Miyazaki plays Sakurai's beloved wife Haruna, who works as a photographer.
The staff for the film includes the production team from the movie "Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu" and screenwriter Noriko Goto, whose credits include the dramas "Blackjack ni Yoroshiku" and "Team Batista no Eikou."
"Kamisama no Karute" will be released during the second half of 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Model Nozomi Sasaki to make singing debut
Wednesday 09th June, 03:55 AM JST
TOKYO —
Model and actress Nozomi Sasaki, 22, plans to make her singing debut on the CD “Kamu to Funya feat. Astro,” to be released July 21.
On June 14, Sasaki will also be seen in a TV commercial for Lotte brand Fit’s gum featuring the model as herself and performing a cute Para Para-style dance. The “Botanical Garden” gum commercial will be accompanied by a new version of the song played during past commercials featuring rapping by six-member hip-hop group Astro.
Sasaki says she doesn’t like singing in front of others, and “I never thought I would put out my own CD, but the songs were fun, so I made up my mind to enjoy it.”
She says she hopes the song becomes a big karaoke hit. A mobile phone version of the song will be released on June 16.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Uno Kanda announces separation from husband
Wednesday 09th June, 09:30 AM JST
TOKYO —
Fashion designer and “talent” Uno Kanda, 35, announced Tuesday that she plans to separate from her husband, Takuo Nishimura, 40, and that she has already moved her belongings out of his condo.
Kanda made the announcement after a fashion show in Tokyo for a line of kimono and dresses she designed herself.
Kanda admitted that the pair had been living separately off and on for the past year, and that it was her lifestyle choice. “Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you need to spend every single day under the same roof,” she commented.
However, Kanda said they had no plans to get divorced.
The couple, who married at Meiji Shrine in October 2007, have held six wedding ceremonies since then in places such as Guam, Saipan and Hawaii.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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AneCan model Sachi Suzuki pregnant
Tue, June 8, 2010 (10:52am EDT)
Fashion model Sachi Suzuki (30), who appears in magazines such as AneCan, announced on her official blog on Monday that she is currently seven months pregnant. She is expected to give birth this summer.
Suzuki revealed last September that she had married. Although she will soon be on maternity leave, she plans to continue modeling after the child is born, most likely with AneCan.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Announcer Hiroko Takagi remarries
Tue, June 8, 2010 (11:07am EDT)
Fuji TV announcer Hiroko Takagi (38) has remarried. The magazine Josei Jishin reports that her new husband is a 59-year-old businessman who runs a major temp agency.
The two apparently became close last year. They registered their marriage this spring and are currently living together in Roppongi Hills. Fuji TV's public relations department acknowledged that they have been informed about her marriage.
Takagi joined the network in 1995. She got married in 1998 and gave birth to a daughter the following year. In 2001, she divorced. Josei Jishin notes that her new husband has also been married once before.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Hotaru Biyori goes major
Tue, June 8, 2010 (11:22am EDT)
The four-member pop/rock band Hotaru Biyori is set to make its major label debut in August, releasing a new song under Universal Music. The tune is titled "Mirai Shousetsu" and has been chosen as the theme song of NTV's news shows "Zoom In!! SUPER" and "Zoom In!! Saturday." It was first used on the June 7 episode of "Zoom In!! SUPER."
Hotaru Biyori formed a few years ago, but they finally released their first full-length album, "elementary," this past February. Some of their songs have had tie-ins before, earning them enough attention to secure their major label contract.
This past April, the band's bassist left and was replaced by new member Hiromi Yoshida.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Post Last Edit by whitedove at 10-6-2010 18:28
"Usagi Drop" manga being adapted to film
Tue, June 8, 2010 (11:41am EDT)
Yumi Unita's ongoing manga series "Usagi Drop" is getting a live-action film version, it has been announced. Details such as the cast members and the projected release date have not yet been revealed.
"Usagi Drop" has been serialized in Shodensha's Feel Young magazine since 2005. Currently at seven collected volumes, the moving story revolves around a single salaryman who begins raising a young girl after learning that she is the illegitimate child of his recently deceased grandfather.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Satomi Ishihara plays heroine in "Manzai Gang"
Tue, June 8, 2010 (7:21pm EDT)
Comedian Hiroshi Shinagawa (38), of the duo Shinagawa Shoji, recently completed filming for his second movie as director. Titled "Manzai Gang," the picture stars Ryuta Sato (30) and Yusuke Kamiji (31), but it has just been revealed that Satomi Ishihara (23) will play the story's heroine.
Adapted from one of Shinagawa's novels, "Manzai Gang" has Sato playing a professional manzai comedian whose partner quits due to their recent lack of success. He tries to drink his sorrows away but winds up in a detention cell, where he meets a thug (Kamiji) with a natural sense of comedy, leading the two to become friends and form a new manzai duo.
Ishihara's role is described as an ordinary type of woman that could be found anywhere. She plays the part of Yumiko, the ex-girlfriend of Sato's character who continues supporting his lifestyle even after they have broken up. It is said that Ishihara has never played a character of this type before.
"Manzai Gang" is expected to finish post-production by the end of this year. Theatrical release is scheduled for 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Actor Gota Watabe gets emotional in new play
By Sarah Cortina
TOKYO —
PR companies often tell us that their actors “speak English,” but then we get to the interview and all they can manage is, “Hello, nice to meet you.” So imagine our surprise when, about two minutes into our chat with actor Gota Watabe, the 24-year-old star looks up and asks, “Sorry, do you mind if I speak English?”
The Ibaraki native’s ease with English comes from a travel bug that bit early. “After I graduated high school, everybody was trying to go to college or trying to get work. But I was just going to travel agencies, to get visas and stuff,” he says. “It was so natural, I just knew — I’m going. And I went.”
Watabe originally planned on visiting New Zealand — “‘cause it’s cheaper,” he says with a laugh. “But I heard that it was really hard English, and I heard that Canadians speak really clear English.” So he made it to Canada on a working holiday visa, and spent the next year immersing himself in the country — and pursuing his hobby, skateboarding. “It’s so much sicker than in Japan!”
Watabe has been acting for even longer than he’s been speaking English — since his elementary school days, in fact. Like most kids, he hadn’t thought much about the entertainment industry. All that changed one day when his mother took him on a visit to the big city.
“She bought me some toys and stuff at Kiddyland, and after that she took me to Aoyama and we went into this building, where there were a bunch of adults talking,” he explains. “And they start asking me things like, ‘Gota-kun, what do you like to do?’” It turned out that the “building” was an entertainment agency, and the questions were actually an audition. “I passed the test,” he says with a shrug, “and that was it.”
Initially ambivalent about his new career, Watabe soon realized the appeal of show business.
“My first job was this television commercial,” he says. “There was a famous comedian, Junji Takada. And I knew his face, so I thought, ‘Wow!’”
After returning from his adventures in Canada, Watabe’s career began to take off in earnest. He gained recognition with a series of quirky supporting roles in popular television shows like “Propose Daisakusen” and “Yasuko to Kenji.”
Watabe says he enjoys acting for a lot of reasons, mostly for the fact that “you don’t have to do the same thing every day.” And he certainly is versatile, with a list of credits that ranges from theater and films, to TV series and variety shows. “Fortunately — or unfortunately — I do anything,” he says.
For his next project — yet another change of pace — Watabe will star opposite Shihori Kanjiya (“Swing Girls”) in a stage adaptation of the 2009 hit tearjerker “Yomei Ikkagetsu no Hanayome” (“April Bride”). The movie was based on the true story of Chie Nagashima (Nana Eikura in the film), a carefree 20-something whose life is turned upside down when she’s diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. Her devoted boyfriend Taro (Eita) refuses to give up on their relationship — despite Chie’s efforts to push him away, he resolves to give her the wedding of her dreams before she dies.
Watabe, who admits that he hasn’t seen the movie, warns fans of the film not to come into the play with too many expectations.
“It’s a really famous story, and pretty much everyone knows it,” he explains. “But what we do in the theater is a totally different thing. We’ve borrowed the story, but we have to live on the stage with those four people. So it’s a different thing.”
A decision like Taro’s, to bind yourself to someone you know will die, seems like a choice that not everyone could make. Watabe turns philosophical when asked his thoughts on what makes Taro tick.
“To be honest, I’ve never had that kind of feeling. Is it love? Or is it… duty? Or kindness?” He pauses. “I don’t know why he did it. But I will know soon, on stage.”
“Yomei Ikkagetsu no Hanayome” runs June 15-27 at Setagaya Public Theater in Sangenjaya. Tickets are 5,500 yen and 7,500 yen.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Artist Murakami proud of planned exhibition at Palace of Versailles
Thursday 10th June, 03:06 AM JST
PARIS —
Takashi Murakami, one of Japan’s top modern artists, said Tuesday he is proud of a planned exhibition of around 20 of his works, including his six-meter tall ‘‘Oval Buddha,’’ at the Palace of Versailles in Paris from September 14 through December 12. “I am honored and proud that my works will be presented on a stage with a multi-layered history,’’ Murakami said at a press conference at the palace Tuesday.
The 48-year-old artist, selected as one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2008, also said the exhibition at the palace will be ‘‘a challenge, blending high (culture) and low (culture),’’ as he has often used Japanese ‘‘manga’’ as the main motif of his work. Murakami will be the third artist to hold an exhibition at the prestigious palace since the body that manages the palace started holding exhibitions of avant-garde art, including works by Jeff Koons of the United States, in 2008, according to the palace.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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Kumi Koda ready to dazzle audiences in 3D
Thursday 10th June, 07:04 AM JST
TOKYO —
SkyPerfect TV will air singer Kumi Koda’s concerts at Yokohama Stadium July 3 and 4 in 3D. Koda, 27, who always performs in eye-popping outfits, said, “I’ll definitely be wearing something Kumi-ish. It might look even more impressive in 3D.”
SkyPerfect has begun Japan’s one-and-only 3D channel, and the upcoming concerts will be the first 3D live music concerts ever broadcast in Japan.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
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GLAY launches new label
Wed, June 9, 2010 (9:43am EDT)
Rock band GLAY has announced that they have launched a new independent sub-label under For Life Music Entertainment. The label is called "loversoul music & associates," and they plan to release new material through the label soon.
GLAY stated that they created the label so that they can properly spread their music on their own. Their first single on the new label will be released this September. They are also said to be close to completing their 10th original album - their first since 2007 - with a release planned before the end of this year.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Charts: YUI, BENI
Wed, June 9, 2010 (10:21am EDT)
Last week, singer-songwriter YUI released her new single, "to Mother." It sold 72,000 copies to rank #1, becoming her fifth consecutive chart-topper (seventh overall).
Rock band SID charted at #2 with 61,000 copies sold. On June 4 and 5, they reached the top of the daily sales charts for the first time in their career.
At #4 was the latest single from Houkago Tea Time ("K-On!!"). Also in the top ten were Hilcrhyme at #7, TUBE at #8, and SCANDAL at #10.
On the album sales rankings, BENI's "Lovebox" took #1 with 23,000 in sales. This marks her first time at the top of the charts.
Tak Matsumoto's collaboration with Larry Carlton ranked #2 for the week. A singles collection from THE BLUE HEARTS made it to #5, while an "IDOLM@STER" best album was #8. GO!GO!7188 also made the top ten, with their new album reaching #9.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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No Sleeves stars in mobile drama
Wed, June 9, 2010 (10:56am EDT)
It was recently announced that the three-member AKB48 sub-unit No Sleeves will be starring in an au LISMO original drama, titled "Kotodama no Onnatachi."
The story revolves around a mysterious group with the power to heal the hearts of troubled people. The series will consist of four 5-minute episodes, released every Monday for free to au phone users, starting on July 5. The episodes will later be available for PCs, though viewers will have to pay.
No Sleeves will also sing the show's theme song, which will be released as their fifth single on August 4.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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