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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part V]

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 Author| Post time 15-6-2011 08:15 PM | Show all posts
Japan movie week kicks off in Shanghai
Entertainment Jun. 14, 2011 - 03:24AM JST ( 1 )  

SHANGHAI —

A Japan movie week kicked off over the weekend in Shanghai introducing 11 hit Japanese films. Japanese directors and actors received an enthusiastic welcome from more than 100 Chinese fans gathering around the site of a ceremony held Sunday to mark the opening of the weeklong event.

‘‘I hope Chinese people enjoy the earthy and genuine textures of Japanese films,’’ said popular actor Satoshi Tsumabuki, who also expressed surprise that many Chinese fans recognized him.

The film ‘‘Akunin’’ (villain), starring Tsumabuki, is one of the 11 films to be screened at the event.

The film’s director Lee Sang Il also attended the opening ceremony as a guest along with other notable names including director Yoichi Sai and actress Kazue Fukiishi.

The Shanghai movie week organized by the Japanese Foreign Ministry and other organizations is held as part of the Japan-China Screen Image Exchange Program.

Source: www.japantoday.com
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 Author| Post time 15-6-2011 08:17 PM | Show all posts
Hiraoka Yuta, Sowelu rumored to be dating
Posted on June 13, 2011 by tokyograph



Multiple sources reported today that actor Hiraoka Yuta (26) and singer Sowelu (28) are in a serious relationship.

According to a person familiar with the situation, the two met through a mutual friend in 2009. They found they had a lot in common, such as music – Hiraoka plays the guitar and piano – and enjoying drinking. They began dating around 6 or 7 months ago, during fall of last year.

Both of their agencies were reached for comment, but the companies did not deny the rumor and simply stated that they were leaving Hiraoka’s and Sowelu’s private lives alone.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 15-6-2011 08:18 PM | Show all posts
Okada Junichi, Miyazaki Aoi star in Takita Yojiro’s “Tenchi Meisatsu”
Posted on June 13, 2011 by tokyograph



V6 member Okada Junichi (30) is starring in a new movie called “Tenchi Meisatsu,” directed by Takita Yojiro (“Okuribito”). He is joined by actress Miyazaki Aoi (25), whom he previously worked with on the movie “Kagehinata ni Saku” in 2008.

“Tenchi Meisatsu” is an adaptation of an award-winning novel by Ubukata Tow (“Le Chevalier D'Eon,” “Mardock Scramble”). Okada plays the role of Shibukawa Shunkai, an astronomer and Go player in the early Edo period who was later known as Yasui Santetsu. The story follows his life as he undertook the significant project of revising the calendar, leading to the invention of the Jokyo calendar that was used for several decades.



Miyazaki plays the wife of Shibukawa, whom she initially meets through her mathematician brother (Sato Ryuta). Kanjani8 member Yokoyama Yu plays Honinbo Dosaku, Shibukawa’s rival in Go. Other cast members include Nakai Kiichi, Matsumoto Koshiro, Ichikawa Somegoro, Ichikawa Kamejiro, Sasano Takashi, Kishibe Ittoku, Watanabe Dai, and Shirai Akira.

Hisaishi Jo is handling the soundtrack. Filming is scheduled to finish in mid-August, and theatrical release is planned for fall 2012.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 15-6-2011 08:20 PM | Show all posts
Former Morning Musume member Ichii Sayaka divorces
Posted on June 13, 2011 by tokyograph



Former Morning Musume member Ichii Sayaka (27) and former musician Yoshizawa Naoki (35) have divorced. Ichii’s management agency announced on Monday that she got divorced on May 23, just one day after Yaguchi Mari (28), another former Morning Musume member, got married.

Ichii and Yoshizawa got married in May 2004. Since then, Ichii gave birth to two daughters, currently ages 6 and 4. Although she left show business for a time, she returned in 2009 and has mainly been active in modeling and acting.

Although Ichii’s agency did not announce the reason for the divorce, this week’s issue of Shukan Josei published a comment on the matter, supposedly from someone who knows the couple. According to that article, Yoshizawa has been negligent in his child-raising responsibilities, leading to feelings of mistrust. It is also said that since his retirement as a guitarist, there was a time when Yoshizawa did not have a steady job.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 15-6-2011 08:21 PM | Show all posts
“Moteki” movie features Nagasawa Masami, Aso Kumiko, Naka Riisa, Maki Yoko
Posted on June 13, 2011 by tokyograph



In March, it was revealed that the drama series “Moteki” was getting a movie version with actor Moriyami Mirai again in the lead role, but the main female cast was unknown at the time. A press conference held on Monday unveiled his new co-stars: Nagasawa Masami, Aso Kumiko, Naka Riisa, and Maki Yoko.

Both the drama series and the movie are adaptations of Kubo Mitsuro’s romance/comedy manga “Moteki,” which tells the story of a man named Fujimoto Yukiyo (Moriyama) who suddenly finds himself very popular with women, something he has never experienced before. In the drama series, the main female characters were played by Nonami Maho, Mitsushima Hikari, Matsumoto Rio, and Kikuchi Rinko.

While the television drama followed the plot of the manga, the movie version is an entirely original story written by Kubo. The protagonist Yukiyo moves on from being a temp worker to writing for a news website, and he soon meets several women who are all interested in him.

Nagasawa plays Miyuki, a magazine editor with a “killer smile” whom Yukiyo meets through Twitter; Aso plays Miyuki’s friend Rumiko; Naka plays a girls’ bar employee named Ai; and Maki plays Yukiyo’s senpai Motoko.

The movie is already set for release on September 23, 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 15-6-2011 08:22 PM | Show all posts
Singer Kawaguchi Kyogo to marry radio host Cecilia
Posted on June 13, 2011 by tokyograph



Singer-songwriter Kawaguchi Kyogo (36), known for hits such as “Sakura,” is soon getting married. His wife-to-be is half-Mexican talento Cecilia (30), who is mainly active as a television and radio personality. The two plan to register their marriage sometime this month.

Kawaguchi and Cecilia first got to know each other about 10 years ago, when they were both regulars on separate radio shows on FM Shiga. They went separate ways after that, but in December of last year they met again through a friend. They soon began dating around Christmas, and it is said that they had been thinking about marriage from the start.

Kawaguchi is starting a tour on June 30, and he is also soon releasing a new cover album titled “Kimi wo Suki Datta Ano Koro 2.”

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 16-6-2011 10:09 PM | Show all posts
Cast revealed for Sato Koichi and Miura Haruma’s “Hi wa Mata Noboru”
Posted on June 14, 2011 by tokyograph



Last month, it was announced that Sato Koichi and Miura Haruma were teaming up for a drama series as a sequel to the drama special “Saigo no Bansan.” Today, many more of the cast members were revealed for the show, which has been officially titled “Hi wa Mata Noboru.”

As previously announced, Sato is playing a former detective and newly appointed police instructor, while Miura is playing a trainee cop. Maya Miki plays the head of the police school who opposes Sato, YOU plays the school doctor, and Ishino Mako plays the “mama” of a bar near the school. Ikematsu Sosuke has been cast as a top student at the school.

Other new additions include Namioka Kazuki, Takahashi Tsutomu, Minami Keisuke, Tomiura Satoshi, and Kitamura Tomohiko. The returning cast members from the drama special are Saito Yuki, ARATA, Rokkaku Seiji, and Hashizume Isao.

TV Asahi will air “Hi wa Mata Noboru” on Thursdays at 9:00pm, starting in July.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 16-6-2011 10:10 PM | Show all posts
Tamaki Hiroshi joins Yakusho Koji in Yamamoto Isoroku film
Posted on June 14, 2011 by tokyograph

Tamaki Hiroshi (31) will play a key role in the big-budget movie “Rengo Kantai Shirei Chokan: Yamamoto Isoroku,” it has been revealed. The movie, which was announced in May, stars Yakusho Koji (55) as Yamamoto Isoroku, the commander-in-chief of Japan’s Combined Fleet during the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II.

Tamaki is taking on the part of Shindo, a reporter at a newspaper called the Tokyo Nippou. At the time of the war, newspapers held a huge amount of influence, and the prevailing opinion was to go to war against the United States. However, Shindo meets Yamamoto for an interview, and as he listens to Yamamoto’s desire to avoid a war with the United States, he changes his own mind and becomes conflicted about his stance on the war.

Kagawa Teruyuki (45) will play Shindo’s boss at the Tokyo Nippou. Other reporters are being played by Masuoka Toru (54) and Hakamada Yoshihiko (37). Seto Asaka (34) will play the proprietress of a small restaurant that the reporters frequent, and Tanaka Lena (31) is a dancer who is another one of the restaurant’s regular customers.

“Rengo Kantai Shirei Chokan: Yamamoto Isoroku” opens in theaters on December 23, 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 03:57 PM | Show all posts
Aya Ueto, Rei Kikukawa and Shiori Katsuna play sisters in TV ad

Entertainment Jun. 16, 2011 - 04:47AM JST ( 4 )



TOKYO —

Actresses Aya Ueto, 25, Rei Kikukawa, 33, and Shiori Katsuna, 18, are appearing as fictional sisters in a new commercial for recruitment company Dip. “It was a refreshing shoot,” said Ueto.

“I started in this industry when I was 13 years old, but before that I wanted to be a day-care worker in a kindergarten. I received my certificate of qualification in childcare and I love children,” she told the crowd.

Source: www.japantoday.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 03:59 PM | Show all posts
Remembrance ceremony held for Ayako Koshino

Entertainment Jun. 16, 2011 - 12:00PM JST ( 4 )



OSAKA —

Fashion designer sisters Hiroko, Junko and Michiko Koshino held a remembrance ceremony on Wednesday to honor the memory of their mother Ayako Koshino, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 92.

Ayako was one of Japan’s most influential fashion designers beloved of many, including actress Machiko Ono, 29, who also attended the ceremony. The event, named “Forever, Mother - Spirit of Ayako Koshino,” took place at an Osaka hotel and marked the first time that Ono had met the three sisters together. “They are as I imagined they would be. They seem to be singular of purpose and I’m glad I could meet them,” said Ono.

Also in attendance were singer Mitsuko Nakamura, 60, and television personality Kuniko Yamada, 51, who sung a cappella for the guests. The Koshino sisters will be appearing in NHK’s upcoming drama series “Carnation,” which is set to air this October.

Source: www.japantoday.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:00 PM | Show all posts
Horikita Maki rumored to star in 2012 NHK morning drama
Posted on June 15, 2011 by tokyograph



According to an unconfirmed report by the Nikkan Sports newspaper, actress Horikita Maki (22) has been offered the starring role in NHK’s 86th Asadora, scheduled to begin next spring after the end of “Carnation” (September 2011-March 2012). Horikita was reportedly chosen without an audition, just like Inoue Mao (24) was for the currently airing “Ohisama.”

Nikkan Sports quotes someone connected to NHK, who says that Horikita’s supporting cast has also already been decided. No details about the story have currently been revealed yet. However, a quote from another source suggests that it will not take place in the present day, but will instead focus on an earlier period in time, like last year’s hit “Gegege no Nyoubou” and the current “Ohisama.”

Horikita has starred in several prime time dramas and movies, but this would be her first time in one of the NHK morning dramas.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:02 PM | Show all posts
Charts: AKB48, Kanjani8
Posted on June 15, 2011 by tokyograph



Idol group AKB48 finally released their first original album, “Koko ni Ita Koto,” last week. Following a string of top-selling singles, the album also had an impressive first week with roughly 602,000 copies sold.

“Koko ni Ita Koto” is the first original album by a female group to sell more than half a million copies in the first week since Morning Musume’s “3rd LOVE Paradise” in 2000 (578,000 copies sold). This still leaves them behind SPEED’s first two albums “Starting Over” and “RISE,” which initially sold 823,000 and 1.32 million copies, respectively.

The sales figure also puts “Koko ni Ita Koto” in the lead for highest first-week sales of 2011, ahead of EXILE’s “Negai no Tou” (481,000).

    AKB48 – Koko ni Ita Koto – 601,985
    Shoujo Jidai – GIRLS' GENERATION – 94,105
    Hirai Ken – JAPANESE SINGER – 60,054
    Lady Gaga – Born This Way – 34,783
    The Gospellers – Hamorhythm – 22,101
    THE BAWDIES – LIVE THE LIFE LOVE – 19,563
    UVERworld – LIFE 6 SENSE – 14,005
    Il Divo – Il Divo Love Songs Inspired by the film Andalucia – 13,460
    Hayashibara Megumi – Hayashibara Megumi BEST Album: VINTAGE White – 13,149
    Sandaime J Soul Brothers – J Soul Brothers – 13,045



In singles, Kanjani8 achieved another #1 with “365 Nichi Kazoku,” at around 158,000 in sales. They now have a streak of 5 consecutive chart-toppers, with the last 3 released in consecutive months.

Meanwhile, SUPER JUNIOR took the #2 spot with their first Japan single, “BONAMANA.” At 59,262 copies sold, they edged out 2PM’s “Take off” (59,059) to achieve the highest first-week sales for a Korean group’s first Japan single. They are also tied with BEAST and MBLAQ for the highest chart position for a Korean group’s first Japan single.

    Kanjani8 – 365 Nichi Kazoku – 158,141
    SUPER JUNIOR – BONAMANA – 59,262
    AKB48 – Everyday, Kachusha – 45,903
    Acid Black Cherry – Shoujo no Inori III – 40,669
    Kaoru to Yuki, Tama ni Mook – Maru Maru Mori Mori! – 39,062
    B'z – Don't Wanna Lie – 28,483
    Team Amuse!! – Let's try again – 23,713
    RESTART JAPAN with TUBE – RESTART – 21,352
    Ketsumeishi – Kodama – 20,781
    FUNKY MONKEY BABYS – Soredemo Shinjiteru / Love Letter – 20,116

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:04 PM | Show all posts
D’espairsRay announces official disbandment
Posted on June 15, 2011 by tokyograph



Rock band D'espairsRay officially announced on Wednesday that they are breaking up. The group had halted their activities since last December due to a condition with vocalist HIZUMI’s vocal cords. However, because various attempted treatments have not worked so far, the band’s members discussed their future, and they decided to disband completely.

Because HIZUMI has still not recovered, the band further stated that they will not be holding a final concert.

D’espairsRay was formed in 1999 by members HIZUMI, Karyu (guitar), ZERO (bass), and TSUKASA (drums). The group was popular outside Japan as well, playing several times overseas even before making their major label debut in 2009.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:05 PM | Show all posts
Jero to star in “Blues in the Night” musical
Posted on June 15, 2011 by tokyograph



Enka singer Jero (29) is tackling his first role in a stage musical this fall. He will star in a Japanese production of the Broadway musical “Blues in the Night,” along with singer Mori Kumiko, former Takarazuka star Kozuki Wataru, and AKB48 members Sato Amina and Katayama Haruka.



“Blues in the Night” takes place in a rundown Chicago hotel in the late 1930s, telling the story of a blues-singing playboy (known as “Man”) and his relationships with three different women – a black former blues singer known as “Lady” (Mori), a beautifully stylish “Woman” of unknown age (Kozuki), and an energetic young “Girl” (Sato and Katayama, double-cast).

The musical was first performed off-Broadway in 1980 and got its first Broadway run in 1982, leading to a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Kikkawa Toru is in charge of this new production, which will begin its run at the Tennozu Galaxy Theater on September 30, 2011.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:06 PM | Show all posts
Fujiwara Tatsuya leads “Okaeri, Hayabusa” cast
Posted on June 15, 2011 by tokyograph



The lead has finally been revealed for “Okaeri, Hayabusa,” the 3D movie that Shochiku announced earlier this year about the space probe Hayabusa. Fujiwara Tatsuya (29) will headline the cast as an inexperienced JAXA engineer named Ohashi Kento, supported by a cast that includes Anne (25) and Miura Tomokazu (59).



Miura will play Kento’s father Isao, the project leader for an earlier failed space probe mission known as Nozomi. Anne plays Nomura Naoko, a budding scientist who is strongly persuaded by Isao’s speeches into studying space. The story will revolve around these three characters and their connections over the 7-year Hayabusa mission.

“Okaeri, Hayabusa” is scheduled for theatrical release in March 2012.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:11 PM | Show all posts
“Hana Kimi” drama remake’s male cast revealed
Posted on June 15, 2011 by tokyograph



The primary male cast for the new “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~ Ikemen Paradise” drama series was made public on Thursday. Lead actress and AKB48 member Maeda Atsuko (19) will have Nakamura Aoi (20) and Miura Shohei (23) as the two other sides of the story’s love triangle, and at least 26 other young male actors will round out the cast.

This drama remake was announced by Fuji TV last month, with Maeda replacing Maki Horikita (22) from the original 2007 series. Nakamura and Miura are likewise taking over the roles that were played by Oguri Shun (28) and Ikuta Toma (26).

Newspapers have also reported Yamada Shintaro (24) and Sato Yuki (27) as cast members. Based on a poster image from the Sankei Sports newspaper, the rest of the cast seems to include:

(*Note: Most of these were visually identified and are still pending confirmation.)

    Kotani Shotaro
    Okazaki Kazuhiro
    Kawahara Kazuma
    Kurihara Goro
    Takami Ozora
    Asaka Kodai
    Kasai Shige
    Yamamoto Ryosuke
    Nishii Yukito
    Yanagishita Tomo
    Suzuki Katsuhiro
    Ando Ryu
    Miyajima Kusuto
    Matsushima Shota
    Mamiya Shotaro
    Okayama Tomoki
    Kanai Sonde
    Katoono Taiko
    Kiriyama Renn
    Mitsushima Shinnosuke
    Tokuyama Hidenori
    Horii Arata
    Maeda Gouki

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 17-6-2011 04:14 PM | Show all posts
Voice actress unit LISP announces hiatus
Posted on June 16, 2011 by tokyograph



The three-member voice actress group LISP announced through their official website just after midnight on Thursday that they are putting their group activities on hiatus. Their last performance before that will be at Shibuya AX in Tokyo on July 31, about one year after their formation.

LISP consists of Asumi Kana, Kataoka Azusa, and Hara Sayuri. They joined together last summer and released a digital single in October. In April of this year, they released their first CD single, followed by their first album two weeks later. Their second CD single was just released on June 15.

According to the message on their website, the decision to suspend their activities as LISP resulted from discussions between the members and their staff. Each of three voice actresses will “aim for their next step,” and it was determined that it was necessary for them to prepare for new challenges. The details of those challenges are not yet known.

The group’s Twitter account will also become inactive this August.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 23-6-2011 11:55 AM | Show all posts
Ryoko Yonekura hits the red carpet as 'Gone With the Wind' comes to Tokyo

Entertainment Jun. 18, 2011 - 05:30AM JST ( 5 )



TOKYO —

Actress Ryoko Yonekura, 35, attended a red carpet event to launch the stage drama “Gone With the Wind” at Tokyo’s Imperial Garden Theater this week.

Yonekura plays the indomitable plantation owner’s daughter Scarlett O’Hara. Opposite her, Yasufumi Terawaki, 49, is the dashing Rhett Butler. The original 1939 movie, by Margaret Mitchell, was directed by Victor Fleming and starred Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable. It has become an American classic.

Yonekura appeared with four of the other main cast members on the red carpet to celebrate the arrival of the play in Tokyo after its run in Osaka. “We’re finally here!” she said.

When asked if she was as passionate in real life as Scarlett, Yonekura replied, “Not at all. Performing this play takes a lot out of you, so when I go home after the show, I don’t want to meet anyone.”

Terawaki told the press, “This play really makes you feel the power of a human’s desire and will to live. Since we’re trying to boost Japan’s spirits following the tsunami, I’d really like as many people as possible to come and see this show.”

“Gone With the Wind” runs from Saturday until July 10 at the Imperial Garden Theater in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward. Also starring in the play are Jun Shibuki, 42, as Melanie Wilkes and Koki Okada, 45 as Ashley Wilkes.

Source: www.japantoday.com
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 Author| Post time 23-6-2011 11:56 AM | Show all posts
Rock band Sekai no Owari goes major
Posted on June 17, 2011 by tokyograph



Rock band Sekai no Owari will make their major label debut this summer. They have signed with the record label TOY'S FACTORY, and their first major single “INORI” will go on sale on August 17.

Along with the move, the band is changing the way they write their name, from “??????” to “SEKAI NO OWARI.”

The band formed several years ago, but they didn’t release their first indies single until February 2010. They have been gaining in popularity, and even before this announcement they revealed that they have scheduled their first Nippon Budokan concert for November of this year.

The new single “INORI” contains three songs: “Kachou Fuugetsu,” “Fushichou,” and “Never Ending World.”

Sekai no Owari also announced that all of their music videos released so far are now available through the iTunes Store.

Source: www.tokyograph.com
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 Author| Post time 23-6-2011 12:00 PM | Show all posts
Studio Ghibli displays anti-nuclear power banner

Entertainment Jun. 19, 2011 - 02:09AM JST ( 5 )

TOKYO —

Studio Ghibli Inc has displayed an anti-nuclear power banner at its Tokyo head office at the initiative of noted animator Hayao Miyazaki.

The banner, placed on the roof of the building in Koganei, western Tokyo, since Thursday, reads, “Studio Ghibli wants to create movies using electricity without nuclear power plants.”

Source: www.japantoday.com
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