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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]
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news: movie
50 pregnant women invited to special screening of Yasuko Matsuyuki抯 new movie
Thursday 22nd January, 03:54 PM JST
TOKYO |
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news: actress
Italian forensic science drama starring Japanese actress gets high audience ratings
Friday 23rd January, 04:23 AM JST
ROME |
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news: idol
Idol Komukai arrested on drug charges
Fri, January 23, 2009 (3:09am EST)
Gravure idol Minako Komukai (23) has been arrested on suspicion of violating the Stimulant Drug Control Law. Komukai has reportedly denied the charges.
According to investigators, Komukai is suspected of possession of stimulants in June 2008. Her boyfriend, who is also being charged, had been arrested for a separate crime. During questioning, he stated that he had used the drugs with Komukai, resulting in a warrant being issued for her arrest. On Thursday night, she was located in Roppongi, and she voluntarily went along with the police.
Komukai was dismissed by her agency in September after repeated physical and emotional problems became an obstacle to her work.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
Utada assembles top producers for new album
Fri, January 23, 2009 (4:06am EST)
Island Def Jam has released some information about Hikaru Utada's upcoming English album. Although the title is still unknown, the release date has been set for March 24 in the U.S. and March 4 in Japan. A total of 10 songs have been lined up for the album, which was recorded in New York, Atlanta, and Tokyo.
The lead single "Come Back to Me," which was unveiled earlier this month on MySpace and on Utada's Island Records site, will begin radio airplay in the U.S. on February 9. The song will also be made available on iTunes the same day.
It has also been revealed that "Come Back to Me" was produced by Stargate, the Norwegian team that has created hits for major artists such as Ne-Yo and Beyonce. Another producer involved on the album is Tricky Stewart, who has previously worked with artists like Rihanna and Mariah Carey.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artiste
Miyavi to play in Texas for Anime Matsuri
Fri, January 23, 2009 (3:21am EST)
Anime Matsuri has announced that its 2009 convention is presenting Miyavi as a musical guest of honor. He will perform a live concert (his first in Texas), and his management agency will have a special booth selling merchandise.
Miyavi has performed in Los Angeles as part of the supergroup SKIN. He also conducted his first world tour in 2008, traveling to 14 different countries.
Anime Matsuri 2009 takes place on April 10-12 in Houston, Texas.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: TV personality
Maya Kobayashi to quit TBS
Sat, January 24, 2009 (11:51pm EST)
Popular TBS announcer Maya Kobayashi has declared that she plans to go independent at the end of March. She has been part of the network since 2003, and she is currently a regular on several shows, including "King's Brunch" and "Channel Rock!"
After she leaves TBS, it is said to be very likely that she will sign with management agency Cent Force, who manage her sister, Mao Kobayashi. However, Cent Force has stated that no decisions have been made yet. Still, it is expected that the two sisters will receive a flood of offers to finally appear together on the same show.
It has already been decided that Maya will be a main caster on a prime time TBS news show starting on March 30, though she will already be considered a free announcer by that time.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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mews: singer/movie
Rimi Natsukawa becomes an actress
Sat, January 24, 2009 (9:47pm EST)
Newlywed singer Rimi Natsukawa is ready to make her acting debut. She has been cast in "Minami no Shima no Furimun," a movie starring and directed by comedian Gori of Garage Sale.
The movie is Gori's first full-length directorial effort. The story is a comedy set in Okinawa, where both he and Natsukawa are originally from. Natsukawa plays the part of a mysterious fortune teller.
Natsukawa is also singing the film's theme, titled "Unju no Furusato." Gori wrote the lyrics, while Kiroro's Chiharu Tamashiro (also an Okinawan) composed the music.
"Minami no Shima no Furimun" will have its first screening at the Okinawa International Movie Festival, organized by Yoshimoto Kogyo. The festival runs from March 19 to March 22.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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survey
Oricon: who would you want as your tutor?
Sun, January 25, 2009 (12:10pm EST)
With Japan's exam season approaching, Oricon conducted a survey last month asking high school girls which male celebrity they would want as a tutor. The #1 choice by a large margin was Arashi member and Keio graduate Sho Sakurai, whose intellectual side has earned him regular spots on news and variety shows.
#2 was comedian Fuminori Ujihara (of the duo Rozan), who has become a familiar face on quiz shows. The ever-popular Masaharu Fukuyama made #3 on the list, largely due to his good looks. Hiro Mizushima and Satoshi Tsumabuki rounded out the top five.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: stage play
Eiji Wentz cross-dresses for Ninagawa play
Sun, January 25, 2009 (12:12pm EST)
Eiji Wentz of WaT will be taking on an acting role in Yukio Ninagawa's stage production "Ame no Natsu, Sanjunin no Juliet ga Kaette Kita." Written by playwright Kunio Shimizu, the piece was originally performed in 1982.
The story focuses on a group of middle-aged people who dream of reviving a girls' opera troupe. A veteran cast has been assembled for the play, including Ran Ohtori, Kazuyo Mita, Ikko Furuya, and Tsubasa Makoto.
Amidst them is Wentz, the only one in his twenties and a relative rookie to theater. He is taking on a key role as a handsome youth fascinated by the troupe. His part includes some scenes with him dressing up as a woman.
Wentz was supposed to perform in Ninagawa's "Glass Mask" last summer, but he had to step down due to a scheduling conflict. If all goes well this time, he will perform in "Ame no Natsu" at the Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon from May 6 to May 30.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: idol
AKB48 demotes Miki Saotome
Sun, January 25, 2009 (5:52pm EST)
Idol group AKB48 has announced on its official blog that Miki Saotome, a member of Team B, has been demoted to trainee status.
Saotome is said to have been "lacking in self-awareness" as a member of her team and of AKB48. That phrase is generally used to indicate some form of misconduct for an idol, such as having a boyfriend. However, the specific reasons in Saotome's case were not revealed.
The staff message on the blog also stated that there had been certain expectations for her with regard to improving her "self-awareness," but she had failed to meet those expectations. After some discussions regarding the issue, Saotome said that she wanted to try returning to the attitude she had when she first joined AKB48, and as a result, she has been kept on as a trainee member, with the hope of returning to the main group soon.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes
Puffy announces cover album
Sun, January 25, 2009 (3:15am EST)
Pop duo Puffy will be releasing an album on March 25 titled "PUFFY AMIYUMI x PUFFY." It will be a collection of covers, chosen from songs they have done for tribute albums and their own albums. The tracklist includes "Basket Case" by Green Day, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper, "Tenshi no Wink" by Seiko Matsuda, and "Nichiyoubi Yori no Shisha" by The High-Lows, as well as new material.
Puffy's official website also has a special page for viewing the PV of their upcoming single, "Hiyori Hime." Written and composed by Ringo Shiina, the song is set for release on February 25.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes
The Generous ties in with Takita flick for first single
Mon, January 26, 2009 (12:30am EST)
New duo The Generous will see their first official single used as the theme song for the movie "Tsurikichi Sanpei," directed by Yojiro Takita ("Okuribito").
The Generous consists of vocalist Yoko and guitarist Katsumi Ohnishi. Because Yoko is the daughter of singer Eikichi Yazawa, the group received heavy attention when it was first announced last September. They released a mini-album in October, and Takita was apparently impressed after hearing it. The result was a ballad titled "Heart," which will be released as a single on March 11.
"Tsurikichi Sanpei" is based on a well-known fishing manga by Takao Yaguchi and stars Kenta Suga, Tsunehiko Watase, Takashi Tsukamoto, and Yu Kashii. It is scheduled to open on March 20.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: singer
Wink's Sachiko Suzuki plans return to music
Mon, January 26, 2009 (12:38am EST)
Sachiko Suzuki, a former member of pop duo Wink, attended an event on Sunday for the release of her DVD "NATURAL." During the event, she revealed that she has plans to restart her music career with a new song and live performances by the end of this year.
On December 30, she and Shoko Aida reunited as Wink for a single night, appearing at the Japan Record Awards. When asked about a permanent reunion during Sunday's event, Suzuki did not give a clear answer, leaving open the possibility of a Wink comeback.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: dorama
"Ani Kaeru" kicks off WOWOW's "Drama W"
Mon, January 26, 2009 (12:40am EST)
WOWOW has revealed its starting lineup for the year in its "Drama W" series. So far, three dramas have been announced, which will air on consecutive weeks next month.
 
The first is "Ani Kaeru," adapted from the manga by Yoko Kondo. Kazuya Takahashi plays Koichi, the eldest child of the Noda family, who essentially had to become the head of the house after his father disappeared. One day, he also disappears, leaving behind his fiancee Makiko (Yoshino Kimura) and the rest of the family. Three years later, he comes home after a traffic accident, unable to say a word. Wondering where he was and why he left, Makiko begins a journey to retrace his steps.
  
The second drama is "Senryokugai Tsuukoku," based on a novel by Yoshinaga Fujita. The story revolves around Hideaki Utsugi (Masatoshi Nakamura), who joined a clothing company after graduation. With his wife Eriko (Jun Fubuki) supporting him at home, he becomes successful at work and is about to be appointed as an executive. However, the company president suddenly dies and is succeeded by his son, who treats Utsugi poorly. Utsugi resigns but has difficulty finding a new job. In addition, Eriko starts working, leading to problems at home. At that point, Utsugi ends up attending a junior high school reunion and meets his old classmates, including his first love (Kyoko Maya). But while everyone seems fine on the surface, they are all actually suffering from their own hardships.
 
The last of the three dramas is "Choushokutei," an adaptation of a work by writer Koji Nishida. The show centers on Choushokutei, a small restaurant in Tokyo's Taito ward, where a group of ten local residents share breakfast every morning before the shop opens. Each leads a troubled life, but they find comfort in their common meal, even though they don't say much to each other. One day, they learn that the drunk driver who killed the restaurant owner's son (Hiroyuki Ikeuchi) four years ago is about to be released from prison. At the time of his death, the son had uttered his final words to his wife-to-be, but in reality those words had been meant for Misako (Asaka Seto), an OL who is one of the ten people sharing breakfast at Choushokutei. Slowly, the truth of the past comes out.
The three dramas will air in WOWOW's Saturday 8:00pm time slot. "Ani Kaeru" will go first on February 14, followed by "Senryokugai Tsuukoku" on February 21 and "Choushokutei" on February 28.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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article: dorama
TELEVIEWS - A trio of indifferent dramas
January 24, 2009 by J!-ENT
In a recent column by Wm. Penn for the Daily Yomiuri, Penn wrote about upcoming dramas. Here is an excerpt from her televiews column:
This week Televiews ponders the future of terrestrial TV, emigration options for lobsters and three mediocre series.
First, that trio of dramas. The best of an average bunch was Honjitsu mo Hare, Ijo Nashi (Sundays, 9 p.m., TBS), another in the long string of 搇et抯 move to Okinawa and find ourselves |
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artistes info
Japanese boy-band rockers Dirty Old Men to play SXSW 2009
January 23, 2009 by J!-ENT
January 23, 2009 - Japanese boy-band rockers Dirty Old Men will play SXSW 2009 as part of the official Japan Nite lineup.
ARTIST BIO:
Members: Takatsudo Nobuyuki - Vocals, Guitar // Yamashita Takumi - Guitar, Chorus // Masamitsu Yamada - Bass // Notaki Shinichi - Drums, Chorus
Established by Takatsudo, Yamada, and Notaki when they were in high school, Dirty Old Men claims that they 揹on抰 really want to be Dirty Old Men, but the name comes from our secret wishes. |
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22 Idols Graduate From Hello! Project
22 members of the Hello! Project troupe held an emotional "graduation ceremony" concert at Yokohama Arena yesterday. Among those leaving the nest are Matsuura Aya (22), Nakazawa Yuko (35) and Abe Natsumi (27). Amongst the huge troupe that has produced 78 idol singers, the first and most famous group is Morning Musume (profile), who held their debut concert at the same arena in 1998.
Nakazawa and Abe were among that original lineup, which has changed countless times over the last 11 years. They have since gone on to other groups, such as Melon Kinenbi and Country Musume, or pursued solo singing or acting careers but have remained part of the Hello! Project. With the departure of the 22, the troupe's average age drops from 18 to 15.
Source: http://www.japan-zone.com/news/ |
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news: talento
Chiaki, Aota, Nishikawa and RIKACO promote DVD release of 'Sex and the
City' movie
Saturday 24th January, 03:21 AM JST
TOKYO |
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Post time 30-1-2009 01:51 PM
![[KUIZ PERUBATAN MINGGUAN VOL. 7]: Mudah aje, ilmu harian! VOL.7](https://uf.cari.com.my/forumx/mforum/block/ca/cafa22106bf87ee6a0ff6b0584fea8d8.jpg)
