Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

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Actor Minoru Ohki dies at 85
Thu, April 2, 2009 (2:10am EDT)



Actor Minoru Ohki (real name Minoru Ikeda) died of pancreatic cancer on Monday afternoon at a Tokyo hospital. He was 85.

Originally from Osaka, Ohki made his acting debut in Shin Saburi's 1951 movie "Aa Seishun." He appeared in dozens of films during the rest of the 1950s. He was equally active during the '60s, but his film career slowed down in the mid-'70s when he began appearing in more television dramas. He was most often seen in jidaigeki dramas, such as "Mitokomon" and the "Hissatsu" series.

Ohki's son, Satoshi Ohki (49), is also an actor.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Kogarashi Monjiro" revived with Yosuke Eguchi
Thu, April 2, 2009 (2:24am EDT)

The period drama "Kogarashi Monjiro" will be returning to the screen after roughly 15 years. The series originally aired on Fuji TV in the early '70s, starring Atsuo Nakamura. Another series was made a few years later, and a movie version was produced by Toho in 1993.



"Kogarashi Monjiro" is coming back in the form of a special episode on Fuji TV. This time, Yosuke Eguchi is taking on the lead role, though Nakamura will have a cameo appearance in one scene.

The special is scheduled to air on May 1.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Yamamoto says she'd prefer to be kept in dark if boyfriend is philandering

Friday 03rd April, 05:15 AM JST



TOKYO —

It seems the media can’t get enough of television personality Mona Yamamoto and her love life. Yamamoto, 33, attended a talk show event this week in costume for “The Duchess,” a collaborative film between England, Germany and Italy documenting the wild and extravagant life of the Duchess of Devonshire.

In the film, the duchess finds that her husband is having an affair with her good friend Lady Bess. When asked how she would feel if her current beau, the president of a real estate investment company, did something similar, Mona replied, “I wouldn’t want him to tell me. If I found out, I would cry, but I wouldn’t try to get back at him.” It looks like the queen who has sprung back from allegations of affairs not once, but twice, has finally fallen for her handsome CEO.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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AKB48's Umeda chosen as Tokyo Tower image girl
Fri, April 3, 2009 (5:02pm EDT)



AKB48 member Ayaka Umeda (20) has been appointed as this year's Tokyo Tower image girl. She attended a debut event at the tower's main observation deck on Thursday. Like previous image girls, Umeda will participate in various Tokyo Tower events throughout the year, such as the lighting ceremonies.

Last year's image girl was former AKB48 member Ayumi Orii (23).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Werukame" star is Kana Kurashina
Fri, April 3, 2009 (8:07pm EDT)



NHK has revealed the lead actress for its 81st morning drama series, "Werukame." Gravure idol Kana Kurashina (21) was chosen from an audition of 1,775 actresses to take on the role. She is said to be only the second Asadora heroine to come from a gravure background, after Mao Miyaji in the 2002 series "Manten."

"Werukame" was first announced in January. The comical story revolves around a young woman named Nami (played by Kurashina) who gets laid off from her job at a Tokyo publisher. She reluctantly returns to her home in Tokushima where she finds a job at another publisher, but she is forced to deal with her family and former acquaintances.

Kurashina first gained major attention in 2006 when she won the grand prize in the Miss Magazine contest. Although she is mainly a gravure idol, she has also appeared in several films and dramas, including the "Elite Yankee Saburo" television series.

"Werukame" begins on September 28.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Naotaro Moriyama runs over man's foot
Sat, April 4, 2009 (4:15am EDT)



Singer-songwriter Naotaro Moriyama (32) was responsible for the injury of a man while driving his car, it was learned on Thursday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Wednesday night in Tokyo's Meguro ward. Moriyama was making a right turn into a parking lot, but because of carelessness and poor visibility due to rain, his right front wheel ran over the foot of a male pedestrian in his 60s.

Moriyama immediately got out of his car to help the man. They exchanged contact information before Moriyama drove the man home. The man's relatives contacted emergency services after his pain failed to go away, and at the hospital he was diagnosed with three broken toes. He is currently receiving treatment.

The man is reportedly not pressing charges and is hoping to settle the matter out of court. Moriyama's agency publicly apologized to the media over the incident. It was further clarified that the incident will not affect Moriyama's schedule, and he will be going on tour later this month as planned.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Fashion producer Endo arrested for assault
Sun, April 5, 2009 (1:57am EDT)



Fashion producer Noriaki Endo (38), who is married to talento Sakura Uehara (32), was arrested on Saturday for assault. The incident occurred at a wedding party in Aoyama, Tokyo, where Endo punched a photographer.

The party was for TV producer Masato Ochi (43) and model Chieko Kawabe (22), who tied the knot last August. A magazine photographer was taking pictures of Uehara with the couple, and he rudely told Endo that he was in the way. Offended, Endo punched the man once in the stomach.

When the man collapsed and did not get up, police and emergency services were called. Endo was arrested on the spot. The photographer was taken to the hospital, though he is said to have been conscious and suffered only a minor injury.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Shunta Nakamura arrested for marijuana possession
Sun, April 5, 2009 (2:22am EDT)



Actor Shunta Nakamura (31) was arrested on Saturday for possession of marijuana. Shunta is the son of actor Masatoshi Nakamura (58) and actress Junko Igarashi (56).

At around 3am on Saturday, Nakamura was in a parked car on a street in Tokyo's Suginami ward. A policeman on patrol questioned him and discovered a little less than a gram of marijuana in the car. Nakamura admitted that it was his.

Police are currently interrogating Nakamura. His agency has stated that they currently have few details and have requested a lawyer to confirm the facts. Nakamura's father plans to hold a press conference on Sunday night.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Masato Sakai, Yuko Takeuchi co-star in "Golden Slumbers"
Sat, April 4, 2009 (3:02am EDT)

The hit novel "Golden Slumbers" by Kotaro Isaka ("Shinigami no Seido," "Fish Story") is his latest work to get a movie adaptation. Directing it is Yoshihiro Nakamura, who handled the recent "Team Batista no Eikou" films, as well as the previous Isaka adaptation "Ahiru to Kamo no Coin Locker."



Masato Sakai stars as a man set up to take the fall after the Prime Minister is assassinated. As a result, he is on the run from the authorities, but fortunately his attempt to escape is aided by his ex-lover, played by Yuko Takeuchi. The pair previously acted together in "General Rouge no Gaisen," the second "Team Batista" film that opened in theaters last month.

The original novel, which takes its name from a Beatles song, has won several awards, including last year's Honya Taisho. With over 340,000 copies sold so far, the success of the book attracted more than 30 companies interested in obtaining the movie rights.

Shooting is scheduled to start early next month. The completed film is expected to open in 2010.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Upcoming Japanese dramas for Spring 09

April 5, 2009 by J!-ENT

In a recent column for Televiews for the Daily Yomiuri, Wm. Penn writes about the upcoming Spring 2009 dramas.  Here is an excerpt from her column:

TBS has signed up four actors popular with the “around 40? set to help Toshiaki Megumi anchor Hiruobi (weekdays, 11:30-2:55 p.m.). Bringing popular actors into the daytime talk market has been tried before with mixed results, but TBS has assembled an impressive cast for this attempt. Monday coanchor is Yasufumi Terawaki, best known as Yutaka Mizutani’s former sidekick on Aibo. (Mizutani, incidentally, is currently working on a drama about ukiyo-e artist Kitagawa Utamaro set to air later this year.)

Katsunori Takahashi cohosts Hiruobi Tuesdays, Ken Ishiguro on Wednesdays and Masahiro Takashima on Thursdays. All four fourtysomething actors were on hand for the debut Monday. Without Monta Mino to anchor their noonday show, NTV may face a real challenge from the refreshingly frank chatter of the Hiruobi four.

TV Tokyo is bucking the noontime chatter trend with Friends (in English, weekdays at 11:30 a.m. starting April 6), followed at noon by Mama wa New Half. An elite corporate employee by day, Gantaro moonlights as Luna, the No. 1 star at a “new half” club. Life becomes even more complicated when a son he never knew he had shows up and he adds the title of kindergarten parent to his resume.

Tsubasa debuted on March 30, too, but it’s still too early to tell whether it will rise to the level of its theme song. A Televiews reader has an idea for how NHK could subsidize its sagging income. He says if NHK ever came out with a CD of all their morning serial theme songs, he’d snap it right up.

If you want a review of the best Fuji TV dramas of the last 50 years, join SMAP on April 6 from 8-11:24 p.m.

Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT

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J-Pop singer Hideki Kaji is robbed and beaten in Sweden

April 5, 2009 by Dennis Amith



Japantoday.com reported:

Police said Sunday that Japanese pop singer, Hideki Kaji dressed up as a pineapple was robbed while shooting a music video in southern Sweden on Saturday.

Police spokesman Bo Paulsson said three young men beat up 41-year-old Hideki Kaji and robbed him of camera equipment worth around 20,000 kronor ($2,500) late Saturday.

Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT

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Yoko Ono unveils mural at U.N. to honor autism day

Friday 03rd April, 08:37 AM JST



NEW YORK —

Japanese multimedia artist Yoko Ono unveiled a mural—consisting of 67 puzzle pieces—Thursday at U.N. headquarters that is to be broken up and auctioned off to raise awareness about World Autism Awareness Day.

‘‘I am very glad that I am here today and we are now standing in a new age together armed with so much incredible knowledge on how to heal the world so there is no reason we can not find a cure for autism as well,’’ said Ono, wife of former Beatles front man John Lennon and an artist in her own right, at a ceremony to mark the day.

Ono was approached by Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, and explained her utter disbelief after learning that 67 million people around the world are struck with the complex neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate with others.

Although it is the fastest growing serious development disability in the world, there is no cure. Efforts to promote early diagnosis and intervention have led to an improved quality of life for those affected.

Entitled ‘&#8216romise,’’ the 2.13-meter-tall mural consists of acrylic puzzle pieces that fit together to depict a bright blue sky and clouds.

The mural ‘‘symbolizes that we all hold a piece of this puzzle,’’ Ono said of her own work.

Each piece is to be auctioned online with starting bids of $1,000 that are earmarked for contribution toward research, treatment and a cure.

At the ceremony, Ono, dressed in a black suit, dark sunglasses and white hat, pointed to two missing puzzle pieces in her work, explaining that, ‘‘There are still holes in the sky expressing the mysteries of autism and the holes are needed to be filled.’’

Calling it her ‘‘mural of determination,’’ Ono said that once a cure is found, the pieces are to be rejoined for a day so that the sky will be ‘‘shimmering in its original beauty with no holes.’’

This year marks the second time that the United Nations has recognized the day dedicated to raising awareness about the disorder that currently affects one out of every 150 children in the United States. It affects four times as many boys as girls.

Its prevalence has increased 10-fold in the last 10 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calling it a national public health crisis.

In 2008, the U.N. General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution recognizing World Autism Awareness Day. There are only three such health issues that are recognized by the international body with a designated day.

The two others are AIDS and diabetes.

In addition to the event at the United Nations on Thursday, more than 100 events are set in 35 countries, including walks, theater productions, fundraisers and autism book signings.

Autism Speaks co-founder Suzanne Wright, whose own 10-year-old grandson suffers from the condition, praised Ono for her involvement.

She told U.N. dignitaries and other staffers who had gathered for the ceremony that Ono had coincidentally been working with puzzle pieces for years.

The symbol of her organization, which was founded in 2005, is a blue puzzle piece.

‘‘We have to stop autism around the world,’’ she said. ‘‘We want to take our children back and enjoy their childhood, and not go into the darkness of autism,’’ she said.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Actor Mizushima marries singer Ayaka

Saturday 04th April, 03:11 AM JST



TOKYO —

Actor Hiro Mizushima and singer-songwriter Ayaka announced Friday that they got married in February and that Ayaka will suspend her activities from next year to concentrate on undergoing treatment for Basedow’s disease. The 24-year-old Mizushima and the 21-year-old Ayaka, who goes by one name, got married Feb 22.

‘‘I thought I wanted to protect her, including the fact she is suffering from the disease,’’ Mizushima, who has appeared on television and in movies, said in a joint news conference. ‘‘I’d like to do my best for each of my jobs so that (my fans) can think it was good for me to have married Ayaka.’’ Basedow’s disease is a disorder characterized partly by excessive activity of the thyroid gland.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Haruka Kawaguchi starts on road to stardom as new 'Pokari Beauty'

Saturday 04th April, 04:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co, maker of the popular sports drink Pokari Sweat, has chosen up-and-coming actress Haruka Kawaguchi, 14, as the next face of the beverage. In the past, Pocari Sweat has brought the likes of Rie Miyazawa, Sae Isshiki and Haruka Ayase into the limelight through its commercials, making the role of &#8220okari Girl” a dream for aspiring actresses.

The decision may be career-changing for Kawaguchi, who has just begun her own journey to stardom. She will debut in commercials starting Saturday, sprinting around and dribbling soccer balls on the sunny beaches of Kagoshima and Okinawa.

The actress admitted that, “This is a lot of fun, but I also feel nervous about whether I can live up to the role.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Ayumi Hamasaki strips down for book version of her diary

Monday 06th April, 06:43 AM JST



TOKYO —

Singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 30, is releasing a book which features photos of her in a bikini. Hamasaki has appeared just once in a bikini - for a calendar - since her singing debut in 1998. Her new book, titled “Ayu no dejideji nikki 2000 – 2009A” (Ayu’s Digital Diary 2000-2009), is being released to celebrate her 10 years in the music industry as well as celebrating 100 column pieces written by Hamasaki for monthly fashion magazine Vivi.

The book features 30 photos of Hamasaki, including some of her having lunch and shopping with staff and friends, as well as the eye-catching ones of her in a bikini, taken in Hawaii in January. More than 30,000 copies of the book have already been ordered, which will sell for 3,780 yen from Tuesday.

The book release comes just days before the beginning of her upcoming national tour, which starts with a show at Saitama Super Arena on April 11.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Idol Nozomi Fujikawa returns, ready to bare her body
Mon, April 6, 2009 (1:05am EDT)



Gravure idol Nozomi Fujikawa (27) has returned to show business after a six-year absence, but now she is ready to go fully nude for the camera. Fujikawa was part of NTV's Nittelegenic idol unit in 2001, but she left the industry in 2003 to resume a normal life, working as a nail stylist. With her return, she will be the first Nittelegenic member to do full frontal nudity.

Her first work will be in a photobook going on sale April 16, titled "Starting Over." She will then star in Shinobu Sakagami's movie "Onnagoroshi Abura no Jigoku," in which she also appears fully nude. That film opens on May 23.

Fujikawa also has a less revealing role in Kotaro Terauchi's "Carrasco Rider," a movie about the Rakuten Eagles mascot that is scheduled to hit theaters in June.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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ONE OK ROCK member arrested for groping
Mon, April 6, 2009 (12:06am EDT)



American-born fashion model and musician Alexander Onizawa (21) was arrested on Sunday morning for groping. Onizawa is also known as ALEX, the guitarist of rock band ONE OK ROCK.

According to police, Onizawa was riding a train in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. At around 8am, he touched the leg of a female prep school student (21). Onizawa, who had reportedly been drinking, admitted to the charges.

ONE OK ROCK had planned to release their new single, "Around the World Shonen," on May 6, but the release has now been suspended. The song was also supposed to be the theme music of the TBS drama series "God Hand Teru" (starting April 11), but the song will now be replaced. The band also has canceled their nationwide tour that was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Onizawa's agency has said that they plan to make a decision about his future activities after they have received all of the details about the incident.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Enka singer Nagayama Yoko (41) revealed on her blog yesterday that she has married an American businessman. She said that she and Skillhouse Staffing Solutions CEO Mark Smith (40) tied the knot on Monday morning. But she reassured fans that she plans to continue her music career. The two first met in September 2006 through the TBS Shimada Shinsuke-hosted variety show "Sekai BariBari Value." The show sometimes features a segment with single Japanese female celebrities being matched up with wealthy foreign businessmen. Smith, who has been in Japan for 15 years and is a fan of enka, took a liking to Nagayama and they soon hit it off. Their marriage fits neatly under the recently popular heading of "arafo-", abbreviated from "around forty" and referring to people in that age group. A popular enka star, Nagayama is a rarity in that she started out in 1984 as an idol singer. She switched to the more traditional enka in 1993.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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A couple of popular talentos are in the hospital this week. Comedienne Minowa Haruka (29) of the duo Harisenbon has been hospitalized with pulmonary tuberculosis. She was admitted on April 3 and is expected to be in hospital for about two months. As her condition is highly contagious, Tokyo authorities have been asking anyone who thinks they may have contracted the disease at a TV studio or theater to come forward. Meanwhile "okama" (effeminate gay man or drag queen) beautician Ikko is under doctor's orders to rest for at least a week after being diagnosed with pneumonia. The cause was said to be her overly hectic work schedule. Several dates on an upcoming concert tour have been postponed until the summer.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove

Ayumi Hamasaki strips down for book version of her diary

Monday 06th April, 06:43 AM JST



TOKYO ?

Singer Ayumi Hamasaki, 30, is releasing a book which features photos of her in a bikini. Hamasaki has appeared just once in a bikini - for a calendar - since her singing debut in 1998. Her new book, titled ?Ayu no dejideji nikki 2000 ? 2009A? (Ayu?s Digital Diary 2000-2009), is being released to celebrate her 10 years in the music industry as well as celebrating 100 column pieces written by Hamasaki for monthly fashion magazine Vivi.

The book features 30 photos of Hamasaki, including some of her having lunch and shopping with staff and friends, as well as the eye-catching ones of her in a bikini, taken in Hawaii in January. More than 30,000 copies of the book have already been ordered, which will sell for 3,780 yen from Tuesday.

The book release comes just days before the beginning of her upcoming national tour, which starts with a show at Saitama Super Arena on April 11.

Source: www.japantoday.com