|
|
Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part IV]
[Copy link]
|
|
|
Japanese version of 'Ghost' to be made
Monday 09th August, 05:00 AM JST
TOKYO —
Actress Nanako Matsushima, 36, and Korean actor Song Seung Hong, 33, are set to co-star in the upcoming Japanese-language remake of the 1990s movie “Ghost.” The new movie alters the original plot, telling the story of a Japanese female CEO who falls in love with an aspiring young potter from Korea, and who stays by his side even after death.
Matsushima said of her performance, “I kept thinking about what it would be like to fall in love again.” Song, who learned Japanese for the film, said he was a bit uncomfortable in front of the camera. “To be polite, I wouldn’t eat anything during shooting, and once my stomach growled really loud while we were filming a really important scene.”
The movie will be released on Nov 13.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Third Time Lucky For Ishida Junichi?
August 09, 2010
Actor Ishida Junichi (56) and pro golfer Higashio Riko (34) held their wedding reception yesterday in Tokyo. The event, attended by about 350 guests, was held at the Fuji-no-ma ballroom of the Imperial Hotel. Riko was given away by her father, former baseball manager turned commentator Higashio Osamu (60), who said, "I leave everything up to Junichi-kun. I hope they will go through life with a par score." The event also featured a surprise gift for Riko's mother - a performance by singer Matsuyama Chiharu (54) of his song "Ozora to Daichi Nonakede." The happy couple actually tied the knot last December at a ceremony held in the wine country of California. There was no mention in the media of why the reception was held yesterday rather than the originally announced date of July 12.
It is the third marriage for Ishida, a renowned playboy. At a press conference, when asked about the chances of her groom's infidelity, Higashio joked, "I guess the chances are high. But I'm more concerned with looking after him in his old age!" Actor Ishida Issei (35), Junichi's son from his first marriage, said it would take him a while to get used to having a mother-in-law who is a year younger than him.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Graduation Time for Morning Musume
August 09, 2010
Three members of Morning Musume (profile) are to leave the super aidoru group in the fall. In what is usually referred to as "graduation," Kamei Eri (21, photo right) and Chinese members JunJun (Li Chun, 22, photo left) and LinLin (Qian Lin, 19, photo center) will perform with the group for the last time during their upcoming nationwide tour. Founder and guru Tsunku (41) said that the 9th round of auditions, the first in four years, will be held to bring fresh blood into the group.
It is the first time that three members will leave the ever-evolving lineup at once. In the case of Kamei, who joined in 2003, it is so that she can undergo treatment for atopic dermatitis. The two Chinese members, who were added in 2007 to help expand the fan base base in Asia, are to undergo preparations to launch singing careers in their home country.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
VIZ CINEMA PRESENTS THE POIGNANT DOCUMENTARY WHITE LIGHT/BLACK RAIN TO COMMEMORATE THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATOMIC BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI
July 29, 2010 by J!-ENT
Academy Award Winning Director Steven Okazaki Captures Emotional Stories Of Extraordinary Resilience; Film Premiere To Present A Special
Q & A Session With Survivors And The Friends Of Hibakusha Organization
San Francisco, CA, July 28, 2010 – VIZ Cinema, the nation’s only movie theatre dedicated to Japanese film, is proud to present a screening on August 6th and 7th of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki’s White Light / Black Rain, a moving documentary about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that brought about the end of World War II.
Tickets are now available to attend a special Premiere Event for White Light / Black Rain on Friday, August 6th at 7:00pm that will also include a Q&A session with several survivors and the Friends of Hibakusha, a San Francisco organization dedicated to supporting U.S. citizens and Japanese-American survivors of radiation exposure from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A portion of ticket sales will be donated directly to the Friends of Hibakusha.
Tickets for the event are $15.00 and are now available for purchase online at the NEW PEOPLE / VIZ Cinema web site at: www.vizcinema.com. General admission tickets for the screening on Saturday, August 7th (no reception or Q&A) are $10.00. No discounts apply.
After 60 years, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th, 1945, continue to inspire argument, denial and myth. White Light / Black Rain provides a detailed examination of the bombings and the aftermath and features interviews with fourteen atomic bomb survivors (known as hibakusha), many who have never spoken publicly before, as well as four Americans intimately involved in the bombings. While Japan would go on to emerge as a leading global economic power in the wake of World War II, the country’s psyche would remain forever altered by these terrible events. Through a succession of riveting personal accounts, the film reveals the unimaginable destructive power of atomic weapons, the inconceivable suffering, and extraordinary human resilience of the survivors.
Trailers, screening times and more information available at: www.vizcinema.com.
Director/filmmaker and third generation Japanese American Steven Okazaki has explored the Japanese American experience extensively through a variety of acclaimed documentaries. He has received a Peabody Award and been nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Oscar in 1991 for his documentary Days of Waiting: The Life & Art of Estelle Ishigo. He also was a co-recipient of the 2008 “Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking” Primetime Emmy Award for White Light / Black Rain. Okazaki is based in San Francisco, CA.
VIZ Cinema is the nation’s only movie theatre devoted exclusively to Japanese film and anime. The 143-seat subterranean theatre is located in the basement of the NEW PEOPLE building and features plush seating, digital as well as 35mm projection, and a THX®-certified sound system.
About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post Street, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.
Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actor Sumio Takatsu dies
Sat, August 7, 2010 (9:40am EDT)
Actor Sumio Takatsu, the husband of actress Junko Maya (68), passed away on July 31, it has been learned. He died of liver cancer at his home in Itabashi, Tokyo. He was 74.
Takatsu just starred in a play titled "Haiyuu Monogatari" on July 27-28 at Tokyo's Shinjuku Bunka Center. It appears that his condition turned for the worse shortly after that.
Takatsu made his acting debut in the 1961 movie "Are ga Minato no Tomoshibi da." His television roles included the drama series "Nakayoshi Ken-chan" and "Mitokomon." He married Maya in 1969, and in 1979 the two of them launched the Gekidan Kikansha troupe.
Maya has also experienced her own health problems. She suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in December 2000 and had a stroke in 2004.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hiroyuki Yabe, Yuko Aoki dating?
Sat, August 7, 2010 (10:13am EDT)
 
Comedian Hiroyuki Yabe (38), known as half of the duo Ninety-Nine, is said to be in a relationship with TBS announcer Yuko Aoki (27). Newspapers are reporting that they have been together for close to six months, and some sources are even saying that marriage may be near.
Yabe was previously in a very long relationship with a woman named "Hitomi-chan," but they broke up in 2007 and Yabe has not had any particular romance rumors since then. Aoki, on the other hand, has been in a few rumored relationships in recent years.
On the August 1 episode of "Sunday Japon," Aoki spoke fondly of her current boyfriend, but it was not reported yet that her boyfriend was Yabe. The two have apparently been keeping their relationship a secret for about half a year, but their connection was recently discovered. Sources say that they grew close through their appearances on television shows together, including the TBS special program "DOORS."
On Ninety-Nine's radio show "Ninety-Nine no All Night Nippon" this week, Yabe hosted the show alone, as his partner Takashi Okamura (40) is taking a break for health reasons. During the show, the topic of his relationship with Aoki was brought up, but Yabe did not deny the rumor.
Some believe that Aoki may confirm the news herself on this weekend's episode of "Sunday Japon." Meanwhile, both Yabe's management and TBS have declined to comment because it is a private matter.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Actress Yoshie Minami dies at 94
Sat, August 7, 2010 (10:41am EDT)
Veteran actress Yoshie Minami passed away at the age of 94 on Friday morning. She died of pneumonia at a hospital in Yokohama.
Minami, whose real name was Fusae Nanba, got her start with the Takarazuka Revue, joining the troupe in 1933. She was promoted to otokoyaku before eventually leaving the troupe to join the Bungakuza theatrical company in 1942. She was involved in several more troupes throughout her career.
In 1964, she delivered an award-performance in a production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Her stage career included many Yukio Mishima works, though she also appeared in numerous movies and television dramas. In 1988, she was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ayabie members break off to launch new band
Sat, August 7, 2010 (11:16am EDT)
Visual-kei band Ayabie has apparently been having internal conflicts, as four of the band's five members announced on Saturday that they are leaving. Guitarist Yumehito, guitarist Takehito, bassist Intetsu, and drummer Kenzo simultaneously posted messages on their official personal blogs to inform fans of their departure. Vocalist Aoi is now the only remaining member of the band.
At 6:00pm on August 7, the four members posted the same announcement on their blogs, which stated that they are breaking off from Ayabie to form a new band. The note implied that they had problems with Aoi, but no specific details were mentioned. The four are now affiliated with a new company called DNL, whose website includes the same message that was posted on their blogs. Details about their future activities and their new fan club will be available in the near future.
In their blogs, each member included a personal message to their fans. Yumehito said that he sympathized with the fans' pain at this outcome, but explained that he couldn't continue holding back his true feelings about the situation.
Ayabie was formed in 2004 as a four-member band consisting of Aoi, Takehito, Intetsu, and former guitarist Ryohei. Kenzo joined the following year. After Ryohei left in August 2006, Yumehito was added a few months later. Their lineup has remained the same since then, and they finally made their major label debut under Tokuma Japan in May 2009.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ken Mitsuishi to star in Yuya Ishii's "Azemichi no Dandy"
Sat, August 7, 2010 (10:55pm EDT)
Actor Ken Mitsuishi (48), who has appeared in countless supporting roles in film and television, has been given the lead role in a new picture from rising director Yuya Ishii (27). The role will be Mitsuishi's first true starring role in a movie since his acting debut in the 1978 manga-to-film adaptation "Hakatakko Junjo."
Ishii has been making a name for himself since his debut five years ago. In 2008, he received the Edward Yang New Talent Award at the 2nd Asian Film Awards. Last year, his "Kawa no Soko Kara Konnichiwa" ("Sawako Decides") was selected as the 19th PFF Scholarship Film, and it went on to earn Best Feature Film and Best Actress (Hikari Mitsushima) at this year's Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal.
Ishii's new piece is titled "Azemichi no Dandy," for which he also wrote the screenplay. Set in a city in Kita-Kanto, the film tells the story of a 50-year-old man (Mitsuishi) working at a delivery company. His wife died fifteen years earlier, so he has been single-handedly raising their two children - a son who is currently a ronin student and a daughter who is in her third year of high school. For their sake, he boldly puts on appearances as a middle-aged dandy.
Mitsuishi's supporting cast includes Ryu Morioka and Ryo Iwamatsu. Filming is scheduled to start in October, with a target release date in 2011.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Kochikame" drama gets a movie
Sun, August 8, 2010 (8:28am EDT)
Anime News Network is reporting that the live-action "Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo" drama series (also known as "Kochikame") is getting a movie version. The news is being announced in Monday's issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.
"Kochikame" is based on a long-running comedy manga by Osamu Akimoto about a police officer stationed at a police box in front of Tokyo's Kameari Park, who has various misadventures with the unusual characters in the neighborhood. SMAP member Shingo Katori (33) starred in the live-action series last summer.
There have been several adaptations of "Kochikame" in various media, but the drama was the first television adaptation. The manga was previously turned into a live-action movie in 1977.
More details about the new movie will be announced in future issues of Weekly Shonen Jump.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Takeru Sato to star in "Q10" drama
Sun, August 8, 2010 (7:27pm EDT)
Actor Takeru Sato (21) has landed his first starring role in a drama series. He will play a high school student in the NTV drama "Q10" this fall, using an original script by Izumi Kizara ("Nobuta wo Produce").
Sato plays Heita, an ordinary high school boy with a kind heart but no real interest in romance. His class is joined by a transfer student named Q10 (pronounced "kyu-to," the same as "cute"), who looks like a girl but is actually a robot. Together, the two end up causing trouble at school, and Heita even begins falling for Q10. A kiss scene between the two is planned.
NTV will start shooting the drama in early September in preparation for an October premiere. The series will air on Saturday nights at 9:00pm.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Post Last Edit by whitedove at 13-8-2010 15:00
Ayumi Hamasaki teams up with Tetsuya Komuro
Sun, August 8, 2010 (8:09pm EDT)
 
Pop star Ayumi Hamasaki (31) recently announced that she will release her 49th and 50th singles on consecutive weeks next month. On Sunday, it was learned that the first of those two songs, titled "crossroad," will be a collaboration with producer Tetsuya Komuro (51).
Hamasaki approached Komuro with the idea back in April. Komuro agreed, and he composed and arranged "crossroad," while Hamasaki handled the lyrics. The result, a medium-tempo ballad, is the first Komuro-produced song sung by Hamasaki on her own. (She sang "a song is born" as a duet with KEIKO of globe, and she is part of the 11 artists singing the a-nation theme song that was announced last week.)
"crossroad" was recorded in early July. After hearing Hamasaki's voice on the finished recording, Komuro was inspired to adjust his original plans for the guitar and strings accompaniment. He recruited the help of American musician Randy Waldman, who did much of the strings and orchestra arrangements for Komuro during the 1990s.
The coupling song for "crossroad" (currently untitled) was also provided by Komuro. The single will go on sale September 22, though Hamasaki may perform "crossroad" in concert as early as August 14 at the Nagoya a-nation event.
Hamasaki's 50th single, "L)," will follow "crossroad" on September 29. The milestone release is said to include three new songs, though the composers have not yet been revealed. If both "crossroad" and "L" take #1 on the sales charts, Hamasaki will achieve her 25th consecutive number-one single, breaking Seiko Matsuda's record streak of 24 that was set 22 years ago.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Singer Utada to take break from music
Tuesday 10th August, 07:03 AM JST
TOKYO —
Japanese pop star Hikaru Utada announced on her blog Monday that she will suspend musical activities for an indefinite period from next year. The singer said she will halt ‘‘flashy music activities for a while,’’ explaining that she wants to focus on ‘‘human activities.’‘
‘‘I don’t know if it will take two years or five years, but I will come back more matured,’’ she wrote to fans, asking them to give her some time. Utada is in the middle of recording a new song scheduled to be released abroad this fall, according to her record company.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kaela advertises chewing gum in funky 1960s style
Tuesday 10th August, 05:00 AM JST
TOKYO —
Soon-to-be-wed couple actor Eita, 27, and singer Kaela Kimura, 25, have been signed up as the new faces of Meiji’s XYLISH brand chewing gum. Three different commercials are currently on air, with “dance,” “clean breath,” and “intro” versions of the advertisement being shown nationally.
In the commercials, Kaela struts up a black-and-white staircase and hits the stage, displaying her skills in a dance number that was reportedly filmed in one take. Kaela praised the innovative design of the commercials, which utilize animation and other novel visual effects, saying she likes the 1960s feel of the ads. This will be the last time the singer, who is due to give birth in autumn, will appear in an ad before becoming a mother.
Source: www.japantoday.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
X Japan Finally Play in U.S.
August 10, 2010
The dream is finally realized. 18 years after X Japan held a press conference in New York to announce their U.S. concert debut, it finally happened as the band took to the stage at the Lollapalooza rock festival in Chicago yesterday. They stuck to their hard rock/speed metal numbers for a 5-song set that included English language versions of the classics "Rusty Nail" and "Kuranai," the more recent "Jade" and "I.V." and ended with the fan favorite, "X."
The front rows of the audience were dominated by Japanese faces, some with the elaborate fashion, makeup and hair that X Japan and their fans established as the dress code of visual kei rock. And unlike many of the locals, they certainly didn't need any encouragement to sing along or make the traditional X symbol with their forearms. Many were reduced to tears, especially when slow motion images of the band's late guitarist Hide were projected on a screen during an interval.
X Japan return home for two shows at the Yokohama Nissan Stadium next week, before returning to the U.S. for a full North American concert tour. The tour was scheduled to start in October but the date for the opening show has been announced as September 25 in Los Angeles, where drummer and band leader Yoshiki is based. Plans to go on a European tour from January were also revealed yesterday.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SMAP's New Song as "Cirque du Soleil" Theme Song in Japan!
2010-08-09
Popular group SMAP's new single "We are SMAP" will be the new theme song for the worlds greatest performance shown at Cirque du Soleil from next year in February.
"We are very proud for SMAP to be able to collaborate in this field of entertainment this time", the group said. From the side of the Cirque du Soleil the comment stated: "We are very happy about the collaboration with them and we are excited about it from here on. With the combined strength of Kooza (Cirque du Soleil Production company) and SMAP we are certain to be successful in Japan!"
Both parties had been taking part in the Fuji TV show "SMAP x SMAP" on February 25th in 2008, to which Cirque du Soleil's representative said "We can hardly express our joy about the renewed work together with them."
On October 9th and 10th SMAP will be performing their first overseas concert in Shanghai, China. "Like with Cirque du Soleil 'We are SMAP' is surpassing boundaries between countries and people and we hope that we can share the same sentiment with this song", SMAP added. Certainly, such a global collaboration creates deep emotions among fans and guests alike!
Source: http://www.musicjapanplus.jp/new ... heme-song-in-japan/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Ushijima the Loan Shark" manga goes live-action
Mon, August 9, 2010 (11:20am EDT)
Shohei Manabe's manga series "Yamikin Ushijima-kun" ("Ushijima the Loan Shark") is being turned into a live-action drama this fall. The latest issue of Weekly Big Comic Spirits announced the news this week.
The manga, which has been irregularly serialized in the magazine since 2004, is a human drama about the troubled lives of people dealing with debt problems, told using a loan shark named Ushijima as the central character. The series explores the black market and the dark side of society in a realistic way.
The live-action adaptation will be aired on TBS and MBS in a late-night time slot. The cast has not yet been announced, but the show will begin in October.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Emiri Henmi dating "Kamen Rider" actor
Mon, August 9, 2010 (7:38pm EDT)
Talento Emiri Henmi (33) has a new boyfriend. This week's Shukan Josei reveals that she is dating actor Kenji Matsuda (38), who played Zanki in the "Kamen Rider Hibiki" series.
According to the magazine, the two first acted together in a movie in 2004. When they worked together again in a stage play this past May, they hit it off and began dating. Both of their agencies have already acknowledged the relationship.
Henmi was married to comedian Yuichi Kimura (47) for two years before they divorced in April 2008.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Bella Twins bring 'Broadway with body slams'
By Fred Varcoe & Fintan Monaghan
TOKYO —
If I told you the Bella sisters were pro wrestlers, it might not grab your attention. Of course, if I tell you they are extremely hot 26-year-olds, you might perk up. And if I tell you they are twins, your thoughts might start straying into fantasy. Or, if you’re normal, you might just go on YouTube and watch them in the flesh, so to speak.
So why are the Bella Twins relevant? Well, apart from being hot (and that’s qualification enough) and the only certified practitioners of the “Bella Sandwich” (and that’s certainly qualification enough), they’ll be among the main attractions at the upcoming WWE RAW Summer Slam Tour at the Ryogoku Kokugikan.
They won’t be alone. Joining them on the bill are some of pro wrestling’s biggest superstars, including John Cena, Randy Orton, Sheamus, The Miz, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Tyson Kidd, Rey Mysterio and four other wrestling “Divas.” And the biggest fight of the weekend, in the literal sense, will be when Big Show (billed as “the largest athlete in the world,” at 214 cm and 220 kg) takes on “the world’s strongest man,” Mark Henry (186 cm, 178 kg).
“The Bella Twins, and all the WWE Divas, personify what is great about WWE and Sports Entertainment,” gushes Ed Wells, vice president and general manager of WWE East Asia. “They are not only sexy and beautiful, but also superb athletes and entertainers. Divas are always a highlight at our live events, and the crowd at this year’s Summer Slam Tour is going to go absolutely wild when they see six WWE Divas in action at one time.”
The Bella Twins will team up with the equally gorgeous Eve to take on Maryse, Alicia Fox and Jillian on both days of the Ryogoku event. Eve, like the Bellas, has a Latina background, and she’s also a dancer/model who holds a college degree in industrial and systems engineering.
The Bella Twins swung through Tokyo recently to promote the August event, and we tracked them down in Odaiba, where they were fighting over whose chair was higher. Parity restored, Brie says wrestling’s Divas are coming into their own in what has traditionally been a very testosterone-flavored genre.
“I think it’s changing now, with us divas becoming a bigger part of the show. We’re not only managers or valets; now, we’re getting into the ring and we’re having our own storylines with each other. I definitely think the women are coming up. Divas are the icing on the cake.”
Nikki is a little more blunt about the kind of show the girls put on. “We’re Broadway with body slams,” she says, while flirting provocatively with me and my tag-team partner, Kamasami Kong of Metropolis Metpod fame. “We’re like a great soap opera—and we could be a fantasy and a dream.” For those following the fantasy storyline, Nikki is single, Brie is taken. Brie says Nikki wants to be wined and dined; Nikki says she just likes to laugh. Both think that Japanese men have a different kind of appeal.
“They are very mysterious,” Nikki says. “They are very hard to read, but when I walked into Abercrombie and Fitch, I liked the men very much.”
“They didn’t have their shirts on,” Brie explains, adding, “The men here have great style; I really love that. I love a man that can dress.”
And Japanese fans will be pleased to know that the twins think that size doesn’t matter—at least when it comes to wrestling.
“If you go out there believing you’re 6 foot, then you’re 6 foot,” Brie explains. “If you’re tough, you’re tough, and that’s how Nikki and I are. We know we’re strong and we’re skilled.”
The twins—who were both keen soccer players growing up—started out modeling and acting and were first signed to developmental contracts by WWE in 2007. They made their name by doing the old “twins switch” in their early bouts (one of them diving under the ring covers, another coming out), before teaming up properly and becoming a double-act.
“We definitely have a special bond that no one else has,” Brie says. “We’re not psychic, but we know what we’re feeling.” They’re both feeling good about Japan, where they love the sushi, the “energy” of Tokyo and their many fans.
“I can’t wait to perform in front of them,” Brie says, before rising from her chair along with her sister and forcing me to be the filling in a Bella Sandwich.
How did it feel?
Bella! Bella! And then some. (Fred Varcoe)
Source: www.japantoday.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Author
![[MBC/Netflix 2024] DOUBT - Han Suk Kyu, Chae Won Bin, Han Ye Ri ~ 11 October 2024](https://uf.cari.com.my/forumx/mforum/block/f0/f06011dc76c706b67eb2cb605c116387.jpg)
