Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:20 PM

Ryoko Hirosue 'joins' motorcycle gang
Wednesday 02nd July, 12:02 PM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:24 PM

Ayaka and Kobukuro's second collaborative single
Wed, July 2, 2008 (12:51am EDT)

Singer Ayaka and duo Kobukuro are teaming up once again for a second collaborative single. The song, called "Anata to," will be released sometime this fall.

Ayaka and Kobukuro first worked together on the song "WINDING ROAD," which was originally only performed in concert. Due to demand from fans, it was finally released as a single in February 2007 as part of Nissan's promotional record label Cube Loves Music.

"Anata to" will be the 5th single released under the Cube Loves Music Label. Like "WINDING ROAD," the song was first performed live (at a festival last October), and fan support led to the decision for a CD release. The tune will also be used in the new Nissan Cube commercial that starts airing on July 4. Chaku-uta sales begin on the 30th.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:26 PM

Charts: Arashi, GReeeeN, and other big sellers
Wed, July 2, 2008 (1:20am EDT)

Considering the box office success of the "Hana Yori Dango Final" movie and the popularity of boy band Arashi, it isn't surprising that "One Love" topped the singles chart this past week with 314,000 in sales. It easily outperformed Shuchishin's second single "Nakanaide," which also did very well at 212,000 copies.

Porno Graffiti came in at #3, followed by Yuzu and seiyu Megumi Nakajima (under the name of Ranka Lee, her character in "Macross Frontier"). DREAMS COME TRUE entered the charts at #6, while Chatmonchy achieved #8 and misono made the cut at #10.

Meanwhile, the albums chart saw some big sellers over the week, with GReeeeN taking top honors as their sophomore album "A, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu." sold 377,000 copies. Not too far behind was Ayaka's own second album, "Sing to the Sky," selling 315,000. Ketsumeishi also found success with 262,000 copies sold of "Ketsu no Police 6."

"COVERS," the first album released by the newest enka sensation Jero, ranked #5 with a more modest 42,000 in sales. This ties him for the highest chart position by an enka group's debut album, as Kanjani8 is considered part of the enka genre.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:28 PM

DCT's Nakamura marries H&MC's Maki
Wed, July 2, 2008 (12:22am EDT)

A surprising wedding announcement was made on Tuesday: Masato Nakamura, the 49-year-old bassist of DREAMS COME TRUE, has married 20-year-old Maki, a vocalist for the band HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR. The couple submitted their marriage registration on June 22.

Nakamura and Maki, whose maiden name is Onaga, reportedly met just this past spring, and they decided to tie the knot after only a few months.

The young Maki dropped out of school during her second year of high school to focus on her music career, debuting with HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR in 2004. In addition to her success with the band, she landed a starring role as an actress in the 2007 movie "Anata wo Wasurenai" (directed by Junji Hanado).

Maki also announced that she plans to drop out of HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR by the end of the year. The other members are said to be supporting her decision, and the group will remain active without her.

No date has been set yet for a wedding or reception.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:29 PM

Thursday 03rd July, 06:12 AM JST

Actor Hiroshi Tamaki, 28, and model Nanami, 21, introduce NEC抯 new mobile handset N706i which was designed in collaboration with interior goods maker FrancFranc to target consumers in their 20s. The handsets feature 3G and GSM mobile networks.

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:31 PM

Yu Aoi stars in new film 'Tokyo!'
Thursday 03rd July, 05:08 AM JST

By Taro Fujimoto

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:32 PM

Singer Akiko Wada named Natto Queen 2008
Thursday 03rd July, 05:48 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:39 PM

Singer Hiromi Go participates in charity golf in Hyogo
Thursday 03rd July, 10:48 AM JST

HYOGYO

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:40 PM

Ai Otsuka, Puffy to be guests at Avril concert
Thu, July 3, 2008 (12:39am EDT)

Popular musician Avril Lavigne has already worked together with pop duo Puffy, and now she will be teaming up with singer Ai Otsuka as well. When Avril returns to Japan for a concert at the Tokyo Dome on September 16, both Puffy and Ai Otsuka will be making guest appearances on stage.

Avril remarked that she wanted her show to be like a "rock party." Puffy was a natural choice as a guest, as she and producer Butch Walker previously worked with the duo on the song "All Because of You," released this past May. Ai Otsuka is said to have been chosen due to her status as a symbol of the "girls rock" scene.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:42 PM

Nanase Aikawa back in action with new single, album
Thu, July 3, 2008 (12:40am EDT)

Singer Nanase Aikawa is putting out her first new single in two years. She is forming a temporary unit called Crimson-FANG to release the song "Circle of Life," which is being used as the theme for the movie "Kamen Rider Kiva: Makaijo no Ou." The song goes on sale August 6, three days before the film opens in theaters.

Although the members of Crimson-FANG have not been announced, Aikawa is said to be working with a foreign musician. Because the movie is themed around the past and present, the song will have two versions, one labeled as "1986ver." and the other as "2008ver."

Aikawa gave birth to her second child in September 2007. While she has performed in concert multiple times since then, she has not had any new CD releases since "EVERYBODY GOES" in 2006. In addition to this new song, Aikawa plans to put out her next solo album in the fall.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 4-7-2008 05:43 PM

Anime Weekend Atlanta announces three bands
Thu, July 3, 2008 (12:58am EDT)

Three Japanese bands have been announced as guests for Anime Weekend Atlanta, which is being held September 19-21. The bands are The Captains, The Emeralds, and TsuShiMaMiRe.

More information about the convention can be found at the official website.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-7-2008 06:04 PM

Fukuda's Low-Key Style Frustrates Japanese
BY SEBASTIAN MOFFETT AND HIROKO TABUCHI

In the hot new Japanese TV drama "Change," Prime Minister Keita Asakura is a dynamic 35-year-old with charisma. He nixes pork-barrel construction projects in favor of more money for child care. After a deadly storm hits, Mr. Asakura rushes to the scene, barking orders to bungling bureaucrats. And he stands up to the U.S. in agriculture trade talks. "I have the responsibility to protect the Japanese people," Mr. Asakura tells enthralled voters. "I am one of you."

Meanwhile, Yasuo Fukuda -- Japan's actual prime minister -- has described himself as "a shadow." When he hosts the Group of Eight in Japan next week, he will be the oldest of the group's leaders, turning 72 this month. Since he took office in September, he has been thwarted or held up in almost everything he's tried to do -- from renewing a mission to help counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan to appointing a central bank governor.

"I don't feel that he has any leadership whatsoever," says Tomoyuki Matsumoto, 42, who works for an insurance company in Tokyo.

Mr. Fukuda's passive tenure is increasingly frustrating the Japanese, as the world's second largest economy struggles with a falling population. To avoid this leading to declining living standards, economists say Japan needs bold measures including more deregulation to promote faster growth, as well as an overhaul of its social security system. But with a divided parliament and a leader who isn't inclined to take action, Japan could continue its drift until parliamentary elections well into next year.

Mr. Fukuda's struggle stems largely from the split parliament which he inherited. The main opposition Democratic Party, or DPJ, dominates the Upper House which has significant delaying and veto powers. But Mr. Fukuda hasn't come up with imaginative solutions to the bind, and the public mostly blames him and his low-key style: His approval ratings were just 26% in a poll published Monday in the Nikkei newspaper ... ...

That may be why Mr. Asakura's fantasy government is so popular. The weekly show, which starts with an image of dawn rising over Japan's parliament building, has attracted about 20% of TV households in the Tokyo area since it began in May. In an episode before Mr. Asakura's elevation, a young lawmaker talks excitedly of the rise of Sen. Obama, 46, and U.K. Conservative Party leader David Cameron, 41. Japan's stodgy politicians, by contrast, are steeped in backroom politics and out of touch with the nation, he says. "World leaders are getting younger and younger, but look at Japan!" he says. Some Japanese politicians are taking notice. Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba - at 51, the youngest cabinet minister in a major post - said he was a fan of the show. "There are honestly some parts I empathize with," he told reporters last month. "Politicians need to rethink what they stand for."

Source: The Wall Street Journal

credits to jade_frost at www.d-addicts.com

[ Last edited by whitedove at 9-7-2008 04:50 PM ]

whitedove · Post time 7-7-2008 06:11 PM

"Code Blue" flies in at over 20%
Sun, July 6, 2008 (12:45am EDT)

The first episode of the Fuji TV drama series "Code Blue" aired on Thursday, getting 21.2% ratings. This is the 7th-highest opener in the history of that particular time slot (Thursday 10:00pm), ever since it was turned into a drama slot in 1984. Counting only summer dramas in that slot, it ranks #1.

"Code Blue" stars Tomohisa Yama#a, Yui Aragaki, and Erika Toda.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-7-2008 06:20 PM

HYD cast to fly around country in private jet
Fri, July 4, 2008 (9:10am EDT)

Last weekend, the highly anticipated "Hana Yori Dango Final" opened on 400 screens. In its first five days, it was watched by approximately 1.35 million people, grossing more than 1.6 billion yen. This puts it roughly on par with last year's "HERO," which went on to take in a total of 8 billion yen (more details at The Golden Rock).

As a way of showing appreciation for the fans, starring actress Mao Inoue and F4 (Jun Matsumoto, Shun Oguri, Shota Matsuda, Tsuyoshi Abe) will be flying to various cities in a private jet next weekend. The plane is a Boeing 737-500 (which can normally seat about 130 passengers). They will visit Sapporo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka on July 12, then Osaka and Tokyo on July 13. The total trip amounts to 4,660 kilometers.

Chartering a jet for a publicity campaign is said to have never been done before for a Japanese film.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-7-2008 06:25 PM

Kenji Furuya, Megumi to finally marry
Sun, July 6, 2008 (12:34am EDT)

Dragon Ash's Kenji Furuya and actress/idol Megumi are reportedly getting married within the next few days. According to multiple sources, Megumi is already pregnant.

The two have been dating for the past 3 years, and last year they started living together. Many believed it was just a matter of time before they officially wedded, especially since Megumi has previously been seen in public with what appeared to be an engagement ring. When the actress recently discovered that she is in her third month of pregnancy, the couple finally decided to tie the knot. Megumi is expected to give birth in late January.

Megumi will take maternity leave by the end of this year, though she plans to continue her career in entertainment.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-7-2008 06:28 PM

[J-ENT] Kanda Uno to have a 3rd wedding ceremony, this time in Hawaii

Japantoday.com reported, 揫b]Uno Kanda, 33, used the occasion of an appearance at a gala event for Austrian crystal brand Swarovski to announce that she and her husband will hold a third wedding ceremony in Hawaii next week.

whitedove · Post time 8-7-2008 05:14 PM

Mona Yamamoto to 'avenge' herself in new program
Saturday 05th July, 07:21 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 8-7-2008 05:15 PM

Animal Hamaguchi to be on jacket cover of hip hop CD
Monday 07th July, 06:14 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 8-7-2008 05:17 PM

Shoko Nakagawa attends Anime Expo 2008 in LA
Monday 07th July, 11:21 AM JST

LOS ANGELES

whitedove · Post time 8-7-2008 05:20 PM

"Elite Yankee Saburo" movie announced
Mon, July 7, 2008 (1:56am EDT)

Last year's late-night drama series "Elite Yankee Saburo" is getting a movie, it was learned on Sunday. The film will feature the same principal cast as the drama, including lead actor Hideo Ishiguro.

The drama was originally based on a comedy manga by Shuji Abe about an awkward and nerdy boy who enters high school. He is unfortunately saddled with the legacy of his two older brothers, who were well-known delinquents, and consequently is misunderstood and labeled as an "elite yankee."

TV Tokyo aired the television series during Spring 2007 in the "Drama 24" time slot (Friday night at 12:12am), due to some nudity. This is the first drama series from that network to be turned into a film.

The movie will be directed by Yudai Yamaguchi, known for movies like "Jigoku Koshien" ("Battlefield Baseball") and "Cromartie High School." In addition to the original cast, actors such as yakuza/action-film star Riki Takeuchi will be making guest appearances.

Filming starts in the middle of this month, with theatrical release scheduled for next spring.

Source: www.tokyograph.com