Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

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Japanese translation of final Harry Potter novel goes on sale
Wednesday 23rd July, 07:40 AM JST



TOKYO

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"Cowboy Bebop" going live-action?
Wed, July 23, 2008 (12:57am EDT)



Anime News Network has spotted a report that 20th Century Fox is working on a live-action movie version of the hit anime series "Cowboy Bebop."

The project, being developed by producer Erwin Stoff, is still in its early stages. Stoff has producer credits on "A Scanner Darkly" and "The Matrix," among other films.

Bandai Entertainment, which distributed the original 1998 series in the U.S., has not commented on the report.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Former Coconuts Musume crowned Mrs. Hawaii USA
Wed, July 23, 2008 (1:12am EDT)



Lehua Sandbo, once a member of the Hello! Project group Coconuts Musume, is currently in the running for the title of Mrs. United States. Sandbo, whose surname is now Nahina, was crowned Mrs. Hawaii USA early last month.

Sandbo, 25, was part of Coconuts Musume between 2000 and 2002. Less than a year later, she was awarded the title of Miss Congeniality in the 2003 Miss Hawaii pageant. She got married shortly after that and now has a 4-year-old daughter. Currently, she is studying as a nursing student.

The Mrs. United States National Pageant is underway in Las Vegas. The winner will be crowned on July 25.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Charts: TVXQ gets third #1
Wed, July 23, 2008 (1:49am EDT)



Korean boy band TVXQ landed atop the singles chart this week, as "Dou$hite Kimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimattan Darou?" pushed more than 68,000 copies. This is their third #1 single in Japan, which sets a new record among foreign artists.

Yui Aragaki's first single, "Make my day," came in at #2 with 53,000 copies sold. Supergroup Fukumimi entered the charts at #3, one spot ahead of Kim Jeong Hoon's new single. Idoling!!! and Hideaki Tokunaga also made it into the top ten list at #9 and #10, respectively.

Meanwhile, the "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" theme song saw a resurgence thanks to the movie's release this past weekend. It sold 16,000 copies to climb back up to #6 for the week.



On the albums chart, relatively new duo Kimaguren sold 41,000 copies of their album "ZUSHI" to take #1, barely edging out GReeeeN's second album, which was released three weeks ago but is still selling strong. Kimaguren has been active since 2005 but only made their major label debut this past February. According to Oricon, they are the first male duo to top the charts with a 1st album since CHEMISTRY did so in November 2001.

Long-lasting band TUBE saw their new album reach #3, while Aya Hirano's first album "RIOT GIRL" debuted at #6.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Ponyo" opening numbers
Wed, July 23, 2008 (2:29am EDT)



Box office numbers for "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" are now in. The latest from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli opened on 481 screens nationwide this weekend, and its 3-day totals amounted to 1.57 billion yen on 1.25 million admissions. Compared to "Spirited Away," which grossed 30.4 billion over its lifetime, "Ponyo" took in 96.6% of that film's opening weekend earnings with 101.4% of the admissions.

According to a research sample taken by Oricon, women made up an estimated 66% of the audience. 32.0% of viewers were in their 20s, while 30.7% were in their 30s. Children apparently accounted for less than 20% of tickets.

The movie's theme song, which ranked #6 for the week, was able to take #1 on the daily singles chart as of Monday.

The new "Pokemon" movie also opened this weekend, ranking 2nd and pushing "Hana Yori Dango Final" into 3rd place.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Ninomiya, Nishikido, Toda star in drama based on Higashino novel
Wed, July 23, 2008 (12:40am EDT)



The mystery novel "Ryusei no Kizuna," written by popular author Keigo Higashino, is being turned into a television drama series this fall. The show will star Kazunari Ninomiya, Ryo Nishikido, and Erika Toda, with Kankuro Kudo penning the script.

Ninomiya, Nishikido, and Toda play three siblings whose parents were murdered when they were children. After being deceived later on in life, they bonded together as a team of swindlers, stealing money from the rich. One day, they find a man whom they believe is their parents' killer, and they start planning to take their revenge.

Ninomiya is taking the lead as the oldest sibling, Koichi. Nishikido plays the younger brother Taisuke, while Toda plays the sister Shizuna. Tomokazu Miura has also been announced as a cast member.

TBS will air the drama on Friday nights at 10:00pm, starting in October.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Breakthrough British songstress Leona Lewis (22) is hoping to catch a bit of culture on her latest trip to Japan. She was at the British embassy in Tokyo yesterday to help launch the "UK-Japan 2008" festival. With this year marking the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries, the series of events aims to promote cultural exchange in various fields. Lewis said she hopes to introduce some of Britain's many talented musicians to a Japanese audience. She made her first visit to Japan in May, and she says she spent her free time shopping in the capital. This time around, she plans to visit Kyoto and says she hopes to visit again before the end of the year. In the last few months, Lewis has enjoyed massive success from her debut album "Spirit" and the mega-hit single "Bleeding Love."

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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[HK] Hamasaki Ayumi visits Hong Kong



CRIEnglish.com reported, 揓apanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki was welcomed by delirious fans when she arrived in Hong Kong for a new project on Monday.

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Misaki Ito introduces new au mobile handset
Thursday 24th July, 05:52 AM JST



TOKYO

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Announcers gather for joint Olympic website
Thursday 24th July, 10:29 AM JST



TOKYO

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A bunch of babies
Sat, July 26, 2008 (5:00pm EDT)

A couple of celebrities celebrated some additions to their families this week.



36-year-old television announcer Junko Kubo gave birth to her second daughter on Thursday evening. She got married in 2000 and had her first daughter two years later.

On Friday, 28-year-old Gagaga SP vocalist Kozak Maeda announced that he has entered parenthood. His wife delivered their first son that night. The couple has been married since February.



Meanwhile, actor and rakugo artist Tsurube Shofukutei is awaiting his first grandchild. Shofukutei's 30-year-old son Taro Suruga, who does vocals and guitar for the band sleepydog, got married this past spring, and his wife is expecting to give birth in the next couple weeks.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Kenji Hirai marries girlfriend of 15 years
Sun, July 27, 2008 (12:38am EDT)

36-year-old talento Kenji Hirai, known for doing impersonations of singer Ken Hirai, is getting married soon. He revealed the news on Saturday's episode of the NTV variety show "The God of Entertainment."

A source close to Hirai says his fiancee is an office lady who is the same age as him. They have been dating for 15 years after meeting at a university festival. Hirai plans to formally update his family register next month.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Aya Ueto's "brother" to play major drama role
Sun, July 27, 2008 (3:18am EDT)



Talento Dante Carver, perhaps most recognized for playing Aya Ueto's brother in a series of Softbank commercials, is taking on his first significant acting role. This Monday's episode of the TV Asahi drama program "Renai Hyakkei" will have Carver playing a study-abroad student who dates the character played by Ai Takabe.



Carver has previously done a couple of minor roles, including an appearance in the "Densha Otoko" drama series.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Sunny Day Service shines again
Sun, July 27, 2008 (4:10pm EDT)



The three-piece band Sunny Day Service has announced that they are reuniting after eight years. The group, consisting of Keiichi Sokabe, Takashi Tanaka, and Harushige Maruyama, formed in 1992 and made their major label debut three years later. They broke up in December 2000.

Sunny Day Service will make their return at the Rising Sun Rock Festival on August 15-16.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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George Asakura's "Heibon Punch" being adapted to film
Sun, July 27, 2008 (4:48pm EDT)

The comedy manga "Heibon Punch" is being turned into a movie, with Sakichi Sato taking on the role of director, screenwriter, and lead actor. Rina Akiyama will co-star.



Written by George Asakura (the pen name of a female mangaka), the original comic tells the story of a fat director named Aki Mashima (Sato) who has a fear of large breasts. He meets an actress named Mika (Akiyama) who fits his type, but after Mika murders another idol (Yuri Mori$hita), the two are forced to run from the law. Their relationship is complicated by the fact that Mika is obsessed with one day getting big breast implants. And while Mika is attracted to the chubby Aki, the strength of Aki's love sometimes magically transforms him into a good-looking man, which Mika hates.

The other cast members include Ryosei Konishi, Tasuku Emoto, and Sho Aikawa. The film is scheduled to see release later this year.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Chara sings for "Hebi ni Piasu"
Sun, July 27, 2008 (5:00pm EDT)



Singer CHARA has been picked to do the theme song for "Hebi ni Piasu" ("Snakes and Earrings"), opening on September 20. Directed by Yukio Ninagawa, the film is based on an Akutagawa Prize-winning novel by Hitomi Kanehara (more details here).

The theme song is a slow-tempo tune called "Kieru." CHARA composed the music, while Kanehara wrote the lyrics.

CHARA previously sang the theme for the 1996 film "Swallowtail," which she appeared in as part of the fictional group YEN TOWN BAND. "Kieru," however, will be her first movie theme song as a soloist.

The release date for the single has not yet been decided.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"ROOKIES" gets movie, special
Sun, July 27, 2008 (12:27am EDT)



The final episode of the TBS drama series "ROOKIES" aired on Saturday. It was announced at the end that the show is getting a movie next year. The current working title is "ROOKIES ~FINAL~," and the show's director Yuichiro Hirakawa will again be in charge.



The drama is originally based on a manga by Masanori Morita about a high school teacher trying to change delinquent students by coaching them as a baseball team. Ryuta Sato will reprise his role as the teacher, with the movie picking up where the drama series left off. His team is also returning for the film.

"ROOKIES ~FINAL~" is scheduled to come out next spring, but TBS has also decided to produce a special episode to be broadcast this fall.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Professional wrestler Sakata Wataru (35) and talento Koike Eiko (27) held a lavish wedding reception in Tokyo yesterday. The event at the Prince Park Tower Tokyo hotel was attended by about 420 people. Koike wore a white dress by Japan's top bridal designer Katsura Yumi, and showed off her 3-carat diamond ring by luxury Swiss brand Audemars Piguet. Among the celebrity guests were wrestling-showbiz couples Takada Nobuhiko (46) and actress Mukai Aki (43), and Masato (29) and talento Yazawa Shin (27). Though she got her start as a busty pin-up model, Koike later enjoyed considerable success on comedy and variety shows, and the wedding guests also included comedians such as Bakusho Mondai. Highlights of the event will be broadcast on TBS tomorrow evening. The newlyweds, who were first introduced by the late wrestler Hashimoto Shinya, actually tied the knot back in August of last year.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Meanwhile Kitano "Beat" Takeshi was in full comedy mode yesterday for the Fuji TV's "FNS 27-jikan Terebi" telethon. He, the telethon's main emcee Akashiya Sanma, and others recreated their 1980s TV heyday and all its associated mayhem as the broadcast came to a close. Takeshi is Mona's main "sponsor," as she is represented by his Office Kitano agency and he supported her through a similar scandal last year, and last night he finally spoke about the story, saying "The magazine said I was furious about the whole thing. The fact is I was delighted by the publicity, but I could hardly say that." The reality is that Takeshi and Sanma are so popular and have so much influence that the rules are bent or even broken on their behalf. So it's likely that Mona will be back on TV screens before too long.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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On Saturday Sato Yosuke (40) of the duo Coil suddenly dropped out of a music festival that was mainly a tribute to the artist. Sato took part in the opening ceremony of the 10th annual Augusta Camp event at the Seibu Dome in Saitama Prefecture, but was taken to hospital before he had a chance to perform. No details were given regarding his condition. The festival features acts that are with the Office Augusta agency, including such names as Yamazaki Masayoshi (36) and Kyoko (47). Sato had planned to be on stage with each act through the day, as this year also marks the duo's 10th anniversary. Performing partner Okamoto Sadayoshi (42) performed a shortened set of Coil songs. All the artists performed together as "Fukumimi" and, together with the 30,000 fans, wished Sato a speedy recovery.

Source: www.japan-zone.com