|
|
Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]
[Copy link]
|
|
|
news: actress
Actress Hatano Hiroko (32) and J-League soccer player Suzuki Keita (27) are engaged to be married, it was revealed yesterday. The two started dating last year. Hatano was a top model with the popular fashion magazine JJ before entering showbiz, making her acting debut in the drama "Salaryman Kintaro" in 1999. The same year, she made a name for herself when she took over from Fujiwara Norika as a presenter on the "SRS" martial arts show. She appeared in several drama series before choosing retirement following her marriage to actor Kashiwabara Takashi (32) in June 2004. But a year later she was back at work and their marriage ended in February 2006. Suzuki is a defensive midfielder with Urawa Reds and the national team. He played for his country at the 2004 Olympics and has had 28 international caps since 2006.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: singer
It seems that NHK have forgiven singer Kikkawa Koji for his past misdeeds. Famously banned from the national network following an incident in 1985, he has been named to a key supporting role in next year's taiga drama. "Tenchijin" will star Tsumabuki Satoshi (27) as Naoe Kanetsugu (1560-1620), a retainer to the Uesugi clan, while Kikkawa (43) will play warlord Oda Nobunaga (1534-82). The cast also includes Tokiwa Takako, Abe Hiroshi, Matsukata Hiroki and Nagasawa Masami among other top stars. The year-long series started filming this week and will air from January 2009. Kikkawa incurred the wrath of NHK when he appeared on the annual "Kohaku Utagassen" on New Year's Eve 1985. As he sang the song "Monica" he sprayed champagne on the stage and set it alight, causing a major disruption to the live broadcast. The role as Oda is his first in a drama since NHK gave him a break in 2002 with a part in the series "Mayonaka wa Betsu no Kao."
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: singers
The four members of pop group Speed are to get back together for NTV's 24-hour telethon on August 30-31. It will be their third reunion since they officially split in 2000. Member Imai Eriko (24) says she wants to give her young son, who she revealed for the first time is deaf, a chance to see her perform. Imai and musician Shogo of the group 175R divorced last September. Speed will perform a medley of their hits at the Nippon Budokan on the afternoon of August 31.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: singer/actor
Korean star Ryu Siwon (35) was at the same Budokan for the third time last night for the first of three shows to round off his "Motto Motto" Japan tour. He performed 20 songs including his latest, "Kimi to Boku." He announced that later this year he will be the first Korean actor to play at Tokyo Dome, with two shows on December 23-24.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: music chart
Charts: Amuro #1 for third straight week
Wed, August 20, 2008 (2:30am EDT)
Namie Amuro has firmly re-established herself as one of the top pop queens, achieving her third consecutive week at #1 on the album charts. Her "BEST FICTION" collection debuted with the highest opening sales so far this year, and with another 153,000 copies sold this past week, the album has become her 5th million-seller. Her last album to reach that mark was "181920" in 1998. This also gives Amuro the distinction of being the only artist to have a million-seller during her teens, 20s, and 30s.
Hideaki Tokunaga's "SINGLES BEST" entered the charts at #2 with 87,000 in sales. CRAZY KEN BAND picked up the #5 spot with their latest, "ZERO," while a B-side collection by SID ranked #10.
On the singles side of the charts, there was no surprise that SMAP's "Kono Toki, Kitto Yume Janai" claimed the #1 seat, selling 90,000 copies. This is their 10th consecutive chart-topper, and their 21st overall. It also marks their 43rd top ten appearance (all of their singles have been in the top ten), which ties them again with Southern All Stars for the all-time record. Southern All Stars enjoyed their lead for only a week, while they saw their newest single, "I AM YOUR SINGER," bumped down to #2.
A few other new singles made their way into the Top 10 this week. Rock band FLOW found their "WORLD END" at #4. Spontania's new song came up at #7, followed by Nana Tanimura at #8 and Garnet Crow at #10.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: animated movie
"Ponyo" crosses 10 billion, carries Ghibli DVD sales
Wed, August 20, 2008 (2:54am EDT)
On Tuesday, distributor Toho announced that Hayao Miyazaki's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" has raked in over 10 billion yen at the box office in the month since its release. More than 8.4 million people have watched the film in theaters.
The last Japanese film to gross 10 billion yen was the 2004 animated feature "Howl's Moving Castle," also directed by Miyazaki. "Ponyo" took only 31 days to so, compared to 33 for "Howl," suggesting that it may eventually surpass the 19.6 billion yen gross of the latter. However, it didn't quite meet the pace of "Spirited Away," which reached 10 billion in 25 days and went on to make 30.4 billion.
According to Oricon's DVD rankings for the week, the success of "Ponyo" has revived interest in older Studio Ghibli works. "My Neighbor Totoro," originally released in 2001, jumped from #22 last week to #8 on the overall DVD rankings, its first top 10 appearance in close to 7 years. Other titles saw similar leaps:
* "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" (#58 -> #31)
* "Kiki's Delivery Service" (#65 -> #35)
* "Princess Mononoke" (#77 -> #44)
* "Spirited Away" (#84 -> #45)
* "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (#90 -> #58)
* "Porco Rosso" (#109 -> #83)
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: dorama
Maki Horikita's "Innocent Love"
Wed, August 20, 2008 (1:01am EDT)
Popular actress Maki Horikita has picked up her next lead drama role. She will star in the tentatively-titled "Innocent Love," scheduled to air in Fuji TV's flagship Monday night time slot this fall. As the title suggests, the show will be a romance story.
The script is an original work written by Taeko Asano, whose most recent hit was "Last Friends" this past spring. Like that show, "Innocent Love" will focus on the lives of modern youths. The shows also share a director (Yusuke Kato) and a producer (Toshiyuki Nakano).
The story centers around the tragic heroine Kanon Akiyama (Horikita). As a child, she lost both her parents to a murderer, and her older brother was arrested as the prime suspect. Shunned by her town as the sister of a killer, she heads to Tokyo and picks up a job as a housecleaner. There, she has a fateful encounter with a man, but the road to romance is fraught with difficulty.
This will be Horikita's first time starring in Fuji TV's key time slot. Last year, her popularity skyrocketed due to a starring role in "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e." Currently, she appears in the NHK taiga drama "Atsuhime." That series doesn't finish filming until the end of September, so she will briefly be shooting simultaneously for "Atsuhime" and "Innocent Love."
"Innocent Love" will premiere in October.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: artistes
Versailles opts for name change
Wed, August 20, 2008 (10:48am EDT)
JaME USA has word that visual-kei band Versailles is looking to change its name. As the band has increased their activity in the U.S., they have come into conflict with an American artist who has already registered a trademark for the name Versailles.
According to the report, the band is soliciting suggestions from their fans. However, they commented that they can't throw away their name so easily, so they plan to combine "Versailles" with one of the suggested words. Submissions are being accepted until the end of the month.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: movie
The Louvre museum in Paris yesterday allowed the first ever PR event in front of the Mona Lisa for the Japanese movie "20-seiki Shonen" (20th Century Boys). The manga adaptation was also the first Japanese movie to have its world premiere in the French capital, screening at the Publicis Cin閙a on the Champs Elys閑s. Star Karasawa Toshiaki (45) and actress Tokiwa Takako (36) had visited the Louvre before but never had the Mona Lisa to themselves. Well, apart from museum personnel and about 80 reporters. Security was tight and cameras were strictly prohibited from shooting any artwork other than the da Vinci masterpiece. Tokiwa was something of a work of art herself, wearing a bright purple kimono. "20th Century Boys" is a three-part adaptation of a hit manga series that sold over 20 million copies. There are already plans to screen the movie, which opens in Japan on August 30, in more than 20 countries.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: actresses
 
At last night's Japan premiere of "Sex and the City" actresses Fujiwara Norika (37) and Itoh Misaki (31) wore the wedding dresses featured in the movie. Director Michael Patrick King said he wants to make his next movie in Tokyo and work with the two Japanese beauties. Also at the event were pop group Max, with Aki (27) making one of her last appearances as a member before she quits at the end of this month.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: celebrities
 
An update to yesterday's story about the engagement of actress Hatano Hiroko (32) and J-League star Suzuki Keita (27). Both of them made official statements yesterday, with Hatano revealing that she is pregnant and has stepped down from her role in an upcoming TV Asahi drama series. She was set to reprise her role in "Salaryman Kintaro," the drama in which she made her debut in 1999. Suzuki didn't update his blog until after the international friendly between Japan and Uruguay, though he was on the bench for the game. Any wedding plans will have to fit into a busy schedule for the star midfielder. He is expected to play in next month's final World Cup qualifier against Bahrain and also has the upcoming Asian Champions League with his club team, Urawa Reds.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: comedians/TV show
Neptune promoted to golden time
Thu, August 21, 2008 (2:59am EDT)
TV Asahi's variety show "Nani Kore Chin Hyakkei," hosted by comedy trio Neptune is getting a promotion. The show currently airs on Wednesday nights at 11:15pm, but starting in October, the network will move it forward to the 7:00pm time slot.
Since its premiere this January, the show has featured many unusual places and things from all across Japan. The network receives an average of 800 submissions from viewers each week, reflecting the show's popularity. It currently averages an 11.3% rating, which is very high for a late night broadcast.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: model/actress
16-year-old named Miss Seventeen
Thu, August 21, 2008 (1:23am EDT)
Fashion magazine SEVENTEEN presented the winner of its Miss Seventeen 2008 competition on Wednesday. This year's winner, chosen from 6,238 contestants, was 16-year-old Karen Takizawa.
Takizawa, a first-year high schooler, has a Russian father and a Japanese mother. At 170cm, she stands roughly as tall as actress Nana Eikura, who presented her with the award.
Takizawa is now a model for SEVENTEEN, and she has already been given her first movie appearance in next year's "ROOKIES" movie.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: dorama
Kyoka Suzuki leads female stars in "Scandal"
Thu, August 21, 2008 (1:53am EDT)
This fall, TBS is producing a drama series called "SCANDAL," dealing with the love lives of four married women of different generations. Kyoka Suzuki is officially the star, but she will be joined by Kaori Momoi, Kyoko Hasegawa, and Kazue Fukiishi.
  
Suzuki plays 40-year-old housewife Takako Takayanagi. Her life seems full of happiness at first glance, but in reality she is troubled by a rebellious daughter and an unfaithful husband. At a wedding party for a mutual friend (Naho Toda), she meets the three other main characters: 32-year-old Hitomi (Hasegawa), the wife of a civil servant; 25-year-old Mayuko (Fukiishi), married to the director of a cosmetic surgery clinic; and 52-year-old Tamaki (Momoi), who wedded a lawyer after lying about her age.
The story is said to also have an element of suspense, as an incident threatens the loss of their friend. Yumiko Inoue wrote the script, and Jiro Shono is producing.
Filming has already begun. TBS will air the series on Sunday nights at 9:00pm, beginning on October 19.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
new: actress/movie
Veteran actress Yoshinaga Sayuri (63) is to play the legendary and controversiol shaman queen Himiko in the upcoming movie "Moboroshi no Yamataikoku." According to ancient records, Yamataikoku was a country that existed within ancient Wa (Japan) in the third century AD and was ruled by Himiko. The controversy comes from the fact that nobody knows for sure where the land was or whether Himiko even really existed. She is mentioned by name in the Chinese "Records of Three Kingdoms" but not once in the oldest Japanese chronicles, the "Kojiki" (Records of Ancient Matters) and "Nihon Shoki" (Chronicles of Japan). There is speculation, for example, as to whether she and Empress Jingu are in fact one and the same. Though it has been described as "the greatest debate over the ancient history of Japan," this hasn't stopped Japanese scholars from establishing Himiko as a historical figure and her story is the most famous in the history textbooks of young school children.
Yoshinaga is often described as the "face of Japan" and is an obvious choice to take on the role of Himiko. She spent two hours getting made up, using an image she herself had distilled from sources as varied as the onnagata of kabuki to Elizabeth Taylor's "Cleopatra." The silk kimono she wore was hand-made over two months by a team of 20 artisans at a cost of |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: idol
Former top idol singer Aida Shoko (38) announced yesterday that she recently married a doctor. She said through her management agency that she and Aizawa Hiromitsu (37), an anesthesiologist, tied the knot on August 31. They first met in the summer of 2006 and their relationship was revealed in a weekly magazine in April of last year. Aida says she was happy to start a new chapter in her life in a year that marks the 20th anniversary of her showbiz career. She and Suzuki Sachiko (39) debuted in 1988 as the pop duo Wink with "Sugar Baby Love." They won a record award the following year and had a string of hits until they split up in 1996. Aida went solo and developed a career as an actress and TV talento. Aizawa is the son of former politician Aizawa Hideyuki (89) and actress Tsukasa Yoko (74).
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: movie
Hollywood star Will Smith (39) was in Tokyo again yesterday, this time for the Japan premiere of his superhero movie "Hancock." For the red carpet walk, producers had set up a mock up car that Smith was supposed to use his "super powers" to send flying into the air. But the car was blown over by a strong gust of wind and the helium gas balloon inside ended up in the nearby Suidobashi train station. Smith joked that indeed his super powers were to blame, but that's not likely the story organizers told local police when they had to report the incident. before the screening at the JCB Hall next to Tokyo Dome, Smith was joined on stage by co-star Charlize Theron (33) and sumo yokozuna Asashoryu (27). The movie is in Japanese theaters from August 30.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: model
Ebi-chan graduating from CanCam
Fri, August 22, 2008 (1:51am EDT)
Highly popular model Yuri Ebihara (better known as Ebi-chan) will be changing fashion magazines later this year. Ebihara is currently affiliated with Shogakukan's CanCam publication, which is aimed at women in their late teens to early twenties. She will be "graduating" to CanCam's sister magazine AneCan, targeting women in their mid to late twenties.
AneCan began publication in March 2007. One of the first models to switch over to AneCan was Moe Oshikiri, who was previously part of a well-known CanCam trio with Ebihara and Yu Yamada.
Ebihara's last appearance in CanCam will be the December issue, which goes on sale in late October.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: dorama SP
Eguchi, Yoshioka, Ito team up for police drama
Fri, August 22, 2008 (2:57am EDT)
  
Yosuke Eguchi, Hidetaka Yoshioka, and Hideaki Ito are co-starring in a TV Asahi drama special. The show will be a big-budget production directed by Yasuo Tsuruhashi, who handled last year's television remake of Akira Kurosawa's "High and Low."
Titled "Keikan no Chi," the drama is adapted from a Jo Sasaki novel that placed 1st in this year's "Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!" rankings and was nominated for the Naoki Prize. The story spans three generations of policemen, starting with Seiji (Eguchi), a Pacific War veteran who becomes a cop but dies in a fire near his home. His son Tamio (Yoshioka) follows in his footsteps as a police officer, but he is killed in the line of duty by a drug addict. Ito plays the third generation, a cop assigned to a secret investigation that leads him to the mysteries behind his father's and grandfather's deaths.
Filming started in mid-August and is expected to run for 3 months, with locations ranging from Kyushu to Hokkaido. TV Asahi will broadcast the special in 2009.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Post time 20-8-2008 05:47 PM
