|
|
Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]
[Copy link]
|
|
|
news: celebrity
Becky named Beaujolais goodwill ambassador
Sunday 21st September, 06:38 AM JST
TV personality Becky has been appointed by Suntory as its Beaujolais Nouveau goodwill ambassador, tasked with conveying the unique charms of the light, fruity French red wine. The publicity campaign reaches its climax Nov 20, when the new wine officially goes on sale.
The goodwill ambassador was appointed by Georges Duboeuf, a winemaker in the Beaujolais region of eastern France and the leading producer of Beaujolais Nouveau. On the spot to inspect the condition of the grapes, Becky said, 揟he grapes are sweet and tasty, including the skins. I expect they抣l make delicious wine. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: artiste
Single mother Anna Tsuchiya releases raunchy CD
Monday 22nd September, 03:40 AM JST
TOKYO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: model/actress
Ebi-chan denies rumors of affair; says she has no boyfriend
Monday 22nd September, 11:10 AM JST
SHANGHAI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: movie
Hideo Ishiguro cast in "Higanjima"
Mon, September 22, 2008 (2:04am EDT)
It was announced in July that Koji Matsumoto's horror manga "Higanjima" has a live-action film in the works, being directed by Korean filmmaker Kim Tae-gyun. Now, part of the cast has been revealed, including the main character Akira Miyamoto.
 
19-year-old Hideo Ishiguro, who had his first lead role in the drama series "Elite Yankee Saburo," will be playing Akira. In the story, he and his friends head to an island in search of his missing brother (played by Dai Watanabe), only to discover that the island is full of vampires and other deadly creatures.
"Higanjima" is expected to hit theaters in fall 2009.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: movie
Kanata Hongo to star in "GOTH" movie
Mon, September 22, 2008 (1:27am EDT)
Teen actor Kanata Hongo has been cast in the lead role of "GOTH," a live-action film adaptation of a novel by popular author Otsuichi. The story, about two high school students who have a strange fascination with murder, won a Honkaku Mystery Prize in 2003. Last October, it was announced that the American movie studio Fox Atomic was planning its own adaptation of the book.
Hongo's co-star is new actress Rin Takanashi. Gen Takahashi is directing, and filming has already been completed. Theatrical release is scheduled for late December.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: artistes/dorama
33 Southern All Stars songs being turned into short dramas
Mon, September 22, 2008 (2:44am EDT)
NTV is working on a new drama project in collaboration with Southern All Stars and management agency Amuse. 33 songs by Southern All Stars are being used as the motifs for a series of short dramas, each lasting approximately 10 minutes. Actor Yo Oizumi, said to be a big fan of the group, has been given the starring role.
This year, Southern All Stars and Amuse are celebrating their 30th anniversaries, and NTV is celebrating the 55th anniversary of its opening. As a result, the project is titled "Southern 30th x NTV 55th x Amuse 30th the Naminori Restaurant." Penned by screenwriter Ellie Omiya, the drama depicts Oizumi as the manager of an unopened restaurant in Chigasaki, Kanagawa.
The specific songs being used have not yet been decided. However, it has been announced that the episodes will not follow a regular schedule. The first of the 33 shorts will air during "Zoom In!! Saturday" on November 1, while the rest will be broadcast between then and November 9, at various times unknown by the viewers.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: movie
Japanese film on child prostitution pulled from Thai film festival
Tuesday 23rd September, 06:46 AM JST
TOKYO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: singers
The Peanuts' 50th anniversary album to include unreleased songs
Tue, September 23, 2008 (3:06am EDT)
Twin singing duo The Peanuts made their debut in 1959, and to celebrate their upcoming 50th anniversary, a new album is being released on November 26. The CD will contain several previously unpublished songs that they had recorded with the late composer Hiroshi Miyagawa.
The Peanuts, made up of sisters Emi and Yumi Ito, were very successful in the '60s and '70s. Their early career was launched by a string of covers and renditions of Japanese folk songs, but under the guidance of Miyagawa, they began releasing original hits.
From 1961 to 1965, they were well known for a morning radio program on the Nippon Broadcasting System. The new album, called "Nippon Housou da yo: Peanuts!!," features only songs that they sang on the popular "Kongetsu no Uta" segment of that show. While 8 of the 18 songs on the album are tunes that are already famous, the rest are previously unpublished works, whose recordings were apparently discovered only recently.
King Records is reportedly planning at least one more release for The Peanuts' 50th anniversary.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
survey
Kimutaku named anan's favorite man for 15th consecutive year
Tue, September 23, 2008 (2:13am EDT)
The newest issue of women's fashion magazine anan has the results of its annual survey asking readers to name their favorite male celebrity. For the 15th year in a row, SMAP member Takuya Kimura led the list, taking the largest chunk of the more than 17,000 votes sent in by mail and the internet.
Kimura also repeated last year's feat of ranking highest in four other categories: Man I'd Most Like to Sleep With, Man I'd Most Want as a Boyfriend, Sexiest Man, and Most Stylish Man.
The four other members of SMAP all ranked within the top 12. Out of the top 30, 18 of the men are affiliated with Johnny's Jimusho.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: singer/dorama
Mika Nakashima added to "Ryusei no Kizuna" cast
Tue, September 23, 2008 (1:30am EDT)
Singer Mika Nakashima is taking on her first acting role in a television drama series since "Shiritsu Tantei Hama Mike" in 2002. She has been cast in TBS's "Ryusei no Kizuna," which features young stars Kazunari Ninomiya, Ryo Nishikido, and Erika Toda.
The drama, based on a mystery novel by popular writer Keigo Higashino, was first announced in July. The story follows three siblings who lose their parents to a murderer and subsequently become a team of swindlers to get revenge against the killer.
Nakashima plays a character that was not in the original story - a mysterious woman who is a regular customer at the restaurant where the oldest brother (Ninomiya) works. Her first appearance is in the show's second episode.
Nakashima is also providing a ballad called "ORION," to be used as an insert song in the drama. "ORION" will be released as a single on November 12.
"Ryusei no Kizuna" premieres on October 17.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: celebrity
Uno Kanda launches brand under husband抯 watchful eye.
Wednesday 24th September, 06:36 AM JST
TOKYO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: actress
Actress Ai Takabe becomes honorary police chief for a day
Wednesday 24th September, 10:45 AM JST
TOKYO |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: singer
AAA leader announces solo project
Wed, September 24, 2008 (12:49am EDT)
AAA performed at the Nippon Budokan on Tuesday in front of a crowd of approximately 10,000 fans. During the show, leader Naoya Urata formally announced that he will soon be making his debut as a solo artist, while still remaining active with AAA.
His debut song, "Baby Bang! Feat. SPHERE," has just been made available as a chaku-uta. An official website has also been launched at http://uratanaoya.com/.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
music chart
Charts: B'z, V6
Wed, September 24, 2008 (2:01am EDT)
Last week on the album charts, Ayumi Hamasaki ended Namie Amuro's six-week run at #1, but unlike Amuro, she immediately faced strong competition the following week. Despite selling 119,000 copies, she was no match for the new "B'z The Best ULTRA Treasure" compilation from B'z, which sold 413,000 copies. This is their 23rd chart-topping album, extending the record that they set in June with "B'z The Best ULTRA Pleasure."
Only two other new albums made the top ten, both from hip-hop artists. The Sendai-based LGYankees made their first top ten appearance at #8, while ZEEBRA's sales were not far behind at #9.
On the singles side of the charts, V6 picked up first with 82,000 copies of "LIGHT IN YOUR HEART," the theme song to the new Ultraman movie. Angela Aki's latest song arrived at #3, followed by Nightmare's new tune. At #8, female duo Lil'B achieved their first top ten showing, edging out Tamio Okuda and Kazuyoshi Saito.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: actor
Takarazuka takes on "Phoenix Wright"
Wed, September 24, 2008 (2:37am EDT)
The all-female Takarazuka Revue is doing its first production based on a video game. The subject is Capcom's popular "Gyakuten Saiban" series, also known as "Ace Attorney." Tomu Ranju of the Cosmos Troupe is playing the protagonist, using the character's English name Phoenix Wright instead of the Japanese name Ryuichi Naruhodo.
Set in the United States, the show will be a musical, incorporating songs from the games. Performances will run from February 5 to 15 in Takurazuka, Hyogo, then from February 24 to March 2 in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: movie
Haruki Kadokawa returns to director's chair
Wed, September 24, 2008 (1:31am EDT)
Famed movie producer Haruki Kadokawa is directing his first major-studio film in 15 years, it was announced on Tuesday. His last major work was "REX: Kyoryu Monogatari" in 1993, though he did also direct the small-scale 1997 remake of the "Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo" story. His new film is also an adaptation, based on a novel series by author Jo Sasaki.
"Warau Keikan" is one part of Sasaki's "Doukei series," which all involve the prefectural police in Hokkaido. This particular story is described as a suspenseful tale of an internal feud within a corrupt police force. Nao Omori has been cast in the lead role.
Kadokawa originally took on the role of producer, and a young director was leading the film. But that director produced a script for a gunfight-heavy action flick, far from the human drama that the story was intended to be. When Sasaki objected to the script, Kadokawa agreed to become the director, taking it upon himself to ensure that the film stayed true to the original. That decision happened just three weeks before filming started.
"Warau Keikan" is scheduled for release in fall 2009.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
news: artistes
 [img]http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/pix/c/cyndi_lauper_2008.jpg
Some big names kicked off very different but all eagerly-awaited concert tours this week. Heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest launched their ninth Japan tour in Nagoya last night. They performed a 17-song set for the 2,000 fans, mixing hits with tracks from their first concept album, "Nostradamus." They have two shows in Osaka, one in Yokohama, then the Nippon Budokan before finishing at the Tokyo International Forum on October 1. Cyndi Lauper, who started her "Bring Ya to the Brink" world tour in Osaka on Tuesday, checked the Nippon Budokan off her list last night and she'll be in Nagoya tonight and back to Ebisu Garden Hall in Tokyo on Saturday. Meanwhile, the first SMAP tour in two years is on a whole new scale for them. Their tour started at Tokyo Dome last night and they will be the first Japanese artists to play six nights at the 55,000-seat venue. Then they'll use about one hundred 11- and 20-ton trucks to move the elaborate stage show to the other four domes across the country. Last night, youngest member Katori Shingo (31) injured his right knee in a fall on stage. He suffered contusion and internal bleeding that will take two weeks to heal, but he promised to be on stage again tonight.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Post time 23-9-2008 04:56 PM
