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Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]
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news: musician
Ringo Shiina creates shirts for Uniqlo
Tue, September 30, 2008 (12:31am EDT)
Musician Ringo Shiina is collaborating with graphic designer Yutaka Kimura to form a creative team called "Shiro to Kuro." The two are producing a series of original shirts to be sold through Uniqlo UT.
Currently, there are plans for three varieties, called "Penguin," "Zebra," and "Dalmatian." As the names suggest, the shirts are modeled after black-and-white animals.
The shirts go on sale November 17. The designs can be seen at the Uniqlo UT website.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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survey
Oricon: ideal women
Tue, September 30, 2008 (12:48am EDT)
Oricon recently ran a survey of 1,200 men and women under 40, asking them to identify which celebrities they felt represented their ideal image of a woman. The survey was divided into two categories, one for music artists and one for actresses.
In the artist category, Namie Amuro ranked #1, noted for her style and fashion sense. The rest of the top five were YUI, aiko, Ayumi Hamasaki, and YUKI.
Under actresses, Yui Aragaki topped the list, winning popularity with her cuteness and her smile. She was followed by Nanako Matsushima, Aoi Miyazaki, Ryoko Shinohara, and Maki Horikita.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: idol
Naru Inoue graduates from AKB48
Tue, September 30, 2008 (3:11am EDT)
Naru Inoue, a member of AKB48's Team B, officially graduated from the group on Monday. The 16-year-old had been part of AKB48 for about 1 year and 8 months.
Apparently, Inoue had been forced to take a break on several occasions due to poor health. During one of those periods, she made up her mind to leave the group. In an entry on AKB48's official blog, she mentioned that she will be working hard on her future career.
Monday also marked the finale of the group's show "AKB 0-ji 59-fun." Their new show, "AKBINGO!," starts on Wednesday.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes
Shonen Knife announces new member, new album
Wed, October 1, 2008 (12:45am EDT)
Pop-punk band Shonen Knife has announced the addition of a new member, along with a new album. Joining the current duo of Naoko and Etsuko is guitarist Ritsuko, also known as Marilyn of the group Denki Candy. Since 2006, she has served as a support bassist for Shonen Knife.
With the addition of Ritsuko, Shonen Knife is officially a trio again. Atsuko, the sister of Naoko and one of the group's founding members, left the band in 2006 after getting married and moving to Los Angeles, but she participated in their U.S. tour last year.
On November 7, the band is releasing a 10-track album titled "Supergroup." One of the songs is a cover of "Jet," originally by the Paul McCartney-led group Wings. Shonen Knife has also scheduled an appearance on NHK's "MUSIC JAPAN" the night before the album goes on sale.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: talento
Mika Mifune makes singing debut with husband
Wed, October 1, 2008 (1:23am EDT)
Talento Mika Mifune is set to make her singing debut, teaming up with the band led by her husband George Takahashi. The collaboration, known as Mika Mifune & THE TRABRYU, will release a song called "Birthday Party" on November 5.
Mifune and Takahashi's 3-year-old daughter is said to also be participating in the song, which has been chosen as the theme of the anime movie "Yes! PreCure 5 GoGo!" that opens on November 8.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: artistes/animated movie
Remioromen tapped for "Major" theme
Wed, October 1, 2008 (2:10am EDT)
Popular trio Remioromen will be handling the theme song for the animated movie "Gekijoban MAJOR: Yujo no Winning Shot," the first film based on the long-running baseball manga "MAJOR."
The tune, titled "Tsubasa," is their first song for an anime. There are no plans for a single, but it will be the lead track on their fourth album, "Kaze no Kuroma," which goes on sale October 29.
The movie is being released by Toho on December 13.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actor
Sonny Chiba appointed as guest professor at Kyoto school
Wed, October 1, 2008 (2:22am EDT)
Veteran actor Sonny Chiba (now known as JJ Sonny Chiba) has just been given a guest professorship in the film studies department of the Kyoto University of Art and Design, it was announced on Tuesday. His appointment begins on Wednesday and is scheduled to last for a year and a half.
Chiba will reportedly be in charge of a film acting course, which is said to include lessons on sword fights.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actress/artistes
Nana Katase returns to singing for SBK album
Thu, October 2, 2008 (2:01am EDT)
 
Actress and talento Nana Katase is making her return as a singer after three years. The reunited rock band SBK (Sukebo-King) is having her participate as a vocalist on their upcoming album "RETURNS," due out on November 26.
Katase had a singing career from 2002 to 2005, releasing two original albums and six singles. Since then, she has mainly been active as an actress and television personality. About a year ago, she became friends with SBK vocalist Shigeo, and they decided to have her sing one song on their the band's first post-reunion album.
Katase is not the only artist participating on the album. Others include RIP SLYME and Dragon Ash's Kenji Furuya.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actress
Aya Hirayama drops out of first play due to illness
Thu, October 2, 2008 (2:31am EDT)
 
Actress Aya Hirayama was expected to make her theater debut in a play titled "Bentler, Bentler, Bentler," opening on the 8th of this month. However, due to acute pharyngitis, she has been forced to step down from the role. Ranran Suzuki is serving as her replacement.
Hirayama started had complained of a sore throat and sluggishness in mid-September. She was diagnosed with pharyngitis, and it was decided that she could no longer continue training for the part.
"Bentler, Bentler, Bentler" is the second production this year by the popular theatrical troupe Piper, which was formed 10 years ago by actor Hirohito Goto and Taiyo Kawa$hita. Goto is noted for writing the play "Midsummer Carol," which became the basis for Tetsuya Nakashima's latest film, "Pako to Mahou no Ehon" ("Paco and the Magical Picture Book").
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: actors/movie
TEAM NACS tries directing
Thu, October 2, 2008 (2:48am EDT)
The five members of the acting group TEAM NACS, led by Hiroyuki Morisaki, are trying their hands at filmmaking. Each of them is writing, directing, and acting in a 20-minute short film, to be part of a national tour called "TEAM NACS FILM TOUR 2008 N43 |
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news: music chart
Charts: SMAP reaches 10 million in album sales
Wed, October 1, 2008 (1:44am EDT)
Last week, SMAP released their latest album "super.modern.artistic.performance," and as expected, it topped the charts at 214,000 in sales. This finally pushed their career album sales past the 10 million mark, becoming only the second vocal group to achieve that feat, after CHAGE and ASKA did it in 1993.
DOHZI-T sold 63,000 copies of his new album to land at #3. A soundtrack for the anime series "D.Gray-man" made #5, while rock band Plastic Tree found their way into the #9 spot.
"The Birthday ~Ti Amo~," a new song by EXILE, came in at #1 on the singles chart, moving more than 171,000 copies. Ayaka and Kobukuro sold nearly half that amount with their second collaborative single, while Morning Musume's cover of "Pepper Keibu" ranked in at #3.
The other new top ten releases were BREAKERZ (#6), Miliyah Kato (#9), and seiyu Shin-ichiro Miki (#10).
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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news: singers/dorama
GIRL NEXT DOOR gets drama tie-in with third single
Thu, October 2, 2008 (3:03am EDT)
The new Avex-produced unit GIRL NEXT DOOR is off to a great start. After seeing their debut single reach #3 in September, the group has already announced their third single, and it has been chosen as the theme song of a TV Asahi drama series this fall.
"Jonetsu no Daisho" is being used as the theme for the manga adaptation "Giragira," which stars Kuranosuke Sasaki as a middle-aged man who returns to his former job as a host in order to provide for his family.
The song, which hits stores on November 19, is GIRL NEXT DOOR's third single in three consecutive months. Their second single, "Drive Away," has been given a tie-in with a Toyota commercial, and it goes on sale next week.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Originally posted by whitedove at 4-10-2008 07:14 PM 
http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/pix/g/gamarjobat.jpg
Japanese pantomime duo Gamarjobat are to tour their own country for the first time. Barely known at home, the pair have won awards worldwi ...
haaa....diorg nih nk dtg m'sia nih buat show...
ko xnk gi ngk ker ??
ko pegi ikut Man tuhaa...die nak pegi tuu... |
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news: singer
Saburo Kitajima says goodbye to Shinjuku Koma Theatre
Wednesday 01st October, 11:44 AM JST
TOKYO |
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news: singer
Jero releases new album as tribute to Tadashi Yoshida
Thursday 02nd October, 05:39 AM JST
TOKYO |
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news: idol
'Officer' Ueto campaigns against drunk driving
Thursday 02nd October, 10:03 AM JST
TOKYO |
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news: singer
It was a dream come true for veteran singer Wada Akiko (58), who celebrated her 40th anniversary in showbiz with her first ever overseas concert on Monday night. She performed at the Apollo Theater in New York, a mecca for the soul and R&B music that has long inspired her. For the "one night only" show, and the venue's first ever by a solo Asian performer, "Akko" was joined on stage by Sam Moore of the duo Sam and Dave (72) for a rendition of "Soul Man." The two have been friends since they performed together on a Japanese TV show all of 38 years ago. But no doubt the person she would have dreamed of performing there with was the late Ray Charles, her showbiz idol, who performed with her for her 30th anniversary show. The audience of 1,450 people included a tour group of 50 Wada fans who had traveled from Japan for the show. Wada visited the theater four years ago and made sure to touch the famous 'Tree of Hope' for luck, in the hope of one day appearing on the stage. The so-called "Godsister" of Japanese showbiz was a bundle of nerves for the five days she spent in New York before the concert. A renowned heavy smoker, she cut down on her 2-3 packs a day - and also her drinking - to get in shape for the show. But at the end of the show, she said she was heading out to have a wild night.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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news: musician
The spat between X Japan's Yoshiki and the Sumo Association continues. According to Yoshiki's management, the association sent him a half-hearted apology late Monday night but insisted that Sunday's incident was not their responsibility. They said he should seek his apology from the Kiriyama stable to which yokozuna Hakuho belongs. In turn, Yoshiki said he was no longer concerned about himself but suggested that, in the interests of sumo and its future, the association should apologize to Hakuho. He posted the comment on his mobile fan site, which led to a server crash on the Kiriyama stables website.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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news: actor
Veteran actor Takarada Akira (74) was caught speeding on a Tokyo expressway during the summer, it was revealed yesterday. He was doing 124km/h on the 80km/h Metropolitan Expressway on the afternoon of July 29 when his license plate and face were recorded by a speed camera. He appeared at a police station on September 29.
Source: www.japan-zone.com |
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Post time 5-10-2008 03:47 PM
