Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:11 PM

GReeeeN album reaches 1 million
Mon, October 6, 2008 (2:43am EDT)

GReeeeN's popularity is still on the rise, as evidenced by the fact that their second album "A, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu." has now shipped a million copies, making it their first work to reach that milestone.

Released in June, the album topped the Oricon charts for two consecutive weeks, outselling artists such as Ayaka, Ketsumeishi, and ELLEGARDEN.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:13 PM

Actor Taishu Kase arrested for drugs
Mon, October 6, 2008 (3:14am EDT)

38-year-old actor Taishu Kase has been arrested for drug possession. On Saturday night, police searched his Tokyo apartment and found about 3 grams of stimulants and more than 9 grams of marijuana. Police confiscated multiple syringes and a pipe, as well as 25 marijuana plants that Kase had been growing in his closet.

A urine test came up positive for the stimulants. Kase admitted to the charges, claiming that the drugs were only for personal use.

Kase was a regular on the TBS daytime drama "Kippari!" that was in the middle of its second season. After news of Kase's arrest surfaced, production company CBC immediately halted production on the show, and TBS will now be airing reruns of the first season instead.

Kase has made newspaper headlines before. In 1991, a year after his acting debut, he was sued by his former agency over the right to use his stage name, though he eventually won the case in 1993. He married in April 2000, but got divorced in December 2001 after it was discovered that he had fathered an illegitimate child.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:16 PM

Orange Range to release B-side best album
Mon, October 6, 2008 (3:22am EDT)

On December 3, ORANGE RANGE is releasing a currently untitled two-disc best album, containing their single B-sides and other songs chosen from their original albums. The CD+DVD release will include all of their music videos since their debut, including the video for their new single "Oshare Bancho" that goes on sale November 12.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:18 PM

Southern All Stars members cast in drama based on their music
Mon, October 6, 2008 (3:39am EDT)

Last month, NTV announced a drama project called "The Naminori Restaurant," comprised of a series of 33 short dramas based on songs by Southern All Stars. It has now been revealed that the group's percussionist Hideyuki Nozawa and bassist Kazuyuki Sekiguchi will be appearing in the dramas.

The whole series stars Yo Oizumi as the owner of an unopened restaurant, and the 10-minute episodes depict various people visiting the restaurant. Nozawa plays a formerly famous man who abandoned his home to live on his own. Meanwhile, Sekiguchi's role has apparently not yet been decided.

Others appearing in the drama include Yoshinori Okada, Miho Shiraishi, Riisa Naka, Yuta Hiraoka, Hiroshi Fuse, and Mari Hoshino. The first episode airs during the November 1 episode of "Zoom In!! Saturday," while the rest of the episodes will air at random times up until November 9.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:21 PM

Hollywood actor Watanabe Ken is to take on his first Japanese TV drama role in two years. For the TV Asahi series "Hiratsuka Hachibe no Showa Jikenshi" he will play the real-life detective Hiratsuka, who was involved in many of the high-profile crime cases of the postwar period. The series is to air next year as part of the TV network's 50th anniversary plans, though specific dates have yet to be announced. Based in Los Angeles, Watanabe has spent the last year and a half working on the movies "Cirque Du Freak" and "Shanghai."

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:22 PM

Veteran actor Ogata Ken died on Sunday, it was revealed yesterday. He was 71. He was widely regarded as one of Japan's finest actors, whose dedication to his craft brought out the best in younger cast members. Real name Ogata Akinobu, the Tokyo native joined the now defunct Shinkokugeki theater group in 1958 and studied under Tatsumi Ryutaro (1905-89). He later married fellow member Takakura Norie and their two sons, Kanta and Naoto, are both actors. Ogata achieved fame on TV when he played the lead role of medieval warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the 1965 NHK taiga drama series "Taikouki." In 1972-73 he played the lead role of a ninja assassin in the TBS period drama series "Hissatsu Shikakenin," which led to many other "Hissatsu" spinoffs. A unique and versatile actor, he appeared in countless TV series and more than 60 movies. The best known of Ogata's films include Nomura Yo#aro's "Kichiku," Imamura Shohei's "Narayama Bushiko" (The Ballad of Narayama, 1983) and the 2006 Yamada Yoji samurai drama "Bushi no Ichibun" (Love and Honor). Not only a star of Japanese cinema he also appeared in several overseas productions, including Paul Schrader's "Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters" (1985) and Peter Greenaway's "The Pillow Book" (1996). Recent projects included the Japanese dub of "The Golden Compass" and last year's manga adaptation "Gegege no Kitaro - Sennen Noroiuta". He will appear in the Fuji TV drama series "Kaze no Garden," which airs from October 9, and he attended a post-production event for the series at the end of September. Co-star Nakai Kiichi said of filming the final scene together, "It left me exhausted and feint, but Ogata-san put so much into it he couldn't even stand."

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:23 PM

Natsumi Abe performs at event to mark 30th anniversary of Sunshine City
Tuesday 07th October, 05:58 AM JST

TOKYO —
Ex-Morning Musume member Natsumi Abe, 27, this week performed at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the Sunshine City building in Ikebukuro. She was joined by other artists who were popular in the 1980s, such as Hiroko Moriguchi and Ayumi Nakamura.

Abe, who sang two songs on the stage at the four-story hall, said, “This is the first time for me to perform here. I’m very overwhelmed by people who are looking at me from above.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:24 PM

TBS sues ABC over "Wipeout"
Tue, October 7, 2008 (2:14am EDT)

TBS has announced that it is suing American broadcaster ABC, claiming that the show "Wipeout" infringes on the copyrights of several Japanese programs. TBS is seeking an end to the show along with monetary damages, though a specific amount is still to be determined.

ABC premiered "Wipeout" in June, and its success in the ratings has earned it a renewal for another season. The show puts contestants through a challenging obstacle course, similar to TBS shows such as "Takeshi's Castle" in the '80s and the still-running "SASUKE."

Indeed, TBS claims that the show is too similar, citing infringement in several aspects, including specific obstacles, the show's format, scene setups, and dialogue. The lawsuit also accuses ABC of capitalizing on search terms such as "MXC," which is Spike TV's licensed version of "Takeshi's Castle."

TBS is reportedly in the process of filing a separate lawsuit against Endemol USA, the production company behind "Wipeout."

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:25 PM

"Galileo" SP draws 20%, movie wins box office
Tue, October 7, 2008 (2:21am EDT)

This weekend, Fuji TV aired the special drama episode "Galileo: Episode Zero" on the same day as the release of the movie "Yougisha x no Kenshin." Viewership data for the special has now been released, indicating that the special had ratings of 20.8% in the Kanto area.

The "Galileo" TV series, which aired last fall, averaged 21.9% ratings over its 10-episode run.

Box office reports also indicate that "Yougisha x no Kenshin" had the #1 attendance at theaters this weekend, outperforming the new "Kamen Rider" movie.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:27 PM

Kusanagi's "Ballad" inspired by "Crayon Shin-chan"
Tue, October 7, 2008 (1:52am EDT)

SMAP member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is starring in a period film titled "Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta." The movie revolves around a love story between a Sengoku-era general (Kusanagi) and a princess (Yui Aragaki), directed by Takashi Yamazaki of "Always: Sanchome no Yuhi" fame.

The story is actually based on the plot of the 2002 animated movie "Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi wo Yobu Appare! Sengoku Daikassen." That film won many awards, including the grand prize in the animation division of the Japan Media Arts Festival.

In "Ballad," Kusanagi plays a general of a small state. The princess, played by Aragaki, is offered a political marriage with a daimyo of a neighboring state, and war ensues when she turns down the offer. A key character in the plot is a young boy named Shinichi (originally Shin-chan), who comes from the future. 11-year-old Akashi Takei plays the role of Shinichi.

The film, which will heavily use CG for its battle scenes, is apparently budgeted at 2 billion yen. The supporting cast includes Michitaka Tsutsui, Yui Natsukawa, Atsuo Nakamura, and Takao Osawa. Filming started late last month and is expected to finish in January. The movie's tentative release date is in September 2009.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 8-10-2008 06:29 PM

Condolences poured in from all over the Japanese show business world following the recent death of actor Ogata Ken at the age of 71 (earlier story). A small and private Buddhist funeral was held yesterday in Tokyo. His sons Kanta (photo) and Naoto (photo) gave a brief press conference afterwards and spoke of their father as an "immeasurably huge presence" in their lives, a man who was both "cool and warm." They revealed that their father had been battling liver cancer for five years, though his continued dedication to his craft and busy schedule meant that few people outside his family knew of it. Even actor Tsugawa Masahiko (68), a close friend of almost 40 years, was shocked to learn of the cancer and rushed to his friend's bedside. Ogata was hospitalized on October 4 when his condition suddenly deteriorated following a ruptured liver. He spent his last few hours with his family and Tsugawa, who described the closing act of his friend's life: "For the last ten minutes he glared into space like a kabuki actor, as his breath grew shallower. He fought right to the end, gave everything he had. It was a wonderful end, worthy of a great star." Ogata's sons said their mother Norie (71) was still distraught and had cried constantly for the last three days. Ogata had been working in his last few weeks, and attended a post-production event for a recently finished Fuji TV drama series on September 30. Producer Nakamura Toshio said he had no idea Ogata's illness and above all remembered his warm smile.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:00 PM

Ryoko Yonekura kicks off musical 'Chicago'
Wednesday 08th October, 06:43 AM JST

By Taro Fujimoto

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:01 PM

Tomoka Kurokawa takes to the stage
Wed, October 8, 2008 (2:08am EDT)

Teen actress Tomoka Kurokawa will be appearing in her first theatrical production later this year. She is set to star in a play called "Kimi no Shinzo no Kodo ga Kikoeru Basho," produced by the stage group CARAMELBOX.

The play is written and directed by Yutaka Narui and Azuki Mashiba, the screenwriters behind "Ame to Yume no Ato ni" and "Teru Teru A$hita," which were the first two television dramas that starred Kurokawa. Other "Ame to Yume no Ato ni" crew members are also involved in the play.

Kurokawa plays an aspiring writer who suddenly visits her father (Hiroyuki Nishikawa), a screenwriter whom she has been separated from since his divorce.

Performances will be held in four cities, starting with Sapporo on November 1. The show's Tokyo run will last from the end of November until Christmas Day at the Sunshine Theatre in Ikebukuro.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:02 PM

Charts: Mariya Takeuchi, NEWS
Wed, October 8, 2008 (2:30am EDT)

Singer-songwriter Mariya Takeuchi topped the album charts this week with her three-disc best collection "Expressions," which sold 305,000 copies. Takeuchi debuted 29 years and 11 months ago, which is a record among female artists for the longest career at the time of a #1 album. Yumi Matsutoya set the previous record seven years ago with a career of 29 years and 5 months.

Besides the British band Oasis at #2, the only new studio album in the top ten was Spontania's "MUSIC" at the #10 spot.

On the singles chart, boy band NEWS celebrated at #1 with their "Happy Birthday," pushing 201,000 copies. Nana Mizuki landed at #2 with her "Trickster," though it was far behind at 57,000 copies. Kiyoshi Hikawa entered the charts at #4, while the Kou Shibasaki and Masaharu Fukuyama collaboration KOH+ landed at #5.

BAReeeeeeeeeeN, the new unit formed from GReeeeeN and BACK-ON, saw their first single reach #7. Aqua Timez was right behind them at #8, and the solo comeback release by ASKA (of CHAGE and ASKA) rounded out the charts at #10.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:03 PM

MY LITTLE LOVER to release digital self-cover album
Wed, October 8, 2008 (2:57am EDT)

MY LITTLE LOVER is releasing a digital album called "acoakko" next week, consisting of 10 self-covers. The collection will be available through iTunes, and there are currently no plans for a CD release.

Tracks include "Hello, Again ~Mukashi Kara Aru Basho~" and the group's debut song "Man & Woman." On the cover versions, vocalist akko performs the songs in an acoustic style, with Masayoshi Furukawa playing guitar and Toshiyuki Mori handling keyboard.

MY LITTLE LOVER has already announced a national tour starting on November 22.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:05 PM

Public broadcasting network NHK announced yesterday that they have banned several popular singers from TV appearances after they were found to have associated with a known yakuza gang boss. According to this week's issue of the "Shukan Shincho" magazine, the five enka singers - Hosokawa Takashi (58, photo), Kobayashi Akira (69), Matsubara Nobue (47), Kadokawa Hiroshi (54) and Nakajou Kiyoshi (62) - took part in a golf competition in Shizuoka Prefecture to celebrate the birthday of a Yamaguchi-gumi "kumi-cho" (gang boss) in mid-September. Apart from Nakajou, the singers also attended a party after the competition. After the story was published, NHK contacted the management agencies of the singers, who each confirmed that the story was true. The network then consulted with the agencies and record companies about how best to deal with the issue. NHK has already announced that it is looking for replacement artists for the December 13 show "BS Nihon no Uta." An official said they have yet to decide on whether to allow the singers to take their usual place on stage at the annual "Kohaku Uta Gassen" live concert on New Year's Eve. A statement said, "It was decided that it is not proper for a public network to be associated with an organization that stands in contravention to the public good." In a related development, TV Tokyo announced that scenes featuring Hosokawa would be cut from a music show scheduled for October 13. Links between showbiz and the yakuza are not uncommon, though rarely made public, and the old-fashioned image of many male enka singers is not far from that worn by top gangsters who cast themselves as modern-day samurai.

According to Jake Adelstein, a former police reporter who has also written for Shukan Shincho and does consultation work for foreign firms in Japan, the kumi-cho in question is Goto Tadamasa (photo left, courtesy of japansubculture.com), head of the Goto-gumi, a Yamaguchi-gumi organized crime group with over nine hundred and fifty members. Goto is considered to be the wealthiest and second most powerful boss in the Yamaguchi-gumi, which with 40,000 members (National Police Agency [NPA] figures) is the largest organized crime group in Japan. He also obtained a liver transplant at UCLA in 2001, after making a deal with the FBI to share information in exchange for a visa.

Goto's connections to the entertainment industry are well-known. In 2007, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department accidentally leaked onto a file sharing network a list of Goto-gumi's front companies. Included in the list was Burning Productions, one of Japan's biggest talent agencies and production companies. In December 2007, the NPA and the Organized Crime Control Bureau Section Three of the TMPD asked the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters to cease and desist relationships with organized crime members and affiliated entities. Burning Productions was not listed in the letter that was sent to the association but detectives in the TMPD assert that this was understood.

HK's ban on singers who have associations with organized crime members represents a major change in the Japanese public's attitude toward organized crime. NHK is a quasi-public entity, and the decision may also reflect the Japanese government taking more of a non-tolerance policy towards the yakuza and those that associate with them," says Adelstein. Adelstein has posted an English translation of a NPA file which discusses Goto's entertainment industry connections, on http://www.japansubculture.com.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:06 PM

Rock band X Japan are said to be negotiating with Chinese authorities to hold a concert at the Olympic stadium in Beijing next spring. Once details have been finalized, leader Yoshiki plans to visit Beijing and hold a press conference. The so-called "Bird's Nest" stadium can hold up to 80,000 people, which would make it the biggest concert ever for the band.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:08 PM

Actor Yagami Ren (22) was recently spotted spending the night at the Tokyo apartment of talento Ono Mayumi (27), according to this week's issue of "Friday" magazine. The two are thought to have been dating since they appeared together in the April drama "Tokyo Ghost Trip." Yagami is also a member of the pop group PureBOYS.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 9-10-2008 05:12 PM

Japanese Electronic Rock Pioneers BOOM BOOM SATELLITES Return with New Album

October 8, 2008 by KNDY

揈XPOSED

whitedove · Post time 10-10-2008 05:16 PM

Wedding bells for announcer Nana Suzue
Thu, October 9, 2008 (1:18am EDT)

NTV revealed on Wednesday that 28-year-old announcer Nana Suzue got married earlier this week. Her husband is a 30-year-old employee at an advertising firm whom she has been friends with since they were university students. They began dating about a year and a half ago and finally registered their marriage this past Tuesday.

Suzue is a regular on shows such as "NEWS ZERO" and "Sekai Gyoten News." She is also a member of NTV's announcer unit go!go!girls.

Source: www.tokyograph.com