Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:15 PM

NHK announces 'support group' for 'Red & White Song Contest'
Thursday 06th November, 11:01 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:22 PM

Billy's Bootcamp to return to Osaka
Thursday 06th November, 10:49 AM JST

OSAKA

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:24 PM

Yuya Yagira back to blogging
Thu, November 6, 2008 (1:25am EST)

Young actor Yuya Yagira updated his blog with a new entry on Thursday, the first since his accidental overdose at the end of August. He assured his fans that he is fine now and that there is no need to worry.

Yagira also mentioned Thursday's release of "Yamanai Ame," the first novel conceptualized and overseen by the actor. Written by Rin Inoue, the book is a wrenching love story between a male delivery driver and a female cafe worker. Yagira said that he would love to see the novel adapted to the big screen, starring him as the protagonist. However, no concrete plans for a movie version have been made yet.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:34 PM

Hideo Nakata to direct English-language thriller
Thu, November 6, 2008 (1:36am EST)

J-horror director Hideo Nakata is now working on his first original English-language movie, titled "Chatroom." Described as a "psychological thriller about teenagers who encourage each other's destructive behavior," the film is written by playwright Enda Walsh ("Disco Pigs," "Hunger"). A new company called WestEnd Films is selling the picture at the currently running American Film Market.

Filming is scheduled to start in the spring.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:35 PM

Oricon: fashion surveys
Thu, November 6, 2008 (2:10am EST)

Oricon recently conducted a survey of a thousand women ages 20 to 35 who expressed an interest in fashion. The survey had several questions, and Oricon has published some of the results on its website.

One question asked the women which female celebrity looks best in animal prints, which have recently been catching on as a fashion trend. Ayumi Hamasaki was voted #1, followed by rival Kumi Koda, actress Aya Sugimoto, model Uno Kanda, and actress Erika Sawajiri.

Another pop star, Namie Amuro, ranked #6. The rest of the top ten were models: Yukina Kino$hita, Anna Umemiya, Anna Tsuchiya, and Rinka.

In another part of the survey, Oricon asked which beauty was best suited for boots. Here, Amuro enjoyed the #1 spot, repeating her performance from last year when the same question was asked. Model Yu Yamada moved up from #6 to #2, while Karina jumped one spot to #3 and Rinka climbed from #8 to #4.

Meanwhile, Ayumi Hamasaki dropped from #2 last year to #5 this year. Also on the list were Yuri Ebihara, Kumi Koda, Yukina Kino$hita, Alisa Mizuki, and Moe Oshikiri.

A third section of the survey posed the question, "whose face would you like to have?" The cute but fierce looks of Kou Shibasaki earned her the honor of #1, followed by young actress Aoi Miyazaki. Namie Amuro also appeared on the short list at #3, while Ayumi Hamasaki tied for #4 with Yuko Takeuchi.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:48 PM

Composer Makoto Saeki passes away at 70
Thu, November 6, 2008 (2:42am EST)

Composer and arranger Makoto Saeki died of ureter cancer on Monday at a Tokyo hospital. He was 70.

Among Saeki's works were the Hibari Misora hit "Yawara" and the more recent Kiyoshi Hikawa song "Ikken," which both won a Japan Record Award.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:49 PM

Oricon: sexy voices
Thu, November 6, 2008 (3:07am EST)

Which celebrities have a sexy voice? Oricon asked a thousand men and women that question in a poll taken last month. Masaharu Fukuyama unsurprisingly landed at the top of the list of male celebrities, though actress Aya Sugimoto was a more unexpected choice to lead the female list.

Fukuyama's closest competition was from Shosuke Tanihara and Hiro Mizushima at #2 and #3, respectively. Kirin's Akira Kawashima placed 4th, above popular actor Hiroshi Tamaki. The bottom half of the top ten consisted of Gackt, HYDE, Jin Akanishi, Hiroshi Abe, and Koshi Inaba (of B'z).

On the women's rankings, Kumi Koda came in second behind Sugimoto. Actresses Miki Maya, Hitomi Kuroki, and Rieko Miura took the next three slots. Ayumi Hamasaki was #6, followed by actress Kaori Momoi. Ringo Shiina, Yukie Nakama, and Norika Fujiwara completed the list.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:52 PM

Masaharu Fukuyama to star in taiga drama
Thu, November 6, 2008 (3:24am EST)

In June, NHK revealed that its 2010 taiga drama will be "Ryomaden," based on the life of the historical figure Sakamoto Ryoma. The lead actor has now been unveiled, and it is none other than actor/singer Masaharu Fukuyama, who has never before appeared in an NHK series.

The supporting cast has still not been publicly announced. NHK plans to start filming in August 2009, and "Ryomaden" will start its broadcast run in January 2010.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 05:59 PM

Nakamaru lands first lead drama role
Thu, November 6, 2008 (12:01am EST)

KAT-TUN member Yuichi Nakamaru will play the starring role in a drama series for the first time. He has been cast in TBS's "RESCUE: Tokubetsu Koudo Kyuujotai," which will air on Saturdays at 7:56pm, starting in January.

Nakamaru plays a young firefighter aiming to become part of a special rescue team, inspired by an incident in which he was saved as a child. The series will be filmed in collaboration with an actual rescue squad in Yokohama.

Takahisa Masuda of NEWS is playing a cadet on the rescue team. Both he and Nakamaru are undergoing physical training for their roles. Other supporting cast members include Yusuke Yamamoto, Jun Kaname, Ryo Ishibashi, and Ken Ishiguro.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 7-11-2008 06:00 PM

Rock duo MONORAL抯 new album 揤ia

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:22 PM

Beyonce curtails Japan trip to celebrate Obama's win
Thursday 06th November, 11:57 AM JST

NEW YORK

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:24 PM

Tomoka Kurotani named 'Woman With the Most Appealing Teeth'
Friday 07th November, 05:50 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:33 PM

Obama lookalike comedian Nocchi hones his routine
Friday 07th November, 10:20 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:33 PM

Shibasaki sings for "Rescue Wings"
Fri, November 7, 2008 (1:10am EST)

Kou Shibasaki will be singing the theme song for "Sora e -Sukui no Tsubasa- Rescue Wings," an upcoming film directed by Masaaki Tezuka. Her song, a ballad titled "Kimi no Koe," will be her first digital-only single. It goes on sale next Wednesday.

The film is an adaptation of the anime series "Yomigaeru Sora - Rescue Wings," which aired in 2006. 16-year-old actress Yuko Takayama is playing the lead as a helicopter pilot in the search and rescue division of the JASDF. The movie opens on December 13.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:40 PM

Fuji TV dramatizes 300 million yen robbery
Fri, November 7, 2008 (1:34am EST)

Fuji TV is producing a drama special that has been tentatively titled "San Oku En Jiken: 40 Nenme no Nazo," based on a famous robbery that took place in 1968. Also known as the "300 million yen robbery," the incident was never solved, despite being one of the biggest national investigations in Japanese history.

Baijaku Nakamura will play the famous detective Hachibe Hiratsuka. Koji Yamamoto will co-star as another real-life detective. The show is scheduled to air on December 13.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:41 PM

"Crows Zero" turns back into manga
Fri, November 7, 2008 (2:08am EST)

Takashi Miike's popular film "Crows ZERO" is being redone as a manga. The comic will be serialized in Weekly Champion, starting with this year's 50th issue, on sale November 13.

"Crows ZERO" starred Shun Oguri and was originally based on Hiroshi Takahashi's manga "CROWS" from the 1990s. However, the movie's story actually takes place before the timeline of Takahashi's manga, which means it has never appeared in comic form until now. The manga is being drawn by Kenichiro Naito, based on the movie script written by Shogo Muto.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:50 PM

Young director Hayashida found dead
Sat, November 8, 2008 (3:12pm EST)

Movie director and writer Kenta Hayashida recently passed away, it was learned on Friday. Hayashida was only 32 years old.

Hayashida's first theatrical film, "Brulee," began playing in movie houses last month. According to the film's distributor, There's Enterprise, Hayashida had gone out for a meal with friends from work on October 31, and afterward went alone to his film production office. However, it wasn't until the morning of November 5 that he was found dead at the office. A representative stated that Hayashida apparently had an illness, though the cause of death has not been revealed. An announcement on the film's official site states that he passed away on November 1.

Hayashida was a graduate of the Japan Academy of Moving Images. He began making a name for himself with successful entries in the Indie's Movie Festival, and in 2001 he picked up the Grand Prize. Before "Brulee," he was also involved with direct-to-video movies.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:51 PM

Izam, Yoshioka celebrate second child
Sat, November 8, 2008 (3:13pm EST)

Talento Miho Yoshioka has given birth to her second child. The baby girl was born on Friday afternoon at a Tokyo hospital.

Yoshioka, 28, is the wife of vocalist Izam, a member of the visual kei band SHAZNA that announced its breakup earlier this week. The pair have been married since November 2006. Their first child, a boy, was born in April 2007.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:57 PM

Maha Hamada gives birth
Sun, November 9, 2008 (3:12am EST)

Actress Maha Hamada, 34, has become a mother. She gave birth to her first daughter late on Saturday night. She and her husband, a 32-year-old salaryman, have been married since April of this year.

Hamada plans to return to work early next year.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 10-11-2008 05:57 PM

Another starring role for Shunsuke Daito in "Fujoshi Kanojo"
Sun, November 9, 2008 (3:30am EST)

Young actor Shunsuke Daito has been chosen to lead in a new movie by director Atsushi Kaneshige, titled "Fujoshi Kanojo." He will co-star with actress Wakana Matsumoto.

As the title suggests, the story focuses on a young man whose girlfriend is an otaku. Daito plays a college student referred to as "boku," while Matsumoto plays the anime/manga-loving OL called "Y-ko." The story is based on a blog-turned-book by writer Pentabu. The book has also been done as a manga.

The movie is scheduled to start filming on the 19th, with theatrical release planned for next spring.

Source: www.tokyograph.com