Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part V]

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Tragic After-effects
       
July 11, 2011



Though she was a relatively minor celebrity, the suicide in May of talento Uehara Miyu at the age of 24 seems to have sparked a dramatic increase in suicides among young women across the country. While the average number of deaths by suicide in Japan this year was a shocking 82 people per day up to May 12, the day of Uehara's death, it peaked at 140 the following day when her death was reported. The next week or so saw the five highest daily death tolls recorded this year. In May alone, there were 3,329 suicides in Japan, an increase of almost 20% over the same period last year. The numbers included an uncharacteristically high proportion of women in their 20s and 30s.

The figures were recently released by a government task force set up to tackle the country's high suicide rate. In a report, they didn't mention Uehara by name but referred to the influence of the death of a female celebrity.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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TV Asahi reveals star of “Ore no Sora” drama series
Posted on July 10, 2011 by tokyograph



TV Asahi’s search for its new drama star has come to an end. On Sunday, the network announced the winner for its public audition for the lead role of the “Ore no Sora: Keiji-hen” drama series, which will air this fall. 23-year-old Shounozaki Ken, who works at a restaurant in the Fukuoka prefecture, was selected for the part.

“Ore no Sora: Keiji-hen” is a live-action adaptation of a manga by Motomiya Hiroshi about a young man named Yasuda Ippei who becomes a police detective. To cast the role of Yasuda, TV Asahi held a public audition that attracted 2,700 aspiring rookies from across the nation. 10 finalists were chosen in June, and the final winner was determined through an online poll.

In addition to earning the lead role, Shounozaki also received a 1 million yen prize.



Shounozaki’s supporting cast includes Kuninaka Ryoko as the heroine of the story and Nagai Masaru as Yasuda’s rival. Both Kuninaka and Nagai were revealed by TV Asahi in earlier announcements.

“Ore no Sora: Keiji-hen” will air on Sunday at 11:00pm, beginning in October.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Miss Magazine 2011 idols selected
Posted on July 10, 2011 by tokyograph

The winners of the 2011 Miss Magazine gravure idol competition were revealed on Sunday. This year, the grand prize went to 18-year-old Eto Misa, while the semi-grand prize went to 17-year-old Ayano Mika. Ayano is known for being the daughter of singer Tahara Toshihiko and former fashion model Mukaida Ayako.

The other two titles presented this year were the usual Miss Weekly Shonen Magazine and Miss Young Magazine. The former was given to Akizuki Mika (17), and the latter was given to Asakura Yuma (17).

Approximately 15,000 young women applied for this year’s competition.

The four Miss Magazine winners will release their first DVD together on September 14. It was also announced that they will appear in the drama series “Motto Atsui zo! Nekogaya” that begins airing this fall. That show is the sequel to last year’s “Atsui zo! Nekogaya,” which also featured previous Miss Magazine idols.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Mizuki Alisa dating young actor Shimizu Ryotaro?
Posted on July 11, 2011 by tokyograph



Actress and singer Mizuki Alisa (34) is said to currently be in a relationship with actor Shimizu Ryotaro (22). According to the Sports Nippon newspaper, the two of them started dating earlier this year, and Shimizu has already openly informed his father, comic impersonator Shimizu Akira (57).

Mizuki is currently starring in the TBS drama series “Hanawake no Yon-shimai” that started on Sunday. As previously reported, that drama makes this her 20th year in a row that she has had a starring role in a television series.

Shimizu, on the other hand, is a relatively new actor. He started out in 2006 with a minor role in “Komyo ga Tsuji.” He has also appeared in dramas such as “Elite Yankee Saburo” and the third season of “Gokusen.”

When reached for comment, Mizuki’s and Shimizu’s agencies both simply stated that the two are good friends.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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“Sukeban Deka” director Tanaka Hideo dies at 78
Posted on July 11, 2011 by tokyograph



Movie and television director Tanaka Hideo died of stomach cancer at a Saitama hospital at around 1:30pm on the afternoon of July 9. He was 78 years old.

Tanaka is perhaps best known for directing the 1987 movie “Sukeban Deka” and its 1988 sequel “Sukeban Deka: Kazama Sanshimai no Gyakushuu,” as well as part of the television series the movies were based on. He also worked on two “Uchuu Keiji Shaider” films and the corresponding TV series. Throughout his career, he helped direct dozens of other television shows, including “Ninja Captor,” “Moero Attack,” and “Hana no Asuka-gumi!”

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Koike Teppei, Nishijima Takahiro co-star in BeeTV summer romance drama
Posted on July 11, 2011 by tokyograph



WaT member Koike Teppei (25) and AAA member Nishijima Takahiro (24) are co-starring in a BeeTV mobile drama that will begin distribution next month. This is the first time that either of them has played a lead role in a mobile drama.



Titled “Shonan Natsukoi Monogatari,” the drama tells the story of two young men both searching for a place to belong. They meet at a beach house one summer, and there they find their path to adulthood through friendship and romance. The actresses playing their love interests are Usuda Asami (26) as the beach house owner’s daughter and Kinami Haruka (25) as one of the people in charge of the meals at the house. Sato Jiro (42) and Sato Aiko (33) also appear in the series.

BeeTV will begin releasing episodes on August 1, but in order to capture the true feeling of summer, filming just started on July 11 on an actual beach in the Shonan area.

The staff includes Tanaka Makoto, who directed and wrote the screenplay for the “Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management wo Yondara” movie (“Moshidora”), and Morikawa Masayuki, who produced “Koizora.”

A total of 12 ten-minute episodes are planned, scheduled to be updated on Wednesdays.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Takarazuka Revue turns “Ocean’s Eleven” into a musical
Posted on July 11, 2011 by tokyograph



The all-female Takarazuka Revue held a press conference on Monday to announce the Star Troupe’s next big production: the world’s first musical based on the hit 2001 movie “Ocean’s Eleven.” Koike Shuichiro is directing and writing the musical, which features a top-notch cast led by Yuzuki Reon as the eponymous Danny Ocean.

“Ocean’s 11" was originally a 1960 movie starring Frank Sinatra and other Rat Packers, in which Sinatra (as Danny Ocean) recruits a team of 11 men, including himself, in order to pull off an elaborate heist of multiple Las Vegas casinos. The 2001 remake starred George Clooney as Danny Ocean, with a supporting cast that included Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts. That film spawned two sequels, “Ocean’s Twelve” in 2004 and “Ocean’s Thirteen” in 2007.

The Takarazuka musical will use the same characters from Clooney’s “Ocean’s Eleven.” Besides Yuzuki Reon as Danny Ocean, the cast features Kurenai Yuzuru as Terry Benedict (originally played by Andy Garcia), Suzumi Shio as Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), Yumeno Seika as Frank Catton (Bernie Mac), Makaze Suzuho as Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon), and Yumesaki Nene as Tess (Julia Roberts).

At the press conference, the Takarazuka Revue chairman Kobayashi Koichi revealed that the movie studio Warner Bros. proposed the “Ocean’s Eleven” musical, influenced by the Takarazuka Revue’s previous adaptation of the classic film “Casablanca.”

Performances of “Ocean’s Eleven” will begin at the Takarazuka Grand Theater in Hyogo from November 11 to December 13. That will be followed by a run at the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater from January 2 to February 5, 2012.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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SMAP's Kusanagi wraps up digital broadcast campaign

Entertainment Jul. 13, 2011 - 05:58AM JST ( 9 )



TOKYO —

SMAP’s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi this week appeared in his final act as spokesman for Japanese television’s official shift from analog to digital broadcast. As part of the PR event, officials for the conversion rented out a train last Sunday on the Yamanote line in Tokyo.

Kusanagi has been the “main character” of the PR campaign for the conversion since as early as 2006. He was briefly dropped by the campaign in 2009 after an embarrassing drunken incident exposed the actor and singer’s alcohol addiction. After cleaning up his image, he was offered the job again.

“It’s a little sad to let the campaign go, but I’ll do my best to inform everyone about the change [to digital],” said the actor.

The official conversion to digital broadcast will take place on July 24. Older television sets will no longer pick up broadcasts after the change; hence the unusually long-running information campaign.  

Source: www.japantoday.com

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French murder mystery film “8 Femmes” being adapted to the stage (Corrected)
Posted on July 12, 2011 by tokyograph



The 2002 French film “8 Femmes” (“8 Women”) is getting a stage adaptation in Japan this winter. Director and playwright G2 is in charge of the production, which will feature a cast of Asano Atsuko (50), Oginome Keiko (46), Kaga Mariko (67), Daichi Mao (55), Toda Keiko (53), Maiko (26), Makise Riho (39), and Minamisawa Nao (21).

“8 Femmes” was based on a play by Robert Thomas. Directed by Francois Ozon, the film was a musical murder mystery that starred several of France’s top actresses, including Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux, Fanny Ardant, and Emmanuelle Beart. The movie won multiple awards in France and the United States, as well as a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in honor of the entire cast.

The story is set around a Christmas in the 1950s, at a large residence in the countryside. The master of the house, Marcel, is found murdered, meaning that one of the 8 women present is the culprit. As the mystery unfolds, each of the women’s secrets are revealed.

The suspects consist of Marcel’s grandmother (Kaga), wife (Daichi), sister (Asano), sister-in-law (Toda), eldest daughter (Maiko), second daughter (Nagasawa), maid (Makise), and veteran maid (Oginome).

Performances of the play will be held at Le Theatre Ginza in Tokyo from December 9 to 25, and at Morinomiya Piloti Hall in Osaka from January 7 to 9.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Suzuki Anne to star in new production of Tsuka Kohei’s “Bakumatsu Junjoden”
Posted on July 12, 2011 by tokyograph



“Bakumatsu Junjoden,” a well-known play created by the acclaimed playwright Tsuka Kohei who died last year, is going to be revived later this year. Actress Suzuki Anne will star, becoming the 5th person to play Tsuka’s version of the historical figure Okita Soji.

The “Bakumatsu Junjoden” story follows the premise that Okita Soji, a skilled sword fighter in the Shinsengumi, was actually a woman. The new production of the play is being titled “Shin Bakumatsu Junjoden” (officially titled in English as “Neo Bakumatsu Junjyoden”) and is being directed by Sugita Shigemichi, who also handled the 2003 production starring Hirosue Ryoko.

Suzuki’s supporting cast includes Baba Toru, Wada Masato, Yoshida Tomonori, Ozawa Yuta, Kato Masaya, Tomioka Koichiro, Henmi Teruyoshi, Kawabata Hirotoshi, and Yamazaki Ginnojo.

“Shin Bakumatsu Junjoden” will be performed on September 13-25 at the Parco Theater in Shibuya, where the original “Bakumatsu Junjoden” was first performed in 1989. It will then be performed at the Theater Drama City in Osaka on October 1-2.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Meisa Kuroki attends L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards

Entertainment Jul. 14, 2011 - 06:03AM JST ( 11 )



TOKYO —

Actress Meisa Kuroki, 23, attended the sixth annual “L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards” ceremony in Tokyo this week. The event was started as the result of a partnership between French cosmetics company L’Oréal and the United Nations Educational,  Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote the position of women in science and to pay tribute to outstanding women in the field. Each laureate also receives a grant of $100,000.

Kuroki said of the ceremony, “It’s great to see women thriving in so many different fields. I feel inspired by their efforts. It makes me want to try to be the kind of person who can inspire others.”

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Takashima Masanobu, Mion getting divorced
Posted on July 13, 2011 by tokyograph



Actor Takashima Masanobu (44) and fashion model Mion (32) are headed for divorce, it has been learned. The two got married in 2008 after a few months of dating, but due to differences in their personalities and values they have been living separately since August 2010, and their relationship appears to be beyond repair.

According to a person familiar with the matter, the couple tried arbitration through their lawyers but could not reach a settlement. As a result, they took the matter to court and have been battling it out in front of a judge since February.

Takashima’s agency officially confirmed today that he is in the middle of court proceedings. The third hearing took place on July 11. It is not clear when the case may reach a conclusion.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Charts: Arashi, Not yet
Posted on July 13, 2011 by tokyograph



The #1 album this week was Arashi’s “Beautiful World,” selling close to 631,000 copies. Out of all the albums released this year, “Beautiful World” currently holds the record for highest first-week sales.

This is Arashi’s third album in a row to sell more than half a million copies in the first week, an accomplishment last achieved by Mr.Children in 2007. They now have a streak of 9 consecutive chart-topping albums, and this is their 8th consecutive year with a a #1 album.

    Arashi – Beautiful World – 630,951
    Lady Gaga – Born This Way – 31,733
    Nishino Kana – Thank you, Love – 29,005
    Shoujo Jidai – GIRLS' GENERATION – 21,761
    Superfly – Mind Travel – 19,875
    Various Artists – EXIT TUNES PRESENTS Vocalonation feat. Hatsune Miku – 19,548
    Gero – Gourmet – 19,063
    Tokyo Jihen – Daihakken – 18,961
    Various Artists – DJ MAKIDAI from EXILE Treasure MIX 3 – 18,154
    Yazawa Eikichi – ONLY ONE ~touch up~ – 14,963



AKB48 sub-unit Not yet topped the singles chart again with their second release, “Naminori Kakigoori,” at more than 156,000 copies sold. The last time that a sub-unit of any group reached #1 with its first two singles was Mini Moni (from Morning Musume) in 2001.

    Not yet – Naminori Kakigoori – 156,283
    KARA – GO GO Summer! – 32,890
    Hey! Say! JUMP – OVER – 16,908
    L'Arc~en~Ciel – GOOD LUCK MY WAY – 13,924
    Momoiro Clover Z – Z Densetsu ~Owarinaki Kakumei~ – 13,193
    Momoiro Clover Z – D' no Junjou – 12,969
    Tsuruno Takeshi – Pokemon Ieru Kana? BW – 12,475
    TUBE – A Day In The Summer ~Omoide wa Egao no Mama~ – 11,403
    Kaoru to Yuki, Tama ni Mook – Maru Maru Mori Mori! – 11,072
    no3b – Kuchibiru Furezu... – 9,610

Meanwhile, AKB48 member Maeda Atsuko ranked #1 in the idol/image category on both the DVD and Blu-ray charts with her solo release, “Maeda Atsuko Muboubi.” Ever since Oricon began publishing aggregate sales numbers for DVDs and Blu-rays, no other artist has topped the idol/image category on both charts.

In the overall category on the DVD charts, UVERworld’s “LAST TOUR FINAL at TOKYO DOME” took #1, marking their second consecutive release to top the charts.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Aoyama Shinji’s “Tokyo Kouen” to compete at Locarno
Posted on July 13, 2011 by tokyograph



The Locarno International Film Festival has announced this year’s lineup, and there are two Japanese films in the running for the prestigious Golden Leopard prize in the International Competition section. One is Aoyama Shinji’s “Tokyo Kouen,” and the other is Tomita Katsuya’s “Saudade.”

This will be the international premiere for “Tokyo Kouen,” which stars Miura Haruma with a supporting cast of Eikura Nana, Konishi Manami, and Igawa Haruka. Aoyama has already been in the festival three times before this.

This will also be the international premiere for “Saudade,” a film that deals with the interactions between Japanese and foreigners in the Yamanashi prefecture.

The last time that a Japanese film won the Golden Leopard was Kobayashi Masahiro’s “Ai no Yokan” in 2007. Before that, the last one was Jissoji Akio’s “Mujo” in 1970.

This year’s festival also includes Matsumoto Hitoshi’s “Saya Zamurai” in the Piazza Grande program. In conjunction with that, there will also be a tribute to Matsumoto, featuring his previous films “Dainipponjin” and “Symbol.”

The Locarno International Film Festival takes place on August 3-13 in Locarno, Switzerland.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Maomi Yuuki guest of honor at Best Kisser awards

Entertainment Jul. 15, 2011 - 05:32AM JST ( 21 )



TOKYO —

TV personality Maomi Yuuki, 31, was the guest of honor at the Best Kisser 2011
awards ceremony this week.

At the ceremony, she described her first kiss, telling the media it was with her boyfriend, two years her junior, when she was a third grader in high school. “We sort of bumped into each other and it was like, ‘Oh, we kissed,’” she recalled.

She went on to describe her favorite kind of kisses as, “Not those in which a man has contrived a situation, but those moments in which he approaches directly and without artifice.”

“Kissing is so important when it comes to getting to know someone,” Yuuki added. “They say Japanese men nowadays are too passive and effeminate. I think they should try kissing more!”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Koide Keisuke, Mizusawa Erena co-star in “Switch wo Osu Toki” movie
Posted on July 14, 2011 by tokyograph



Actor Koide Keisuke (27) and model/actress Mizusawa Erena (19) have been cast as the leads in a movie version of “Switch wo Osu Toki,” scheduled for release on September 17. This will be the first starring movie role for Mizusawa, who got her acting break in the 2008 television drama “Koizora.”

“Switch wo Osu Toki” is based on a novel by Yamada Yusuke (“Avatar,” “Real Onigokko”). It was previously adapted as a television drama starring Narimiya Hiroki and as a stage play starring Nagayama Takashi.

The story revolves around a government-sponsored project aimed at determining the causes of suicide. 10 young boys and girls are held in captivity and pushed to their limits, with the option of pressing a “switch” that would result in their own death. After 7 years, only 6 of them, including a girl named Masami (Mizusawa), have retained their will to live. However, a mysterious man named Minami (Koide) is newly assigned as one of the observers on the project, and he becomes another obstacle in their battle to survive.

The rest of the cast includes Sano Kazuma, Atae Shinjiro (AAA), Taiga, Sakamoto Shogo, Kanno Rio, Fukushi Seiji, Suzuki Sawa, Ogura Hisahiro, Tanaka Tetsushi, and Nishimura Masahiko. Nakajima Ryo (“RISE UP”) is directing.

Update: Added Fukushi Seiji and Suzuki Sawa to the cast list.

Source: http://www.tokyograph.com/news/k ... h-wo-osu-toki-movie

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Kamikawa Takaya, Sasaki Nozomi, Terawaki Yasufumi in drama adaptation of mystery novel “Kasha”
Posted on July 14, 2011 by tokyograph



The acclaimed 1992 mystery novel “Kasha” by author Miyabe Miyuki is getting a new television drama adaptation, starring Kamikawa Takaya, Sasaki Nozomi, and Terawaki Yasufumi.

Miyabe’s original novel won the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize, a prestigious literary prize, and in 2008 it was ranked #1 by the “Kono Mystery ga Sugoi!” magazine in a “Best of Best” list for the past 20 years. The novel has also been translated into English under the title “All She Was Worth.”

The story is set in Tokyo in 1992, shortly after the burst of the economic bubble in Japan. Kamikawa plays Honma Shunsuke, a police detective on temporary leave due to an injury. Honma receives a request from a male relative to search for his fiancee, who has suddenly gone missing. Along with his colleague (Terawaki), Honma begins tracking down the woman, who appears to have a history of bankruptcy and a possible stolen identity.

Sasaki, who has never had a true role in a mystery drama before this, will play a mysterious woman who is critical to the investigation.

TV Asahi will broadcast the drama as a single-episode special, though no broadcast date has been announced yet.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Cast of Harry Potter sends messages to tsunami victims on flag of Japan

Entertainment Jul. 16, 2011 - 05:42AM JST ( 12 )



SENDAI —

The president of Warner Entertainment Japan, William Ireton, visited Miyagi Prefecture on Thursdsay on the eve of the release of the final movie in the popular Harry Potter franchise. Ireton paid a visit to Miyagi prefectural governor Yoshihiro Murai, 50, bearing messages from Daniel Radcliffe, 21, and other young stars of the movies, written on the flag of Japan.

Ireton said, “We offer you this in the hope that the victims of this terrible disaster find the strength and bravery to piece together their lives once again.”

Murai gratefully accepted the gift and replied, “People in affected areas are taking tiny steps back to normality. The peace of mind offered by daily activities, like going to the movies, is a valuable part of that process.”

The flag, bearing messages from the cast of the Harry Potter franchise, has been made publicly visible on the first floor of the Miyagi prefectural office. The final installment in the Harry Potter franchise, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2”, opened nationwide on Friday.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Kamen Rider’s Kiriyama Renn stars in two movies
Posted on July 15, 2011 by tokyograph



Actor Kiriyama Renn (26), best known for the “Kamen Rider W” television series and “The Prince of Tennis” musicals, has been chosen for the starring role in two upcoming theatrical films. The first is “Kimi e,” directed by Nishimura Shinya, and the second is “Kichijoji no Asahina-kun,” directed by Kato Shoichi.

“Kimi e” has Kiriyama playing an intelligent science student who carries an emotional wound from losing someone important to him. The movie is scheduled for release in September.

“Kichijoji no Asahina-kun” is based on a novel by Nakata Eiichi. Kiriyama plays a gentle young man who begins falling for a woman who already has a child. That film is scheduled for release on November 19.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Toho to build movie multiplex and hotel on site of former Koma theater
ENTERTAINMENT JUL. 17, 2011 - 06:40AM JST ( 2 )

TOKYO —

Cinema giant Toho is planning to build a multistorey hotel and cinema multiplex in Shinjuku on the former site of the legendary Koma theater. Also called Komageki, the huge kabuki theater was known across Japan as the “Temple of Enka” and stood in Shinjuku from 1956 to 2008.

Toho plans to build a 32-storey, 130-meter-tall structure called Shinjuku Toho Building. It is to include a Toho movie theater and a Fujita Kanko hotel to be known as Shinjuku Toho Building Washington Hotel. The multiplex will house 12 screens on three floors, with
2,500 seats. The hotel will be situated on floors 9-31 and will have 1,030 rooms.

Managing director Takashi Nakagawa said, “We believe there is great demand for movies in the Shinjuku area. Therefore, we are confident that our planned structure can coexist with the other movie theaters, Shinjuku Wald 9 and Piccadilly, that are already in the area.”

Source: www.japantoday.com