Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part III]
Sign Ups Available Online This Evening and Attendance of Special Judge TsunkuApril 16, 2009 by J!-ENT
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A J!-ENT Exclusive!
Anaheim, California (April 15, 2009) - Think you got what it takes to be the next AX Idol? Thousands will audition for the most coveted singing and voice acting contest at the nation's largest Anime/Manga convention and win amazing prizes! Anime Expo 2009 will be held from July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.
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Anime Expo 2009's AX Idol event is one of the most coveted and attended events at the nation?s largest anime and manga convention. This year, contestants will have an additional treat as the prolific producer, of Morning Musume fame, Tsunku will appear as a special industry guest judge.
?AX Idol 2009 will give attendees a special opportunity to showcase their singing and voice acting talents in front of industry professionals from Bang Zoom! Entertainment and Tsunku?-one of the most famous music producers from Japan. It is my honor to be a part of such a great event that give our attendees the dream to become a part of the anime industry?, states Kacie Chatfield AX Idol Manager.
Interested contestants must be registered Anime Expo? 2009 attendees and can register online at www.anime-expo.org after 6:00 pm PST today.
Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.
Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT
news: artiste
Hokkaido to give letter of appreciation to Chinese film directorFriday 17th April, 03:12 AM JST
SAPPORO -
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Hokkaido has decided to present a certificate of appreciation to Chinese movie director Feng Xiaogang after a film he shot in the northernmost Japanese prefecture helped attract Chinese tourists, local officials said Thursday.
Yoji Takahara, deputy governor of the prefecture, and the mayors of Kushiro and Abashiri, where the film 'Fei Cheng Wu Rao' (If You Are the One), was mainly shot, will visit Beijing and Shanghai from April 20 to 24 to present the certificate to Feng and meet local tourism officials to promote trips to Hokkaido.
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: CM
Four CanCam models tout Morinaga chocolate snackFriday 17th April, 04:00 AM JST
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TOKYO -
CanCam fashion magazine models Maryjun Takahashi, 21, Erika Mine, 25, Shizuka Kondo, 24 and Aiku Maikawa, 20, are appearing in a new commercial for Morinaga?s re-designed chocolate snack 'BAKE.'
The commercial, filmed in Thailand, starts with the four girls in an office, but quickly changes to a scene at a beach resort, where the girls enjoy the new product while prancing around in pink and white bikinis. The product features a slogan which claims it won?t melt even in summer.
Mine said: ?It?s just not summer without this chocolate. You can leave it in your car, and it won?t melt.?
The commercial will air from April 21 and the product goes on sale May 20.
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: singer
Junichi Inagaki remarriedFri, April 17, 2009 (1:54am EDT)
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Singer Junichi Inagaki (55) has been married since last year, it was learned on Thursday. According to his agency, Inagaki registered the marriage last October and held a private wedding ceremony around the same time.
Inagaki's wife (45) is not in show business. This is his second marriage, as his first wife passed away in 2006.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: singer
Gackt cancels Korea concertFri, April 17, 2009 (3:08am EDT)
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Gackt was scheduled to perform a concert in Korea on May 18, but he has now announced on his website that the show has been canceled for financial reasons. He had planned to play at Seoul's Olympic Hall with a setup similar to his Japanese tour that started in December.
According to Gackt's explanation, the sponsors of the concert have suddenly withdrawn their support due to the effects of the global recession.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: stage play
Yoshizawa, Ishikawa co-star in manga-to-stage adaptationFri, April 17, 2009 (2:41am EDT)
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Former Morning Musume members Hitomi Yoshizawa and Rika Ishikawa have been cast as co-stars in the upcoming stage production "Tokyo Alice."
The play is based on the popular josei manga of the same name by Toriko Chiya, currently being serialized in Kodansha's magazine Kiss. The story portrays the everyday lives of two OLs with different personalities. Ishikawa's character is an impulsive shopper, while Yoshikawa's character is the daughter of a well-to-do family. The cast also includes actress Sayaka Yoshino playing the part of a fortune teller, a character not found in the manga.
Rehearsals started on Thursday. Performances will be held at Tokyo's Space Zero from May 8 to May 17.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: director
Director surprised at 'Departures' successFriday 17th April, 05:31 AM JST
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TOKYO ?
Japanese director Yojiro Takita says his Oscar-winning film ?Departures? was a ?miracle? as the movie depicting life and death through the eyes of an undertaker was initially seen so far from commercial success.
?Even when I started shooting the film, I was so uncertain. I could not see where the movie was going,? Takita said Thursday at the Foreign Correspondents? Club of Japan.
?It was a delicate task to make ?Departures? because it deals with death. Japanese people tend to shy away from death, and frankly I could not picture how the audience would take this movie,? said the 53-year-old director.
Since opening in Japan in September last year, the film has grossed more than 6 billion yen in box-office revenue with the number of moviegoers topping five million, according to Shochiku Company Ltd, a film production company.
Shochiku had initially expected around three billion yen in box-office revenue for ?Departures? at best and planned to show it only at selected theaters. Shochiku did not disclose the movie?s production cost.
But popularity of ?Departures? has grown through word of mouth, and snowballed after it won the Oscar for best foreign language film in February in an upset over the favored Israeli entry ?Waltz With Bashir.?
?Winning an Oscar was totally unexpected. It gave me courage and confidence. I now want to thank the film,? Takita said.
?The film really gained momentum after the Oscar. In my opinion, it is a miracle film,? he said.
?Departures? is still shown across Japan and is set to open more than 50 countries, including Italy next week and the United States and France in May. ?Departures? already opened in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
The film centers on a cellist who lost his job after his orchestra disbanded due to an economic slump. Feeling lost, he returned to his hometown in northern Japan with his wife and landed on a job as an undertaker by mistake.
With tenderness and sometimes humor, ?Departures? depicts life and death in rural Japan through the eyes of the undertaker, whose dealing with his wife and his long-lost father was also among the highlights of the movie.
Takita said the story of ?Departures? is ?very Japanese? but stressed the film has universal appeal to reach a wider global audience.
?Death occurs to everybody around the world. I want people to appreciate and look into life through death,? he said.
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: mangaka
Astro Boy creator Tezuka's sketches in spotlight at Tokyo exhibitionSaturday 18th April, 04:31 AM JST
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TOKYO ?
Memorial sketches by legendary Japanese ??manga?? comic artist Osamu Tezuka and his work desk will be among the items on display to the public for the first time at a commemorative exhibition commencing Saturday in Tokyo. The exhibition comes as the work of Japan?s pioneering postwar manga artist is drawing attention prior to the release this October of ??Astro Boy,?? a computer-generated Hollywood film featuring Tezuka?s signature creation.
Tezuka used the steel work desk at his home in Tokyo to draw a number of manga stories, according to Tezuka Productions Co, an atelier he set up.
Another item on display is a wooden board bearing Tezuka?s sketches telling a little-known story about Tezuka?s friendship in the 1980s with a news reporter who was covering the police beat at the time, according to Mika Suzuki of the atelier.
Suzuki is producing the exhibition titled ??The 80th Anniversary of Tezuka Osamu: Messages to the Future?? at the Edo Tokyo Museum.
The board used to be a ceiling panel in Tezuka?s now demolished ??Tokiwa So?? apartment, where he lived in 1953. The apartment provided a home for Tezuka and other manga giants such as Fujio Fujiko, who authored the popular comic featuring feline robot Doraemon, and Shotaro Ishinomori.
After Tezuka and the reporter learned that the apartment was going to be demolished, the reporter took the ceiling panel as a memento and Tezuka drew some sketches of the main characters from his manga stories on it.
The whereabouts of the ceiling panel had been unknown but the organizers of the exhibition recently learned that it was in a workroom for the press at Ikegukuro Police Station, Suzuki said.
The exhibition also features Tezuka?s early works such as ??Diary of Ma-chan,?? which he wrote while attending university, and a comic he drew during his childhood called ??Pinpin Sei-chan.??
??We?re hoping that at least 120,000 people will visit the exhibition (during the two-month period),?? said Yuko Eriguchi, curator of the museum.
Tezuka, who was born in November 1928 and graduated from Osaka University with a medical degree, left a rich legacy as a manga master, animator and producer before his death in 1989.
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: celebrity
Mona Yamamoto gets into 'Punisher' modeSaturday 18th April, 07:00 AM JST
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TOKYO ?
Celebrity Mona Yamamoto, 33, wore a black leather jacket and brandished a toy gun on stage to promote the Japan release of ?Punisher: War Zone? at a special screening in Hamamatsucho this week.
Directed by Lexi Alexander, the movie is based on a Marvel Comics vigilante - the Punisher ? who wages a one-man war of vengeance against a horribly disfigured mob boss known as Jigsaw.
A reporter asked Yamamoto if she had been punished for anything recently. ?I haven?t done anything really bad, have I?? she replied. When asked if there was anyone she wanted to punish, she said: ?Ayako Nishikawa. When she gets drunk, she keeps telling me in a loud voice that she likes me, which is a bit worrying.?
?Punisher: War Zone? opens in cinemas on Saturday.
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: celebrity
http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/pix/i/ichiro_career_record_hits.jpgPlaudits have been coming in from the show business for the latest feat by baseball superstar Ichiro (35). The Seattle Mariners leadoff batter equaled the record for career hits by a Japanese player yesterday, with the record holder Harimoto Isao (68, active from 1959-81, photo right) watching in the stands. And with typical aplomb, Ichiro's 3,085th, 7th-inning hit was a grand slam home run that helped seal an 11-3 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Angels. What made it even more remarkable was that it was his first game of the season after a bleeding stomach ulcer had landed him on the disabled list for the first time in his Major League career. The win propelled the Mariners to 7-2, the best record in the majors and a far better start than expected after their recent terrible seasons. Ichiro was already riding a huge wave of popularity after helping Japan defend their title at the World Baseball Classic last month. Regarded as the best batter of his generation, Ichiro has many celebrity friends and they all wanted to congratulate him on yesterday's achievement. Enka singer Ishikawa Sayuri (51), whose "Amagigoe" plays every time he steps up to the plate, said, "I heard the news during rehearsals and started clapping. And to do it with a grand slam home run - he really is loved by the baseball gods." Veteran actress Mori Mitsuko (88) said, "He has set the kind of records that you need to live to my age to reach. I'm just honored to be living in the same time as him. Long time friend and enka singer Koda Shin said, "He's really aging well, isn't he? As younger men, we used to go to yakiniku restaurants or karaoke. Now he's an inspirational team leader."
Source: www.japan-zone.com
news: singer-songwriter
Ringo Shiina to release first original album in six yearsFri, April 17, 2009 (1:52pm EDT)
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Ringo Shiina has announced the release of a new original album, the first under her name since "Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana" in 2003. Titled "Sanmon Gossip," the album is scheduled to go on sale June 24.
Shiina has mainly been active as part of the band Tokyo Jihen since 2004, though she has also done a couple collaborations under her name. And last year, she released multiple compilations in honor of the 10th anniversary of her music career.
"Sanmon Gossip" will reportedly include the songs "Ariamaru Tomi" (her new single coming out on May 27) and "Futaribocchi Jikan" (being used on NHK's "Minna no Uta" in June and July).
Source: www.tokyograph.com
survey
Oricon: who would you want as a younger brother?Sat, April 18, 2009 (2:28am EDT)
Popular stars Joe Odagiri and Masami Nagasawa are playing siblings in the TBS drama "Boku no Imouto," and recently there has been a lot of attention drawn to real-life siblings such as Jun and Yu Shirota, as well as Kumi Koda and misono. As a result, Oricon conducted a survey on the subject. A thousand men and women were asked, "Which famous person would you like to have as your younger brother?"
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Leading the list was WaT member Teppei Koike. Among the responses were comments like "He's really cool," and "He's refreshing and seems really responsible." "Through his behavior and smile, the goodness of his personality just exudes out of him," commented a man from Miyagi.
Koike was followed by Takeru Sato, with females commenting that they can imagine "easily getting along with him and becoming really close." "You want to brag of having a younger brother with such a wonderful smile like his," said a female from Kanagawa.
The complete top ten were as follows:
1. Teppei Koike (WaT)
2. Takeru Sato
3. Haruma Miura
4. Ryunosuke Kamiki
5. Eiji Wentz
6. Kenta Suga
7. Ryo Ishikawa
8. Yusuke Kamiji
9. Hiro Mizushima
10. Ryosuke Yamada (Hey! Say! JUMP)
The results of the "younger sister" survey will be published in a few days.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: actor
Another girl for Shosuke TaniharaSat, April 18, 2009 (2:52am EDT)
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Actor Shosuke Tanihara (36) and talento Emi Miyake (31) recently celebrated the birth of their newest child. Miyake gave birth to a daughter at the start of this week.
Tanihara and Miyake married in March 2007, and they had their first daughter in October of that year. Miyake also has a 5-year-old son from her previous marriage with actor Issei Ishida (34).
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: artistes
Do As Infinity's first single since reunitingSat, April 18, 2009 (3:59am EDT)
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Do As Infinity has announced their first new single since their reunion last year. Their last single was "TAO" in 2005, making this their first in nearly four years.
The single is titled "81" (read as "Infinity Ichi") and will contain a total of four songs. One will be "Timeless," which is being used as the ending theme of the TV Tokyo show "Gekisou! GT." The single will be released on June 17.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: actress
Ryoko Yonekura looking for 'key to success'Sunday 19th April, 05:55 AM JST
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TOKYO -
Actress Ryoko Yonekura, 33, was among the guests of honor this week at a party to launch jewelery brand Tiffany?s new collection. The star was decked out in a ring, earrings and other works of the designer, with a value of over 8 million yen.
After the unveiling of the 'Tiffany Key,' Yonekura was asked what key she wanted most. 'The key to success,' she joked.
Other celebrities present, included fashion model SHIHO's husband, martial artist Yoshihiro Akiyama, 33. He spoke fondly of his wife, saying "Everything we do expresses how much we love each other."
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: singer
Harumi Tsuyuzaki ties the knot on 35th birthdaySun, April 19, 2009 (3:27am EDT)
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Singer Harumi Tsuyuzaki, also known by the name Lyrico, got married last weekend. She registered the marriage on April 11, her 35th birthday.
Her husband is said to be working in film production. On her blog, Tsuyuzaki said that the man was a good friend, but their relationship eventually developed towards marriage.
Tsuyuzaki also revealed that this is her second marriage. She married once before in 1998, but divorced in 2002.
Tsuyuzaki made her debut as a singer in 1995. She performed under the name Lyrico between 2001 and 2007.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news: actresses
Mikase, Kawahara 'as gentle as cotton'Monday 20th April, 05:46 AM JST
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TOKYO -
Actresses Riho Mikase, 37, and Ayako Kawahara, 38, were named 'Women As Gentle As Cotton' at the Tenerita Organic Cotton Awards ceremony this month. "While cotton is nice, I prefer NIGO," said Mikase, referring to her fashion designer husband whom she tied the knot with in December of last year.
When asked about her rumored steamy relationship with a music producer, Kawahara commented, "Things are going well."
Source: www.japantoday.com
news: movie
Toshiaki Toyoda returns with "Yomigaeri no Chi"Sun, April 19, 2009 (12:44pm EDT)
Director Toshiaki Toyoda (40) is making his comeback with a new film titled "Yomigaeri no Chi." This is his first work since "Kuchu Teien" ("Hanging Garden") in 2005.
In September 2005, just before the theatrical release of "Kuchu Teien," Toyoda was convicted of possession of stimulants. He was given a sentence of two years in prison, suspended for three years.
"Yomigaeri no Chi" is based on the legend of Oguri Hangan, which has been turned into multiple kabuki and bunraku plays. The story depicts the son of a feudal lord who falls gravely ill after being poisoned, but is resurrected after a pilgrimage to the sacred land of Kumano.
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Filming took place last July in Aomori. Drummer/actor Tatsuya Nakamura is starring, supported by Masao Kusakari, Kusakari's daughter Mayuu, Hirofumi Arai, and Itsuji Itao. The movie is scheduled for a fall release.
Source: www.tokyograph.com
news article: dorama
Korea Can Learn From Japanese Drama ProductionBy Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
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Korea and Japan have been at center stage when it comes to television dramas, and the Korean Broadcasting Institute has revealed the differences of the two close yet distant countries' drama production.
According to the report ``Comparison on Drama Making of Japan and Korea,'' led by researcher Kim Young-duk, the acting fees given to local star actors exceed those in Japan, decreasing the competitiveness in the drama production market. While local actors' pay account for 60 percent of the drama budget, Japanese actors based on a similar budget receive only 20 to 30 percent the amount.
``Excessive fees can lead to oversized production costs, which may also lead to poor profits. Korea must come up with a rational fee estimate system by observing objective data,'' the report suggested.
The reason why Japanese actors don't get paid excessively is because of negotiations carried out based on accumulated data. Japan emphasizes what is called ``potential ratings,'' which is basically possible ratings based on the actors' series ratings and number of appearances on television and other media for the three previous years. The report gave examples of this system, including that of Nanako Matsushima, who receives 4.5 million yen (approximately $ 45,514) with potential ratings of 14.8 percent; Yukie Nakama with 3 million yen ($ 30,342) at 14.1 percent and Kimura Takuya receiving 3.5 million yen ($ 35,400) with 13.1 percent. Top local actors such as Bae Yong-joon are known to receive approximately 250 million won ($ 185,800) and Song Seung-heon 70 million won ($ 52,025) per episode.
``We need a similar system that is transparent and based on trust,'' the report said.
Although many actors including Kwon Sang-woo, Ko Hyun-joung and Song have noted the difficulties in drama production and have decided to lower their paychecks, the problem still lingers among other ``expensive'' actors and also them appearing in the same dramas.
Apart from production costs, other differences included the number of episodes aired weekly and running time.
While Korean dramas usually air twice a week ? Mondays and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and on weekends ? Japanese productions mostly present dramas once weekly. Korean dramas are relatively longer, at 70 minutes, while Japanese episodes air for approximately 46 minutes.
``The two-day airing system may be effective in raising ratings, but to produce more globally competitive shows, we need to look into airing one episode per week and cut running time and pre-production,'' Kim said in the report.
Drama production in Japan starts about six months to a year prior to actual airing, which gives actors, crew and producers time to deliver their best work. Such is rarely the case in Korea.
``Many Korean dramas are made in a rush due to conflicting schedules,'' according to the report.
Many episodes of local dramas are made at the last minute, creating words like ``jjok-daebon,'' which means scripts being given out right before the shooting of a particular scene. Some suddenly extend the number of episodes, riding on popularity, but later get criticized for stretching the storyline too much.
In order to break the bad production habits, Kim suggested the need of specializing.
``Having a producer and also a scene director may help cut the time in drama production and help strengthen overall quality,'' Kim said in the report.
Considering the impact television soaps have on social, economic and cultural aspects, it's important to understand how to best create them and how to present them in effective time slots, the report added.
``According to the Korea Economic Research Institute, the economic effect of the drama `Winter Sonata' was 3 trillion won. For production companies, dramas are among the content they are highly interested in for creating a firm image of themselves and also as stable moneymakers,'' Kim wrote.
Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2009/04/201_43474.html
news: dorama
KAT-TUN's Tanaka joins "Hissatsu Shigotonin"Mon, April 20, 2009 (12:13am EDT)
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Koki Tanaka of popular group KAT-TUN has just been revealed as an addition to the cast of the TV Asahi drama series "Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009."
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The period drama, which is continuing from last season, initially starred Shonentai's Noriyuki Higashiyama, TOKIO's Masahiro Matsuoka, and Kanjani8's Tadayoshi Okura. Tanaka will play the successor to Okura's character, which is no longer on the show.
Tanaka will make his first appearance on the April 24 episode.
Source: www.tokyograph.com