Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part III]

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:29 AM

Sweet Vacation's May going to Waseda
Sun, May 10, 2009 (4:48am EDT)

Thai singer May (19) has been accepted into Waseda University's School of International Liberal Studies. She will begin attending classes this September.

May is one half of the electropop/house duo Sweet Vacation, which made their major label debut in Japan last August. She is currently enrolled at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, but she will be taking a break from the school to move to Japan in June so that she can continue her education at Waseda.

In addition to being fluent in Thai and Japanese, May is also proficient in English, scoring a 637 out of a possible 677 on the TOEFL. Her courses will be taught in English at Waseda's School of International Liberal Studies, where many other celebrities are enrolled, including singer JYONGRI (20).

With May's acceptance into Waseda, Sweet Vacation now represents two of Japan's top schools. The group's other member, Daichi Hayakawa (31), is a graduate of Tokyo University.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:30 AM

Shintaro Morimoto to make global debut with first movie role
Sun, May 10, 2009 (6:00am EDT)

Johnny's Jr. member Shintaro Morimoto (11) has been given his first role in a movie. He will play the lead in Shochiku's "Snow Prince: Kinjirareta Koi no Melody," directed by Joji Matsuoka ("Tokyo Tower").

The movie uses an original script by Kundo Koyama, who wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award-winning "Okuribito" ("Departures"). The story is set in a poor village during the early Showa era, and Morimoto plays a young boy who has lost both parents. The heroine is being played by Marino Kuwajima (11), while the rest of the cast includes Teruyuki Kagawa, Rei Dan, Maiko, Katsuo Nakamura, and Tadanobu Asano.

"Snow Prince" is scheduled to be released in December. So far, film distributors from 17 other countries have already sent offers, making it very likely that the picture will see a wide international release.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:31 AM

89-year-old Mori gives 2,000th performance of signature play
Sunday 10th May, 03:41 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:32 AM

42,000 fans bid farewell to rock singer Imawano
Sunday 10th May, 06:10 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:34 AM

Comedian Date Mikio (34, photo left) and freelance announcer Kumagai Maiko (38) are engaged to be married, it was revealed yesterday. The two started dating about a year ago. Marrying a fellow celebrity is seen as the icing on the cake for Date, who after ten years of struggle as one half of the duo Sandwichman made his breakthrough when they won the M-1 Grand Prix comedy event in 2007. The win brought instant success and prize money of

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:35 AM

One of Japan's busiest young actors took time out from his movie schedule yesterday to promote a book and put some rumors to rest. Takaoka Sosuke (27) signed copies of his book "Hajimemashite, Konnichiwa" for fans at a Tokyo bookstore. In the autobiography he talks about how he went astray in his youth and got back on track by working in a ramen shop. Takaoka made his acting debut in a TV Asahi drama series in 1999 and hit the big screen in "Battle Royale" (2000). His big break came with the starring role in the 2005 movie "Pacchigi!" He's recently worked on a couple of sequels, "Crows Zero 2" and the baseball movie "Rookies - Sotsugyo," which opens at the end of the month. And he's also appearing in what is said to be the last ever Zatoichi movie, starring SMAP's Katori Shingo and scheduled to open next year. Takaoka married popular young actress Miyazaki Aoi (23) in 2007 but recently his late nights and rumored womanizing had the gossip magazines talking about a split. Takaoka said yesterday that he has mended his ways, given up drinking and they are now closer than ever. His new book includes the first ever official photo of the couple together.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:36 AM

Musician and producer Komuro Tetsuya (50) has been found guilty of fraud but escaped with a suspended prison sentence, as his case drew to a close this morning. Crowds, including many young people, gathered outside the Osaka District Court for news of the verdict in one of the biggest celebrity trials in years. Komuro was given a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years. Judge Sugita Munehisa said, "I can't say I have no sympathy for the series of misfortunes that led up to this case, but they did not justify the actions that followed. While the crime was haphazard, it was also very devious." But he said the judgment was offset by the fact that Komuro has shown remorse and the money has been repaid. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term, but by law three years is the longest sentence that can be suspended. Komuro was arrested last year for selling the copyrights to hundreds of his songs to a private investor, though the rights belonged to the Avex record label. It was revealed during the case that Avex Group Holdings president Matsuura Masato (44) later paid the plaintiff back his

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:37 AM

Model Isoyama announces publication of nude photos in magazine

Monday 11th May, 07:06 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:38 AM

The Boom announces tribute album
Sun, May 10, 2009 (10:25pm EDT)

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, rock band THE BOOM has announced a tribute album that will go on sale July 22. Titled "THE BOOM 20th SPECIAL COVER ALBUM," it will contain 22 songs by a wide variety of artists.

Although the complete tracklist is still unknown, the participating musicians have been revealed. The roster includes Kazumasa Oda, Tamio Okuda, Ayaka, Kimaguren, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, BEGIN, MONGOL800, and more.

THE BOOM debuted in 1989 but went on hiatus in 2006. They resumed activities last year in preparation for their 20th anniversary, and they already have plans for a new single and album. The single, "Yume Kara Samete / All of Everything," goes on sale the same day as the cover album. Their new original album will follow sometime in the fall.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:39 AM

Yoko Maki now a mother
Sun, May 10, 2009 (11:13pm EDT)

On Mother's Day, the management agency of actress Yoko Maki (26) announced that she has entered motherhood. She gave birth to a daughter, though the actual date of the delivery was not revealed.

Maki got married in November to former actor Reo Katayama (27), whom she had been dating for about three years. She was in her third month of pregnancy at the time. It is not yet known when Maki will resume work, but she has previously said that she hopes to return as quickly as possible.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:40 AM

Hikaru Nishida expecting again
Mon, May 11, 2009 (12:55am EDT)

Singer and actress Hikaru Nishida (36) announced during an event in Osaka on Sunday that she is currently four months pregnant and is expected to give birth in early November. This will be her second child.

Nishida married an employee of a trading company in 2002. While staying in the U.S., she had a son in August 2006. Although the couple currently lives in her husband's hometown in the Kansai region, Nishida plans to take a break from work at the end of August to have her second child born in the U.S. as well.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:41 AM

Speed's Eriko Imai wins Best Mother Award
Mon, May 11, 2009 (2:11am EDT)

In honor of Mother's Day, the 2nd annual Best Mother Awards were presented on Sunday. The winners were chosen by public vote across various categories.

Eriko Imai (25), a member of pop group SPEED, received the most votes in the music category. Imai revealed last year that her 4-year-old son has been experiencing hearing problems.

Other winners included actress Narumi Yasuda (42) in the entertainment category and model/talento Chieko Kuroda (47) in the culture category.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:43 AM

"Tenchijin" adapted as mobile manga, boys-love style
Mon, May 11, 2009 (2:48am EDT)

The taiga drama "Tenchijin," which currently airs on Sunday nights on NHK, is being turned into a manga for mobile phones. This is the second time that a taiga drama has been adapted as a comic, after "Yoshitsune" in 2005, but it will be the first distributed in digital form.

However, the manga will have a fairly different feel from the drama series. With several good-looking actors in the show, including the star Satoshi Tsumabuki, it was decided that the manga will have a "boys-love" (BL) flavor, with the main character of Naoe Kanetsugu (played by Tsumabuki in the drama) more closely resembling a boy from a shoujo manga. The artist in charge is Kairi Shimotsuki, who has previously done both BL titles and mainstream titles, including the comic adaptation of the popular "Sengoku Basara" video game series.

The "Tenchijin" manga is being aimed at women in their teens and twenties. Sony Digital Entertainment is handling production and distribution, making installments available on the Zenryoku Shoten site at a price of 50 yen per story (about 12-14 pages). Distribution will begin on May 27.

There will be three arcs, each focusing on a different pairing with Kanetsugu. The first deals with Uesugi Kagekatsu (Kazuki Kitamura in the drama), while the subsequent two involve Ishida Mitsunari (Shun Oguri) and Sanada Yukimura (Yu Shirota), respectively.

Based on the fan response, there is a possibility that the manga will later be sold in book form.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:44 AM

80_pan to disband in June
Mon, May 11, 2009 (3:35am EDT)

Music group 80_pan has announced that they are breaking up. Currently consisting of members Tomomi Ogasawara (23) and Mako Okina (23), 80_pan will hold their last concert next month in Tokyo's Roppongi district.

The group has undergone constant transformation since they first formed in 2004. They began as a pop trio named Harenchi Punch. In 2007 they changed their name to 80?PAN! (pronounced "Hare Pan"), and the third member Saya Ozora left the same year. They briefly experimented with rock for the LOUD PARK 2007 festival, but a year later they reinvented themselves under the name 80_pan, this time in the electro/new rave genre.

Ogasawara and Okina eventually decided to disband, but they stated on their official website that they both hope to start anew with separate pursuits. Their final concert will be at Roppongi Morph on June 19. The show is titled "Kaisan Punch, Hakusen ~Start Line," with the last half taken from the name of their debut single from 2005.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 13-5-2009 01:46 AM

Composer Takashi Miki passes away
Mon, May 11, 2009 (4:14am EDT)

Takashi Miki, the composer of countless songs during the last few decades, died on Monday morning at a hospital in the Okayama prefecture. Miki, whose real name was Tadashi Watanabe, was 64.

Born in Tokyo in 1945, Miki aimed to become a singer at a young age. However, he later chose to pursue composing, and he made his debut in 1967. With a style ranging from pop to enka, he grew in popularity during the '70s, creating tunes for major artists like Hideki Saijo, Agnes Chan, Hiromi Iwasaki, Sayuri Ishikawa, Teresa Teng, and many more.

Miki was also known for the theme song to the "Soreike! Anpanman" anime series. In recent years, he composed music for theatrical productions as well. In 2004, he became a board chairman for the Japan Composer's Association. The following year, he was granted the Shiju Hosho (Purple Ribbon Medal).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 14-5-2009 04:13 PM

Aki Higashihara enters motherhood
Tue, May 12, 2009 (1:15am EDT)

Talento Aki Higashihara (26) and judo fighter Kosei Inoue (30) announced some happy news via their blogs on Tuesday. On May 8, Higashihara gave birth to their first child while in England. The baby girl weighed in at 3,350 grams.

Higashihara and Inoue have been married since January 2008. They first announced that Higashihara was pregnant in October. Higashihara has been on sabbatical since December, when Inoue moved to England to do language studies abroad.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 14-5-2009 04:14 PM

Hiroshi Abe takes on 9-hour stage role
Tue, May 12, 2009 (2:04am EDT)

Actor Hiroshi Abe (44) will have to prove his endurance in a new stage production from Yukio Ninagawa. He has the starring role in Ninagawa's version of Tom Stoppard's "The Coast of Utopia," which runs a total of about 9 hours long. This is the first time that the play is being performed in Japan.

"The Coast of Utopia" is actually a trilogy of plays, set in pre-revolution Russia and spanning a period of more than thirty years. Because of its scale, the trilogy is generally performed over three days. However, on weekends, Ninagawa apparently plans to run the plays back to back, with ample time for intermission.

In 2000, Ninagawa directed a version of "The Greeks," another trilogy that ran for close to 9 hours. In that production, the plays focused on different main characters, spreading out the acting load, but "The Coast of Utopia" has a more consistent cast and Abe will star in all three parts.

"The Coast of Utopia" will run at the Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo from September 12 to October 4.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 14-5-2009 04:26 PM

Folk duo Yakozen disbanded
Tue, May 12, 2009 (2:33am EDT)

Having just finished a live tour on April 26th, the folk duo Yakozen has revealed on their official website that they have broken up.

The group formed in September 1999, and since 2001 they had based their activity in Tokyo. In December of last year, they released the self-titled "Yakozen," their first full album after breaking off from the Office Augusta production company and going independent. They also held a nationwide tour of 41 concerts that ended last month.

Members Pistol Takehara and Hirochika Hamano both published a message on their website expressing gratitude to their fans. They acknowledged that the sudden breakup of the band was unfortunate, but they appear to be continuing with separate projects.

In addition, there are plans to put out a release based on their final concert at Sapporo's KRAPS HALL. Details will be revealed on their website at a later date.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 14-5-2009 04:27 PM

Fuji TV's Sasaki gives birth
Tue, May 12, 2009 (2:54am EDT)

Kyoko Sasaki (36), an announcer for Fuji TV, became a mother on Tuesday. It was announced on the morning show "Tokudane!" that she had given birth to a son shortly after midnight.

Sasaki was about three months pregnant when she got married this past November to a salaryman. She has been on maternity leave since March.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove · Post time 14-5-2009 04:29 PM

Kanon Wakeshima to perform at Otakon
Tue, May 12, 2009 (3:30am EDT)

Otakon 2009 has announced that musician Kanon Wakeshima will be making her U.S. debut at this year's convention.

The cellist/vocalist made her major label debut in May 2008, produced by visual-kei star Mana (of Malice Mizer). In February 2009, she successfully released her first full album, "Shinshoku Dolce."

Otakon is being held on July 17-19 in Baltimore, Maryland. Wakeshima is scheduled to perform a concert on the afternoon of Saturday, July 18.

Source: www.tokyograph.com