Japan Entertainment News - June 2005
Sengoku Jieitai Goes Hollywood | June 30, 2005 |
 The latest Japanese movie to get the Hollywood treatment is "Sengoku Jieitai 1549," directed by Tezuka Masaaki and starring Eguchi Yosuke (37) and currently on release here in Japan. The Hollywood version is to be titled "Samurai Commando Mission 1549" and is the brainchild of "Lethal Weapon" producer Jenny Lew Tugend. It will have scenes added, as well as beefed up music and special effects. It will also be made easier to understand for those without a background in Japanese medieval period history. The "sengoku" of the Japanese title refers to the so-called "warring period" when the country was wracked by civil wars before being unified in the Edo Period. The movie tells of a timeslip, with a platoon of modern-day self defense personnel transported back to feudal times. The current movie is itself basically a remake of the 1979 classic "Sengoke Jieitai" (G.I. Samurai), that starred "Sonny" Chiba Shinichi. The original version has drawn a lot of international interest and contracts have been signed for 31 countries, breaking the record of 30 held by "Ringu."
• And speaking of remakes, "War of the Worlds" is off to a flying start. The Steven Spielberg-Tom Cruise blockbuster opened yesterday - a Wednesday opening is very rare - and pulled in over ¥400 million on its first day. It's predicted to clear ¥10 billion easily. The only previous major Hollywood flick to open mid-week was "Matrix Revolutions" in 2003. That was an all-nighter, but it still only drew ¥16 million on day one. Before the screening of WotW, there was a sneak preview of Peter 'Lord of the Rings' Jackson's latest, "King Kong," with a recorded message for his fans in Japan. The giant gorilla is scheduled to hit Japanese screens in December.
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Shoken Guilty As Charged | June 29, 2005 |
 Actor Hagiwara Kenichi (54) was found guilty yesterday at the Tokyo District Court on charges of attempted blackmail. He was handed down an 18-month prison sentence, as sought by prosecutors, though it was suspended for three years. Though he earlier challenged the charges, he said by fax that he will abide by the verdict and will not lodge an appeal. "Shoken" was kicked off a movie project last summer and later allegedly made telephone threats against producers, demanding he be paid his full fee of ¥18 million and dropping the name of a yakuza organization. He was arrested at his home four and a half months ago, with TV cameras capturing the scene. He made his name as vocalist of the "group sounds" band The Tempters back in the 1960s. He became a popular TV actor in the early 1970s. He was arrested for drug possession in 1983 and again for drunk driving in 1984.
• Veteran actor Matsumura Tatsuo died of heart failure on June 18, it was revealed yesterday. He was 90. he had been admitted to a Tokyo hospital with breathing difficulties on June 10. A rugby player in his youth, his vigor had allowed him to continue acting until quite recently. But he will be best remembered for his role as Oi-chan, which he played five times in the long-running movie series "Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo." He also appeared in "Mada Dayo" directed by the late Kurosawa Akira. He is survived by his wife and son.
• Singer-songwriter Tanimura Yumi (36) announced yesterday that she gave birth to her first child, a baby boy, on June 21. She married Nihon McDonalds Holdings CEO Harada Eikou (55) in 2002 - he was head of Apple Computer Japan at the time.
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SAS Hijack Oricon Chart | June 28, 2005 |
 Southern All Stars have set a new record by having 44 singles on the Oricon chart at the same time. Yes, that's 44 singles out of the Top 100! The previous record was held by Matsutoya Yumi, who had 16 singles in the chart in July 1989. SAS re-released every single between their 1978 debut "Katte ni Sinbad" and 2000's "Tsunami," and the highest ranked was "Body Special II" at No.18. Only 2 singles by other artists made it to slots between #18 and #63. "Tsunami," which made #20, has now reached total sales of 2.92 million copies, putting in third place all time. SAS timed the multiple release to fall on the 27th anniversary of their debut. They will release their 51st single "Bohbo No.5" on July 20.
• Kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (32) and actress Takeuchi Yuko (25) announced via their agencies yesterday that they recently tied the knot. Nakamura is said to have registered their marriage at the local municipal office on June 25, an auspicious "taian" day in the traditional Japanese calendar. Takeuchi is expecting a baby within the year.
• Ken, guitarist with popular rock band L'Arc En Ciel, revealed on a radio show that he broke a toe while playing basketball during filming of a promotion video earlier this month.
• "A," the NTV variety show hosted by popular newscaster Kume Hiroshi (60) has come to an embarrassing end after just 3 months on the air. The cancellation of the show had already been announced, but the final edition still managed only a 6.7% audience rating, despite its prime Sunday 8pm time slot. The show tried to use the Internet and other modern ideas to create a show based around an Asian theme.
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Shido to Co-Star With Jet Li | June 27, 2005 |
 Kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (32) is having a very good year. Not only has he announced his engagement to the beautiful actress Takeuchi Yuko (25), who's going to have his child within the year, but he is also going to make his international movie debut. He is lined up to star alongside Jet Li (42) in a Chinese film provisionally titled "Fearless." To be diected by Ronnie Yu, the movie is the story of Fok Yuen Gap, a true Chinese hero who was also the inspiration for Bruce Lee's 1972 classic "Fist of Fury." Set for a 2006 release, it will be produced by Bill Kong, the man behind 2000's Academy Award nominee "Green Destiny." Nakamura is the grandson of the late Yorozuya Kinnosuke, one of the legends of post-war Japanese cinema who appeared in some 150 movies. He made his debut in the 2002 comedy "Ping Pong" (photo). Nakamura, who will play the hero's Japanese opponent Tanaka, says he follows his grandfather's advice to act from the heart rather than the head.
• Pop diva Matsuda Seiko (43) announced at the weekend that the last date in her 25th anniverary "Fairy" tour will be in Taiwan. The August 20 show in will be her first concert overseas. Her stage show will require 20 11-ton trucks to ship everything from Japan. Meanwhile, it was also announced that she will sing the theme song for the Japanese version of the new Nicole Kidman movie. "I'll Fall in Love" , the theme for the Norah Ephron version of the classic 60s TV comedy "Bewitched," goes on sale on August 24.
• Record label Avex held its 6th annual shareholders meeting/concert at the Tokyo International Forum on Sunday. Five of the label's star acts performed, including its biggest earner Hamasaki Ayumi (25). She performed her new single "Fairyland," which goes on sale on August 3. Others appearing were globe, one of the biggest groups of the 90s and fronted by Komuro Tetsuya (46), Otsuka Ai (22) and Suzuki Ami (23).
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Tokyo Live8 Concert | June 25, 2005 |
 Some details are in about the Japanese leg of the upcoming Live8 gigs. The venue and date have been confirmed as the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba on Saturday, July 2, from 2-8pm. This will actually make it the first of the concerts worldwide to kick off. The biggest international name in the lineup that we've seen is Bjork and she'll be joined by rockers McFly from the UK and Good Charlotte from the US. Otherwise, it will be mostly local bands like Dreams Come True, Rize and Def Tech. Admission is free, so I can't imagine that attendance will be as low as the projected 20,000 people. Live8 is a series of concerts put together to raise awarenes of world poverty. It's been organized by former Boomtown Rats frontman (now Sir) Bob Geldof, who put together the massive Live Aid shows in 1985, the day that rock changed the world. The timing has been chosen to fall before a summit of G-8 leaders at Gleneagles in Scotland on July 6. A Tokyo concert wasn't originally planned, but Geldof hopes it will help prod the Japanese government to increase its development aid to poorer nations, as EU governments recently have.
• Could actress Sugita Kaoru's fairytale be coming to an end? For the last few years, she's been the butt of jokes as a typical unmarriable type of woman, sarcastically referred to in Japanese as "make-inu" (loser dog). So her marriage in January to Ayukawa Junta, the 44-year old heir of a huge family fortune, had many people gaping in disbelief, but also happy for the 40-year old former child star (photo) whose life and career has had its ups and downs. This week the media have pounced on rumors that the couple might already be living apart. Sugita refused to answer questions as she left Shinjuku's Studio Alta after appearing on the "Waratte Ii Tomo" afternoon show. But reporters noticed that she wasn't wearing the flashy diamond wedding ring she had showed off so proudly just a few months ago.
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Hirosue Mama is Back | June 24, 2005 |
 Actress Hirosue Ryoko (photo, 24) made her first public appearance in 18 months yesterday. The last time she appeared before the media was to announced her wedding to designer-model Okazawa Takahiro (29) in December 2003. She was also several months pregnant at the time. Yesterday's event was to promote the upcoming Fuji TV Monday night drama series "Slow Dance." Hirosue, who seems to have lost quite a bit of weight, will star alongside popular actors Tsumabuki Satoshi (24), Fujiki Naoto (32) and Koizumi Kotaro (26, son of the prime minister). Popular weather girl Kobayashi Mao (22) will make her dramatic debut in the series.
• Pop group SMAP are to have the first simultaneous single/album release in their 14-year career. The group are aiming to be just the 6th act to reach the top of both the singles and album Oricon charts at the same time with the July 27 releases. The album "Sample Bang!" will be sold as part of a 3-CD set that includes one disc of solo songs and one of remixes of some of their hits. SMAP embark on a 21-date national tour on July 30.
• Pop duo Kiroro are to have a joint wedding ceremony in the autumn. Vocalist Tamashiro Chiharu (27) and pianist Kinjou Ayano (27), both got married in the spring. Tamashiro got hitched in April and Kinjou was three months pregnant when she married a 31-year old restaurant "producer" in May. They plan to hold the joint ceremony in their hometown of Naha in Okinawa after finishing a concert tour. They'll release a new single, "Ikite Koso" (Alive) on July 6 and a new album in December.
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Yujiro Lives! | June 23, 2005 |
 Studio Ghibli is moving into the music business. Famous for such anime classics as "Howl's Moving Castle," "Spirited Away" and "Princess Mononoke," the studio is producing the single "Dore Dore no Uta" by singer-songwriter Haigou Meiko (27). Haigou has written several ditties for TV commercials, and a clip from her latest song was used in a Yomiuri Shimbun TV commercial in the spring. It became very popular among young kids, who liked its simple melody. Ghibli producer Suzuki Toshio (60) says he sees the decline in CD sales as foreshadowing what could happen in the anime world. The studio's venture into a new business area is an effort to keep up with emerging trends. He's hoping the single, which goes on sale July 6, will be a million-seller and has already hinted at plans for a follow up.
• A couple of stars from yesteryear are reviving memories of a time 18 years ago. Former idol singer Minamino Yoko (38) is celebrating her 20th year in show business and plans to release a new version of her 1987 hit "Haikara-san ga Tohru." Widely known as Nanno, the popular singer recently released a compilation CD & DVD box set of her 80s hits. And the 50th anniversary of late actor-singer Ishihara Yujiro's (photo) 1954 debut sees the release of a whole range of merchandise. Japan's biggest superstar of the 1950s and 60s, a collection of all his No.1 singles is being compared to similar albums of Beatles and Elvis hits that have sold well in recent years. In a historic first, the album will be on sale at post offices across the country, along with a set of commemorative postage stamps featuring jacket covers of some of his biggest hits. On July 17, the anniversary of his death in 1987, the biopic drama that ran on TV Asahi for five nights last autumn is also to be released on DVD, together with a couple of his early film posters. Although the box set goes for a whopping ¥42,000, advance orders have already reached the 5,000 mark.
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Kinki Kids Seeing Stars | June 22, 2005 |
 Popular duo Kinki Kids have released their 21st single, and guess what? Yes, it's yet another No.1. "Bilodo no Yami" (Velvet Darkness) makes 21 out of 21 since their debut, extending their existing Guinness world record. It also ties them for 5th in terms of total No.1's with pop diva Nakamori Akina (39). As the Johnny's Jimusho duo, Domoto Koichi and Domoto Tsuyoshi (no relation), are both still only 26, they should be setting records for some time to come.
• In a related story, a ground-breaking collaboration between Fuji TV and Disney was announced yesterday. In a world first for Disney, they will jointly produce a live-action TV show with Fuji. "Hoshi ni Negai wo" (Wish Upon a Star) will air on August 26, and will star Domoto Tsuyoshi as Ohira Takayuki (35), the engineer who developed the Mega Star mobile planitarium for home use. Other names lined up for the project include Yuka (24), Osgugi Ren (53) and Japan's first astronaut, Mori Mamoru (57). The project has been 3 years in the making and a Fuji producer described it as like a fantasy version of the Touchstone movie "Pretty Woman." Disney gave Fuji permission to use any songs from its extensive lineup of animation soundtracks. Filming starts on June 27.
• Meanwhile, on top of the album chart is another record breaker. Oda Kazumasa (57) is the oldest artist to top the Oricon chart, beating his own record set with the 2002 release of a greatest hits album. With "Soukana" he's also the first artist over 50 to reach No.1 with an original album.
• Comedian Golgo Matsumoto (38) of the duo TIM is planning to marry a 37-year old aromatherapist. Named only as Y-san, she is an old high school classmate and the couple met for the first time in 18 years at a school reunion last summer. They hope to get married this summer, or by the end of the year at the latest.
• NHK recently held a PR event for next year's "taiga" period drama. The leading roles in the yearlong "Koumyo ga Tsuji" will be played by Nakama Yukie (25), who has helped several TV series reach the top of the rankings, and Kamikawa Takaya (40). No doubt, NHK are hoping her popularity will help rescue its floundering viewer numbers. As usual, the tired cast formula also includes the odd comedian, sports star and other attempts to draw fans of all types. Oh, and one or two people who can actually act, too.
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"A" is for Awful | June 21, 2005 |
 The Kume Hiroshi-hosted NTV variety show "A" is on the rocks. The veteran newscaster made his comeback on this show in the spring after last year's departure from the popular News Station, which he anchored for 18 years. But the Asian-themed show came at the wrong time, with relations between Japan and its closest neighbors, South Korea, North Korea and China all being at a low ebb. The Sunday evening show has had very poor ratings, only barely breaking 10% once in its first ten editions. Kume (photo, 60) is still popular enough that he can and should do much better, so he and the show's sponsors have decided to call it quits. The show will go off the air at the end of this month.
• "Ima Ai ni Yukimasu," last year's hit love story that sparked a real-life romance between its stars, is to have a Hollywood makeover. "Daredevil" and "Alias" star Jennifer Garner (33) is to play the role portrayed by Takeuchi Yuko (25) in the original. She is said to have enjoyed the January screening in LA of a subtitled version so much that she approached Warner Brothers with the idea of a remake. No mention yet of who will direct the project or take the Nakamura Shido (32) male lead, but Garner's fiance Ben Affleck has to be considered a candidate. Nakamura and Takeuchi announced their engagement in May and were to register their marriage this month. Meanwhile, the DVD version of the Japanese original goes on sale this week.
• Korean actor Bae Yong Joon (32) was hospitalized on June 19, right afterhe finished filming on his latest movie. Hugely popular in Japan, where he is known simply as "Yon-sama," the star is said to have given his all on the last day on the set of "April Snow". He collapsed from exhaustion shortly after returning to his home and was taken to a Seoul hospital.
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Megumi Says All's Well | June 20, 2005 |
 Actress Okina Megumi (photo, 25) has denied rumors of a split with her new husband. She married Fujita Susumu (32), the president of IT company Cyber Agent, last year but there have been media rumors that the marriage may be on the rocks already. Appearing at a PR event for visiting Taiwanese theatre group, she said their relationship is just fine.
• The modest movie "Mura no Shashinshu" (Village Photo Album) and its lead actor Fuji Tatsuya (63) have taken the major awards at the 10th Shanghai International Film Festival. Directed by Mihara Mitsuhiro (41), the movie tells of a mountain village which is to be lost as part of a dam project, a story familiar to many in China.
• This is the time of year when companies nationwide hold their annual shareholder meetings. And showbusiness is no exception. Hori Pro, one of the biggest talent agencies, held its meeting yesterday in Tokyo. It was followed by an event hosted by comedy duo Summers and talento Hirayama Aya (21), attended by about a quarter of the over 4,000 shareholders together with family and friends.
• Oricon is the first music business-related company in Japan to offer free access to blogs written by famous stars and industry insiders. The new service is launched today: Oricon Blog site
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Watanabe Ken to be a Star At Last | June 17, 2005 |
 In spite of his fame and recent success in Hollywood, actor Watanabe Ken (45) has never had the starring role in a movie. That's finally about to change. He's been chosen as the lead in the movie adaptation of the book "Ashita no Kioku" (Memories of Tomorrow), in which he will play a man stricken with early-onset Alzheimer Disease who battles the disease with the support of his wife, to be played by Higuchi Kanako (46). The project is being directed by , who was the man behind such recent TV drama hits as "Trick" and "Sekai no Chushin de, Ai wo Sakebu." Filming is set to begin on June 20, and the movie is scheduled for release next year. Watanabe was to play the lead in Kadokawa Haruki's "Ten to Chi to" (Heaven and Earth, 1990) but while on location in Canada, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He overcame the disease with the support of his wife Yumiko (45), whom he recently divorced.
• Actress Ayase Haruka (20) continues her role as the image character for Pocari Sweat. The young actress, who made her breakthrough in the above-mentioned drama series, "Sekai no Chushin...," sheds her high school girl sailor uniform from the last commercial and takes to the crystal waters of Hawaii.
• Also having a change of clothing is actor Matsudaira Ken (51). He has turned in the glittering gold kimono of last year's mega-hit "Matsuken Samba" for a pirate's outfit in a TV commercial for glasses maker Megane Top. And the music to go with the new image? Over the next few months prepare to be inundated with the "Matsuken Mambo"! The commercial airs from June 21.
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Kubozuka Shows No Fear | June 16, 2005 |
 Actor Kubozuka Yousuke (26) is showing no signs of fear on the location of his latest movie project, "Onaji Tsuki wo Miteiru" (Looking at the Same Moon). Following a fall last June from the balcony of his 9th-floor apartment (earlier story), he could be forgiven for thinking twice about doing dangerous stunts. But the eternal optimist does all his own stunts, including one where he rescues a child from a burning building, saying, "I approach it as if I've already died once." This despite the fact that physically, he says he has only recovered about 60% from his horrendous injuries. "I was scared when I left the hospital, but not anymore. I can play with my kid on the veranda now!" The new movie, scheduled for release in November, is directed by Fukasaku Kenta and is currently filming near Lake Kawaguchi.
• Rize, one of Japan's best hard rock bands, are making a comeback. They appeared at a Tokyo hotel yesterday to present a 40-minute video based on their upcoming new album, their first original release in over two years (they put out a hits album "Fuck'n Best" in March). The 4-piece never quite achieved real stardom, despite their breakthrough with the excellent single "Music" in January 2001, and put the band on ice two years ago. They have high hopes for the new album "Spit & Yell," which they are releasing on their own newly-formed label. Mohican-haired guitarist/vocalist Jesse (24) had a go at what he sees as a lack of craftsmanship in the music being churned out by other artists in Japan. He has the support of labelmates Def Tech, the duo who first appeared on the 2003 Rize single "Vibration" and had this year's first million-seller.
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A Star is Born | June 15, 2005 |
 NTV's late-night show "Uta-Sta!!" has chosen its next music star. The audition show chose Kamita Mika (22) from over 4,000 hopefuls looking to break into the professional music business. Kamita will release her debut single "Kirei ni Naru Watshi" on the Pony Canyon label in the near future. The show teamed up with a major karaoke service to allow singers across the country to audition from their local karaoke box. Kamita appeared on the show on April 25 and performed Matsu Takako's song "Koishii Hito" in front of the panel of five songwriters. She chose Komorita Minoru (46), who has penned such hits as SMAP's "Lionheart," to write her debut song. He was very taken with her strong and slightly husky voice, comparing it with that of veteran star Takeuchi Mariya. A strong athlete in her school days in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kamita came to Tokyo after graduating high school. She has worked in a variety of part-time jobs while trying to make a name for herself as a singer. she hopes to emulate the success of Dream Comes True vocalist Yoshida Miwa.
• Actress Kuga Yoko (31) is to leave for Korea today to get married. Her fiancee is described as in his 30s, and not involved in showbusiness. Kuga became the first Japanese actress to play the lead in a Korean movie in 2003 's "Venus." She has done filming on Chejudo, Korea's largest island, and liked it so much she decided she wanted to get married there. She was romantically linked with singer Noguchi Goro back in 1999.
• Rock star Yazawa Eikichi (photo, 55) lost his case against a pachinko machine maker at the Tokyo District Court. Yazawa claimed that a character used on Heiwa's machines was a rip off of his image and demanded a published apology. The machine's LCD display shows a rock star with a towel over his shoulders and striking a pose with the mikestand, but doesn't use Yazawa's name.
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A Little Early | June 14, 2005 |
 Kick The Can Crew member Little (photo, 29) is surprisingly releasing his debut solo album a week ahead of schedule. It's surprising because all three singles he has released since the hip hop unit decided to take an extended break last June have come out about a month late. He's been working late nights in the studio to get the album out early, as the group only wanted the break to last a year. Little will support the new album with 4 live shows across the country in July.
• SMAP members Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (30) and Katori Shingo (28) are to be the main presenters of this year's 28th 24-hour TV marathon on TV Asahi. The show will air from the evening of August 28. It's their first time for SMAP members to take part since 1995. Katori has designed the official logo t-shirts for the show.
• Comedy duo Cream Stew are to appear in TV commercials for the upcoming release of the remake of the Disney classic "The Love Bug" about a Volkswagen Beetle with a life of its own. The new version, "Herbie," is scheduled for release on July 30. The original was the biggest US box-office money maker in 1969.
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High Security for War of the Worlds Opening | June 13, 2005 |
 The world premier of "War of the Worlds" will be held under the strict security of a war zone. Attendees will have to go through search and identification checks and will only be alowed to bring valuables into the screening. Even cigarette lighters and mobile phones will have to be checked in. The 900 or so guests will be surrounded by 400 security personnel and will have to pass through metal detectors and show photo ID. Among the very few people likely to be able to avoid all the hassle will be director Steven Spielberg and stars Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning, who arrived at Narita Airport yesterday. The security measures are to prevent any pirating of the ¥14-billion blockbuster such as that which happened prior to the recent release of the final "Star Wars" movie. The event will be held tonight at the Ropongi Hills complex in central Tokyo instead of the 7,000 seater Nippon Budokan as had been planned. The worldwide official release date for the movie is June 29.
• The movie "Koshonin Mashita Masayoshi" (Negotiator, Mashita Masayoshi) looks to be the kind of success you'd expect from its pedigree. A spinoff from the hugely successful "Odoru Daisosasen" (Bayside Shakedown) movies, it's set to become a series in its own right starring Yusuke Santamaria (photo, 34) and Mizuno Miki (30). As with yet another spinoff, "Yogisha Muroi Shinji" (Suspect, Muroi Shinji), scheduled to open in August, all the movies are produced by Fuji TV and set in the same Odaiba Tokyo bayside location as the company's famous headquarters. The two "Odoru" movies are among the biggest ever domestic box office hits.
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Orange Lose Drummer for 2-3 Months | June 12, 2005 |
 Orange Range, one of the hottest bands in the country right now, are having to use a replacement drummer following an injury to member Katchan (21). He is said to have an inflammation of a tendon in his left hand and is resting in his hometown of Okinawa. He is expected to need two to three months to recover.
• Rock band Janne Da Arc have a new tactic to get to the top of the charts - use a granny. The band used 80-year old Asami Chiyoko in the video for their latest single "Diamond Virgin." Asami has become popular as the character that contestants on a popular variety show have to kiss if they lose various games. In the band's video, she appears in a schoolgirl's sailor uniform. The single, taken from the new album "Joker," entered at No.3 on the Oricon charts.
• TV Asahi scored with its recent coverage of the Japan-North Korea soccer game. With Japan clinching a place at next year's World Cup, the network got a staggeringly high 58% rating. That represents 73 million people tuned in. Even the average for the whole game was a respectable 43.2%, the third-highest figure ever recorded by the network. By contrast, the struggling Yomiuri Giants baseball team had an all-time low of just 6.1% for their game the same night.
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Japan Qualifies for WC2006 | June 09, 2005 |
Congratulations are in order.
Japan's national soccer team beat North Korea 2-0 in an eerily silent Bangkok stadium last night to gain a berth at next year's World Cup in Germany. The game, officially a home game for the Koreans, was held at a neutral venue and without spectators following violence on the pitch and riots off it after they lost to Iran in their previous game. Japan's goals were scored by Yanagisawa Atsushi, who plays with Italian side Messina, and J-League top scorer Oguro Masashi. Though the Supachalasai Stadium was empty, many Japanese fans could be heard chanting outside, while 20,000 gathered at the National Stadium in Tokyo for a live braodcast. The success means that manager Zico looks to have held on to his job for the time being despite broad criticism of his qualifying campaign tactics. TV Asahi expects the viewer ratings for its live broadcast of the game to better its own record of 47.2%, reached when the home game against North Korea was shown on February 9.
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B'z Take to the High Seas | June 08, 2005 |
 Japan's biggest-selling rock group B'z have recorded the theme song for the upcoming Fuji TV marine drama series "Umizaru." The ballad "Ocean" is the first drama tie-up for B'z in five years and is sure to be one of the big hits of the summer. The group, who are currently in the middle of a 27-city national tour, got permission from the Maritime Self Defense Agency to film the promo video on board one of their ships. The TV series is a followup to the successful movie version. A sequel , "Umizaru - The Next Stage," is scheduled for national release next spring.
• Kusano Masaichi, president of Shinko Music Entertainment, died on Monday of cancer at a Tokyo hospital. He was 74. Under the pen name Sazanami Kenji, he translated many popular hits of the 1960s into Japanese, including "Vacation" by Connie Francis and Del Shannon's "Runaway." Hhe also wrote the Japanese versions of "The Mickey Mouse March" and "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer."
• Popular acapella group Rag Fair played a mini concert to open yesterday's soccer game between FC Tokyo and visiting Serie A champions Juventus. The game was held at FC Tokyo's home at Ajinomoto Stadium in the western Tokyo suburb of Chofu.
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Matsuken Back for Thirds | June 07, 2005 |
 Actor turned singer Matsudaira Ken (photo, 51) looks likely to have another money-spinning year ahead. The man until recently best known as the "Abarenbo Shogun" in the samurai drama series of that name, had a complete career and image change with last year's hit single "Matsuken Samba II." With people from 5 to 95 across the nation singing the catchy tune and an appearance on NHK's New Year "Kohaku" song spectacle, Matsudaira tripled his usual income last year. No doubt this helped ease the heartache of his divorce from beautiful actress Daichi Mao. This week he released his first photo book. And this summer, he's set to release "Matsuken Samba III." It probably won't cause the same level of media frenzy, but should earn the star a few more yen.
• Pop diva Matsuda Seiko (45) kicked off her 25th anniversary national tour on Sunday at the Saitama Super Arena. During the concert, she spoke for an unprecedented 15 minutes about the rumored split with her 18-year old daughter Sayaka. She told her 15,000 gathered fans that things are cool between them and that it's just a case of a young bird wanting to fly the nest. She says she respects her feelings and understands her need to start out on her own, adding that she herself left Kyushu to pursue a showbiz career in Tokyo at the age of 18. In response to questions about a rumored romance with a much younger man, the twice-divorced Seiko said she is not thinking of marrying again.
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Boys of Summer | June 06, 2005 |
 Rock band Tube represent summer like no other artist in Japan, so it makes sense that they've become popular in Hawaii. Currently celebrating their 20th year, on Saturday (Japan time) they played their first official gig in Honolulu in five years. 8,000 fans gathered to watch the 3-hour show as the sun set off Waikiki Beach. Some 3,000 had traveled from Japan and most of the rest were Japanese living locally or Americans of Japanese descent. The band put out a single every summer and it usually becomes one of the biggest hits of the season. They played Aloha Stadium in 2000, when June 1 was named "Tube Day" and released a single in English that was only available locally. Vocalist Maeda Nobuteru (photo, 40) said he hopes to stay healthy long enough to play there again for their 40th anniversary. Maeda was until recently married to actress Iijima Naoko.
• It was revealed at the weekend that veteran rock singer Uchida Yuya (65) underwent emergency eye surgery at a Tokyo hospital on May 31. A blocked retinal artery meant that failure to operate would have led to blindness in the eye. The surgery was a success. Uchida was a leading light of the rock and roll scene in the 1960s, fronting top band the Tigers.
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Psycho Vocalist Arrested | June 04, 2005 |
 Daishi (29, real name Kajinaga Daishi), vocalist of popular "visual kei" rock band Psycho le Cemu, has been arrested on drug possession charges. According to police in Kanagawa Prefecture, Daishi was arrested June 2 after receiving a report at the end of May that he was buying stimulants. He has denied ever using drugs. Psycho- formed in 1999 and released the first of seven major-label singles in 2002. Though dressing up is all part and parcel of being a "visual kei" band, and Psycho- have one of the more outlandish looks, Daishi looks almost normal in comparison. He was in the middle of a solo tour at the time of his arrest and a concert planned for today has been cancelled. Release of a DVD, due for June 22, has been postponed.
• A planned pre-release event for the upcoming Steven Spielberg-Tom Cruise blockbuster "War of the Worlds" has been cancelled. The world's-first screening, planned for June 13 at the Nippon Budokan, was cancelled by distributors UIP due to concerns about videotaped copies leaking out on the Internet prior to its worldwide opening on June 29, as happened with the latest Star Wars release. Both Spielberg and Cruise were slated to appear at the event along with 7,000 lucky applicants to a magazine contest. Instead, they will both attend an arena event on the 13th at the trendy Roppongi Hills.
• Singer-songwriter Oda Kazumasa (57) started a national tour in Shizuoka yesterday. With 41 arena shows and a total of 290,000 seats, it's a record-breaking tour for an over-50 solo artist. But Oda's powerful performance belies his age, as he runs up 500m during the course of a single song.
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SMAP Summer Tour | June 03, 2005 |
 SMAP announced yesterday that they are to go on a 5-city tour from July 30, their first nationwide tour in two years. They will play 21 shows at 7 venues, including the National Stadium in Tokyo. Yoshida Takuro, The Alfee and others performed at a concert there in 1985, and the stadium welcomed the Three Tenors in 1996. But this is the first time that a single group will perform at the venue, built for the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and these days better known for hosting the national soccer team. As the name SMAP comes from "Sports Music Assemble People," the group are selling the stadium shows as a return to their roots. They'll kick off the tour at Sapporo Dome and finish at Tokyo Dome. They will also play four straight nights at the Yahoo! Dome in Fukuoka and Nagoya Dome, both historic firsts for the venues. The tour will also coincide with a new album, currently in production.
• Popular talento and model Yamada Yu (photo, 20) has ended her romance with actor Ito Hideaki (29), according to this week's edition of Friday magazine. The two had been seen together a lot last month, visiting each other's homes in Tokyo. The gorgeous Yamada is one of the most visible faces in the media these days, promoting a wide variety of products from cosmetics to Vodafone. The dashing Ito has been romantically linked to such celebs as actress Mizuno Miki and Fuji TV announcer Nakano Minako.
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Back From Hell | June 02, 2005 |
 Heavy metal band Seikima II are to make a comeback, six year's after they broke up on New Year's Eve 1999. The band's name is a pun on the expression "end of the century" (seikimatsu), so the break up and it's timing were almost unavoidable. But vocalist His Excellency Demon Kogure (photo, 42 - though his "official birthdate is 98038 B.C.) remains popular and still always wears his trademark elaborate stage makeup. He has released three solo albums and has a successful career as a variety show guest and sumo commentator. The band plan to launch a "black mass" national tour in the autumn, as this year marks their 20th anniversary (on earth, that is). Demon is to announce more details on his live radio show on June 6 (6/6). Seikima II were the first (and perhaps only) heavy metal band to appear on Kohaku, the New Year's Eve song spectacle on ever-so-respectable NHK.
• Manga artist Aoyama Goshou (41), who created the popular "Meitantei Conan" character, has married voice actress Takayama Minami (41). The pair tied the knot on May 5, Takayama's birthday, according to this week's Josei Seven weekly magazine. Aoyama has been drawing the Conan character for over ten years since it first appeared in the weekly Shonen Sunday manga in 1994. He is one of the highest earning managa artists and has been the 5th-highest taxpayer in the literary world for the last two years, paying almost ¥140 million in income taxes last year. Takayama narrates the lead character's voice in the weekly NTV anime version of Conan on Monday evenings.
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Sayonara, Oyakata | June 01, 2005 |
 Sumo elder Futagoyama Oyakata died of cancer on Monday at the age of 55. The father of two of the most popular sumo wrestlers of modern times, Takanohana (photo) and his elder brother Wakanohana, died of oral cancer after a long period at a Tokyo hospital. His funeral will be held tomorrow and the Japan Sumo Association will hold a memorial service at the Kokugikan in Ryogoku, where all Tokyo tournaments are held. A popular ozeki (champion) in his heyday, he fought under the name Takanohana, and had a stellar career record despite being small for a rikishi (wrestler). He was perhaps even more successful as a coach, as both his sons reached Yokozuna (Grand Champion), the highest rank in sumo. Wakanohana, a sports commentator since his retirement several years ago, spoke of his father's love, often expressed as strictness and anger as he taught the "gentler" of his two sons the fighting art. Takanohana, the better wrestler who won 22 tournaments to become the dominant wrestler of the 1990s, said he was having rtrouble accepting his father's death. The first time he saw his father's tears was when he became a sumo pro at the age of 15. He promised never to cry himself until his father's death. He took over as stablemaster from his father following his retirement in 2003.
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