Japan Entertainment News - February 2006
Japan's Best-Looking Comedian | February 28, 2006 |
 The Yoshimoto agency has released the latest ranking of its best-looking and ugliest comedians in its monthly magazine. Top of the "otokomae" (manly) chart this year for the first time is Inoue Satoshi (30), one half of the duo Jicho Kacho. In second place is Kawashima Akira (27) of the duo Kirin, followed by Fujimori Shingo (22) of popular upstarts Oriental Radio. Less happy with his rating is Yama-chan (28) of the duo Nankai Candies, who topped the "busaiku" (ugly) chart. Jicho Kacho, who formed in 1994, are regulars on the variety show circuit and are on TV just about every day.
• Sexy singer Koda Kumi (23) has managed to get 12 singles into the Top 10 in 12 weeks, one single released each week since early December. This week "Someday/Boys Girls" entered the oricon chart at No.3. Nine of the 12 releases sold over 50,000 copies and altogether they sold over a million. The songs will be released on a hits album on March 8.
• Actress Yokoyama Megumi (36) is to remarry within the year, it was revealed yesterday. According to the Shuukan Josei weekly magazine, her fiancee is a Tokyo University graduate who is vice-president of a major foreign firm.
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Shattered Dreams | February 27, 2006 |
 Former Dreams Come True member Nishikawa Takahiro (41) has been arrested again. He was found in posession of amphetamines while alone in his car in Tokyo's Shinjuku district in the small hours of Saturday morning. He told police he had bought the drugs, which he was hiding in a candy box, a week before in Shibuya. The former DCT keyboard player was previously arrested for assaulting his sister-in-law in October 2002, seven months after leaving the pop group, and again almost immediately afterwards for drug posession. In that case, he received an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years. This time around, he could face up to 10 years in prison. Since June of last year, he has had a regular monthly gig as a club DJ in Tokyo and an associate said he had shown no signs of a drug problem at recent gigs.
• Movie director Oshima Nagisa (73) made his first public appearance in five years at the weekend. Battling a prolonged illness, the veteran director of such hits as "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" and "Ai no Corrida" (Empire of the Senses), appeared in a wheelchair at an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the Director's Guild of Japan. He seemed in good form but left it to his wife, actress Koyama Akiko (71), to address the audience of about 400, which included DGJ chairman Sai Yoichi (56), director Yamada Yoji (74) and actress Yoshinaga Sayuri (60).
• A couple of big names announced for this year's 10th Fuji Rock Festival, to be held on July 28-30. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers will be back for the third time - they are something of a Fuji Rock legend after a typhoon practically blew them off the stage in the very first year of the 3-day summer event. That year it was actually held near Mt. Fuji, but since 1999 it has been held in the picturesque ski resort of Naeba. Also among the 150 international and domestic acts playing this year will be Scottish band Franz Ferdinand. 3-day "early bird" tickets may still be available for ¥32,800 at the official website.
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Furuya, Megumi Bust a Move | February 24, 2006 |
 A new big showbiz couple is born, or at least is out in the open. Romance between Dragon Ash leader and vocalist Furuya Kenji (27) and talento Megumi (photo, 24) was revealed in the latest issue of weekly magazine Friday, out today. Megumi has managed to shed her image as just another busty pin-up girl to become a regular on the variety show circuit. She originally got into showbiz because of her interest in music, and after making her recording debut in 2003 she made friends in the hip hop scene. She and Furuya are said to have begun dating last year. She was spotted spending the night at his Tokyo apartment at the beginning of this month, and went directly from a late night of work on February 9 to Furuya's birthday party. Noda Yoshiharu, president of the Sun Entertainment agency to which Megumi belongs, is said to have given his approval of the relationship. This is in sharp contrast to his anger last December at the romance between talento Seto Saki (20) and TM Revolution singer Nishikawa Takanori (35).
• Congratulations to figure skater Arakawa Shizuka, who became Japan's first medalist of the Winter Olympics in Turin. She took gold following a performance that brought the crowd to its feet. Main rivals Sasha Cohen and Irina Slutskaya both fell during their routines and settled for silver and bronze. Suguri Fumie gave a rousing performance but had to settle for fourth place.
• Singer Gackt gave a performance of his new song at a PR event yesterday in Tokyo for the latest Gundam anime features. The song "Love Letter", scheduled for release March 1, is the theme for "Mobile Suit Z Gundam 3: Love Is the Pulse of the Stars", which opens in theaters March 4. gackt, dressed in a black suit, appeared alongside the cast of voice actors and director Tomino Yoshiyuki (64).
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Mocomichi Works Up a Sweat | February 23, 2006 |
 Hayami Mocomichi (photo, 21), the popular actor with the impossibly small head, has been chosen as the first male "image character" for the Ban deodorant. The brand, from maker Lion, has been around for 44 years and has been promoted by some major female stars, including Sakai Noriko, Amuro Namie and Goto Maki. In the new commercial, Hayami will play the coach of a high school girls' softball team.
• Sexy singer Arashiro Beni (19) had a good day yesterday. On the same day she released her second album, "Girl 2 Lady" on the Avex label, she sang the national anthem at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, where the Japanese national team went on to beat India 6-0 in a qualifier for the Asia Cup. Arashiro said she was especially delighted to have had the honor as she played soccer in junior high school. The Nissan Stadium hosted the World Cup final in 2002.
• Crayon Shinchan, the animated brat that parents love to hate, is to make his first appearance in school textbooks. As the TV Asahi anime heads into its 15th year this April, about 73,000 new junior high school students (most born in the same year as the show) in and around Tokyo will find Shinchan and the Nohara family in their social studies textbooks. The textbooks use the Nohara's to illustrate a typical modern nuclear family, in contrast to Chibi Maruko-chan and her more traditional family, with three generations living under one roof. "Cray-shin" has several times topped the annual PTA survey of TV shows that parents don't want their children watching. But the show and its spin-off movies - the 14th will be released in April - have seen continued commercial and critical success, even winning an award from the Ministry of Culture.
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Ebi-chan, Goro-chan Combi | February 22, 2006 |
 Top fashion model Ebihara Yuri (photo, 26) is to play the girlfriend of SMAP member Inagaki Goro (32) in a new light drama series on Fuji TV. The series, "Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteiru" ("Love in the Eyes of an Ugly Woman", Tues. 10pm from April 11), is based on essays by Suzuki Osamu, a writer on the SMAPxSMAP variety show and married to comedienne Oshima Miyuki of the trio Morisanchuu. The word "busu" means ugly, and is often used to describe the members of the trio. Meanwhile Ebihara, known to her legions of female fans as Ebi-chan, is the regular cover model for fashion magazine CanCam. Her "cute-stylish" look is imitated by thousands of OLs (office ladies) and university students. The drama series, in which she plays herslef with a minor name change, is basically a marketing tie up between Fuji and CanCam.
• Actor Saigo Teruhiko (59) and singer/talento Henmi Mari (55) are appearing on stage together for the first time since their divorce 25 years ago. The parents of recently married talento Henmi Emiri (29), seem to have put the past behind them. Saigo heaped praise on his ex, recently divorced for the second time, for her still fine singing voice and expressed his thanks to her for raising their two children. The two are part of a group on a 19-date national tour.
• Veteran movie critic Mizuno Haruo (74) looked slimmer but in good form after his recent hospitalization. At the end of January, the TV regular suffered internal bleeding and was unconscious when admitted to a Tokyo hospital. He remained in that state for a day and a half but recovered fully and was released on February 10. At a press conference yesterday, he apologized to media and fans for causing concern and promised that he would ease off on his heavy workload.
• Popular freelance announcer Kojima Natsuko (37) said by fax yesterday that she gave birth to her first child on Sunday. She plans to return to her regular job on Tokyo FM radio in April.
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Great Expectations | February 21, 2006 |
 Singer/songwriter Ayaka (photo, 18), who's still in high school, recently made her first public appearance since making her highly anticipated recording debut with "I Believe" on February 1. She appeared at the famous Spain-zaka radio studio in Shibuya, a district popular with young people. The singer, who with her good looks and powerful voice is widely expected to be a big star, shares a birthday with Olympic figure skater Ando Miki (18), one of Japan's hopes for a medal at the Turin Winter Olympics. She says she became friends with "Mikiti" after sending her a copy of her debut single and is cheering her on.
• Dreams Come True gave 2,500 fans a sneak preview of their new album at the weekend. Playing on the artificial beach in Tokyo's Odaiba waterfront district, the pop duo of vocalist Yoshida Miwa (40) and Nakamura Masato (47) performed several songs from "The Love Rocks" which goes on sale tomorrow. They will embark on a 22-date national tour from April 8 to June 18.
• Comedian Arino Shinya (33), of the duo Yoiko, is to be a father. He tried to keep the good news a secret, but being a comedian means that anything like is to be used against you on the first available variety show. In Arino's case, it meant getting covered in baby oil and smothered by similarly lubricated fellow comedian Yamamoto Keiichi (35) on last Saturday's edition of "Mecha Mecha Iketeiru!" His wife Yuko (33) is expecting the child on March 24.
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Jackson to Play the Afro Samurai | February 20, 2006 |
 Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson is to bring the "Afro Samurai" to the big screen. Jackson has already done the voiceover for the 5-episode TV version of the manga, made with Japanese studio Gonzo and Fuji TV, and has teamed up with "Batman Begins" producer Charles Roven to make a live-action version. The sci-fi/action story tells of a black samurai who sets out to avenge the death of his father, blending samurai style with hip-hop, creating a new kind of hybrid anime. The US office of Tokyo-based animation studio GDH came across the manga while searching for new material from Japan. Afro Samurai is the creation of graphic designer Okazaki Takashi (31), who self-published less than 100 copies of the strip in a magazine in 1998. Though virtually unknown in Japan, the Americans considered the manga very innovative and cool, and when Jackson got involved the project took on a whole new momentum. The series is scheduled to debut on SpikeTV in the US in the late autumn.
• Pin-up girl Kumada Yoko (23) has denied that she and comedian Okamura Takashi (35) are sexually involved. She was photographed several weeks ago leaving his apartment by photographers from a weekly magazine. Her explicit denial came on yesterday's edition of the TBS show "Akko ni Omakase!" Hostess Wada Akiko (55) asked the direct question the gossip media have been speculating about for the last couple of weeks: "Did you have sex with him?" To which Kumada answered, "Honest answer. No I didn't." She added, "I couldn't really hear what he was talking about most of the time. The only subject he really talked passionately about was Jackie Chan!" Showbiz denials are pretty standard, but the truth about this non-relationship may never come out.
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Daimajin a Family Man Again | February 18, 2006 |
 Former baseball star Sasaki Kazuhiro (37) and his second wife, talento Enamoto Kanako (25), made their first public appearance together on Thursday. The former Yokohama Bay Stars and Seattle Mariners star pitcher caused quite a media storm last year when he was thought to have dumped his wife, former talento Shimizu Kaori, and the mother of his two kids for Enamoto, considered a "high maintenance" type. But Sasaki has custody of the kids and they all attended the Tokyo preview of "The Chronicles of Narnia" together, looking every bit the happy family. Sasaki, known to fans as "Daimajin" and who now works as a baseball analyst for TBS, admitted that appearing together in public made him uncomfortable, but added that if they didn't do so occasionally, the weekly tabloids would start writing divorce rumors again. On a recent TV appearance with fortune-teller Hosoki Kazuko, Sasaki described how basically his former wife had been the one to walk out, leaving him to - as he put it in typical Japanese style - "make their lunchboxes every morning."
• The latest issue of the weekly magazine Friday reports that rotund comedian Yamamoto Keiichi (37) and model/talento Osawa Akane (20) are romantically involved. Yamamoto is one half of popular comedy duo Gokuraku Tombo, while Ohsawa is the grand-daughter of Ohsawa Keiji, manager of the Nippon Ham Fighters baseball team. The unlikely romance is said to have started last October. Her agency describe Yamamoto as "just a friend, like a big brother."
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Bobby's Day in Court | February 17, 2006 |
 Police have filed papers with the Tokyo District Court on talento Bobby Ologun (39). The decision was made after they failed to resolve exactly what happened and who did what to whom during a brawl at his management agency in January. At the time, Ologun turned up at the Shibuya agency to dispute payments with R&A Promotions boss, Ito Kazuyuki (55). When Ito refused to meet with him, Ologun - a burly K-1 fighter - started trashing the office and got into a fist fight with 2.1m-tall John Muwete Muluaka (44), a fellow talento from Congo. The pair later appeared at a press conference and tried to patch things up. But when repeated questioning by police failed to resolve conflicts in their versions of events, it was decided to try and settle the matter in court. Talento Thane Camus (35), formerly with the same agency, offered encouragement for his friend at the opening of a new bar in central Tokyo yesterday. Camus himself is currently in a dispute with R&A after he left the agency to set up his own.
• Talento Niiyama Chiharu (25) is five months pregnant. She married Yomiuri Giants infielder Kuroda Satoshi (31) in December 2004. Kuroda is currently at the Giants' spring training camp in Miyazaki Prefecture.
• Actress Matsushima Nanako (32) has been named to the cast of "Inugamike no Ichizoku", a remake of the 1976 hit movie. It will be her first movie role in six years. The movie has the same lead actor, Ishizaka Koji (64), and director, Ichikawa Kon (90), as the original. Ishizaka will again play Yokomizo Seishi's famous detective creation Kindaichi Kosuke.
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Go, Go, Let's Go USA | February 16, 2006 |
 Okinawan six-member hard rock band High and Mighty Color are to make their US debut, and in record time. The band's first album "Goover", which went on sale here in September of last year and entered the Oricon chart at No.2, will be released in the States on March 21. Shortly afterwards, they will release their second album in Japan, "Gouon Progressive", on April 4. The US-market release of Goover comes just fourteen months after they made their major-label debut here in Japan, a new record. Much of the band's success and popularity comes from the use of their song "Pride" as the theme for the anime series "Kidou Senshi Gundam - Seed Destiny", which will air in the US from April. To coincide with this, on April 28 they will play about 10 songs at the Shiokaze Con anime convention in Houston (April 28-30). Haikara, as they are known to fans, will play Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka before heading to the US, and another ten shows after they get back. The band, labelmates of fellow Okinawan band Orange Range, is made up of five guys in their early 20s and vocalist Maaki (18), who said she couldn't believe it when she heard of their US debut. The only band member with decent English ability is said to be guitarist Meg (21).
• Also looking forward to her US debut is musician Uno Misako (19), though she is heading for Tinseltown. A member of the pop group AAA, which won a Best Newcomer award last year, Uno is making her acting debut in the Hollywood remake of "Juon 2", entitled "The Grudge 2". With her good English and acting abilities, she was chosen by director Shimizu Takashi and producer Ichise Takashige to play the role of Miyuki, a cursed student at an international high school. She will play alongside Sara Michelle Gellar, who continues her role from the first film. Filming in Japan began on February 13. AAA (Triple A) is with the Avex record label and made of five guys and three girls.
• Hollywood actress Natalie Portman (24) is in town for the first time in six years. Arriving at Narita Airport yesterday in jeans and a sweater, she looked none the worse for her long flight from London. She's here to promote "V for Vendetta", the latest movie from the Wachowski brothers, makers of the "Matrix" trilogy. She's scheduled to hold a press conference in Tokyo today.
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 Popular actor Yamada Takayuki (photo, 22) is the father of an illegitimate child, it was revealed this week. The star of the current TBS drama "Byaku Yakou" and the 2003 Fuji TV hit "Waterboys" became a father last October. The 22-year-old mother of the "kakushigo" (hidden child) is said to be raising the baby at her family home. Yamada is providing full financial support for the child.
• The Johnny's Jimusho management agency is planning to sue women's weekly magazine Shuukan Josei for libel. The magazine published an article in its February 14 issue claiming that Kat-Tun member Kamenashi Kazuya (19) was photographed drinking beer though he is under the legal age of 20. Johnnys claim that the photo was taken by his uncle in 2003 at a relative's house, and that the beer was his grandfather's. The uncle took the photo with his mobile phone and sent it to a friend, who still has the original file. The magazine article comes at a sensitive time, as two young members of Johnnys group News have been in trouble for drinking in the past year.
• Talento Mister Chin (42) is to marry a beautiful 27-year-old company employee. The former member of comedy trio B-21 Special and his new bride, who is ten weeks pregnant, will hold a wedding ceremony in Tokyo on May 20. Real name Miyake Yasutoshi, Chin formed B-21 in 1986 with Hiromi (41) and David Itoh (39), both of whom are still active on the variety show circuit. Hiromi married former idol singer Matsumoto Iyo in 1993 and Itoh married in 2003.
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Budokan Boys | February 15, 2006 |
 Two big names announced to play at the Nippon Budokan during the coming year. British band Coldplay, riding the global success of their latest album "X&Y", will have their first solo gigs in Japan in August. The band, whose three albums have sold over 25 million copies to date, played the SummerSonic festival shortly after their debut in 2000 and have also played the Fuji Rock festival twice. The dates confirmed for this year are July 18 & 19, but more may be announced later. Vocalist Chris Martin said, "Japanese fans are different than anywhere else. They're so polite that we can concentrate on the music and give our best. So we want to play more than two dates. I'd like to play Osaka." Tickets are due to go on sale on April 1 from Smash.
• Local boy Kondo Masahiko (photo, 41) played the Budokan yesterday for the first time in 22 years. Celebrating his 25th year in the business, the veteran Johnny's Jimusho star has been making something of a comeback recently after pursuing a career as a racing driver. He also announced yesterday that he will star in his first TV drama role in 8 years in the autumn, and play the Budokan again on Valentine's Day, 2007.
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Return of the Queen | February 14, 2006 |
 Anyone who enjoyed last year's popular school drama "Jo no Kyoshitsu" (Queen's Classroom) on NTV will want to catch a special coming up next month. Over two nights (March 18-19), the special will reveal how the main character, "demon" teacher Akutsu Maya (played by former Takarazuka star Amami Yuki, 38), developed her strict and cynical style. The drama and the teacher who almost terrorized her pupils became a talking point and achieved high audience ratings when it aired between July and September. The final episode pulled in a rating of 25.3% and the show's official website had almost 12 million hits over two days. The March special is at least in part a result of tens of thousands of posts on the website's BBS from fans wanting to know more about the story and its background.
• The father of iconic folk singer Matsutoya Yumi (52) died of multiple organ failure on February 2, it was revealed yesterday. He was 93. Always the consumate professional, "Yuming" completed her series of 10 shows at the ski resort of Naeba in Niigata Prefecture, which ran until February 13.
• Poster girl violinist Kawai Ikuko (38) is expecting her first child. She married a 40-year old university professor and graduate of Tokyo University medical school last November. She is expecting the baby in mid-June and plans to be back at work promoting a new album in September.
• Guitarist Hotei Tomoyasu (44) has published his autobiography. In it he reveals for the first time that his father is Korean, as well as talking about life with his wife, actress Imai Miki (42). In his 25th year in showbiz, he looks back at his career in the hugely popular 80s rock band Boowy, the divorce of his parents, and the death of his father-in-law. meanwhile, Imai has done her first anime character recording in 15 years for the fantasy movie "Brave Story". The movie features a stellar cast of voices, including Matsu Takako, Itoh Shiro, Tokiwa Takako and Takahashi Katsumi.
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The Beginning of Pink | February 13, 2006 |
 Pop duo Pink Lady are to include their first single release, from all of 32 years ago, on a box-set to commemorate their 30th anniversary as pros. The song "Koi no Lessun" (Love Lesson) was recorded in 1974 when high school friends Mii and Kei called themselves "Cookie". The single was only sold in record stores in the Tokai region. It was another two years before the pair, now known as Pink Lady, won the NTV audition show "Sutaa Tanjo" (A Star is Born) and became overnight stars with the single "Peppaa Keibu" (Sergeant Pepper). They went on to spend several years at the top of the showbiz world, bringing in as much as ¥30 billion yen a year. They faded away in the mid-80s only to rsurface in a revival tour last year. The new Platinum Box, which goes on sale March 24, includes 22 a-sides, NHK TV appearances and a host of other rare material on 4 CDs and 2 DVDs.
• Popular freelance announcer Shindo Masako (34) has tied the knot with pro golfer Fukabori Keiichiro (37). The recent wedding of Fukabori, described as the "prince" of the Japanese golfing world, and the former TBS sportscaster was announced on their respective official websites on Friday. Fukabori left for California soon after the marriage had been registered to take part in the Nissan Open at the Riviera Country Club. The couple met during a magazine interview in 1998 and are said to have broken up twice before finally taking the plunge. In February of last year, Shindo had to deny media rumors of an impending marriage with the elder brother of popular actress Matsushima Nanako. Fukabori ranked third in last year's money rankings.
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Former Musume Up in Smoke? | February 11, 2006 |
 Popular idol singer Kago Ai has been suspended by her agency for underage smoking. The idol was not named in some media reports as she is still a minor, but was described as an 18-year-old represented by Upfront Agency, which handles Morning Musume among others. Kago is a former MM member who is now one half of the duo W. Her scheduled appearances in TV shows and concerts have been cancelled until further notice. The singer, who turned 18 on February 7, was spotted smoking in a restaurant in the Ebisu area of Tokyo by photographers from the weekly gossip magazine Friday. The agency issued an apology, saying the behavior was inexcusable. The legal age for smoking and drinking is 20.
• Rock band Glay recently performed live for the first time in almost a year. They played for 13,000 fans at the Nippon Budokan, which was surrounded by hundreds more fans without tickets. "Dafuya" ticket touts were selling arena tickets for up to ¥70,000. Vocalist Teru (34) told fans that they can expect some new material in the autumn.
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The Ladies Love Tsutsumi | February 10, 2006 |
 The latest romance rumor about actor Tsutsumi Shinichi (41) has him involved with actress Koyuki (29). The pair co-starred in the recent hit "Always - 3-chome no Yuhi" and the latest issue of women's magazine Shuukan Josei says that romance started on the set. Koyuki's management agency have said that the pair are "100% not having a relationship", but such official denials are standard. Koyuki, who made her Hollywood debut in the 2003 Tom Cruise hit "The Last Samurai", went to see Tsutsumi perform on stage last October, and the following month revealed that her relationship with actor Sakaguchi Kenji (30) had ended during the summer. Ironically, it was divorcee Matsuyuki Yasuko (33) Tsutsumi's co-star in that stage production, that was rumored to be his most recent love interest. They were spotted holding hands while on date in Kyoto and Osaka at the beginning of the year. In recent years, Tsutsumi - who bears a strong resemblance to Jet Li - has been romantically involved with actress Suzuki Kyoka (37), and after he broke up with her, was linked with actress Takeuchi Yuko (26), who married kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (33) last summer.
• Actress Miyazawa Rie (32) has denied rumours of a split with jewellery designer Mikita Takuji (32). Appearing in Tokyo at a PR event for the movie "Hana Yorimo Naho", due for release in June, she showed off a sparkling ring and said the rumours were untrue.
• Over in the US, the big winners at the Grammies were my boys U2. They took the big two awards, Best Album and Best Song as well as Best Rock Band, Song and Album. The lads from Dublin will be here in April to play one show at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, and of course Japan Zone will be there! Back at the Grammies, Mariah Carey wasn't a complete washout this time, taking three of the eight awards she was nominated for, but all in the R&B categories. Local boy Kitaro was nominated but failed to win for Best New Age Album. He took that award in 2001.
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Bobby Busted | February 09, 2006 |
Talento Bobby Ologun (39) is to be punished by his management agency for his recent outburst. The Nigerian K-1 fighter started a fight at the office of R&A Promotions on January 26, after a dispute over his salary. Agency boss Ito Kazuyuki (55) claimed that Ologun and his Bangladeshi manager have been directly pocketing appearance fees to the tune of ¥10-15 million, in breach of a contract that splits fees 50-50 between the agency and employees. Ologun got into a fight with the 2.1m tall John Muwete Muluaka (44), a fellow talento from Congo and former assistant to politician Suzuki Muneo. The two appeared together at a press conference several days later, with Ologun looking suitably tearful and repentant and Muluaka making the lame excuse that these kinds of things "happen a lot in Africa." Ito announced yesterday that Ologun will not be allowed to work until the end of March. Until April, the only shows to be aired featuring him will be those recorded before the incident. he will also be visiting the local police station again soon for further questioning on the matter.
• Composer Ifukubei Akira has died of multiple organ failure at a Tokyo hospital. He was 91. he was best known as the composer of the music for the original Godzilla movies, but also wrote scores for the "Daikmajin" and "Zatoichi" series. In 2003, he was recognized by the government as a person who has made outstanding cultural contributions.
• Hip hop unit Def Tech are going global later this year. The duo performed at a PR event yesterday for Sony Ericsson's latest keitai (mobile phone) model. They announced that will play their first national tour during the summer, including two dates at the venerable Nippon Budokan, before embarking on a world tour that will take in Asia and Europe and may also include dates in the US.
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Marriage and Babies | February 08, 2006 |
 Married this week was Harada Rika (photo, 34), a member of the 90s "sexy group" Giri-Giri Girls, who is also expecting a baby in May. Her new husband is a company employee who she met at a friend's birthday party four years ago. The five-member Giri-Giri Girls were a staple of late-night TV for several years from 1992. They had a couple of music releases and even won a Best Newcomer award in 1993. Harada is the third member to marry - Yoshino Mika married Mr. Children vocalist Sakurai Kazutoshi in 2000, and Mochizuki Rumi married a company employee in 2004.
• Another marriage announcement came from NHK announcer Zemba Takako (30), who revealed this week that she and former musician Sena Shunsuke (32) got hitched last October. She plans to quit NHK in March and join her husband in London, where he works for Sony. Sena spent much of his childhood in Europe, returning to Japan in his late teens to enter Tokyo University, where he first met Zemba. He formed a duo with his sister Rie while still a student and continued even after joining Sony in 1998, releasing four singles. It is Zemba's second marriage, her first ending in divorce in 2003.
• And one step behind in the baby front is TBS announcer Ando Hiroki (38), whose wife, former talento Kawahata Yuka (30), is expecting their first child this summer. Considered one of the best-looking couples in showbiz, they met while making "Sekai Fushigi Hakken" in 2004 and have been married since last September.
• Reports that actor Sugawara Bunta (72) had been hospitalized and was expected to undergo surgery have been denied. He is said to have suffered a cold in mid-January, but nothing more serious than that. It was also reported that he stepped down from his planned lead role in a stage production in March, but a spokesperson fr the theater says the decision to replace him with Watanabe Hiroyuki was made in December. Sugawara is best known for his tough guy yakuza image in the Fukasaku Kinji-directed movie series "Jingi Naki Tatakai" and as a truck driver in the "Torakku Yarou" series, both from the 70s.
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The Return of Sukeban Deka | February 07, 2006 |
 Idol singer Matsuura Aya (19) is to revive the role of Asamiya Saki after an absence of 18 years from the big screen. The character is central to the hugely popular 80s TV series "Sukeban Deka", and has previously been played on TV and in movies by notable idols Saito Yuki (39), Minamino Yoko (38) and Asaka Yui (36). Each played the role on TV for a year or so, with Minamino and Asaka each making one movie. Asamiya is a high school "detective", complete with sailor girl uniform, who wields a red yoyo in her battles with criminals. The story was originally a manga by Wada Shinji, and its 22 volumes sold over 20 million copies. "Sukeban Deka, Codename Asamiya Saki" will be Ayaya's second movie but her first lead role, and she will be under the able direction of Fukasaku Kenta (33). The son of the late, great Fukasaku Kinji is best known for taking over from his father to complete "Battle Royale II". Filming is scheduled to start this month, with the movie set for an autumn release.
• Singer Go Hiromi (50) is to celebrate his 35th year in showbiz with a series of dinner shows and an outdoor concert in Tokyo this summer. Speaking to the media at his large Manhattan apartment, Go said he will give the dinner shows - usually a type of event only held at the end of the year - at 30 venues across the country between May and August. Then he will release a new single and play an outdoor concert in Hibiya in September. He is currently taking singing lesons twice a week with a teacher who has worked with, among others, Whitney Houston.
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A Change is as Good as... | February 06, 2006 |
 Actor Takaoka Sousuke (23) has had a change of name and management. Known mostly for his movie roles, such as "Pachigi", "Battle Royale" and "Haru no Yuki", it was announced at the weekend that he has changed to the Stardust Promotion management agency. He will also have his first leading role on stage in the play "Wee Thomas", described as a "violence comedy", adapted from the British original by popular playwright Nagatsuka Keishi (30). The change of name is in the second kanji of Sousuke, though it is pronounced the same.
• Popular idol singer Goto Maki (20) has been told to take two weeks rest after being diagnosed with acute enteritis. Just a week ago, she showed no signs of illness when she performed with other members of the Hello! Project on the final date of their national tour at the Yokohama Arena, but complained of stomach pains after the event. Though she doesn't need to be hospitalized, she has had to pull out of another Hello! Project event scheduled for later this month in Tokyo. Her place will be taken by Melon Kinenbi member Shibata Ayumi (21).
• Sugimoto Hisashi, the father of comedian Akashiya Sanma (50), died of heart failure at a Nara hospital on Saturday. He was 78. Sanma took his stage name from the name of a fish (sanma = Pacific saury) as his father ran a fish processing business.
• Popular screenwriter and punk musician Kudo Kankuro (35) gave a press conference recently for his upcoming heavy metal stage production of Macbeth. The show, starring popular actress Matsu Takako (28) and actor Uchino Masaaki (37), will feature 19 original hard rock and metal songs by Kudo. He said he previously knew nothing of Shakespeare but was attracted by the line from Macbeth where the character says his mind is "full of scorpions". Matsu said she felt she had almost been tricked into playing the role, but added that she looked forward to screaming four-letter words on stage.
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Demons out! Luck in! | February 04, 2006 |
 Popular At shrines and temples across the country yesterday, celebrities took part in events to celebrate Setsubun. Throwing handfuls of dried beans, they shouted "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" (Demons out! Luck in!) in the traditional ceremony to bring luck in the coming year. Among the many stars taking part was enka singer Kitajima Saburo (69) and members of the "Saburo Family", who were at the Yakuoin temple on Mt. Takao, in the west of Tokyo. Setsubun is not a national holiday and is held on February 3 or 4, one day before the start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar.
• Johnny's Jimusho group News may be disbanded following a second scandal. Last week a 17-year old member of the boy band was suspended for underage drinking, a repeat of a similar case last summer. The group's planned 12-date concert tour will go ahead in March and April, while their new single, the theme tune for the latest movie version of the hugely popular anime "One Piece", will be re-recorded by the remaining six members. They are then expected to continue working solo at least through to the end of this year, when the fuss is likely to have died down. Two previously recorded TV shows that feature the suspended group member have been either edited or cancelled altogether. Asked about future plans for the group, a Johnny's spokesman said they were still looking into the facts of the matter and the situation was still under review, leading the media to speculate that the group's days may be numbered.
• It was revealed yesterday that NHK announcer Sumiyoshi Miki (32) has been divorced since the spring of last year. The presenter of "Professional - Shigoto no Ryugi" married a fellow NHK employee in 2003, but the marriage lasted only until April of 2005.
• Okamura Takashi (35) of the comedy duo Ninety Nine has said he's given up hope of romance with pin-up girl Kumada Yoko (23). The weekly magazine Friday recently published photos of Kumada leaving his apartment and he hinted that there was a relationship. But on his regular radio show, Okamura said that while Kumada had been to his place for dinner, things had not turned romanrtic between them.
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New Samurai on the Block | February 03, 2006 |
 About 500 reporters turned out yesterday to hear about a movie that has barely started filming. Director Yamada Yoji's latest venture into the world of samurai drama stars SMAP heart-throb Kimura Takuya (33). And at yesterday's pre-production announcement, they made it clear that they're aiming to make a movie that is Oscar material. "Bushi no Ichibun" is Kimutaku's first venture into period drama, but Yamada is already comparing him with that most stoic of actors, Takakura Ken. He has grown a bit of a beard for his role as a low-level samurai, blinded by his job as a poison tester, who seeks revenge against the man who steals his wife. The movie, not due for general release until next year, has had an offer from the Berlin Film Festival, where Yamada's "Tasogare Seibei" (Twilight Samurai) was nominated for the Golden Bear award in 2003.
• The debut solo album by Bernard Fowler (47), backup singer for the Rolling Stones, will be released first in Japan on March 8. The Stones will be playing in Japan later in the month. Fowler has a long history of connections with Japan - his wife is Japanese and he worked on a Sakamoto Ryuichi solo album as far back as 1986. He's been working with the Stones since 1989. The only band member appearing on his album is guitarist Ronnie Wood.
• The daughter of Academy Award nominated actor Watanabe Ken (46) has been named as a tourism ambassador for the Philippines. The tall and slender Anne (19) appeared at a PR event at the Ebisu Westin hotel in Tokyo yesterday. After greeting the gathered reporters in fluent English, she told them of her location work on the islands of Cebu and Bohol. She refused to comment when asked about her father's recent re-marriage to actress Minami Kaho (41). A fashion model who has worked on the international circuit, she now lives with her mother.
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Another Johnny's Star Nabbed for Boozing | February 02, 2006 |
A 17-year old member of popular Johnny's band News has been suspended after his underage drinking was revealed in a monthly magazine. The magazine published photos of the singer, named only as B, with a young woman at a karaoke box last autumn, in what appear to be stills from a concealed camera. The singer has denied that he drank alcohol and says he plans to atend the prestigious Tokyo university that he gained entry to recently. Another of the 8-member group was suspended last summer for exactly the same reason. His suspension is still in effect, but the Johnny's stable is so big that if need be, he can simply be replaced by a member from a different Johnny's group.
• Actor Funakoshi Eiichiro (45) is to have his first starring role in a movie in 17 years. Known as the "emperor of 2-hour TV dramas", he will star in "Bochan Chips" which is due for release in the autumn. His love interest will be played by 21-year old misono, former vocalist of the band Day After Tomorrow and younger sister of club queen Koda Kumi (23), in her movie debut.
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Miyazaki Nominated For Oscar #2 | February 01, 2006 |
 Miyazaki Hayao's animated feature "Hauru no Ugoku Shiro" (Howl's Moving Castle) has been nominated for an Academy Award. Miyazaki (65) previously won an Oscar in 2003 for "Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi" (Spirited Away). Howl is a love story that tells of a 90-year old woman who is transformed into an 18-year old girl. The movie took in almost ¥20 billion at the box office and has been an international success, seen by over 9 million people in some 50 countries worldwide. It won an award at the Venice International Film Festival in 2004.
• Also nominated in six categories, including nominations for costume design and music, is "Memoirs of a Geisha" (Sayuri), the Hollywood adaptation of Arthur Golden's bestseller. Though set in Japan, the movie has an international cast that includes local stars Watanabe Ken, Yakusho Koji and Momoi Kaoru.
Actor Ishida Issei (31) and former talento wife Miyake Emi (27) filed for divorce on January 30, it was revealed yesterday. They have one child, a son born in December 2003, who will remain with his mother.
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