Japan Entertainment News - June 2006
Just Good Friends | June 30, 2006 |
 Talento Hinagata Akiko (photo, 28) has denied the rumor that appeared in a recent women's weekly magazine saying that she is the true love of singer Nishikawa Takanori, better known as TM Revolution (35). Appearing at a PR event for Taiwanese fruit yesterday, she insisted that Nishikawa was an old friend and nothing more. He is said to be involved with Seto Saki (21), who is with the same Suns Entertainment management agency as Hinagata. Both stars are divorcees: Hinagata was married to TV commercial director from 1998 to 2003 and they had one child; Nishikawa was married to Yoshimura Yumi, one half of the pop duo Puffy, from 1999 to 2002.
• Talento Enamoto Kanako (25) gave birth to her second child yesterday morning at a Tokyo hospital. She and retired Yohohama Bay Stars and Seattle Mariners baseball star Sasaki "Daimajin" Kazuhiro (38) have been married since last year, when he divorced former talento Shimizu Kaori.
• Singer Hajime Chitose (27) finished her national tour yesterday with a show at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo. It was her first tour since getting married in 2004 and becoming a mother. She was joined on stage for one song by singer Yamazaki Masayoshi (34), who is with the same management agency.
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International News | June 29, 2006 |
 Johnny's Jimusho yesterday announced its first international collaboration project. Yamashita Tomohisa (photo, 21), a member of the group News, is to team up with pair of Thai pop stars and several other Johnny's members to form a new group. The 7-member Kitty Gym will be active for a limited time only, as it is being formed purely to promote the upcoming Women's Volleyball World Grand Prix. The event opens in Tokyo on August 18 and the group will record the official "ouen" song. The Thai stars are popular brothers Golf (19) and Mike (16), who were members of the Thai Jr. idol group set up by the local Johnny's office in 2002. They have participated in several recording and live events in Japan. The rest of the group will be made up of four members of Johnny's Jr.
• Matsumoto Kouta (27), one half of the comedy duo Regular, got hitched yesterday. He announced to fans at the Yoshimoto Hall in Tokyo that he and his new wife Megumi (29) had earlier registered their marriage at the city office. Comic partner Nishikawa Akihiro (26) even dressed up in a wig and white sleeveless dress to give the audience an idea of what the newlyweds look like.
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Tax No-No for Noh's Motoya | June 28, 2006 |
 Kyogen actor Izumi Motoya (32) is in trouble again. This time it's the tax authorities that have him in their sights, as the company that represents his business interests is charged with hiding over ¥150 million in income. Accounting errors are said to amount to over ¥200 million, and the company is facing an additional tax bill of more than ¥100 million. While Motoya himself is a director of Izumi Souke, the company is headed by his overbearing mother Setsuko. She is said to have denied the existence of an "off the books" bank account, into which payments for theaterical and TV performances were made. The incident comes at a bad time for Izumi, as it follows the recent Supreme Court rejection of an appeal against his dismissal from the official Nohgaku Kyokai. The organization kicked him out following a series of cancelled performances, double-bookings and publicity stunts that were considered to have damaged the traditional art form, which dates back to the 14th century. He has since continued in the same vein, even recently taking part in full costume in a pro wrestling event.
• Suzuki Ami (24) has teamed up with Avex labelmate Otsuka Ai (23) to produce her latest single. 'Amigo' penned the lyrics for "Like a Love?", while Otsuka was in charge of the music and arrangement. The pair became friends after they performed together in Avex's annual "a-nation" festival last year.
• "Hysteric Summer 2006", an outdoor music festival scheduled for the end of July in Fukushima Prefecture, has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Less than 10% of the total 15,000 tickets had been sold, despite the lineup including such fairly popular acts as Da Pump, Suzuki Masayuki (49), and Jay Walk. Organizers are refunding the costs of tickets sold.
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Mino Makes Forbes Magazine | June 27, 2006 |
 Yesterday I described the ailing Shimada Shinsuke as one of the hardest working men in Japanese showbiz. But the undisputed champion is Mino Monta (61), and it's now official. The latest issue of Forbes magazine mentions Mino in an article related to its annual Celebrity 100. The local media has picked this up as though he were the first Japanese to appear in the list of the world's top stars. Of course, he doesn't enjoy anywhere near the global celebrity status of Tom Cruise, Tiger Woods or even fellow countryman Watanabe Ken. But his incredibly gruelling schedule, that sees him working ten regular shows and has him on air a whopping 35 hours a week, makes him the country's highest-paid TV star. Forbes reports his annual income as $10 million, though that is probably just for the regular shows and doesn't include book royalties and TV commercials.
• Hamasaki Ayumi (27) has reached a remarkable milestone. With her 40th sinle "Blue Bird" entering the Oricon charts at No.1 and having sold over 160,000 copies in its first week of release, she is the first solo artist to have sold over 20 million. The only other artists to manage that feat are B'z, Southern All Stars, Mr. Children and SMAP. All groups and all male, except for SAS keyboard player Hara Yuko. Hamasaki has also extended her own record of No.1 singles to 27, the most by any female artist (Matsuda Seiko is No.2 with 25 and unlikely to have too many more).
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Weekend Roundup - Songbirds on Stage | June 26, 2006 |
 Singer Utada Hikaru (23) is gearing up to go back on the road. Following the recent release of her first original album in four years, she is set to go on tour from July 1 to September 10. She held a rehearsal at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture on Sunday, her first live performance since playing at Nippon Budokan in 2004. The show was attended by about 3,000 people from the press and music industry. She put on almost a full show, based around tracks from "Ultra Blue" but also including almost all of her 19 singles, which have sold over 17 million copies to date. Her upcoming tour, the first since her exhaustion-interrupted debut national road trip six years ago, will take in 11 cities across the country. The "Utada Unite 2006" show will feature visuals designed by her husband, Kiriya Kazuaki.
• Hamasaki Ayumi (27), Koda Kumi (23) and Otsuka Ai (23) were among the stars performing at a special show yesterday for 4,400 Avex shareholders at the Tokyo International Forum. The record label saw record sales last year of ¥89.7 billion, with profits up more than five-fold, and seems to have overcome the internal power struggle that shook the company in 2004. Hamasaki arrived on stage accompanied by birds before launching into her latest single, "Blue Bird".
• Master emcee Shimada Shinsuke (50) has taken time off work to recover from illness. One of the hardest working people in showbiz, the former comedian was recently diagnosed with tonsilitis and forced to cancel the recording of one of his several regular weekly shows.
• Fuji TV presenter Ogura Tomoaki (59) was robbed during his recent visit to Germany. The host of the daily "Tokudane" morning wide show was in Germany for what was to be Japan's final World Cup game against Brazil. His room at a top-class hotel in Dortmund was broken into while he was at the game. His money and passport were in a safe and untouched. But various country team shirts that he had bought as souvenirs were stolen - all except the Japnese shirts.
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Doraemon Meets Mokomichi | June 23, 2006 |
 If it works for The Simpsons...popular young stars Hayami Mokomichi (21) and Aibu Saki (21) are to be the first actors to appear as themselves on the long-running TV Asahi anime series Doraemon. Yesterday the pair were in the studio to record their parts for the June 30 one-hour special episode, a tie-up with their upcoming drama series "Regatta", also on TV Asahi from July 14. During its 27-year run, Doraemon has become a TV institution that handles moral issues with a light touch but rarely brings in the real world. Singer Watanabe Misato (39), who once sang the show's theme song, is the only star to have made an appearance. In the upcoming episode, self-centered main character Nobita and his friend Doraemon, a robot cat from the future, happen across the riverside location shoot of a drama series. The tall Mokomichi, who looks like he stepped from the pages of a manga, is hugely popular these days with girls of all ages. In Regatta he plays a university rowing team star who gives up the sport after the death of his friend. But love develops between him and the team manager, played by Aibu, who persuades him to aim again for his dream of rowing in the Olympics.
• Up-and-coming Fuji TV announcer Hirai Rio (23) is romantically involved with a director from the same network. According to the weekly magazine Friday, the "Suporuto" presenter was spotted on a trip to the mountain resort of Karuizawa with the handsome 27-year old, like Hirai a Keio University graduate. The couple met last year while working on a late-night show, and started dating in May. Hirai was a model and "idol talento" before joining Fuji TV in April 2005.
• Morning Musume member Takahashi Ai (19) is to have her first dramatic leading role. She will star in a new drama series on the GyaO network, Usen's Internet TV channel, that has global warming as its main theme. Takahashi also sings the theme song for the series.
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Ken's Going Strong | June 22, 2006 |
 Hollywood-based actor Watanabe Ken (46) had a lot to be thankful for yesterday. His latest domestic production, "Ashita no Kioku" (Tomorrow's Memories), has started an extended run and has already been seen by over 1.7 million movie-goers. Watanabe met about 280 of them at the Cine Citta theater in Kawasaki yesterday. He reassured them that he is doing well in his battle with Hepatitis C, which he revealed in his recently published autobiography. Distribution deals for the movie are all but tied up for China, Hong Kong and South Korea, while negotiations are ongoing for a U.S. release. Watanabe stars in the film and also acted as executive producer.
• Popular group Southern All Stars yesterday announced that they have put together a major outdoor event this summer. The two-day festival at the Hamanako Garden Park in Shizuoka Prefecture will also feature such big acts as Mr. Children, Glay, Dragon Ash, Porno Graffitti and Fukuyama Masaharu. The event will be attended by over 120,000 fans on August 26-27. Also on the bill is Kayama Yuzo (69), a major star from the 60s, who will have the All Stars as his backing band.
• The father of injured New York Yankees star Matsui "Gojira" Hideki (32) says he hasn't heard from his son about the reported breakup with actress Toda Naho (32). He told a press conference held after he performed at an enka concert that he thought his son was the right age to get married. He said they have talked several times recently and the subject of the rumored split simply hasn't come up.
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Tom's Tokyo Bay Cruise | June 21, 2006 |
 Hollywood star Tom Cruise (43) took to the high seas yesterday. Well not quite. He's in town to promote his latest movie, "Mission Impossible 3", and did so in style. He arrived by private jet at Haneda Airport around 5am and attended an afternoon press conference at the Meiji Kinenkan, where Japan's Meiji Era consitution was drawn up. In the evening he used a motorboat to make a grand entrance across Tokyo Bay, landing at the Odaiba beach area. Dressed in a white suit, he signed autographs for the 1500 fans that lined the red carpet to the movie premiere. The 10-minute trip across the bay is said to have cost ¥200 million, as all shipping had to be stopped temporarily. The stunt was based on a scene from the movie. Today he's travelling by "private" shinkansen (bullet train) to attend a fan event in Osaka, and flies out from Kansai International Airport tonight. Cruise promised fans on his last visit in March that next time he'd bring his wife, actress Katie Holmes (23), and their new daughter Suri. But as this trip is only a day and a half, it was impractical. He reassured fans that he was still hoping to make a movie in Tokyo and that the whole family would be here for a week, a month or longer.
• Singer/actor Fukuyama Masaharu and pin-up girl Yasu Megumi are the ideal marriage partners, according to chart ranking company Oricon. With June considered by many the ideal month to get married, Oricon recently carried out a survey that asked which celebrity people would most like to marry. Fukuyama, who also topped a recent poll looking for the celebrity most people would want to perform at their wedding, appeals to many women with his laid back manner. He was followed in the rankings by three Johnny's Jimusho stars: Kinki Kids duo Domoto Tsuyoshi (#2) and Domoto Koichi (#4), either side of V6 member Okada Yuichi (#3). And in fifth place was actor Tsumabuki Satoshi. Meanwhile, the guys chose popular pin-up girl and variety show regular Yasu, who is considered an "iyashi-kei" or "healing/stress-relieving type". She was followed by singer Otsuka Ai, pin-up girl Yasuda Misako, and actresses Konishi Manami and Ueto Aya.
• SMAP leader Nakai Masahiro (33) missed the afternoon Fuji TV show "Waratte Iitomo" yesterday for the first time in 13 years. He has had trouble with his right eye for several days and was diagnosed with conjunctivitis, a contagious eye infection commonly known as pink eye. Nakai is resting at home and will also miss recording of several other regular shows this week.
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Shinobu Enjoys L'Amour | June 20, 2006 |
 Award-winning actress Terajima Shinobu (33) has some French romance in her life. According to today's issue of the weekly Josei Jishin magazine, the actress is involved with a French employee of a trading company, said to be around 40 years old. The couple met through work and began dating last autumn, and Terajima is said to be studying French. The daughter of kabuki actor Onoe Kikugoro, she was seriously involved with kabuki star Ichikawa Somegoro in 1997, but they broke up after it was revealed he was the father of a 5-year old illegitimate child. Terajima was later linked with actor Omori Nao. She is currently working on a movie adaptation of the NHK drama series "Ai no Rukeichi" (Penal Colony of Love).
• Celebrities visiting the studios of Tokyo FM radio are testing the power of miracles. The Japan soccer team is said to need a miracle to advance to the second round of the World Cup, as it meets world champions Brazil in its final group match. So celebrities are challenging the football fates and promising to do a series of outlandish things if the Samurai Blue can pull it off. Talento and 80s sexy idol Aota Noriko (38) says she dress in "bodicon" style and dance in Tokyo's Roppongi district; pop duo Yuzu say they'll do their next recording at the home of a Tokyo FM listener; and actor Ishida Issei promises to adopt the hairstyle of a Brazilian soccer star. The station has already received some 4000 pledges from listeners and celebs alike.
• The official figures for Sunday's game against Croatia are as high as expected. Video Research say the TV Asahi broadcast of the game had a ratings high of 68.6% in the Kanto region. With the recent increase in the number of people following games on the Internet, in sports bars and outdoor broadcasts, the figure holds up very well to those of past events. It remains to be seen if enough people believe the team still has a chance to progress in the tournament to create a similar audience for the Brazil game, which airs from 4am on Friday.
• Actress Adachi Yumi (24) made her return to work yesterday. After a busy year that has seen her marry comedian Itoda Jun (33), give birth to a baby girl, watch the media speculate over her husband's alleged infidelities, and embarrassed by her mother's publication of a nude photo book, she finally got back to work. Her first job since becoming a mother was to record a character for the summer's new Anpanman anime feature. Meeting the press afterwards, she fielded the inevitable questions with good humor, saying the rumors about Itoda were simply untrue and that her mother looks beautiful for her age. She said her only worry was leaving her daughter and husband alone for the first time, but added that recent events have only served to deepen their love for each other.
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Weekend Roundup - Still Hope | June 19, 2006 |
 Hope lives on for the Samurai Blue. The Japan soccer team flirted with disaster against Croatia at the World Cup yesterday but lived to fight another day. A series of saves, including an early penalty, by goalkeeper Kawaguchi Yoshikatsu kept the hopes of the nation alive. With the game played in searing heat, the players were reduced to the same exhaustion that was their undoing in the loss to Australia. The last 20 minutes saw a series of embarassing mistakes and missed chances by both teams. But this time the game ended scoreless, probably a fitting result and one that leaves all three teams with a chance to join Brazil in the next round. With their place secure after a 2-0 defeat of the Aussies, it's possible that the Brazilians will field a less than full strength squad for the final group matchon June 23. And so Japanese fans still have a reason to tune in for that game, even though it kicks off at 4am local time.
Audience ratings for last night's broadcast of the game on TV Asahi are expected to beat the 49% that NHK managed for the Australia game, and maybe even the 66.1% that watched Fuji TV's broadcast of the Japan-Russia game in 2002. The highest rating last year was for a soccer game, Japan beating North Korea in its final World Cup qualifier, and that was also shown on TV Asahi. If the network manages to pull the highest rating for this year, it will be the first time a private network has done so two years in a row.
• Sekine Mari (21), daughter of popular talento Sekine Tsutomu (52), has made her showbiz debut. In May she graduated at the top of her class from Emerson College in Boston, where she studied Marketing Communication. She had considered joining one of Japan's top ad agencies, but this month she joined the Asai Kikaku management agency that handles her father's busy schedule. She got off to a busy start herself on Saturday, appearing on three different shows.
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Glay Team With Boøwy Vocalist | June 16, 2006 |
 The latest collaboration by rock band Glay will feature Himuro Kyosuke (45). The former Boøwy vocalist met Glay leader and guitarist Takuro (35) on a radio show last year and the band went to visit him at his home in Los Angeles earlier this year. The resulting single "Answer", Himuro's first collaborative project, goes on sale August 2 and the artists will perform together at the Ajinomoto Stadium on August 5 & 6. Last year Glay teamed up with vocal/dance unit Exile and released one of the year's biggest hits in "Scream". It's been more than two years since they put out an original album, and their first 'solo' single since December 2004, "G4", is scheduled for release mid-July. Boøwy were one of the biggest Japanese bands of the late 80s and early 90s. It also featured legendary guitarist Hotei Tomoyasu, whose split with Himuro led to the end of the band.
• Comedienne Aoki Sayaka (33) has been chosen for this year's "Best Swimmer Award". Though she has released a best-selling book of nude photos, she is not the most shapely of celebrities. Her choice was due to her appearances on the TV Asahi variety show "Q-sama!!" in which she and other celebrities take part in pretty competitive swimming races. Award recipients usually turn up for the ceremony in formal wear but Aoki was true to form, arriving in a swimsuit and cap. Designed for purely PR purposes, the award is one of many handed out every year to celebrities. The list includes Best Jeanist, Best Leatherist and Megane Best Dresser, for the person who looks best in glasses, as well as more traditional titles such as Best Couple or Best Father. With Sunday being Father's Day, the latter will no doubt be announced this weekend.
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Wentz Going Global | June 15, 2006 |
 Popular all-rounder Wentz Eiji (20) is to make his "world" debut as a model. A regular on the variety show circuit and local fashion magazines, over the last year he has found a new level of success as one half of the acoustic pop duo WaT. Also an actor, he was recently at the Cannes Film Festival where he caught the eye of an editor from a top French fashion magazine. Wentz will appear in the October issue of the magazine Jalouse. He made his modelling debut at the age of four and later became a regular on an NHK kid's show. At the age of nine, he appeared on the famous New Year spectacle "Kohaku Uta Gassen" as a backing dancer for pop starlet Moritaka Chisato. He formed WaT with Koike Teppei in 2002, and the duo performed on the streets of Tokyo for three years before landing a recording contract with a major label. They have won two major newcomer awards this year. Though he is the second son of a Japanese mother and German-American father, he's got a lot of mileage from the fact that he's the only one in the family who has little to no English ability.
• The pop artist most young people would like to have perform at their wedding is Fukuyama Masaharu. He was followed in a recent survey by rock group Mr. Children and pop duo Dreams Come True, a particularly popular choice among females. The fourth most popular choice is Amuro Namie and crooner Hirai Ken is fifth. A bit quiet for the last couple of years, singer/actor Fukuyama's continued appeal was confirmed when his recently released new single "Milk Tea" entered the Oricon charts at No.1.
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SMAP's Bigger Bang | June 14, 2006 |
 Japan's No.1 pop group are going back on the road again. And when the boys of SMAP go on tour, it's a very big deal. Starting at the Sapporo Dome on July 30, they'll perform 21 shows at eight major venues across the country, playing to over a million adoring fans in all. Almost half that number will be attending the eight shows planned for three venues in the Tokyo metropolitan area - National Stadium and Tokyo Dome in the capital and Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. One of the biggest tours ever planned in Japan, it's sure to make the five-member band's new album - due for release in July - one of their best sellers yet and extend their record streak of consecutive No.1 hits.
• The NHK broadcast of Japan's opening game at the World Cup reached a peak audience rating of 61.2%. The average rating for the 3-1 defeat to Australia was 49%, though with the game also shown on NHK's satellite channels and at stadiums and sports bars across the country, the actual numbers were quite a bit higher. The 49% figure is higher than the 43.4% for the World baseball Classic final win over Cuba in March but lower than figures from the last two World Cups. Over 10 million households in the Kanto region were tuned in to the event despite the 10pm kickoff time. As the game entered the second half with Japan leading, fans probably expected to head to bed in a jubilant mood. But three goals conceded in quick succession left many supporters facing a depressing trip home.
• Former Fuji TV announcer Ariga Satsuki (40) and Wada Kei (53), a commentator with the network, have ended their 4-year marriage. It was revealed yesterday that the couple filed for divorce in mid-May. Ariga retains custody of their 3-year-old daughter.
• Singer Hirahara Ayaka (22) finished off her national tour yesterday with a show at the Nippon Budokan. She performed her smash hit debut song "Jupiter" accompanied by a 24-piece orchestra that included her father, Hirahara Makoto (54), on sax. She also gave the 8,000 fans their first chance to hear her upcoming double-A side single "Voyagers/Kokoro", due for release on July 19.
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The Power of Platinum | June 13, 2006 |
 Some of the best tickets for Madonna's shows here in September will be sold on an online auction, Ticket Pia announced yesterday. The Queen of Pop will be playing in Japan for the first time in 13 years with her "Confessions" tour, and has shows set for Osaka Dome (Sept. 16) and Tokyo Dome (Sept. 20). Of the 3,000 Premier seats closest to the stage for each show, 500 will be put up for auction as "platinum tickets" between July 9-18. The face value of the tickets is ¥50,000. Pair tickets for shows in the U.S. have already fetched over $5,000 in auctions, and similar prices can be expected here. The measure is also partly an effort to deal with "dafuya" or yakuza-connected ticket scalpers, always a problem for popular shows.
• The second album from Def Tech has repeated the accomplishment of last year's eponymous debut. "Catch the Wave", released on April 26, has managed to stay in the charts and finally broke through the one-million barrier this week. The feat was achieved just over a year since "Def Tech" became just the second indies album to sell a million copies (the first was Mongol800's "Message" in 2002). "Catch the Wave" is the second album this year to go quadruple-platinum, after Koda Kumi's hits collection "Best - Second Session". In Japan, the threshold for platinum status is 250,000 copies, compared to 1 million for the U.S.
• Rock group B'z have extended their own record with their 42th single, "Splash". Needless to say it entered the Oricon charts at No.1, the 38th time in a row they've done it. The record stretches back to their 5th release, "Taiyo no Komachi Angel" in June 1990. Their 4th single, "Be There" released in May 1990, made the Top 10. So their string of consecutive Top 10 hits is now at 39, putting them in a tie for first place with SMAP.
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Weekend Roundup | June 12, 2006 |
 Seiko's back on the road. Matsuda Seiko, the perennial "burikko" idol, is still on top of her game at 44. Sporting the shortest possible shocking pink miniskirt, she performed 25 songs - one for every year that she's been in showbiz - in a two-and-a-half hour set for 15,000 fans at the Saitama Super Arena on Saturday. The show kicks off her annual summer tour of the country, which this year takes in 8 cities across Japan. She wore five different outfits on Saturday, including one based on the popular sailor uniform worn by many of Japan's schoolgirls that just reinforced Seiko's image as the pop idol who refuses to act her age. Also in attendance was Seiko's daughter Sayaka (19), whose brief entertainment career is still on hold. She and her mother had a spat last year, with Sayaka claiming that she wanted to break away from her mother's control, and this was the the most public show yet that they have made up.
• Comedian Ueda Shinya (36) is a father. One half of the popular duo Cream Stew, he revealed on the NTV talk show "Oshare-ism" last night that his wife gave birth to their first child, a baby girl, on June 7. He and his wife, both of whom are from Kumamoto Prefecture, married in 2004 after a 15-year relationship. Ueda's comic partner Arita Teppei is known as one of showbiz's more prolific playboys.
• Ditzy talento Yamaguchi Moe (29) and company president Ozeki Shigeo (31) finally held their wedding ceremony and reception at a Tokyo hotel yesterday. The couple registered their marriage last November. Ozeki is CEO of the apparel company Zeel.
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Rumiko's Still Got It | June 09, 2006 |
 Little known actor Ishibashi Masataka (27) is staying mum on his romantic relationship with divorcee singer Koyanagi Rumiko (photo, 53). Yesterday he made his first public appearance, at a PR event for the German fountain pen maker Mont Blanc, since news of the relationship broke. He refused to give a comment to the gathered reporters. Koyanagi had a very public and messy divorce from her former backing dancer, Osumi Kenya (40), in 2000 after the press got word of his extra-marital affairs. The former Takarazuka star has a clear preference for younger men. She married Osumi in 1989, when he was 23 and she was still in her 30s and looking good. Even now in her 50s she does still have the legs of a Japanese Tina Turner, but Ishibashi is generally thought to be looking for a bit of free publicity.
• Comedian Matsumoto Kouta (27) of the popular duo Regular is set to get married at the end of the month. He will marry Kitamura Megumi (29) - described as a "home helper" - to whom he proposed on stage at the end of May. Regular are best known for their lively "Aru Aru Tankentai" routine.
• Popular Korean group Shinhwa performed their first song in Japanese for fans at three events across the country yesterday. Split into three pairs, they attended events in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. "Bokura no Kokoro ni wa Taiyo ga Aru" (The Sun is in Our Hearts) will be released on June 14. They also predicted a successful World Cup for the South Korean team. The group are in the middle of a 5-nation Asian tour. They will play the Nippon Budokan on September 24 and Osaka Castle Hall on the 26th.
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No Wedding Plans for Takako | June 08, 2006 |
 Guys, you still have a chance. Actress Tokiwa Takako (34) says she has no plans to get married. She appeared yesterday at a PR event for the movie "Fudeko, Sono Ai", a biopic about the famous Meiji Period educator Ishii Fudeko (1865-1944). Filming will take place in Okayama Prefecture in July and August and the film is set to open in November. In the movie Ishii marries twice but when asked if she had any such plans in real life, Tokiwa answered, "I guess it's true what they say that wearing a wedding dress will mean you get married later. I haven't considered marriage at all." Japan Zone reported on her romance with actor Nagatsuka Keishi (30) last August, but things don't seem to have become more serious between them yet. Ishii was the first person to set up an educational establishment for the disabled in Japan. A member of a politically influential family at a time of great change in Japan, she was the first Japanese woman to study abroad following the Meiji Restoration.
• Popular comedian Razor Ramon HG (30) is to appear in his first overseas Yoshimoto Kogyo production. Hard Gay, as he is best known, will take part in the event "Suggoi Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, L.A. & Japan Tour" on July 1 at the famous Kodak Theater in Hollywood, home of the annual Academy Awards. Yoshimoto comedians have toured in the U.S., U.K. and Asia before, but the last event was in Shanghai in 2002. Other big names set to appear include Imada Koji (40), Higashino Koji (38), and Fuji Takashi (34). Not on the biull this time is Kazama Kampei (56), whose lewd behavior on previous tours drew criticism. Hard Gay is likely to take the reins in that department and should turn a few heads with his black leather outfit and hip thrusts.
• Trust the "Gorgeous Kano Sisters" not to miss a diamond-studded evening. And what's more, they officially brought along their "3rd sister" for the first time. Elders "sisters" Kyoko and Mika were joined by Harue for the "Diamond & Botswana Charity Gala", held last night at the Botswana embassy in Tokyo. All three sat together during the party, though Harue didn't speak to reporters after the event. Her elder "sisters" spoke for her and seem to be breaking her into the limelight gently.
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Showbiz's Next Big Couple? | June 07, 2006 |
 Could they big the next big showbiz couple? Media mouths are watering at the prospect of romance between singer Gackt (age unknown) and actress Yonekura Ryoko (30). The pair appeared together yesterday in Tokyo at a PR event for the new TV commercial by Takano Yuri Beauty Clinic. Takano herself pushed the issue several times, asking the pair whether there was any romance between them. This was no doubt calculated to create more buzz about the commercial, and they played along by being as vague as possible. Dressed in matching white outfits, they arrived arm in arm and admitted that they were, at the very least, good friends who sometimes go out for dinner together. They also co-starred in last year's commercial, which featured Yonekura in a wedding dress. Following her breakup with kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo (28) last spring, the press have been speculating about who the next lucky guy will be. Gackt, who made his name as the vocalist of a "visual-kei" rock band, is more than a match for her in terms of looks and star status. But his very successful solo career has been as much about style as substance, and romance might hurt his usual androgynous and mysterious image.
• Actor Yanagiba Toshiro (45) is Japan's ideal showbiz Dad. The popular actor and former singer was chosen in the entertainment category of this year's "Best Father Yellow Ribbon Awards", held yesterday at a Tokyo hotel. Yanagiba brought his wife and 6-year old daughter to the award ceremony. He recently moved the family to his hometown in Akita Prefecture for the sake of his daughter, who just started elementary school. He said, "The thing I enjoy most is talking with my daughter as we take a bath together", referring to a common practice in Japan.
• The current trend in TV dramas about flight attendants seems to be continuing. Mizuki Arisa (29) will play one for the first time in the new NTV series "CA to O-Yobi!" (Call Me a Cabin Attendant!), set to air on Wednesday nights from next month. Filming began in Okinawa yesterday, with former models Mizuki, Karina (22) and Nishida Naomi (34) all in bathing suits for their first scene. The Japanese often refer to flight attendants as "succhi", derived from the Japanese pronunciation of the word stewardess.
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Chart Toppers | June 06, 2006 |
As expected, the debut solo single by Yamashita Tomohisa (photo, 21) has gone straight to No.1 in the Oricon chart. "Daite Senorita" is the theme of the TBS drama "Kurosagi", in which he stars, and is the best-selling single by a solo male artist since Kuwata Keisuke's "Shiroi Koibito-tachi" in 2001. Yamashita has had six chart toppers as a member of the Johnny's Jimusho unit NEWS, and also released one of the biggest singles of the last six months, "Seishun Amigo", as one half of the duo Shuji & Akira with KAT-TUN's Kamenashi Kazuya (20). The latest single has already sold over 700,000 copies since it went on sale May 31. Yamashita also features in the new TV commercial for major beauty clinic chain TBC, which shows the singer in a shower scene.
• Oricon this week also released the overall rankings for the first half of this year. KAT-TUN's "Real Face" is the only million seller of the year so far, followed by "Konayuki" by Remioromen (which only reached No.2 in the chart), "Seishun Amigo", "Tada...Aitakute" by Exile, and "Supernova/Karuma" by Bump of Chicken. SMAP also have a couple of singles in the Top 10.
• Also topping the charts is the debut single from jealkb, the "visual-kei" rock band led by comedian Tamura Atsushi. "Metronome" has sold only a few thousand copies and is at No.63 in the overall Oricon chart, but that's enough to put it on top of the indie rankings. Five of the seven band members are with Yoshimoto Kogyo, the agency that represents most of Japan's top comedy acts. But Atsushi, best known as one half of London Boots, is clearly taking the project seriously. Using the stage name haderu, he wrote the music and lyrics for the new single and the band have a very professional website (http://jealkb.jp/). They also have top-notch support, including L'Arc en Ciel's sleeve designer, makeup artist of the late X Japan guitarist Hide, and famous visual-kei photographer Tanaka Kazuko.
• Former Morning Musume member Yaguchi Mari (23) has broken up with actor Oguri Shun (23), according to this week's issue of "Josei Jishin" magazine. Her agency confirmed that the two have not seen each other since April.
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Moe Idols On a Roll | June 05, 2006 |
 AKB48 may be the pop group of the moment. Yesterday all 37 members of the idol group appeared in Akihabara, the spiritual home of Japan's geek culture and the place where offshoots like maid cafes and the concept of "moe" were born. They performed 12 songs including their second single "Skirt, Hirari", wearing mini-skirts which they duly flashed to reveal their "bloomers" underneath. All pure schoolboy fantasy stuff that had the 1,000 fans screaming for more. The group - the AKB is an abbreviation of Akihabara - were formed in 2005 as two troupes of 24 members, though the numbers have dropped to 20 and 17. One troupe performs every day at a special theater in the district nicknamed "Electric Town". With tickets priced at ¥1,000, the marketing concept is to have a group that fans can afford to "meet" every day. The oldest member is 22 and most are in their mid-teens. It remains to be seen whether AKB48 can have the broad appeal or staying power to become the new Morning Musume.
• Singer/songwriter Otsuka Ai (23) is making her move to the big screen. She is currently in New York filming scenes for the movie version of "Tokyo Friends". It follows on from the DVD drama series in which she starred with model/actor Eita and actresses Kobayashi Mao, Matsumoto Rio and Maki Yoko, all beautiful people and all 23 years old. The DVD drama plot revolved around Otsuka's character and her move to Tokyo to form a band. Eita's character was taken on as the vocalist but he diappeared. The movie finds him living in the Big Apple where Otsuka tracks him down. The movie is due for release in August.
• Fans of Carlos Santana will probably already know of the legendary album "Lotus", recorded live during two concerts in Osaka in 1974. The album captured Santana during the heart of their jazz-rock period and is considered one of the best live albums ever recorded. The huge 11-part album sleeve, designed by Yokoo Tadanori (69), is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records this month as the biggest ever. It was also hugely exensive to produce, with Japan at the time suffering from high paper prices resulting from the "oil shock". The album is to be re-released this week on CD, with a scaled-down version of the original sleeve.
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Mariko Returns After 15 Years | June 02, 2006 |
 Actress Ishihara Marie (42) is to make her TV drama comeback after 15 years in "the wilderness". She will resume using her stage name of Ishihara Mariko, actually her real name which she abandoned shortly after she left Japan to live abroad 15 years ago. She is set to star in a TBS drama series planned for the autumn. She appears on tonight's episode of NHK's English language learning show "Eigo de Shaberanaito" and talks about her years away from showbiz. After making her debut in 1980, Ishihara became one of the country's top actresses following the success of the drama series "Fuzoroi no Ringo-tachi". But with an image as being outspoken and following a series of scandals, she left for Los Angeles in 1991. In 1993, she published a book of nude photos called "Marie!" She lived briefly in Paris before returning to the US. During those years she studied astronomy and psychology at college. She finally came back to Japan in 2004 and, finding that country had changed a lot, decided to stay.
• Actress Amami Yuki was recognized this week for her contributions to broadcasting last year. In its annual Galactic Awards, the Japan Council for Better Radio and Televesion chose Amami for the individual award following her starring roles in four separate TV drama series in 2005. In particular, her role as the "demon" teacher in "Jo no Kyoshitsu" on the NTV network was hugely successful. The award for best TV show went to the TBS drama "Tiger & Dragon".
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Jacko Drops In On SMAP | June 01, 2006 |
The members of pop group SMAP got quite a surprise last night when Michael Jackson made an unannounced visit to the studio where they were recording the Fuji TV show "SMAPxSMAP". Jackson arrived on the set in the middle of a performance, catching the five local superstars completely by surprise. Group leader Nakai Masahiro (33) could only gape, wide-mouthed, while Katori Shingo (29) fell laughing to the floor at the sight of "nama Maikeru". After they recovered, they exchanged high fives and Jackson chatted with them for about ten minutes and praised their singing (well, as a guest I suppose you have to be polite!). His appearance will be included on the episode that airs on Monday, June 5.
• Not such good news for TBS on another front. Almost a thousand cases of health problems have been reported by viewers of a show that promoted a diet based on white kidney beans. Of the total, over 100 people have had to visit hospital. The "Piikan Body" show was broadcast on May 6 and featured a way of losing weight by adding ground roasted kidney beans to rice. Th chairman of TBS has publicly apologized and sent letters to all of the reported victims.
• Singer Nakashima Mika (23) made a guest appearance at yesterday's concert by Elvis Costello. Costello was playing at a church in Shinagawa, Tokyo with legendary blues pianist Allen Toussaint (68), who in turn produced Nakashima's latest single. "All Hands Together" was recorded in New Orleans. Toussaint described the Japanese star as having a "heavenly voice".
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