Japan Entertainment News - September 2008
SMAP Reach 10 Million in Album Sales | September 30, 2008 |
 SMAP (profile) have broken the 10-million barrier with the strong sales of their latest album. "Super.modern.artistic.performance" is their 18th album and first in more than two years, and entered the latest Oricon album chart at No.1 with first-week sales of 214,000. It's their fourth No.1 in a row and tenth overall. Their total album sales make them just the second Japanese vocal group (after Chage & Aska) to reach 10 million, while they reached that number of singles sold way back in 1997. The new album was released Sept. 24, the same day that SMAP started their latest concert tour at Tokyo Dome. They play the last of six nights at the 55,000-seat venue tonight, the most shows at the dome in one tour by any Japanese artist. Meanwhile on the singles chart, Morning Musume (profile) have seen their cover of the Pink Lady (profile) hit "Pepper Keibu" reach No.3, beating the No.4 rank of the 1977 original.
• X Japan's Yoshiki is the latest person to have a go at the Sumo Association. He was at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on Sunday to watch his Mongolian friend and yokozuna (Grand Champion) Hakuho wrap up his eighth "yuusho" (tournament victory). After the Emperor's Cup and other awards were presented, Yoshiki was invited back to the dressing room for a photo session. Upon entering the room, which was packed with reporters and TV cameras, he was scolded by sumo staff for almost walking on the tatami flooring without removing his boots. Perhaps not realizing who the VIP guest was, staff also barked out orders such as "Hurry up!" and "Sit cross-legged here!" Though Hakuho later called and visited his friend to apologize, Yoshiki sent a fax of protest to the media and the Sumo Association. "I may have been living in the U.S. for a long time, but I know better than to walk on tatami in my shoes," he said. "Doesn't the Sumo Association know better than to treat its guests like this?" Sumo has already been beset by a series of scandals lately, the latest of which came just yesterday when young Russian wrestler Wakanoho gave a press conference and said that he would reveal details of bout fixing in an upcoming court case. Wakanoho (20) became the first ever active wrestler to be kicked out of sumo after he was arrested last month for possession of marijuana, and he is suing the Sumo Association for reinstatement.
• Taiwan-born talento Yinling of Joytoy (30) revealed yesterday that she and pro wrestling staffer Fujiwara Hayato (26) tied the knot on Saturday. The self-proclaimed "erotic terrorist" announced her engagement to the Zero1-Max employee back in April. A former soccer player, Fujiwara was Yinling's minder when she joined the Hustle wrestling troupe. They started dating two years ago after Fujiwara left to join another wrestling troupe.
• Appearing at a PR event in Tokyo yesterday, actor Ishida Junichi (52) came clean about some compromising photos published in the weekly magazine "Friday." One of Japan's most renowned playboys, a drunken Ishida was spotted sleeping on the street with a "beautiful woman." He said "Futoku no itasu tokoro," the Japanese equivalent of "mea culpa," adding that the woman had called him to apologize profusely.
• 15-year-old Kutsuna Shiori is the latest Pocky Princess, becoming the 50th image girl for Glico's popular chocolate snack. Since 1967, the job has helped boost the careers of such stars as Matsuda Seiko (46, profile) and Aragaki Yui (20). Also helping on the PR side are rock band Orange Range (profile). The new Pocky TV commercials with "Oshare Bancho, feat. Soy Sauce" will air from today. Kutsuna grew up in Australia, where her father still works, and returned to Japan just two years ago. She won a special award at a national young beauty contest in 2006.
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Gamarjobat Bringing Their Comedy Home | September 29, 2008 |
 Japanese pantomime duo Gamarjobat are to tour their own country for the first time. Barely known at home, the pair have won awards worldwide for their silent comedy, including two years running at the major Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2004-05). They had a sold out tour of the U.K. in 2006 and recently completed a pilot program for the BBC. Last year they were included in Newsweek's annual list of 100 prominent Japanese people. The tour will begin in Tokyo next February and then take the duo to 21 countries. Members Hiro-Pon (42, yellow mohican) and Ketch! (38, red mohican) formed in 1999 and had an eye on the international stage from the start - their name means "Hello!" in Georgian. British media have variously described their comedy as "Irresistibly, endearingly funny" (The Scotsman), "Utterly mesmerising" (The Telegraph) and "Astonishingly good" (Metro).
• Singer Onizuka Chihiro (27) has postponed her scheduled nationwide tour due to exhaustion. The tour, her first in six years, was to start in Hyogo Prefecture next month but a busy promotional schedule has affected her health. Following doctor's orders, five shows between Oct. 12 and Nov. 24 have been postponed.
• Miwa Tetsuya (41), guitarist with the rock band Spitz, revealed to his fan club last week that he has been undergoing treatment for lung cancer. The cancer was discovered early, during a checkup in the spring of 2006. Miura also revealed that his own father died of lung cancer in February, when the band were on tour. They re-started their nationwide tour yesterday in Saitama and release a new single on Nov. 5. They recently announced their first arena shows, at Saitama Super Arean on Jan. 17-18 and Osaka Castle Hall on Jan. 24-25.
• Veteran actor Fujita Makoto (75) is returning to work, in the revival of one of his most famous roles. Seven months after undergoing surgery for cancer, he returns to his role as an assassin in an update of the popular 1970s TV Asahi drama series "Hissatsu Shigotonin." Filming starts next month for the show, which will air on Friday nights from January for the first time in 17 years. The lead role is to be played by former Johnny's Jimusho idol Higashiyama Noriyuki (41), who starred in a one-off revival in 2007. While he recovered from surgery, Fujita had to drop out of theatrical productions in June and September.
• British rock legends The Who have added an extra date to their upcoming Japan tour. With date in Osaka (Nov. 13), Yokohama (Nov. 14), Saitama (Nov. 16) and Nippon Budokan (Nov. 17) already sold out, they've added one more night at Budokan (Nov. 19). The first Budokan show was sold out in 10 minutes. Though they visited once to take part in a rock festival, the tour will be the band's first and possibly last in Japan.
• Speaking of the Budokan, visual rockers Sid sold out the 13,000-seat venue in just two minutes even though they're still officially an indie band. The Nov. 2 show is several days after they release "Monokuro no Kiss," their debut major-label single on Ki/oon Records. They have clearly have built up a big following since they formed in 2003, and a single released late last year reached No.4 on the Oricon chart. They performed at Budokan in 2006 as well as other large venues, and are one of the country's biggest indie acts.
• Busty pin-up girl Komukai Minako (23) may find her showbiz career over, after she was dropped by her management agency. On their website, the agency said that Komukai, who debuted in 2000 at the age of 15, has repeatedly failed to keep in contact with them. They said she's been unable to overcome the health and psychological problems she's been struggling with for several years and they are no longer able to support her attempt to make a comeback.
• Indian enka singer Chadha (56) has re-launched his singing career after a break of 30 years. After becoming the first ever non-Japanese enka singer in the 1970s, he retired in 1978 and returned to India to run an export business. He made a point of thanking Jero (27), the black American who has been the darling of the enka world over the last year. he releases a new single "Odoru Mahachadha" on Nov. 19.
• NTV announcer Mori Fumi announced during her regular slot on the "Tensai! Company" show that she's taking maternity leave. Married since 2002 to a staffer from the "The Wide" afternoon show, she is expecting her first child in November.
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New Release from Misora Hibari, 20 Years After Her Death | September 26, 2008 |
 Twenty years after her death, legendary postwar singer Misora Hibari (1937-89) is to release a new song. Recorded in 1968, "Au wa Wakare no" is a sad ballad of separation that resembles one of her biggest hits, 1966's "Kanashii Sake." Misora's son, and the president of the Hibari Pro company, Kato Kazuya (37) speculated that the similarity may have been the main reason it was never released. The song will be broadcast for the first time on a TV Asahi special tomorrow night. And it will be available only from the Kyoto Arashiyama Misora Hibari-za theater, where visitors can create their own customized CD of up to 20 tracks from the 559 singles Misora released over 40 years. From October 1, the newly released song will be added to the list, which extends from "Kappa Boogie Woogie" (1949) to "Kawa no Nagare no You ni" (1989). The music for "Au wa..." was written by Kouzu Yoshiyuki (76) and the lyrics by actress Nakamura Meiko (74), a couple who were among Misora's closest friends. They wrote a total of 11 songs for her, of which this song is the only one never to have been released.
• Korean talento Yoon Sona (32) gave birth to her first child in Seoul yesterday. A regular on the Japanese variety TV circuit for several years, she married a Korean businessman in September 2006 and has lived in Seoul since. She plans to return to work within the year.
• Comedy duo Tunnels (profile) and singer DJ Ozma have teamed up to produce the new female trio Yajima Biyoshitsu. They announced yesterday that the trio is made up of Nevada native and former nude dancer Margaret (36) and her daughters Naomi (17) and Strawberry (11). The girls' father is said to be a Japanese beautician by the name of Yajima, and the trio came to Japan in the hopes of finding him. They make their CD debut on October 29 with "Nihon no Mikata - Nevada Kara Kimashita." A closer look reveals that the trio look remarkably similar to the producers...but Ozma insisted, "We scouted them in Las Vegas. They sing and dance even better than Exile and speak Japanese as well as (American enka singer) Jero." Tunnels have a good musical track record, having released many hits as a duo and leading the group Yaen. But they caused a scandal back in 1991 when they appeared in underwear on NHK's live New Year's Eve show "Kohaku Utagassen." Ozma's main claim to fame is the even bigger scandal he caused when he and his backing dancers appeared on last year's Kohaku wearing body suits that had the nationwide audience thinking they were on stage nude. Asked about his expectations for the new trio, he said "If it doesn't sell a million, I'll retire from showbiz!" The trio are set to make their first appearance on a "SMAPxSMAP" special and on TBS's "Utaban" on September 29. Their debut song can be heard from today on the new TV commercial for Lotte's Spash chewing gum.
• It was revealed today that NHK announcer Yoshiba Yumie (34) recently married an employee of a sports management company. Yoshiba is a presenter on NHK's "Sunday Sports" show.
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Judas, Cyndi, SMAP on Stage | September 25, 2008 |
 Some big names kicked off very different but all eagerly-awaited concert tours this week. Heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest launched their ninth Japan tour in Nagoya last night. They performed a 17-song set for the 2,000 fans, mixing hits with tracks from their first concept album, "Nostradamus." They have two shows in Osaka, one in Yokohama, then the Nippon Budokan before finishing at the Tokyo International Forum on October 1. Cyndi Lauper (photo, 55), who started her "Bring Ya to the Brink" world tour in Osaka on Tuesday, checked the Nippon Budokan off her list last night and she'll be in Nagoya tonight and back to Ebisu Garden Hall in Tokyo on Saturday. Meanwhile, the first SMAP (profile) tour in two years is on a whole new scale for them. Their tour started at Tokyo Dome last night and they will be the first Japanese artists to play six nights at the 55,000-seat venue. Then they'll use about one hundred 11- and 20-ton trucks to move the elaborate stage show to the other four domes across the country. Last night, youngest member Katori Shingo (31) injured his right knee in a fall on stage. He suffered contusion and internal bleeding that will take two weeks to heal, but he promised to be on stage again tonight.
• Talento Adachi Yuri (51) unveiled the results of her 2-month, ¥6-million anti-aging regime yesterday. She spent the money on procedures such as breast enlargement and liposuction. Clearly happy with the results, she plans to publish "beauty Smile," a book a nude photos. She's also scheduled to have her first movie starring role in a project provisionally titled "Mebius" that is due to be shown at the Hamburg Film Festival next year. The mother of actress Adachi Yumi (27), she answered a question about media reports of trouble in her daughter's marriage to comedian Itoda Jun (35) with the wry comment, "Separation? I suppose it could happen."
• Comedians Bakusho Mondai made a donation of ¥10 million to their hometown of Osaka yesterday. The duo of Ota Hikari (43) and Tanaka Yuji (43), together with Ota's wife and the manager of their Titan management agency Ota Mitsuyo (44), made the donation to Osaka governor Hashimoto Toru (39). A family lawyer, Hashimoto was represented by Titan when he became a TV celebrity and was a regular guest on the "Sunday Japon" variety show hosted by the comedians.
• X Japan leader Yoshiki yesterday launched a jewelry range inspired by his "world view." Wearing a ¥1.2-million red and green diamond necklace at the event in Tokyo, he said, "I never really liked jewelry. It got in the way when I was playing the piano." But he says he was converted when he saw the Yoshiki Jewelry lineup. Also on display were a piano and a drum set made of crystal and costing ¥20 million apiece. The 25-product range goes on sale at Takashimaya department stores nationwide from October 1.
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Full Speed Ahead! | September 24, 2008 |
 It looks like the recent "one night only" reunion of J-pop idol group Speed was more like a setup. It was announced yesterday that the group are getting back together again for real, and have already been in the studio to record the theme song for an upcoming TV drama series. "Ashita no Sora" will be the theme for the NTV drama "OL Nippon," which stars Arisa Mizuki and airs on Wednesday nights from October 8. The group had several million-selling singles in the late 1990s and in 1998 became the youngest ever artists to perform a concert tour of all of Japan's four domes. They split up in March 2000 at the peak of their popularity and have temporarily reformed for charity events in 2001 and 2003. When they got together for a short medley of their hits on NTV's 24-hour telethon last month, it was after an almost five-year break. The reason given was that member Imai Eriko (24) wanted her young son, who she revealed for the first time is deaf, to see her perform on stage. After the show, NTV were overwhelmed with telephone calls and emails from fans requesting the comeback of Speed. And surefire commercial success is as big a motivation as any group could want. "Ashita no Sora" is scheduled to be released as their 15th single on November 12. The song was written by producer Ijichi Hiromasa, the man behind many of their biggest hits. Their second single, "Steady," became his first million-seller in 1996, a level of success that was matched by later Speed collaborations such as "White Love" and "My Graduation."
• Renowned movie producer and publisher Kadokawa Haruki (65) is to get back into the directorial saddle. Fifteen years after his last effort, the cute dinosaur story "Rex," he is directing the detective thriller "Warau Keikan" (The Laughing Policeman). Starring up and coming actor Ohmori Nao in his first major movie role, the film is based on the first of an ongoing series of novels by Sasaki Jou. The title is borrowed from one of the famous Martin Beck series of detective novels, which Kadokawa's father's company first published in Japan 40 years ago. Kadokawa was initially the producer of the big-screen adaptation, but took over behind the camera just three weeks before filming was due to start when Sasaki complained that the original director's script had turned his drama into a "guns blazing" action flick.
Kadokawa is a larger than life figure in the Japanese movie industry. When he took over the family business in 1975, he saw the marketing potential of combining publishing with movies, and went on to produce over 60 films, many of them box office hits. He became what many people described as the savior of Japan's struggling movie industry. That image was shattered in 1993 when he was arrested for smuggling cocaine from the U.S. and served two and a half years in prison. He returned to movies in 2005, as producer of the war epic "Yamato."
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Fukuyama, Kimura Still Top of the Heap | September 23, 2008 |
 A couple of milestones for two of Japan's most popular and enduring male stars. Singer/actor Fukuyama Masaharu (39, profile) appeared yesterday at a post-production event for the big screen adaptation of last year's successful Fuji TV drama series "Galileo." The movie role is Fukuyama's first in 20 years and his first ever lead. He reprises the role of physics genius Yukawa Manabu, who teams up with a detective (Shibasaki Kou, 27) to tackle puzzling crimes. The Fuji drama was based on a series of short stories by Higashino Keigo, while the movie is based on his Naoki Prize-winning novelization.
Meanwhile SMAP member Kimura Takuya (35, profile) has topped one ranking of Japan's most popular men for a remarkable 15th year in a row. The annual ranking is done by women's magazine "anan" and published in a special issue. In addition to being the Most Popular Man, "Kimutaku" was top once again in four other categories: Best Boyfriend (he's married), Sexiest Man, Sharpest Dresser, and Man I'd Most Like to Sleep With. With SMAP about to release a new album and start a concert tour at Tokyo Dome tomorrow, there seems to be no limit to Kimutaku's popularity.
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Director Ichikawa Jun Dies at 59 | September 22, 2008 |
 Movie director Ichikawa Jun died last week of a brain hemorrhage at a Tokyo hospital. He was 59. Sources say that up until last Thursday night, he had been working with staff editing the movie "Suutsu wo Kau" (Buy a Suit) for the upcoming Tokyo International Film Festival. He later was out dining alone when he collapsed. Ichikawa made his name in the TV commercial industry, wining a top award at Cannes in 1985. He made his movie debut with "BuSu" in 1987 and won his first domestic award with "Tsugumi" in 1990. 1997's "Tokyo Yakyoku" (Tokyo Lullaby) won him a director's award at the Montreal World Film Festival. Over two decades he made 21 movies, many critically acclaimed but not commercially successful. He pulled off a rare big-screen adaptation of a story by best-selling author Murakami Haruki with "Tony Takitani" in 2004. It picked up three awards at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and was entered at the Sundance Film Festival.
• Japan's biggest rock band "came of age" yesterday, celebrating their 20th birthday. Twenty years to the day after they released "Dakara Sono Te wo Hanashite," B'z (profile) played a 26-song set for 70,000 fans at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, kicking off with "Bad Communication," the song that became their breakthrough single. Just like their 15th anniversary concert five years ago, the day was somewhat spoiled by heavy rain. The concert brought an end to their six-show anniversary tour.
• Kurosawa Akira's classic movie "Rashomon" is to be remade in Hollywood. The project is planned as part of the "AK100 Project" in 2010, the 100th anniversary of Kurosawa's birth. No director or stars have yet been named for the movie, but it is to be a joint Japanese-U.S.-Singapore project. The 1950 Oscar-winning original is still regarded as one of the best and most influential movies ever made. (Kurosawa Akira profile)
• Johnny's Jimusho idol Yamashita Tomohisa (23) has graduated from Meiji University a bit later than planned. A member of the pop group NEWS, he was scheduled to graduate in the spring but was six credits short. He announced at the March opening of his movie "Kurosagi" that he would have to repeat a year. He spent the summer studying while also starring in the Fuji TV drama series "Code Blue." He took part in the fall graduation ceremony in Tokyo last Friday.
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Jon Voigt to Head TIFF Jury | September 19, 2008 |
 There were some major announcements this week about the upcoming 21st Tokyo International Film Festival. Veteran Hollywood star Jon Voight was named as head of the jury, which also includes Chinese director Huo Jianqi ("Nuan"), U.S. producer Michael Gruskoff ("Young Frankenstein"), Brazilian cinematographer Cesar Charlone ("City of God"), Japanese actress Dan Fumi and screenwriter Takada Koji. The two Japanese entries among the 15 titles vying for the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix at next month's festival are Watabe Atsuro's "Echo of Silence" (photo) and "School Days With a Pig" by Maeda Tetsu. They are also among the seven films having their world premiere at the event. The festival will open on October 18 with John Woo's Chinese historical epic "Red Cliff," and close with Disney/Pixar's animated hit "WALL-E" on the 26th. The TIFFCOM market, set for October 22-24, will feature 172 exhibitors, roughly half of them overseas companies, giving the event are international flavor than in previous years. "TIFF is still in its early stages compared with more established festivals such as Berlin, Cannes and Venice, so we have a lot of growing to do," said Takai Hideyuki, president of film industry lobby and TIFF organizer UniJapan. Among the wide selection of other events is the new Toyota-sponsored "natural TIFF" which screens "films that bring attention to the co-existence of men and nature."
To discuss this story and for a full list of TIFF competition entries and special screenings, see our Japanese Movies forum.
• Singer Hino Teruko died of lung cancer at a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday. She was 63. A popular singer of Hawaiian music, her biggest hit was the million-selling "Natsu no Hi no Omoide" in 1965.
• X Japan leader Yoshiki took his 4-country PR tour to Bangkok yesterday. He flew into the restless Thai capital amidst heavy security, but took time to meet the 1,000 fans who were there to greet him. He announced that X Japan will perform at the Supachalasai National Stadium on January 31. Discuss the story and see photos in our Japanese Music forum.
• Kawabata Kaname (29) of the J-pop duo Chemistry announced yesterday that he is a father. His wife, model Takahashi Miki, gave birth to a baby girl on wednesday. The couple have been married since March.
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Sugai Kin Waits 57 Years for Lead Role | September 18, 2008 |
 Sugai Kin has been a movie and TV actress for more than half a century and has worked with some of the greats, including Kurosawa Akira(1910-1998) and Naruse Mikio (1905-69). But only this year, at the age of 82, has she finally landed a starring role, and with it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. She stars in the movie "Boku no Obaachan" (My Grandmother), which is due for release in December. Sugai attended a post-production event for the movie in Tokyo yesterday and was presented with a certificate by a Guinness representative. Sugai first appeared on stage in 1947 and made her movie debut in 1951. In the 1950s and 60s, she had supporting roles in several of Kurosawa's best-known movies, including "Ikiru" (1952), "Warui Yatsu Hodo Yoku Nemuru" (1960) and "Akahige" (1965). She also had a regular role in the long-running "Hissatsu Shiokinin" series, playing the mother-in-law of assassin Nakamura Mondo (played by Fujita Makoto).
• Talento Nishikawa Kanako (34) is on the verge of divorce, according to the Sports Hochi website. The daughter of veteran comedian Nishikawa Kiyoshi (62), she and pastry chef Hayashi Shigekazu (54) have been married since April 2005 and had a daughter just last year.
• On the latest leg of his 4-country Asian PR tour, X Japan leader Yoshiki revealed that the group will have a sixth member for the upcoming "world tour." As he flew by private jet from Taiwan to Hong Kong, he told reporters that he met the musician in Los Angeles in August. He declined to give a name, saying he has yet to speak with the other band members, but said the musician would play a similar role to the late guitarist hide. Luna Sea guitarist Sugizo joined the band for their reunion concerts at Tokyo Dome in March and is expected to again be the fifth member. Yoshiki told fans in Hong Kong that their chance to see X Japan will come on January 17 at the Asia World Expo. He also said he was in discussions to reschedule the show planned for Madison Square Gardens in New York, as well as a concert in Germany. Discuss the story and see photos in our Japanese Music forum.
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X Japan Lights Up Taipei Skyline | September 17, 2008 |
 X Japan leader Yoshiki was in Taiwan yesterday on the second leg of a 4-day Asian promotion tour. The visits to four countries are to promote a rescheduled "world tour," planned for the summer but postponed due to Yoshiki's injuries, and is costing ¥160 million. He flew out from Narita Airport on a private jet and was greeted in Taipei by 1,000 fans and reporters. At an event held at the Taipei 101 building, currently the world's tallest, he said that a concert originally planned for August will take place on Valentine's Day next year at the Taipei World Trade Center. He said the band planned to bring the same stage show that they put on at their Tokyo Dome reunion in March, which included the "virtual hide" hologram. Asked how he felt about finally embarking on a world tour but without the late guitarist, Yoshiki choked up and temporarily left the stage. "We really wanted to make our debut on the world stage while hide was still alive," he said. "The Tokyo reunion was fun, but it was tough as well because it really brought home to me that hide is no longer with us. The reunion of X was something we struggled with for years and years, but what helped us was the fans around the world. We're gonna put on a great show for all those fans who waited for us!" He later joined the crowd outside the building in a chorus of the fan's famous "We Are X," whereupon the 509.2m building was illuminated with a giant X. See more photos and discuss this story in our Japanese Music forum.
• Musician Kiyokiba Shunsuke (28) has left the Avex Entertainment label and the LDH management agency and set up his own. He made his debut in 2001 as vocalist of the group Exile, using his nickname Shun. Following that group's huge commercial success, he started a parallel solo career in 2004 and released his first solo album in 2005. He quit Exile at the end of March 2006 and had his first movie starring role in "Tengoku wa Matte Kureru" in 2007. He also has his own fashion label, "Eno Hundert Elf."
• Talento Nakagawa Shoko (23) is clearly the idol most beloved of Japanese computer geeks. Her "Shokotan Burogu" website recently passed the 1.5-billion pageview mark, making it by far Japan's most popular celebrity blog. Which makes her the ideal choice for computer security company Symantec as their new campaign girl for the Norton product range. She attended a PR event in Tokyo yesterday for the "Norton 2009 Series," which went on sale earlier this month. Reinforcing her image as an idol that geeks can identify with, she said her latest thing is checking out online photos of other idols.
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Yoshiki Revives X Japan World Tour, Japan Shows | September 16, 2008 |
 Yoshiki, the drummer and leader of rock band X Japan, made his first public appearance in several months yesterday. He arrived - 40 minutes late, as always - at the Yoyogi Olympic Plaza in central Tokyo in a black Lamborghini Murciélago with his name and a promo for the RockStar energy drink splashed across it. He delighted the 10,000 fans who had gathered for the PR event by announcing that the band will play live shows in Japan at Christmas and on New Year's Eve, though the venues have yet to be decided, and plan to release some new material. X Japan will play a rescheduled concert in Paris on November 22, followed by shows in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and South Korea. There was no mention of a rescheduling of the show originally slated for New York last weekend. The shows were planned as part of a summer world tour but postponed because of injuries Yoshiki suffered while performing in the spring. He has spent the last few months recuperating at his home in Los Angeles and looked in good form yesterday, though he said he is still on the road to recovery. He also said that he is to do the music for a series of events in the U.S. in 2010 to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary movie maker Kurosawa Akira (profile). To see more photos and discuss this story, see our Japanese Music forum.
• Japan Zone reported a week ago that TRF member Yu-ki (41) was forced to drop out of an upcoming Avex musical due to medical problems. At the time, the plan was to completely drop her part in "Kokoro no Kakera" as there was no time to find a replacement. But it was announced yesterday that her acting parts will be taken over by actress Nakamura Machiko (34), while singer Suzuki Ami (26) will add another seven songs to her performance. The musical is part of Avex's 20th anniversary celebrations. Yu-ki is said to be recuperating at home and is unlikely to be able to attend the show.
• NTV announcer Saito Maria (30) revealed on her blog yesterday that she formally quit the network at the end of August. She joined NTV in 2000 but got married in 2002 and had her first child later that year. She took two and a half years off for maternity leave before going back to work. She became pregnant again in October 2006 and once again took maternity leave.
• Japan's oldest living movie director is still going strong. Shindo Kaneto (96) gave a press conference at the Film School of Tokyo yesterday for his latest release. "Hanawa Chiredomo" is based on his own youth, in particular his elementary school days, and was filmed at the end of last summer. "I turned 95 during the hot summer months making this movie. I thought that it might be my last work so I put everything into it," he said, adding, "But if my health allows, I'd like to make another one."
• He's one of the more familiar faces in Japanese TV drama and movies but Ibu Masato (59) is also a singer. And tomorrow he releases his first ever hits collection. The double album "Ibu no Subete" (All About Ibu, a pun on the classic movie title "All About Eve") contains 24 tracks, including his 1983 hit "Kodomotachi wo Semenaide". The song was a cover of the Sammy Davis Jr. hit "Don't Blame the Children." Ibu established himself as a serious actor who often played the bad guy but in recent years has had more comic roles. He is currently appearing in Kitano Takeshi's "Akiresu to Kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise). A generation of Japanese remember him as the voice of Deslar in the classic anime series "Uchusenkan Yamato" (Space Battleship Yamato).
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Okuribito Takes Chinese Movie Awards...Maybe | September 15, 2008 |
 At the weekend, the Japanese movie "Okuribito" (Departures) won three prizes at China's biggest film festival...or did it? The Takita Yojiro-directed movie won the Grand Prix des Americas at the Montreal World Film Festival earlier this month, and on Friday it was announced as Japan's entry for Best Foreign Film at next year's Academy Awards. Japanese media reported that on Saturday it took three audience awards at the 17th biennial Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian, where it was one of 18 invited foreign movies. In addition to taking Best Film, star Motoki Masahiro (42) won as Best Actor, and Takita took the Best Director award. The awards were decided by a panel of 101 judges drawn from 2.6 million readers of the People's Film magazine. But media outside Japan includes no mention whatsoever of the Japanese film. Chinese and foreign news reports say that director Feng Xiaogang's war movie "Assembly" was the big winner, taking the awards for Best Film, Director, Actor and Supporting Actor. Japan Zone can only assume that there were separate awards for Chinese and foreign films. Regardless of whether there is in fact any confusion, the cast members took full advantage of the publicity when they appeared at a screening in Tokyo on Saturday. For the media photo shoot, Motoki held plaques commemorating the awards. Co-starring Hirosue Ryoko (28), "Okuribito" tells the story of an out-of-work cellist who takes up the job of an undertaker.
• Actor Fuse Hiroshi (50) and actress Komura Hiro (42) are on the verge of ending their 16-year marriage. Komura's lawyer filed for a divorce at the end of August. Long considered one of the ideal showbiz couples, the first cracks appeared earlier this year. Appearing on a TV show in April, Komura said they had been separated since 2006. Though it's rumored that Fuse has a long and ongoing extra-marital relationship, Komura said the source of the trouble was the question of how to care for the aging parents on both sides of the family. Fuse was still living in the same home as his parents, while Komura had moved with their three sons to a house near her parents. Asked about their relationship at the time, Komura said, "The children keep in touch with their father. But I don't have much contact with him." She gave up acting while her children were small but has since resumed her career, returning to the stage in July 2006.
• Also going their separate ways are actor Kato Haruhiko (33) and popular Chukyo TV announcer Honda Sayuri (31), it was revealed on Saturday. The two Nagoya natives started dating after they appeared together on an NTV telethon in August 2006, but are said to have split up at the beginning of this year. One women's magazine reported that Kato had called off wedding plans after consulting with a feng sui practitioner.
• Happier news for former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Miyamoto Kazutomo (44). Now a commentator on the NTV sports program "Zoom In!! Saturday," he was uncharacteristically red-faced as he announced on the show that he got remarried last week. He said that he and nihon buyoka (Japanese traditional dancer) Wakayagi Kirara (32) tied the knot on September 9. She is the daughter of senior buyoka Wakagi Hikosaemon who, in 1998 represented Japan in the Miss Asia Pacific beauty contest. Miyamoto's first marriage ended in 1996, and his baseball career a year later.
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Sugizo, Juno Reactor to Tour U.S. | September 12, 2008 |
 J-rock guitarist Sugizo is to join the band Juno Reactor their North America tour later this month. The "Gods and Monsters" tour is in support of the recent album of the same name, which featured Sugizo, one-time Asian Dub Foundation vocalist Ghetto Priest and a host of other guest artists from around the world. The tour is their first visit to the U.S. in seven years. They will have a hectic schedule, taking in two shows in Mexico on September 18-19 and then Denver, Aspen, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York between September 20-28. A multi-ethnic group that defy simple categorization, Juno Reactor have been at the forefront of electronic music for over 15 years. The band themselves classify their music as electronica/industrial/ambient. Whatever you call it, it has featured in a multitude of movies (including "The Matrix"), video games and commercials over the years, and they headlined Japan's major Fuji Rock Festival in 2007. As the lead guitarist for top J-rock band Luna Sea, Sugizo is a pioneer of the J-rock scene, and recently performed with the reunited X Japan. He also joined Juno Reactor on their recent tour of Europe, though their official site doesn't say if he'll be with them for a scheduled October 30 show in Sofia, Bulgaria.
• Fuji TV announcer Ito Toshihiro (36) announced yesterday on the network's "Mezamashi Terebi" morning show that he became a father this week. Standing in for presenter Ohtsuka Norikazu (59), who is on summer vacation, he said his wife gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday. Ito is also the main presenter on the "Sakiyomi" news show, on which he had to read out a letter of apology from co-presenter Yamamoto Mona after she was found to be having an affair with a baseball star. Meanwhile, actress Ohkochi Nanako (31) and stage actor/producer Takuma Takayuki (38) are also the proud parents of a new baby boy. They announced the September 4 birth through their management agencies this week.
• It seems that talento Anzai Hiroko (29) is on her way back into showbiz, though slowly. A hugely popular model and TV personality in the late 1990s, and considered along with Hamasaki Ayumi to be a fashion and style leader for a generation of young Japanese females, she largely disappeared from the scene in the last few years. Her only appearance in the news was late last year when she split up with Kawabata Kaname (29) of the J-pop duo Chemistry. And she was recently included in a "Flash" magazine "where are they now?" article on busty pin-up girls. But she graces the cover of the latest issue of fashion magazine "Blenda Black" and features in a special spread inside.
• Canadian sk8ter girl Avril Lavigne (23) kicked off her latest Japan tour at the Hamamatsu Arena on Wednesday night. She entertained the 5,000 fans with a 17-song set that consisted mostly of songs from her third album, "Best Damn Thing" (Lavigne is the only foreign artist to see their first three albums become million-sellers in Japan). During the encore, she was joined by her husband, Sum 41 vocalist Deryck Whibley, on guitar for a rendition of "In Too Deep." Her September 16 show at Tokyo Dome will feature guest appearances by local J-pop stars Puffy and Ohtsuka Ai.
• Doctor/talento Nishikawa Ayako (37) is in a relationship with a former politician, according to this week's issue of weekly magazine "Friday." Famous for saying she could never marry someone who makes less than ¥40 million a year, Nishikawa was spotted several times out on the town with the 34-year-old former secretary to diet member Hirasawa Katsuei, after which she spent the night at his luxury Tokyo apartment. Her management agency has acknowledged the relationship, saying they've known each other for about ten years but began dating only recently and adding, "She's 37 after all. This could be her last chance." Asked about his income from the welfare company her new boyfriend now runs, Nishikawa insisted "It's not about the money, it's love!"
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Battered BoA Still Headed for U.S. | September 11, 2008 |
 Japan-based South Korean singer BoA (21, profile) appeared at a press conference yesterday with both her left arm and left leg in plaster. The event, held at a hotel in Seoul, was to promote her assault on the U.S. pop market, but the attention of the 200 gathered reporters was immediately focused on her barely concealed injuries. She suffered a broken arm and a fractured leg the previous day when she fell down a set of stairs after a meeting at her MS Entertainment management office in the Korean capital. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was told the break would need about six weeks to fully heal. But she was upbeat about the accident, saying she was grateful it didn't happen closer to her upcoming U.S. debut. She is due to release the single "Eat You Up" through iTunes and MySpace on October 7 and in stores on November 11. She has been preparing for the last couple of years, even going to New York to take English and dance lessons. BoA first came to Japan to launch her pop career at the tender age of 14, and she quickly became one of the first artists to achieve the crossover.
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Kusayanagi Fumie Commits Suicide | September 10, 2008 |
 Commentator Kusayanagi Fumie was found hanged at her luxury high-rise apartment in Tokyo in the early hours of Tuesday morning. She was 54. Police say they found a note and are treating it as a suicide. Kusayanagi's mother awoke on Tuesday morning and became concerned when she couldn't find her daughter. She and a security man found her in her pajamas and hanging by the neck from the balcony of their 46th-floor apartment. She had been having medical problems for more than a year and underwent surgery in May 2007. While still a student at Aoyama University, the former Miss Tokyo began appearing as a commentator on NHK's educational channel in 1975. After graduation, she worked as an emcee and reporter on TV and radio, wrote essays and books, and appeared on a government policy committee. She married and later divorced the top shogi player Manabe Kazuo, who died late last year at the age of 55. Her father was the famous journalist Kusayanagi Taizo (1924-2002).
• Scottish actor Gerard Butler (38) arrived in Tokyo yesterday on his third visit to Japan. He flew into Narita Airport, after having attended the Toronto International Film Festival, and was greeted on arrival by about 150 fans. He will attend the Japan premiere of the movie "P.S. I Love You" in the capital tonight. Butler is best known for his portrayal of the Spartan king Leonidas in "300."
• Umemiya Momoka, the six-year-old daughter of divorcee Umemiya Anna (39), made her debut as a fashion model yesterday. With her mother and grandmother in the audience, she showed no nerves as she modeled three outfits in the new Yumi Katsura Girl range. The Umemiya family, led by actor Tatsuo and his American wife Claudia, seem unable to draw a line between public and private life, so it comes as no surprise that they would put their granddaughter on stage so young. We can only hope that Momoka can develop a healthier taste in men than her mother.
• Kato Chihiro (60) is to step down as the main commentator on TV Asahi's "Houdou Station" news show, a post he's held since the show started in April 2004. He will be replaced by Isshiki Kiyoshi (57), the former chief editor of "Aera" magazine and a fellow editorial committee member at the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.
• Yu-ki (43), a member of the pop-dance unit TRF, has dropped out of an upcoming stage show due to neck problems. Since the end of August, he has been suffering from pain and numbness in his shoulders and arms due to problems with his cervical vertebrae. As the show is due to start next Monday, producers of "Kokoro no Kakera" have decided to write Yu-ki's part out rather than try and replace him.
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Amuro Namie Makes it Six in a Row | September 09, 2008 |
 J-pop diva Amuro Namie (30, profile) has extended her run at the top of the album chart to six weeks. "Best Fiction" is enjoying the longest run for a solo female artist on top of the Oricon album chart since Kubota Saki's "Ihoujin" in 1979-80. The most recent album to keep the No.1 spot for six weeks was "Magic" by Dreams Come True (profile) in 1993-94. Both of those albums enjoyed a long sales run over the year-end/New Year period. To coincide with the release of Amuro's latest hits collection, she has appeared on 24 different fashion magazine covers. This has helped expand her solid fan base of 20- and 30-something women into the teen market. She recently took part for the first time in Avex's summer festival tour and is currently preparing for her biggest ever solo tour. That kicks off on October 25 at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba and includes 40 shows in 16 cities across Japan.
• While Amuro has been an idol for girls and young women for more than a decade, Girl Next Door are just starting out. The female trio debuted last week but have already seen their first single, "Guuzen no Kakuritsu" enter the Oricon chart at No.3. Popularly known among their junior and high school girl fan base by the abbreviated "garuneku."
• The latest of this year's awards go to Japan's most beautiful legs. In the 6th annual Parcassio Bikyaku Taisho event sponsored by luxury shoe maker Kuraray, celebrities were chosen by age category: actresses Hirosue Ryoko (28), Seto Asuka (31) and Maya Miki (44). And former Japan volleyball player Sugayama Kaoru (29) was the sports representative. See a photo in our Japan Forum.
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No Golden Lion for Japan | September 08, 2008 |
 There was little consolation for Japan's three entries at the Venice International Film Festival, which ended Saturday. None managed to capture the Golden Lion award for best film, which went to Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke. Miyazaki Hayao's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) picked up a "collateral" award from the Mimmo Rotella Foundation, which annually honors a film that "shows a firm connection with the arts." A hit with audiences and critics alike, it also received the audience award from the magazine CIAK. The rival anime entry, Oshii Mamoru's "The Sky Crawlers," received the Future Film Festival Digital Award. Oshii said, "I guess it will take time before Japanese anime gets its due respect." But the festival jury considered giving Ponyo a Special Lion award this year, deciding against it as Miyazaki received a lifetime achievement award in 2005. And director Marco Mueller said, "Anything other than a Lion award would have been rude." Meanwhile, 1997 Golden Lion winner Kitano Takeshi had to settle for the Bastone Bianco Award for his entry, "Akiresu to Kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise).
• Speaking of films and festivals, this summer's surprise hit at the Japanese box office, the movie "Detroit Metal City" may be already headed for a Hollywood re-make. Based on a six-volume manga by Wakasugi Kiminori that sold over 2 million copies, the wacky comedy stars popular young actor Matsuyama Kenichi (23), who made his name in the "Death Note" series. He plays a mild-mannered street musician with a taste for Swedish pop, but whose alter ego is the intense death metal vocalist Johannes Klauser II. In the three weeks since it opened, it's been seen by over a million cinema-goers and has grossed over ¥2 billion. Several studios in Hollywood and Hong Kong have expressed an interest in doing a re-make. Distribution of the original has already been agreed for Hong Kong and South Korea and discussions are underway for two dozen more countries worldwide, including the U.S., the U.K. and Australia. Matsuyama and director Lee Toshio were in Canada over the weekend, where the movie was shown in the "Midnight Madness" category of the Toronto International Film Festival.
• Actress Okina Megumi (29) was in Tokyo for the opening day of her first Hollywood movie. Directed by Ochiai Masayuki, "Shutter" is a horror story about a newlywed American photographer (Joshua Jackson) who visits Japan with his new bride (Rachael Taylor) on a combined honeymoon and business trip. Okina, who plays the spirit that haunts them, looked a bit less creepy as she shook hands with fans at the Cinema Mediage in Odaiba on Saturday. A re-make of a Thai hit, the movie has not been critically well received, and was described as "second tier" compared to earlier J-horror re-makes such as "The Ring" and "The Grudge."
• Popular duo Porno Grafitti are to release a pair of hits albums. With the October 29 release of "Ace" and "Joker" they will be hoping to repeat the success of a similar double release in 2004, when "Red's" and "Blue's" sold over 2 million copies between them. The new albums are composed mainly of recent singles, including the latest, "Gift," and "Love, too. Death, too," set for release next month. Celebrating their tenth anniversary this year, the band played shows at Yokohama Stadium at the weekend.
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Announcer Watanabe Mari Married | September 05, 2008 |
 Freelance TV announcer Watanabe Mari (41) revealed yesterday that she is married. She and Fuji TV producer Takai Ichiro (45) tied the knot at the end of August just two months after they started dating. Watanabe, who the local media pointed out isn't pregnant, plans to continue her television career using her maiden name. She held a press conference after filming a TV Asahi medical variety show hosted by Kitano "Beat" Takeshi, who in his usual zany style insisted on crashing the occasion and promoting his latest movie. "Give me back my youth!" he cried in a fit of faked jealousy. "Whatever happened to the love we had between us?!" Watanabe and Takai were introduced by a mutual friend back in May and registered their marriage on August 27. As their witness they chose close friend and actress Higuchi Kanako (47), who co-stars with Kitano in his movie "Akiresu to Kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise), currently competing at the Venice International Film Festival.
Watanabe joined the TBS network in 1990 and was a co-anchor on the "Chikushi Tetsuya News23" show before going freelance in 1998. She became a co-anchor on TV Asahi's "News Station" but recently works more as a co-presenter on variety shows. Takai joined Fuji in 1987 and has worked on several of the networks most successful drama series.
• Rock band Shakalabbbits are performing their first ever overseas concerts in Canada this week. This year marks the band's tenth anniversary and earlier this summer they performed in Japan with Canadian band Junior Achiever. That led to this week's shows at the Drake Hotel Underground in Toronto. For Wednesday's audience of 300 they performed a set that included hits such as "Monster Tree" and "Walk Over the Rainbow." After a total of four shows, they'll be returning to Japan and have a domestic tour kicking off in November.
• Actor Takashima Masanobu (41) said yesterday that he and model Mion (29) will register their marriage on September 8. The couple held a wedding ceremony on August 31 but chose next Monday to make it official as it marks six months since they decided in March to get married.
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Robert Downey Jr. Brings Iron Man to Tokyo | September 04, 2008 |
 Hollywood star Robert Downey Jr. (43) was in Tokyo yesterday to promote the movie "Iron Man," attending a press conference at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel. The movie has been a smash hit worldwide, putting Downey back on top in Hollywood after drugs and prison had almost put an end to his career. The last time he was in Japan was before all that, when he was promoting his Oscar-nominated role in "Chaplin" in 1993. When asked why he went for the role of a superhero, the actor regarded as one of the best of his generation said, "I got tired of making movies that nobody saw. And I figured that after 25 years of making movies, I was bound to have one good year.” That he is, with the Ben Stiller-directed comedy "Tropic Thunder" also currently enjoying box office success in the U.S. "Iron Man" opens in Japan on September 27, while a sequel is already scheduled for release in April 2010.
• Singer-songwriter Oda Kazumasa (60) is to be the oldest ever solo artist to play a concert tour of Japan's domes. Currently on a 29-city national tour, he announced to fans in Nagoya this week that he will start at Tokyo Dome on November 26-27. By that time, he will be 61 years and 2 months old, beating the record set by the then 60-year-old Paul McCartney in 2002. Oda last performed at Tokyo Dome in February 1989 when his band Of Course held their farewell concert. Since then he has maintained a consistently successful solo career, with a string of hits including "Love Story wa Totsuzen ni" and "Kotoba ni Dekinai." The dome tour will begin shortly after the November 5 release of his 46th single, "Kyou mo Dokokade." The tour will also include shows at Nagoya Dome (December 6), and Kyocera Dome Osaka (December 20). Combined with his current tour, Oda will perform to over half a million people this year.
• Last night, Oshii Mamoru's "The Sky Crawlers" was the last of the three Japanese entries to be screened in the competition at the Venice International Film Festival. The movie has been far less of a commercial success at home than "Gake no Ue no Ponyo," the summer's other big anime release from Miyazaki Hayao and a favorite for the Golden Lion. But it received an enthusiastic standing ovation from the Venice audience, who enjoyed the mix of beautiful imagery and philosophical themes. Some said however that they had trouble following the story. Oshii, who attended along with actress Kikuchi Rinko and actor Kase Ryo, said, "I was touched by the long ovation. I had a good time. Now we just wait for awards announcement." Read more about the Japanese movies competing at Venice and the Oshii-Miyazaki rivalry in our Japanese Movies forum.
• NHK is to air a documentary that offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Japan's best-selling rock band. "B'z" is to air on October 6 and will feature long interviews with guitarist Matsumoto Takahiro (47) and singer Inaba Koji (43). The show is also the first time the duo have allowed TV cameras backstage. B'z have sold over 80 million CDs over a 20-year career and recently became the first ever Asian artists inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk.
• Less than a year since her debut, singer Nishino Kana (19) is to be the opening act on Cyndi Lauper's upcoming Japan tour. Still a student at university, Nishino released her debut single "I" in Japan and the U.S. in February. Though she recently performed a mini concert in Tokyo as part of a PR visit, Lauper (55) will start her first Japan tour in 12 years at the Grand Cube Osaka on September 23. The following night, Nishino will be warming up the audience at none other than the venerable Nippon Budokan.
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Japanese Win Big at Montreal Film Festival | September 03, 2008 |
 The Japanese movie "Okuribito" (Departures) has won the top prize at the 32nd Montreal World Film Festival. One of the 12 big film festivals worldwide, Montreal is the biggest in North America with a competition category and its top award is aptly called the Grand Prix of the Americas. Okuribito won in a field of 32 entries from around the world, making director Takita Yojiro (52) the second Japanese winner in three years - Okuda Eiji's "Nagai Sanpo" (A Long Walk) took the top jury prize in 2006. But neither he, the cast or any of the movie's staff were on hand to receive the prize. Star Motoki Masahiro (42) was already back in Japan filming an NHK drama when he heard the news. "I learned from this film that the themes of life and death, and the ties that bind them are universal and beyond culture," he said. In a moving and often humorous drama of human dignity and family bonds, "Mokkun" plays an out-of-work cellist who leaves Tokyo to return to his hometown to become an undertaker, ritually cleansing and placing the deceased into coffins at funeral ceremonies. "Okuribito," which also stars Hirosue Ryoko (28), opens in Japanese theaters on September 13.
Meanwhile, director Kimizuka Riyoichi and writer Suzuki Satoshi won a share of the screenplay award for their work on "Dare mo Mamotte Kurenai" (Nobody to Watch Over Me), a serious drama starring Sato Koichi (47) as a police detective whose mission is to protect the sister (Shida Mirai) of a juvenile arrested on suspicion of murder. Sato's father, actor Mikuni Rentaro (85), was a two-time major award winner in Montreal in the 1980s.
• Musician Daigo (30) is enjoying a high profile these days. The grandson of former prime minister Takeshita Noboru (1924-2000), he is also the vocalist of rock band Breakerz. Their song "Shakunetsu" (literally "red hot") is to be used as the closing theme for the Japanese dub of the Hollywood comic book adaptation "Wanted." Daigo also dubbed the lead role of Wesley Gibson, played by James McAvoy (29), who was on the PR trail in Tokyo on Monday. See a photo and read more in our Japan Forum thread "Stoopid is the new Cool in Japan".
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Venice Loves Ponyo | September 02, 2008 |
 Critics and movie fans alike are raving about Japan's entries at the Venice International Film Festival. "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea), the latest anime feature from Miyazaki Hayao (67), had its screening on Sunday and received a five-minute standing ovation. Afterwards, in a scene such as organizers said they'd never seen before, the "maestro" was mobbed by autograph hunters (photo). Of the 21 movies entered in the competition, nine had been screened as of Sunday and Ponyo had received the best newspaper reviews so far. Four of the major papers gave it four stars, while Il Manifesto gave it the maximum five. And the Hollywood Reporter website has described Ponyo as the only "masterpiece" so far in an otherwise "lethargic" festival. Up until Monday's reviews, the best-received film had been Kitano Takeshi's "Akiresu to Kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise), so the chances of a Japanese movie taking the Golden Lion have to be considered good. Discuss these movies in our Japanese Movies forum.
• Former bikini model Inoue Waka (28) has been chosen as a last-minute replacement for Hatano Hiroko (32) in the TV Asahi drama series "Salaryman Kintaro." On August 19, just days before filming was scheduled to start, Hatano announced her pregnancy and marriage to J-League soccer star Suzuki Keita (27). She has a long history with the drama, making her debut as an actress on the first series in 1999. There have been four series based on the popular manga, all on the TBS network and starring Takahashi Katsunori (43), with the last airing in 2004. The switch to a different network, and with Nagai Masaru (30) as the new leading man, is very rare. Inoue and Nagai have worked together before, co-starring in the 2006 TV Asahi series "Kuroi Taiyo." Meanwhile, the theme song for the series will be a tune by popular duo Yuzu. Their connection with Kintaro goes back to 2000, when the manga's creator Motomiya Hiroshi (61) did the jacket design for their single "Aa Seishun no Hibi." In a further coincidence, Yuzu member Kitagawa Yujin (31) will have another role in the autumn drama season, co-starring with Horikita Maki (19) in the Fuji TV series "Innocent Love."
• Amuro Namie's latest hits collection, "Best Fiction," is on top of the Oricon album chart for the fifth straight week. So far sales have reached over 1.25 million, putting it at least 70,000 ahead of the year's next best seller, "Exile Catchy Best." It's the first album in almost 11 years to achieve the defeat - a Glay hits album did it at the end of 1997 - and the first in 25 years by a solo female artist (the last was Nakamori Akina's "Memoir" in 1983).
• NTV's annual weekend telethon did as well as expected in the audience ratings. Overall, it had an 18.6% rating, tied with last year for the show's second-best ever result. As usual the high point was the emotional arrival at Nippon Budokan of the celebrity marathon runner. As comedienne Edo Harumi completed her grueling 113km run, the rating jumped to a peak of 41.1%. It was the highest ever for a female runner and third highest overall, behind last year's run by veteran comedian Hagimoto Kinichi (67) and lawyer (now politician) Maruyama Kazuya (62) in 2005.
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Yagira Yuya Denies Suicide Attempt | September 01, 2008 |
 Young actor Yagira Yuya (18) was rushed to hospital early Friday morning after a drug overdose at his family's Tokyo apartment. Though his condition was initially serious, his life was not thought to be in danger. Initial media reports said he had taken about 100 tranquilizers and speculated that it was an attempted suicide. Yagira apologized and wrote a clarification on his blog yesterday. "The incident followed an argument with my family. In a fit of anger I took a larger than usual dosage of my prescription tranquilizers. As a result I felt ill and asked for an ambulance to be called." He left the hospital later the same day and is said to be recovering well. Yagira made international headlines in 2004 when he won the Best Actor award at the Cannes film festival at the age of 14 for his performance in "Dare mo Shiranai" (Nobody Knows) and he has made a movie a year since. He had written in his blog earlier this month that he had been in poor health since last September's release of the movie "Houtai Club," and that his public exposure had suffered as a result.
• The weekend saw the opening of the 65th Venice International Film Festival, and a surprise announcement from anime director Miyazaki Hayao (67). At a packed press conference the night before Sunday's screening of the latest Studio Ghibli feature, "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea), he revealed that he is now a grandfather. His son Goro, who directed the 2006 Ghibli film "Gedo Senki" (Tales from Earthsea), became a father on August 11, just a week before Ponyo opened in Japan. The movie was the biggest hit of the summer, breaking the ¥10 billion mark in its first month. It's one of three Japanese movies competing for this year's Golden Lion, along with entries from Kitano Takeshi and Oshii Mamoru. Miyazaki has been recognized at Venice before, receiving the Osella award for technical achievement in 2001 for "Hauru no Ugoku Shiro" (Howl's Moving Castle) and an Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion in 2002.
Meanwhile, Kitano has already returned from Venice. He told reporters at Narita Airport that he was returning for the scheduled recording of a TV show and that producer Mori Masayuki will be attending the Venice awards ceremony. Asked whether "Akiresu to Kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise) was likely to win him a second Golden Lion, he said "It was certainly well received. And the critics liked it. All the feedback was good but I'm trying not to keep my hopes up."
• Another name can now be added to the list of Japanese celebrity grandfathers, that of Hollywood star Watanabe Ken (48). His son, actor Watanabe Dai (24) announced on his blog yesterday that a baby boy was born the day before. The new arrival came just a week after Dai celebrated his first movie starring role, in the historical baseball drama "Last Game."
• The big TV event of the weekend was NTV's annual 24-hour telethon. Female celebrities stole the show, with comedienne Edo Harumi completing a 117km run and staggering into Nippon Budokan in time for show's finale. Pop quartet Speed got back together for the first time in more than four years, and the "Madonna Japan" Olympic softball gold medalists also appeared on the show.
• Edo's fellow Yoshimoto Kogyo comedian Hazama Kampei (58), a keen runner for many years, announced that he has an even bigger project in the works - running around the world. "I'll be heading east, so if I return from the east, you'll know I've given up!" He will cross the Pacific and Atlantic by yacht, but otherwise will run the entire 36,000km across North America, Europe and Asia. His "Earth Marathon" will start in Osaka on December 17 and is expected to take about two and a half years - an average of about 40km per day - during which time he will not return to Japan. As the run is part of Yoshimoto's centenary celebrations in 2012, they may be expecting it to take more than three years. Hazama has run NTV's marathon three times in the past, aiming for 200km the first two times (in 1992-93) and running 600km from Kobe to Tokyo over the course of a week in 1995 following the major earthquake in Kobe.
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