Japan Entertainment News - May 2009
Kusanagi Back to Work | May 29, 2009 |
SMAP member Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (34) yesterday returned to work for the first time since his arrest for public indecency last month. He and the other four group members recorded an episode of the Fuji TV variety show "SMAPxSMAP," which will be aired June 1, and Kusanagi recorded a narration for today's edition of the music show "Bokura no Ongaku." This afternoon he returned to his regular slot on the live variety show "Waratte Iitomo." Wearing a somber black suit, he apologized to the host, comedian Tamori, the other regulars and the studio audience. After the show he gave a brief press conference where he again repeated his apologies and expressed thanks to everyone who supported him over the last few weeks. The speed of Kusanagi's return to work after such a big scandal is an indication of his commercial value, and he will appearing in his various commercial roles once again from next month.
Earlier stories:
Butt Naked SMAP Star Arrested For Indecency (Apr 23, 2009)
Kusanagi's Arrest to Cost Billions (Apr 24, 2009)
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi Gives Press Conference (Apr 25, 2009)
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi Returns (May 14, 2009)
• Love, and possibly marriage, is in the air for popular model and talento Ebihara Yuri (29), according to today's issue of weekly magazine "Friday." The magazine published photos of her on a date with Ilmari (33) of the hip hop group Rip Slyme. Not only were they visiting the famous Aoshima Jinja shrine in her home prefecture of Miyazaki, known for its powers of bringing people together, but they were accompanied by Ebihara's family.
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I Come With the Rain Premieres | May 28, 2009 |
Local heartthrob Kimura Takuya (36) joined Hollywood counterpart Josh Hartnett (30) and Korean star Lee Byung Hun (38) last night for the world premiere of "I Come With the Rain" in Tokyo. The actors were in Roppongi at the Tokyo Midtown complex for the event, also enjoyed by an invited audience of about 1,000. The movie is directed by Vietnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung, who is currently working on the eagerly awaited movie version of Murakami Haruki's cult novel "Noruwei no Mori" (Norwegian Wood). It is scheduled to open in theaters on June 6. SMAP's Kimura talked about the tensions of filming in one of the more unsavory areas of the Philippines under the watchful eye of the local military. The movie was also filmed on location in Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
I Come With the Rain official website (Japanese)
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Yagira Yuya Back on Big Screen | May 27, 2009 |
One of Japan's most promising young actors is to make his comeback, after a drug overdose threatened to derail his blossoming career. Yagira Yuya (19, photo) is to co-star with Sato Eriko in the "human drama" movie "Subete wa Umi ni Naru." Yagira plays a high school bookworm and the victim of bullying, who develops a relationship with a bookstore clerk (Sato). The movie is the directorial debut for Yamada Akane and is scheduled for release next spring. Yagira was an unknown when he grabbed international headlines by becoming the youngest ever Best Actor award winner at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival at the age of 14 (photo, left). His standout performance in Koreeda Hirokazu's "Daremo Shiranai" (Nobody Knows) put him firmly in the spotlight and he made several films over the next few years. But his last big-screen performance in "Houtai Club" in 2007 was followed by health problems and he was off the radar for a year. When he did make the news again, in September 2008, it was after an overdose of tranquilisers landed him in the hospital. Though he's been away from acting for two and a half years, he's been busy. He writes a blog and last November published his first novel, "Yamanai Ame."
Earlier stories:
Yagira Yuya Denies Suicide Attempt (Sep 1, 2008)
• Comedian Horiuchi Ken (39) has married a woman 17 years his junior, he revealed yesterday while filming an NTV variety show. After the show, he held a press conference and was joined by the other two members of popular comedy trio Neptune, Nagura Jun (40) and Harada Taizo (39). HoriKen was previously linked with actress Igawa Haruka (32) in 2003.
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Maeda Case No Laughing Matter | May 26, 2009 |
Call it the not so funny side of the comedy business. In an ongoing case of intimidation and violence that has led to police involvement, Japan's top comedy talent agency, Yoshimoto Kogyo (profile), today said that they recently sent an analysis of the handwriting of one of their veteran comedians to Osaka Prefectural Police. The handwriting in threatening letters sent to the home of another Yoshimoto veteran, Nakata Kausu (59. Photo, left), was said to resemble that of Maeda Goro (67. Photo, right). The company asked an expert to analyze Maeda's handwriting after police spoke with him on May 15, said Yoshimoto Creative Agency president Minakami Seiji. Yoshimoto yesterday announced that Maeda was taking indefinite leave of his professional duties, though they stopped short of saying that Maeda was guilty of any crime. Maeda and Sakata Toshio (67. Photo, second from right) have been performing as the manzai duo Comedy No.1 for more than 40 years, but are said to be hardly on speaking terms. Yoshimoto said yesterday that Sakata is to continue appearing solo. Nakata made his debut in 1969 as one half of the manzai duo Nakata Kausu-Botan but in recent years has drawn criticism for his association with a yakuza (organized crime syndicate) boss. The recent news sheds some light on a case involving threats and physical attacks against Nakata. He was slightly injured in Osaka back in early January when a man with a metal bat attacked him as he sat in the passenger seat of a car stopped at a traffic light. The following day a threatening phone call was made to a Yoshimoto theater where he was appearing, with the caller giving his name simply as Yamamoto. Last month letters signed in the same name arrived at Nakata's home promising to hurt him so badly he wouldn't be able to take the stage.
Earlier story:
Nakata's Yakuza Ties Get Him in Trouble
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Ovation, No Prize for Kikuchi at Cannes | May 25, 2009 |
Japanese contenders have come away empty handed from this year's Cannes Film Festival. Koreeda Hirokazu's "Kuki Ningyo" (Air Doll), about a video store clerk falling for an inflatable female doll, was shown in the Un Certain Regard category but failed to take the prize. There were no Japanese entries this year in the main competition category. But "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," a Spanish film directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sergi Lopez (photo left) and Kikuchi Rinko (photo right), got a rapturous response from the audience when it was shown at the main theater on Saturday. Kikuchi, at Cannes for the first time since the release of "Babel" in 2006, was in tears as the film got a 5-minute standing ovation. "I was cool watching it part way through, but memories of the filming started coming back to me. It was a tough movie for me." Set in Tokyo, the movie features both English and Japanese dialog. Kikuchi plays a fish market worker who's an assassin on the side.
• Management for Miyazawa Rie (36) announced on Saturday that the actress gave birth to her first child last week. She had the bouncing baby girl at a hospital in Tokyo, though the media had speculated the birth would happen in Hawaii. Miyazawa announced her engagement and pregnancy back in February and she married a former professional surfer, who is based in the Aloha State, on April 2.
• The opening episode of "Mr. Brain" pulled in a respectable audience rating of 24.8% on Saturday. The TBS drama series drew high expectations with hit maker Kimura Takuya in the lead role of a forensics researcher. The series boats an all-star cast, with appearances from the likes of kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo, actress Hirosue Ryoko and musician Gackt.
• On Saturday, Japanese wadaiko group Kodo performed with the prestigious Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Orchestra in Rome for an audience of about 2,500. Seven members of the group joined the 80-member orchestra in performing Monoprism, composed by the late Ishii Maki. The seven wore the group's distinctive traditional happi coats and hachimaki headbands. The popular group, based on the island of Sadogashima, tour around the world for several months every year. Since their debut in 1981, they have performed about 3,200 overseas concerts in 46 countries.
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Songwriter Gets Suspended Drug Sentence | May 22, 2009 |
 In the latest celebrity drug trial, songwriter Sonoda Ryoji (33) was handed a suspended 18-month prison sentence today at the Tokyo District Court. It was Sonoda's first courtroom appearance and as he had admitted to the charges and shown suitable remorse, the judge wasted no time in handing down a sentence. Sonoda, who has written such hits as SMAP's "Kimi wo Suki ni Natte" and BoA's "No.1," was arrested in late April for use of "kakuseizai," or stimulant drugs. In the arrest report, the Azabu department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police said that they had found him using a small amount of the drug at a hotel in the Shinjuku district of the capital on April 22. Sonoda said he had bought the drugs for ¥38,000 from a man he contacted via the Internet, and that he had been a user for about a year and a half.
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Celebrity Marriage News | May 21, 2009 |
Some happy marriage news. Management for comedian Ishii Masanori (36, photo left) announced yesterday that he just got married. The diminutive funny man, who is just 158cm (5'2"), married a fellow Yokohama native (31) who is even smaller, at 147cm (4'10"). They chose yesterday, which was an auspicious taian day in the traditional Japanese calendar, to tie the knot. Ishii had the day off and went by himself to the local municipal office to register their marriage. The couple first met through a mutual friend in June 2005 and started dating the following November. Ishii rose to fame as the short half of comedy duo Ari to Kirigirisu, though these days he works more as an actor or solo talento. His comic partner Ishizuka Yoshiyuki (33) said, "It's his second marriage so I won't be giving him any congratulatory money!" Ishii was married to comedienne Kamemura Ai from 1998-2005.
Meanwhile, freelance announcer Yamada Rena (31, photo right) is engaged to a fellow Keio University graduate, it was revealed yesterday. Yamada was chosen as Miss Keio 1997 and later joined the TBS network, where she was the weather announcer on the "News23" show. She plans to continue working after her wedding, which the couple plan to hold at a Tokyo hotel in the near future.
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Megadeth Guitarist Goes Pop! | May 20, 2009 |
Former Megadeth "charisma guitarist" Marty Friedman (46) has been unashamedly gushing about his love of the J-pop scene for a few years now. And today he's cashing in on the mismatch of heavy metal axeman and sugar sweet pop music with the release of "Tokyo Jukebox," an instrumental album of J-pop covers. Friedman performed a few guitar licks for reporters at the Tokyo Tower observation deck yesterday, including his take on Mr. Children's "Gift" and a little enka in the form of Ishikawa Sayuri's "Amagigoe." Friedman performed as a member of Megadeth during their most successful decade from 1990-2000. After moving to Japan, he joined X Japan guitarist Pata and Luna Sea drummer Shinya as a backing musician to rock singer Aikawa Nanase in 2005. A more unlikely pairing was with J-pop star Suzuki Ami on NHK's "Kohaku Uta Gassen" that New Year's Eve. He also performed last year on a mini-album of covers by African American enka singer Jero. In March, he performed Bach's Brandenburg Concerto with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. A famous Friedman anecdote is that he auditioned for legendary rockers Kiss, but was turned down because he was under six feet tall.
Tokyo Jukebox tracklist
- Tsume Tsume Tsume (Maximum the Hormone)
- Gift (Mr. Children)
- Amagigoe (Sayuri Ishikawa)
- Story (AI)
- Polyrhythm (Perfume)
- Kaeritakunatta yo (Ikimonogakari)
- Tsunami (Southern All Stars)
- Yuki no Hana (Mika Nakashima)
- Eki (Takeuchi Mariya)
- Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana (SMAP)
- Romansu no Kamisama (Hirose Kohmi)
- Ashita he no Sanka (Alan)
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Original "Idol Announcer" Dies | |
Former TV announcer Yorichika Mitsuko died yesterday of cancer-related heart failure at a Chiba Prefecture hospital. She was 53. She is regarded as the first announcer to become an "idol" in her own right, establishing a trend that still continues today. Yorichika joined NHK in 1978 and within two years was hosting the "Terebi FaSoLaTiDo" variety show with popular talentos such as Tamori. Real name Shikanai Kasareen Mitsuko, she was born in Hiroshima and learned piano and cello from an early age. Her father was a Japanese-American and she attended the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. With her exotic looks, fluent English and professional level musical skills she was regarded as Miss NHK and was the first female announcer to host a variety show on the network. In 1981 she left NHK for Fuji TV, a rare move at the time, and appeared as an assistant presenter on the "Ogawa Hiroshi Show." She later became a newscaster on the late-night "FNN News Report 11:30." She quit TV in 1984 after marrying Fuji TV vice president Shikanai Haruo, with whom she had two children. But her husband died in 1988 and she returned to TV in 1993. She made her acting debut in the 1996 NHK taiga historical drama "Hideyoshi." She was regularly involved in the classical music scene, as a concert planner, emcee and magazine writer. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer two years ago, but chemotherapy treatment allowed her to continue working until as recently as last month. She was hospitalized a week ago and developed pneumonia last Friday.
• We reported yesterday on measures Avex were taking to prevent the spread of swine flu at concerts this week. But they announced last night that they were going one step further and canceling shows by Hamasaki Ayumi, Koda Kumi and Otsuka Ai. The six shows were all scheduled over the next few days in the Kansai region cities of Osaka and Kobe, where recent flu outbreaks have been concentrated.
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Showbiz Reacts to Spread of Swine Flu | May 19, 2009 |
Show business organizers have started taking measures to deal with the surge in swine flu cases in Japan over the last couple of days. With the flu seemingly arriving in Japan with school kids who've been studying in North America, schools have been closed in the Kansai area where the cases have been concentrated. J-pop concerts and other events where teenagers would gather in large numbers are also an obvious risk. One of the biggest record labels, Avex Group Holdings, said they would ask concertgoers to disinfect their hands at venues this week. They will also provide iodine mouthwash in toilets and provide face masks for anyone seen to be coughing or sneezing. Avex have upcoming concerts by several major artists: Hamasaki Ayumi (May 20/21) and Otsuka Ai (May 23/24) at Osaka Castle Hall, and Koda Kumi at the Kobe World Kinen Hall (May 23/24). The Kobe venue is also scheduled to host Dreams Come True and Mr. Children this month. Another high profile organization, Johnny's Jimusho, announced that they would be postponing concerts in the Kansai region. The group Kansai Johnnys Jr. were scheduled to play four shows over two days at the Umeda Geijitsu Gekijo theater in Osaka on May 23-24, but the shows have been indefinitely postponed. Johnny's say they will notify the 7,600 ticket holders when new dates are decided. Actress Fujiwara Norika was scheduled to attend a Red Cross event at her old high school in Kobe tomorrow, but it has been canceled.
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Downtown's Machan Married | May 18, 2009 |
Comedian Matsumoto Hitoshi (45, photo left) has finally given up his bachelor ways, and in typical show business fashion. In a brief statement faxed to the media yesterday by the Yoshimoto Kogyo agency, it was announced that he has married a former TV weather girl nineteen years his junior and expecting a child within the year. Matsumoto asked that they be left in peace and said he was too shy to give a press conference. Although the announcement didn't name his new bride, sources identified her as Ihara Rin (26, photo insert). Their relationship was first exposed in the weekly gossip magazines last summer, when Ihara was the weather presenter on NTV's "Zoom In!! Super." She retired from the show last September and quit show business at the end of the year. Though he has recently embarked on a career as a movie director, Matsumoto is best known as one half of the top comedy duo Downtown. His comedy partner Hamada Masatoshi (46, photo right) has been married 20 years and has two teenage children. "Congratulations. So you're going to be a parent, too!" he said commenting on the news. In typical fashion, he quipped, "No more visits to Gotanda, eh?" referring to the Tokyo district known for its love hotels and brothels. Matsumoto has been the object of many romance rumors, and from 1995-2003 was in a relationship with actress Tokiwa Takako (37). Since then he's gone for younger women, and in recent years was spotted on dates with the likes of talento Yuka (28) and Hiro (25) of the J-pop group Speed.
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Kawase Naomi Awarded Prize at Cannes | May 15, 2009 |
Director Kawase Naomi (39) has taken first honors for Japan at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. On Thursday night she became the first Japanese director to be awarded the meritorious Carrosse d’Or prize, given as part of the festival's Directors' Fortnight. Before the ceremony, there was a screening of a re-edited version of Kawase’s 2000 feature "Hotaru." Though less well known than many of her male counterparts, Kawase has a very strong track record at Cannes. She won the Camera D'Or prize for best first feature film in 1997 with "Moe no Suzaku" and in 2007 she took the Grand Prix with "Mogari no Mori" (The Mourning Forest). Elsewhere in this year's festival, Koreeda Hirokazu's "Kuki Ningyo" (Air Doll) will be screened in the Un Certain Regard category. It's about a video store clerk falling for an inflatable female doll. "Map of the Sounds of Tokyo," from Spaniard Isabel Coixet, stars Sergi Lopez and the busy Kikuchi Rinko. Set in Tokyo, the movie features both English and Japanese dialog.
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Matsuken, Rinko Land Choice Roles | |
The solidly "young cool" reputations of actors Matsuyama Kenichi (24) and Oscar nominee Kikuchi Rinko (28) no doubt helped them land the lead roles in the movie version of "Noruwei no Mori" (Norwegian Wood). The first big screen adaptation of Murakami Haruki's legendary 1987 novel was first announced last summer. Under the eye of Vietnamese-born French director Tran Anh Hung, filming of winter scenes already took place back in February and full-scale filming is set to start on June 1. The novel's protagonist is a businessman looking back on the loves and losses of his university days in the 1960s, when he was more interested in American fiction than in the student radicalism of the time. It has sold over 9 million copies in Japan alone and has been translated into 36 languages. But Murakami is famously protective of his work and has only ever allowed one to be put on celluloid - a movie version of the short story "Tony Takitani," directed by Ishikawa Jun and starring Ogata Issei and Miyazawa Rie, was released in 2004. Like that duo, Matsuyama and Kikuchi bring some serious acting chops to the high-profile project. But Murakami mainly agreed to the adaptation as he is an admirer of Hung's work. He has enjoyed a solid reputation since his 1993 debut film "The Scent of Green Papaya" won the Camera d'Or in Cannes and was nominated for an Oscar. He recently completed the Hong Kong thriller "I Come With the Rain," with Josh Hartnett, Lee Byung-hun and SMAP's Kimura Takuya. Hung said he first read Murakami's novel in French in 1992. "I was touched by the spirit of youth, longing and radicalism of the main characters. I wanted to put their anxieties, fears and weaknesses on film." The movie also features the acting debut of teenage "ViVi" fashion model Mizuhara Kiko (18) in a key role. Filming is expected to finish at the end of August and the movie is scheduled for release in the autumn of 2010.
Incidentally, the movie brings Matsuyama and Kikuchi together for a second time. His recently revealed romance with actress Koyuki (32) blossomed during filming of the new big-screen manga adaptation "Kamui Gaiden." But Koyuki only landed the heroine role after original choice Kikuchi was injured on the set.
• In the latest development of her turbulent life, enka singer Matsubara Nobue (47) yesterday underwent a successful kidney transplant. Doctors decided the operation was necessary as her own kidneys had deteriorated to the point where they were only working at about 2%. She was admitted to hospital earlier this month after a blood relative donated a kidney. Matsubara debuted in 1979, and a Japan Record Taisho best newcomer award launched her on a successful career. But in recent years she's had nothing but heartache. Her ¥300-million home was seized in 2003 after she failed to pay income taxes. That in turn led to a divorce from her husband, who was also the president of her management agency. The following year, her office was broken into and ¥5 million stolen. Her health problems, for which she had taken diuretics since she was a child, worsened in 2007. Last summer, she began undergoing dialysis several times a week, which had an adverse effect on her performing career.
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Kusanagi Tsuyoshi Returns | May 14, 2009 |
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (34) is ready to get his career back on track barely a month after his arrest, according to a statement yesterday from Johnny's Jimusho (profile). He will join the other members of SMAP on May 28 to record their weekly variety show "SMAPxSMAP," which will be aired on June 1. On May 29 he will make his first live appearance, in his regular slot on the afternoon show "Waratte Iitomo," and record the narration for the music show "Bokura no Ongaku." Filming of the new "Jinkyo Helper" drama series in which he stars will begin as scheduled in June and the show will aired as planned from July. All the shows are on the same Fuji TV network. Johnny's said that they are cooperating with Fuji and that Kusanagi is likely to give a press conference before his return to work. Although he was let off with a suspended indictment after his April 23 arrest for public indecency, the speed of his return is about money more than an admission of the limited impact of a rare drunken outburst on public morals. If he had received the standard punishment of several months probation, the losses from his TV, radio, movie and commercial contracts would have been in the billions of yen. There was also the outpouring of support from fans, many of whom thought that police had been unnecessarily harsh on someone who, at least when sober, is rather shy and one of the country's most unassuming celebrities.
Earlier stories:
Butt Naked SMAP Star Arrested For Indecency (Apr 23, 2009)
Kusanagi's Arrest to Cost Billions (Apr 24, 2009)
Kusanagi Tsuyoshi Gives Press Conference (Apr 25, 2009)
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London Hearts is Parental Enemy No.1 Yet Again | May 13, 2009 |
"London Hearts" has done it for the sixth year in a row. The TV Asahi variety show has been chosen yet again by parents nationwide as the TV program they are most unlikely to let their children watch. The show they are most keen to have their kids watch is NTV's education-themed variety show "Sekai-ichi Uketai Jugyo." The results of the survey are published annually by the Japan National PTA Association. Respondents are allowed to choose two TV shows for each category. 11% chose London Hearts, while 9% chose another perennial nemesis, the anime "Crayon Shinchan." The third-worst show was deemed to be Fuji TV's comedy "Shimura Ken no Bakatono-sama," selected by 5% of parents. Common reasons given included "the content is ridiculous" and "the language is crude." Among the shows getting parental approval, "Sekai-ichi..." was chosen by 8%, followed by TBS's animal-themed "Dobutsu Kisotengai" with 5%. Naturally enough the most common reason given was that they help children with their academic studies. The standard format for London Hearts is a panel of female celebrities creating and commenting on rankings of each other's less admirable qualities, such as who would make the worst girlfriend or who is likely to be unfaithful. The show is hosted by popular comedy duo London Boots No.1 No.2 (profile).
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Old Timers Find Love Through the Law | |
Lawyer and TV commentator Kawakami Kazuo (76) is married to singer Chiba Hiroko (61), according to the weekly magazine "Shuukan Shincho." The magazine says the couple have been married since 2007. Kawakami's first wife died of a brain hemorrhage in 2002. Kawakami is a Tokyo University graduate and a former public prosecutor at the special investigation department of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office. While in that job, he was involved in investigating the infamous Lockheed scandal that rocked Japanese politics in 1976. He served for two years in the late 1980s as director of the Justice Ministry's bureau of corrections and was renowned as one of the country's top investigators until his retirement in 1991. He continues to run a law firm in Ginza, central Tokyo. Chiba, who made her singing debut in 1971, is known for such hits as "Orizuru" but also for her volunteer work at prisons and reform schools. The magazine has speculated that the couple's romance was born out of their common interests. Kawakami's office refused to comment.
• Doctors have ordered singer Utada Hikaru (26, profile) to take a break from her promotional work in the U.S. She was diagnosed with an acute peritonsillar infection, affecting her neck and throat, and was told not to travel or speak for at least two weeks. Her second album in the U.S. "This Is The One" went on sale yesterday and Utada was scheduled to appear in stores all across the country, from New York to Honolulu. She apologized to fans on her blog and said that the condition affects her once or twice a year, caused when exhaustion weakens her immune system. Yesterday's issue of the weekly magazine "Josei Jishin" said they spotted her at a hospital in Tokyo last week, but a spokesperson for the singer said that was just for a routine checkup.
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Nihon no Okaasan to Receive National Honor | May 12, 2009 |
The actress known as "Nihon no Okaasan" (Japan's Mother) is to receive a National Honor Award, the government announced yesterday. Mori Mitsuko will be both the oldest ever recipient and the first working actor to be so recognized. Despite her age, Mori is still active and celebrated her 89th birthday last Saturday by starring in the stage play "Hourouki" for the 2,000th time, a role she has played for 48 years. Chief Cabinet Secretary Kawamura Takeo attended the landmark show at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo and made the announcement on Monday, while Mori was on stage for the 2,001st time. The decision to honor Mori was made by Prime Minister Aso Taro. Though the decision received widespread media coverage, Mori declined to comment as the details have yet to be formalized. The award was established in 1977 to recognize those who have earned national recognition and are deemed to have brought hope and inspiration to the country. The inaugural award was given to baseball legend and home run king Oh Sadaharu. To date there have been 16 recipients, of whom three were women: singer Misora Hibai in 1989, "Sazae-san" mangaka Hasegawa Machiko in 1992, and Olympic marathon gold medalist Takahashi Naoko in 2000. Since then, the only other recipient was songwriter Endo Minoru in January of this year. Mori is only the second person to receive both this award and the Order of Cultural Merit, after movie director Kurosawa Akira.
A Kyoto native, Mori made her acting debut at the age of 15, though she was somewhat disappointed to find herself appearing mostly in comedies. Her reputation was stained when she broke off her engagement to a movie producer and she moved to the theater. She contracted tuberculosis in 1949, which left her unable to work for three years and led to rumors of her death. In Osaka in the 1950s she worked on radio and TV, where she once again found herself in comedy. She moved to Tokyo in 1959 and married a radio producer. She switched from supporting roles to leading lady after she landed the starring role in Hourouki in 1961 (a highlight of the show was a stage tumble, which Mori did every night until 2008, when age finally caught up with her. She now does a triple banzai salute instead). From the mid60s to the 80s she regularly played motherly roles in popular TV dramas, such as "Jikan Desuyo" (1970-73) and "Hana Fubiki wa Hashigo Ikka" (1975-76). She is a big fan of Johnny's Jimusho boy bands and is close to several of the top stars.
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Hitmaker Miki Takashi Dies | |
Popular songwriter Miki Takashi died yesterday of throat cancer at a hospital in Okayama Prefecture. He was 64. He had been undergoing treatment for cancer since 2006. Real name Watanabe Tadashi, he left junior high school wanting to be a singer. But instead he debuted as songwriter in 1967 and went on to write over 2,000 songs. Together with Aku Yuu, who passed away in 2007, he was regarded as one of the best songwriters of the late 20th century. His heyday for churning out hits was in the 1970s, when he wrote for stars as varied as Saijo Hideki, Agnes Chan and Iwasaki Hiromi. One of his biggest hits was Ishikawa Sayuri's "Tsugarukaikyou - Fuyukeshiki" in 1977. Together with writer Araki Toyohisa, he penned a series of hits for the hugely successful Taiwanese star Teresa Teng, including the award-winning "Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase" (photo right). Among his other well-known creations are the theme to the children's anime "Anpanman." In recent years he wrote music mostly for the theater. He was board chairman of the Japan Composer's Association from 2004 and was recognized by the government for his contribution to the arts in 2005.
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Komuro Gets Off With Suspended Sentence | May 11, 2009 |
Musician and producer Komuro Tetsuya (50) has been found guilty of fraud but escaped with a suspended prison sentence, as his case drew to a close this morning. Crowds, including many young people, gathered outside the Osaka District Court for news of the verdict in one of the biggest celebrity trials in years. Komuro was given a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years. Judge Sugita Munehisa said, "I can't say I have no sympathy for the series of misfortunes that led up to this case, but they did not justify the actions that followed. While the crime was haphazard, it was also very devious." But he said the judgment was offset by the fact that Komuro has shown remorse and the money has been repaid. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term, but by law three years is the longest sentence that can be suspended. Komuro was arrested last year for selling the copyrights to hundreds of his songs to a private investor, though the rights belonged to the Avex record label. It was revealed during the case that Avex Group Holdings president Matsuura Masato (44) later paid the plaintiff back his ¥500 million, plus ¥148 million in compensation and damages. Komuro and his wife Keiko have been living in the home of another Avex executive since his release on bail.
Earlier stories:
Komuro Tetsuya Faces Arrest For Fraud (Nov 4, 2008)
More Details on Komuro Arrest (Nov 5, 2008)
Komuro Court Case Opens (Jan 21, 2009)
Avex Boss Bails Out Komuro (Mar 13, 2009)
• Lots of maternity news over the weekend. As yesterday was Mother's Day, there was an awards ceremony for the winners of a poll to choose the country's best celebrity mothers. Among the recipients were actress Yasuda Narumi (43), who has three children with comedian Kinashi Noritake (47), and singer Imai Eriko of the group Speed. Meanwhile management for actress Maki Yoko (26) said yesterday that she recently gave birth to her first child. She and former actor Katayama Reo (27) married last November. And actress Nishida Hikaru (36) revealed that she is expecting her second child in November. She married a trading company executive in 2002 and had her first baby in the U.S. in 2006. They currently live in her husband's hometown in the Kansai area.
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Sandwichman's Date Engaged | |
Comedian Date Mikio (34, photo left) and freelance announcer Kumagai Maiko (38) are engaged to be married, it was revealed yesterday. The two started dating about a year ago. Marrying a fellow celebrity is seen as the icing on the cake for Date, who after ten years of struggle as one half of the duo Sandwichman made his breakthrough when they won the M-1 Grand Prix comedy event in 2007. The win brought instant success and prize money of ¥10 million. Both Date and Kumagai are from the northern city of Sendai, where they plan to hold their wedding this summer. Kumagai, who is also a qualified music teacher, joined a local TV network in 1993 and went freelance ten years later.
• One of Japan's busiest young actors took time out from his movie schedule yesterday to promote a book and put some rumors to rest. Takaoka Sosuke (27) signed copies of his book "Hajimemashite, Konnichiwa" for fans at a Tokyo bookstore. In the autobiography he talks about how he went astray in his youth and got back on track by working in a ramen shop. Takaoka made his acting debut in a TV Asahi drama series in 1999 and hit the big screen in "Battle Royale" (2000). His big break came with the starring role in the 2005 movie "Pacchigi!" He's recently worked on a couple of sequels, "Crows Zero 2" and the baseball movie "Rookies - Sotsugyo," which opens at the end of the month. And he's also appearing in what is said to be the last ever Zatoichi movie, starring SMAP's Katori Shingo and scheduled to open next year. Takaoka married popular young actress Miyazaki Aoi (23) in 2007 but recently his late nights and rumored womanizing had the gossip magazines talking about a split. Takaoka said yesterday that he has mended his ways, given up drinking and they are now closer than ever. His new book includes the first ever official photo of the couple together.
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Tsurube Headed for Montreal | May 08, 2009 |
Though he spent decades working his way up as a rakugoka, Shofukutei Tsurube (57) has broadened his appeal way beyond the field of traditional storytelling. And now that he finally has his first leading role in a movie, he hopes to take it all the way to next year's major awards. The first stop for "Dear Doctor," directed by Nishikawa Miwa, will be the competition at this summer's 33rd Montreal World Film Festival. The event will be getting all the more media attention in Japan because the country has claimed the top prize in two of the last three years. In 2006, the Grand Prix win went to Okuda Eiji's "Nagai Sampo," while last year Takita Yojiro's "Okuribito" went one better by also claiming the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. "If it happened twice, Tsurube can make it happen a third time," the star quipped. In Dear Doctor he plays a physician who has earned the trust of the residents in a remote mountain village, only to suddenly disappear. As the villagers search for him, an unexpected truth emerges. With his distinctive smile, Tsurube is one of the most popular figures in Japanese showbiz, with an appeal that spans all ages. The Montreal festival runs from August 27 to September 7. Also featuring will be "Nisesatsu," the directorial debut of comedian Kimura Yuichi (46) which has been selected for the First Films World Competition. Based on a major counterfeiting case around the end of World War II, it stars veteran actress Baisho Mitsuko (62).
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Sanma, Shinobu's Daughter Makes First Appearance | May 07, 2009 |
What do you do with your life if your mother is one of Japan's top actresses and your father is perhaps the country's most recognizable comedian? Enter show business, of course. And so with much fanfare, Imalu (19) made her first public appearance yesterday. The daughter of actress Ohtake Shinobu (51) and comedian Akashiya Sanma (53, profile) actually debuted as a magazine model last month but the media had never been able to use anything other than still photos and soundbites. She spoke to fans at an FM Yokohama event held at the Queen's Square mall, and the appearance of music producer Tago Kunio (35) made it clear that her career will move in that direction, too. She said that she has been taking voice lessons a couple of times a week since last autumn. Her choice of career, common enough for the children of celebrities, has led to a mixed reaction. There has been quite a bit of online criticism, saying the world can do without more so-called "ni-sei," or second generation, celebrities. After finishing junior high school in Japan, Imalu graduated from a high school in Victoria, Canada last June.
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Oizumi Yo Marries Fuji Producer | May 04, 2009 |
Actor Oizumi Yo (36) announced on Friday night that he and Fuji TV producer Nakajima Kumiko (39) tied the knot earlier in the day. The two first met in 2006 when Oizumi made his national network debut in the medical drama series "Kyumei Byoutou 24jikan" (Emergency Room 24 Hours). They were reunited for last year's drama series "Loss:Time:Life," and romance bloomed. They timed their marriage for after Oizumi and the Team NACS theater group, which he formed while at university in his native Hokkaido, ended a nationwide run in April. Though hardly known outside of Hokkaido, Oizumi was one of the biggest names in northern Japan in the late 1990s and early 2000s due to the popularity of his show "Suiyo wa Doudeshou" (How Do You Like Wednesday?). As sales of the show's DVDs spread south to Tokyo (my wife was an early fan!), he developed a growing cult following and started making appearances on the national networks. He quickly landed big roles in TV dramas and movies such as "Gegege no Kitaro" and "After School."
Earlier stories:
A Star in the Making (Sep 19, 2005)
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Japanese King of Rock Dies | May 03, 2009 |
Rock singer Imawano Kiyoshiro died of cancer of the lymph nodes at a Tokyo hospital yesterday. He was 58. He revealed on his website in July 2006 that he had thyroid cancer, and doctors recommended throat surgery. But with the risk of it bringing his singing career to an end, he elected for radiation therapy. Just a year and a half later, he had recovered enough to take part in a John Lennon memorial concert in December 2007. A couple of months later, he was able to perform a full comeback concert at the Nippon Budokan in February 2008. He broke down in tears when his son Tappei (20) and daughter Momoyo (17) presented him with flowers on stage. But last July the cancer was found to have spread to his pelvis and he was back in hospital. His wife Keiko (53) and children were with him at the end. Sometimes called the Japanese King of Rock, he was known for the phrase "Ai shiaterkai," which roughly means "Are you loving each other?" He formed the rock band RC Succession while a high schooler and drew media attention with his makeup and colorful stage costumes.
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X Japan - Believe the Hype | May 01, 2009 |
X Japan do like to play publicity games, and I have to wonder if their hugely loyal fans treat it as a game or not. Yesterday, just two days before they are scheduled to play two nights at Tokyo Dome, the band finally announced that bassist Heath will take part. Any issues between Heath and the other members of the band - they are all with separate management - have been put aside for the moment. The official story was that he was having an "internal struggle about the direction of his musical career" and he cut himself off from everyone. One real casualty of this was a pair of scheduled shows in Korea on March 21-22, which were indefinitely postponed. With the show said to be costing ¥3 billion to stage and all 100,000 tickets selling out within minutes of their release in March, a cancellation would have sent fans into a frenzy. Meanwhile, the worst-kept secret in J-rock was put to rest as former Luna Sea guitarist Sugizo (photo, right) was formally announced as the official sixth member of the band. The first stage of his integration was in March last year, when he was a support member for their reunion gigs at the Dome. And in April he stood in for sick band leader Yoshiki at a press conference. He has big boots to fill, with the late guitarist Hide still idolized by fans, but he has been part of the X Japan "family" since Luna Sea's debut in 1992.
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No Midlife Crisis for These Ladies | |
A couple of examples today of middle-aged women showing they've still got what it takes. Dancer Atsushi (30, photo left) has acknowledged for the first time his romantic relationship with actress You (44, photo right). He spoke yesterday at the opening of his "Power of Life" charity photo exhibition at Tokyo Hipster's Club. Romance between the two has been rumored since a weekly magazine ran a story in 2006, but they have steadfastly refused to comment. Asked if they had plans to marry this year, Atsushi laughed and said, "I don't know." He is a dancer with rock band Dragon Ash (profile). You, who looks and sounds a lot younger than her age would suggest, is a former pop singer who won critical acclaim for her role in the 2004 movie "Dare mo Shiranai" (Nobody Knows). She debuted as a singer in 1985 and fronted the pop band Fairchild from 1988-93. She has been married twice, to a guitarist and an actor.
 Meanwhile, singer Iwasaki Hiromi (50) announced that she and stage actor Kon Takuya (40) got hitched on Wednesday. The two first met when they appeared in "Les Miserables" in 1998 and have been living together for the last seven years. Sentimental types that they are, they decided to get married last November 12, their shared birthday, and registered their marriage at 11:12am. Iwasaki, who became a star in the mid 1970s while still in high school, was married from 1988-95 and her two teenage sons are being raised by their father. She released a new album in April and will make her return to TV drama for the first time in ten years later this month.
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