Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo (32) and freelance announced Kobayashi Mao (27) held a press conference yesterday to formally announce their engagement. The pair got engaged in December, but yesterday's event was their first time together in public. Speaking to dozens of reporters and TV cameras at a hotel in central Tokyo, they said they will probably be holding a wedding ceremony and reception in July, though Ichikawa said they have yet to decide the exact date and venue. Kobayashi is scheduled to step down from her job as a presenter on the NTV show "News Zero" at the end of March, but plans to continue her career. Earlier story: Ebizo, Mao on the Verge of Marriage (Nov. 20, 2009)
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From K-1 Fighter to Techno Star
Former K-1 fighter Sudo Genki (30) has reinvented himself as a techno musician and it seems to be paying off. A video featuring his new "performance unit" World Order has been viewed more than 125,000 times on YouTube and the eponymously titled song is now available as a digital download from the Recochoku service. Sudo wrote the words and music for the techno tune and also choreographed the robotic dance moves. Check out the video below.
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Divorcee Celebs Go for Younger Men
January 29, 2010
A couple of stories today showing that it's not just the guys who go for younger partners. Actress Mihara Junko (45, photo left) may soon be tying the knot yet again, according to today's issue of weekly magazine "Friday." Her management has acknowledged that she is in a serious relationship with theater director Suenaga Yoshihiro (38). They said that romance started after she appeared in one of his stage productions in Tokyo last October.
Mihara married a racing driver in 1990, but they divorced in May 1999. Six months later, she was married to comedian Happy Happy (42). That marriage also ended in divorce in 2007. Mihara has suffered several miscarriages and had her womb surgically removed in 2008 after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Suenaga is also a divorcee and has custody of a young daughter, who has been seen referring to Mihara as "Mama."
• Meanwhile, talento Umemiya Anna (37, photo right) has acknowledged her romance with top American Football player Nakajima Yu (28). Returning from a location shoot in Australia, she spoke with reporters at Narita Airport yesterday. She said the relationship started just last December so it was too early to think about marriage. Umemiya has an 8-year-old daughter from a previous short-lived marriage. Nakajima is a wide receiver for the Kirin Beer Silver Star team in the X League and has represented Japan.
Ebizo, Mao to Meet Press Kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo (32) and freelance TV announcer Kobayashi Mao (27) are scheduled to give a press conference today to formally announce their engagement. The couple's relationship was first revealed last November and their engagement ceremony took place at the Hotel Okura in Tokyo in December. But today's event, also at a Tokyo hotel, will be their first appearance together in public.
Arashi NTV's New Face of Saturday Night NTV's comedy showcase "Enta no Kamisama" is coming to the end of the road, and is being replaced by a variety show featuring Johnny's Jimusho idol group Arashi. "Enta..." helped launch the careers of several comedians over the last few years but has been canceled from the end of March. Taking over the Saturday 10pm slot will be the five members of Arashi, currently riding a wave of huge popularity, in a show tentatively titled "Arashi ni Shiyagare." The format will be such that the members film each show without knowing the details or who their special guests will be.
A Good Year at the Cinema The box office numbers are in for 2009, and it was another good year for Japanese movies. There was an increase in total receipts for both domestic and overseas titles. But while 34 Japanese movies made over ¥1 billion, an increase of 6 over 2008, only 23 overseas movies passed that mark. The big Hollywood blockbusters were sequels ("Angels and Demons," "Terminator 4"), and western movies made a total of ¥88.7 billion (+12.3%), while local productions made ¥117.4 billion (+1.3%). The box office total of ¥206 billion was the second highest on record, behind 2004's ¥210 billion.
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Blue Ribbon Award Winners Announced
January 28, 2010
The winners of this year's Blue Ribbon movie awards were announced yesterday. Kimura Daisaku (photo left) took the best movie award for "Tsurugi Tennoki" but at the age of 70, he said he was "a bit embarrassed" to receive a best newcomer award. Though he was regarded by the great Kurosawa Akira as Japan's finest cinematographer, the movie marks his debut as a director. It has won several awards but this was the first time it was chosen as best movie. Asked about his next project, Kimura said, "I'd love to work with Takakura Ken." The two worked together on 1999's "Poppoya."
The main acting awards went to Shofukutei Tsurube (58, "Dear Doctor," photo center) and Ayase Haruka (24, "Oppai Volley," photo right). Tsurube, a rakugoka and popular TV presenter, made his movie debut more than 30 years ago and has now accumulated six awards for his first starring role as a country doctor. His co-star Eita (27, photo center) won the best supporting actor award.
Ayase, who has recently played off-the-wall characters like a cyborg in "Boku no Kanojo wa Saiboogu" and a blind swordswoman in "Ichi," said she was happy to return to a "normal" role for her latest movie. But she was less than happy about the title, which translates as "Titty Volleyball." She said, "When I heard the title, I thought it was a dirty movie. Even when I realized it was a movie about youth, I really wanted them to change the title." The best supporting actress award went to Fukada Kyoko (27) for her role as the villainess Doronjo in the live action adaptation of the "Yatterman" anime.
The 52nd Blue Ribbon awards, given out by a group of seven Tokyo-based newspapers, will be presented on February 16.
Natsu Yuusuke Dies of Cancer
Actor Natsu Yuusuke (photo left) died yesterday morning of stomach cancer at a Tokyo hospital. He was 59. He became ill last autumn and underwent surgery at the end of the year. Real name Taura Hisayuki, Natsu started out in Osaka as the keyboard player in a band that featured the young Wada Akiko (59) as vocalist. When Wada went to Tokyo to make her pro debut, Natsu went with her. He joined the band Ox, who were part of the popular "group sounds" scene. He later moved to acting and was best known for a supporting in the popular 1980s detective drama "Tokuzosai Zensen," where he also met his wife, actress Ito Megumi (60). Their daughter is top Takarazuka actress Aika Chisaki.
Shibasaki Kou, Tatsuya Split Actress-singer Shibasaki Kou (28, photo center) and Uverworld vocalist Takuya (30, photo right) have split up, it was revealed yesterday. The couple's relationship started in the autumn of 2008 and was made public shortly afterward, and they were often spotted out on the town together. But sources say that they have both been so busy with work that they drifted apart and finally broke up at the end of last year. 2009 was a particularly busy year for Shibasaki, who made the movie "Shokudo Katatsumuri" (in theaters from February 6), the Fuji TV special drama "Wagaya no Rekishi" (on air this spring) and went to Scandanavia to shoot the photo book "0805." This year she'll be working on the big screen adapatation of the "Ooku" period drama and embarking on a nationwide concert tour. Uverworld, who spent six months touring last year, will be on the road again in 2010, their 10th anniversary.
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Love Lost, Love Found
January 27, 2010
Some news on the relationships front. J-pop star Utada Hikaru (27) has broken up with the older artist (35) she had been dating for some time. In the last few months she had been busy planning her first overseas tour, her first concerts in three and a half years. Sources close to the singer say that the revival of her music career led to the couple spending less and less time together and eventually drifting apart. She updated her blog for the first time in three months on January 19 - her 27th birthday - and celebrated not with a romantic dinner but with a concert in Los Angeles, which she said was a bit "embarrassing." The current tour, which started in Honolulu on January 15 and ends in London, takes in a series of small venues of 800-1,500 capacity.
Utada (profile) became a teen J-pop sensation in 1999 when her debut "First Love" became the best-selling Japanese album of all time. She took the media by surprise when she married film maker Kiriya Kazuaki in September 2002, but they divorced in March 2007.
Amuro Tops 5 Asian Charts Another J-pop divorcee, Amuro Namie (32), is the first Japanese female artist to top the weekly pop charts in five Asian regions. Her greatest hits album, "Best Fiction," made No.1 in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong when it was released last July. But her latest release, "Past-Future," has done better still, adding the Singapore chart to the list. The album stayed at No.1 for six weeks in Hong Kong, a first for a Japanese artist, and has so far chalked up four weeks at No.1 in Singapore. Amuro is currently preparing for a massive 8-month nationwide tour that starts on April 3 and will see her perform 73 shows. Despite some rumors to the contrary, she says her recently revealed romance with comedian Tamura Atsushi (36) is going just fine.
Marines Star, CanCam Model an Item
Romance has blossomed between Chiba Lotte Marines infielder Nishioka Tsuyoshi (25) and fashion model Tokuzawa Naoko (25), it was reported yesterday. The two have been spotted out together in Tokyo and Nishioka has publicly acknowledged the relationship. The handsome baseball star was previously linked with talento Sakura (26) and pro golfer Koga Miho (27). Tokuzawa is a model for the "CanCam" fashion magazine and has been called the "Post Ebi-chan," following in the footsteps of the hugely popular CanCam model Ebihara Yuri (30).
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Tsuka Kohei Battles Cancer
January 26, 2010
Management for Tsuka Kohei (61, photo left) announced yesterday that the renowned playwright is currently in hospital undergoing treatment for lung cancer. The latest production of one of his most famous works, "Hiryuden 2010 - Last Princess," is already well into rehearsals and is set to start as scheduled on February 3 at the Shimbashi Enbujo theater in central Tokyo. Tsuka is following rehearsals by videotape and issuing his directions from a hospital bed, and is confident that the production is "almost perfect."
Casting for the show was completed last summer, with the lead role going to up-and-coming actress Kuroki Meisa (21, photo center), who joined Tsuka's theater group when she was 15. She and fellow cast members, including Tokushige Satoshi (31) and Azuma Mikihisa (40), only learned of Tsuka's condition yesterday, though he himself was diagnosed in November. When he pulled out of a PR event on December 9, he said simply that he had a "fever caused by a cold." He began chemotherapy from January 6 but continued to visit the theater for rehearsals.
An ethnic Korean whose given name is Kim Bon Un, Tsuka was born in Fukuoka Prefecture. He became involved in the theater while a student at Keio University. He uses all kana characters for his pen-name, an idea he said was inspired by manga-ka Chiba Tetsuya. A famously heavy smoker, his medical condition has forced him to quit the habit.
• Former actor Oshio Manabu (31, photo right) is to become the first celebrity to receive a jury trial in Japan. He is already serving a suspended prison sentence for drug use, and yesterday prosecutors filed a supplementary indictment at the Tokyo District Court in relation to the drug-induced death last August of 30-year-old bar hostess Tanaka Kaori (see earlier stories below).
The jury system was only introduced in Japan last year. Up to the end of last October, there had been 47 such trials and all ended in a guilty verdict. 32 of those accused received prison sentences between 3 and 20 years. Regarding the Oshio case, lawyer and former public prosecutor Osawa Takayuki said, "The case will focus on two points - whether Oshio gave drugs to Tanaka, and whether his failure to call for medical help led to her death." He added, "In a similar case in 1989, the accused was given an 8-year prison sentence. I imagine the verdict in this case will be about the same or even a bit more severe." Earlier stories: Oshio Manabu Arrested Again (Jan. 4, 2010) Oshio Manabu Gets Suspended Sentence (Nov. 2, 2009) Oshio Manabu Faces Drug Arrest (Aug. 4, 2009)
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Mother of Gomaki in Apparent Suicide
January 25, 2010
More tragedy has befallen J-pop star Goto Maki (24), who found her mother dying on the street in front of her home in Edokawa Ward, Tokyo late Saturday night. Goto Tokiko (55) was rushed to hospital but declared dead two hours later. She is reported as having been drinking and fell - or jumped - from a third-floor window. No suicide note was found but police consider it highly likely that the death was not accidental.
"Gomaki," as the former Morning Musume star is popularly known, told police that she and her elder sister were at home when her mother returned drunk at about 10:30pm on Saturday. She went upstairs mumbling to herself about committing suicide, and less than half an hour later Maki heard a loud noise. Running upstairs she found a window open and her mother's bloodied body on the street below.
Tokiko raised four children alone after her husband died in a fall while mountaineering on Nantaisan in 1996. She ran a bar near her home, but it was closed in the summer of 2007. Neighbors and friends say she never recovered from the loss of her husband and drank and smoked heavily. The family's financial support came mainly from Maki, who joined the second lineup of Morning Musume in 1999. Her pop success allowed her to buy a house for her mother in 2002, which they shared with her two elder sisters and a brother-in-law. Her younger brother Yuuki (23), whose own brief pop career was cut short by underage drinking in 2002, was arrested in 2008 for robbery and assault and is currently serving a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
• Hyogo police say they have arrested a 37-year-old man for swindling a female former high school classmate out of ¥2.6 million by pretending to be Barbee Boys vocalist Konta. The suspect is said to have known the woman was a fan and claimed he could introduce her to the singer via a friend. He then sent a series of emails to her pretending to be Konta and repeatedly asking her to make bank transfers. Barbee Boys were active from 1983 till they split in 1992. They made a few one-off appearances over the last decade before going on a brief four-city tour last year.
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Toshi Back From the Brink
January 22, 2010
X Japan vocalist Toshi (44, photo left) said yesterday that he was recently on the verge of giving up singing and becoming a company employee. In an interview with the Sports Nippon newspaper, he said that the stress of his long relationship with his estranged wife and the Home of Heart cult had made him lose his voice and driven him to financial ruin. Earlier this week he announced his divorce and bankruptcy, and he apologized to fans and other victims of the cult, which organized self-improvement seminars.
Toshi said that he intended the recent filming of promo videos with X Japan in Los Angeles to be his final work as a musician. But during the course of the weeklong shoot he and Yoshiki discussed the matter in great depth. "There have been a lot of problems. But we decided to get back to our roots and carry on with the two of us at the core of the group. I decided I wanted to continue with music after all." He has also announced that he will hold a farewell "solo" concert on February 24, though it's being produced by X Japan drummer and band leader Yoshiki and will be an X show in all but name. "The theme is 'Samurai' - I'm in danger and the other members come to my rescue with guitars and piano. That's the image. It's a new start for me and then we'll be ready to take on the world."
• NHK is to use a celebrity presenter in its Olympic coverage for the first time. For the upcoming Vancouver Winter Olympics they chose Becky (25, photo right), who has a long history of appearing on the public network and has a wide appeal across all ages and sexes. "I love, love, love the Olympics, so this is a huge honor for me," she said. Chosen as the most popular female TV personality in a survey last August, Becky will appear mainly in the prime time "Best Selection" digest show every evening from February 14-28.
With NHK's "serious" image in mind, she said, "I tend to get carried away easily, so I hope to keep my emotions under control. I mean, this is NHK so I have to present in a relaxed and grown up way." Just in case, she'll be working alongside veteran sports presenter Kudo Saburo (56), though he said, "High tension is fine!" Referring to such young medal hopefuls as 15-year-old speed skater Takagi Miho and popular figure skater Asada Mao (19), Becky said, "It's amazing to see these athletes younger than me competing on the world stage."
• Meanwhile, another "haafu" talento has announced that she is getting married. Sheila (37) notified the media yesterday that she and a 35-year-old real estate company president are going to tie the knot on their 11-year relationship. They have already visited her mother's home of Cuba to break the news. No wedding date has been set.
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Comedian Injured in TV Stunt
January 21, 2010
TBS announced yesterday that popular comedian Kasuga Toshiaki (30, photo right) fractured his leg during a recent variety show shoot. The accident happened on Tuesday during filming for the show "Oretachi! QuizMan" in Sagamihara, near Tokyo. Kasuga was doing some stuntman basic training on a suspension wire when he landed badly on a jump from a small hut. He is expected to bounce back in about a week to 10 days.
Kasuga created a unique comic character as the preening "boke" half of manzai duo Audrey, with his partner and high school friend Wakabayashi Masayasu (31, photo left). With his pink vest and techno-cut hairstyle, his arrogant manner has made him a favorite among recent breathrough acts. Off-stage he is quite different - a penny-pinching bachelor who lives in a small apartment with no bath; high school American football star who was ulled from a game for wearing indoor shos on astroturf; and he won a celebrity free diving competition with a record of 92m.
Actor Matsuyama Kenichi (24, photo left) yesterday acknowledged for the first time his relationship with actress Koyuki (33, photo center). He was appearing at a preview screening of the movie "Darekaga Watashini Kiss Shita." Though the movie is a domestic Toei Studios project starring Horikita Maki (21), it is directed by Hans Canosa, the director of "Conversations with Other Women," and already has distribution deals in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Negotiations for Europe and North America are underway. When asked by reporters if his romance with Koyuki was going well, "MatsuKen" nodded and said simply "Yes, yes." The two worked together on last year's movie "Kamui Gaiden" and rumors of romance first appeared last spring.
• Members of the legendary idol group Onyanko Club were recently reunited for a TV commercial. Of the more than 50 members of the 1980s all-girl group eleven - including Kokusho Sayuri (43), Watanabe Marina (40), Nitta Eri (41), Jonouchi Sanae (41) and Ikuina Akiko (41) - got together to shoot a commercial for Suntory's can coffee brand "Boss Zeitaku Bito." The CM takes place in a bank and features actor Ito Atsushi (26) and, in a move that will drive a lot of middle-aged otaku wild, the Onyanko ladies singing and dancing to their infamous hit "Sailor-fuku wo Nugasanaide" (Don't Take Off my Sailor Uniform, photo right). The CM will air from January 23.
Onyanko Club (literally "Kitten Club) debuted in 1985 and only lasted for two years, but their huge popularity and ever-changing lineup helped pave the way for the likes of Morning Musume and AKB48. Many members, such as those mentioned above, have gone on to build solid showbiz careers. Kudo Shizuka (39) married SMAP heartthrob Kimura Takuya (37), while Watanabe married comedian Nagura Jun (41).
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An Iconiq J-Pop Star
January 20, 2010
Expect to see a lot of Iconiq. With her big eyes and shaved head, visually she's the Sinead O'Connor of J-pop, and she's so new on the scene that she doesn't even have a Japanese Wikipedia page yet. But just over a month after her debut single release, she was yesterday announced as the new face of Shiseido. It marks the first time the cosmetics giant has used anyone other than an established actress to promote its MAQuillAGE line. Her first single - a duet with Atsushi of Exile, currently the hottest J-pop act of all - did well on the download charts. And the new single, "Change Myself," will get lots of exposure as it's tied up with her new role for Shiseido. So who is she anyway?
Her official website doesn't give too much away but little investigation shows that Iconiq (25) is the new creation of a Korean pop singer who originally performed under the name Ayumi Lee or Ahyoomee. Though she grew up in Japan as Ito Ayumi, she debuted in her parents' native country in 2002 as part of the K-pop group Sugar. A couple of solo singles, including a 2006 cover of the classic anime theme "Cutie Honey," drew criticism for having an overly-Japanese influence. Three years later, and after some time spent in Los Angeles, she reappeared with her flowing locks shaved off and was "reborn" in her adopted country.
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Avant Garde Queen is Dead
January 19, 2010
Singer Asakawa Maki was found unconscious in a Nagoya hotel room on Sunday evening and declared dead on arrival at a local hospital, it was revealed yesterday. According to Aichi prefectural police, the cause of death was acute heart failure. She was 67. She had performed as scheduled the night before and was found in her room shortly before she was due on stage for the last of three nights.
With her black clothes, long straight hair and blank expression, Asakawa was considered the "queen" of the "angura" avant garde scene in Tokyo in the early 1970s. She was a unique artist who modeled her vocal stylings on Mahalia Jackson and Billy Holliday and collaborated with a wide variety of jazz, blues and rock musicians. One western critic described her "dark clad, nicotine stained and black sugarless coffee drenched female vocals against an avant-jazz backing." She first appeared on the scene in 1968 when controversial producer Terayama Shuuji (1935-1983) put her in a one-woman stage show at the Sasoriza theater in Shinjuku. Under his tutelage she made her recording debut in 1970 and performed at cabarets and U.S. military camps in and around Tokyo. In recent years she performed mainly at the Pit Inn live house, close to her roots in Shinjuku. She never married and lived alone in Tokyo.
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From Mimickry to Marriage
January 18, 2010
Comedian Haraguchi Akimasa (34) and pin-up girl Fukushita Megumi (25) are engaged. They both updated their blogs with the news yesterday after the story broke on Saturday. The couple have been dating for about a year and a half and are said to be planning to tie the knot in the spring in Yokohama, where they had their first date. Haraguchi is known as one of the country's top "monomane" (comic impersonator), in particular top comedian Akashiya Sanma. He first hit it off with Fukushita when they both appeared on a "monomane battle" special on NTV five years ago.
Fukushita started out as a "gradol," or gravure (pin-up) idol, in 2001, later expanding her repertoire to include acting on stage and TV. She made her singing debut in 2008 as a member of the J-pop group BeForU. But what brought her and Haraguchi together was her skill at mimicking J-pop stars such as Koda Kumi and Nakamori Akina.
• X Japan vocalist Toshi (44) announced yesterday that he has declared himself bankrupt and initiated a divorce from his wife of 13 years. He broke the news on his page on Mixi, the top Japanese social media network, saying that he hopes to make a "fresh start in life." Confirming what has been widely rumored for years, he said that all his earnings over the last 12 years have gone to the self-development seminar business "Home of Heart," often referred to in terms of a religious cult, led by Kurabuchi Toru (52, aka Masaya). Toshi and his wife Kaori (40), a former idol singer, married in 1997 but have been separated for ten years. During that time she has been living with Masaya in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture and she performs under the stage name Wanku.
Hori Pro is lining up its stars for a special commemorative movie. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and in a first for the company, the top talent management agency is producing a movie featuring a cast entirely from its own ranks. Directed by Nakata Hideo and based on an award-winning mystery novel by Yonezawa Honobu, "Inshitemiru" is a "fight to the death" thriller with ten starring roles. Yesterday eight of the names were announced, four actors and four actresses (l-r): Kitaoji Kinya (60), Takeda Shinji (37), Fujiwara Tatsuya (27), and Abe Tsuyoshi (27); Katahira Nagisa (50), Hirayama Aya (26), Ayase Haruka (24), and Ishihara Satomi (23). The movie is due for release in the autumn.
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Get Your Yamaguchi Momoe Fix Online
January 15, 2010
Thirty years after she shocked Japan with her retirement, the legendary Yamaguchi Momoe (50) is finally entering the world of digital downloads. It was announced yesterday that the 12 major digital distributors have reached an agreement to sell the 274 songs she released - 32 singles and 242 album tracks - together with videos of live performances. The files will be released over a period of four weeks from January 17, her 51st birthday. This year is also the 50th anniversary of Hori Pro, the top management agency that represented her. They reached an agreement with the likes of Dwango, NTT Communications and Sony Music to make the files available at prices from ¥105 for mobile phone ringtones to ¥525 for videos.
Even three decades after she retired to marry actor Miura Tomokazu (57 - they appeared together in 14 of her 17 movies), Yamaguchi's legend is powerful enough to rake in the Yen. To date, six greatest hits albums have been released to commemorate anniversaries of her 1973 debut or 1980 retirement. Last month, a DVD box set featuring her many appearances on the "Best Ten" music show entered the Oricon charts at No.2. In her heyday, she was one of three pop starlets referred to as the "Hana no Naka 3 Trio." Songs by the other two, Mori Mitsuko (51) and Sakurada Junko (51), are already available online, and Yamaguchi is believed to be the last of the Showa Era legends to go fully digital. Ironically, during her 7-year career, she never had a No.1 album and only four No.1 singles on the Oricon charts. But in 1978 she was popular enough to become the first - and still the only - teenager to be given the "tori" (headliner) position in NHK's annual "Kohaku Uta Gassen" concert.
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Yagira Yuya, Ellie Toyota Wed
Acclaimed young actor Yagira Yuya (19) and actress Ellie Toyota (21) are hitched. They filed their marriage registration forms yesterday, Toyota's birthday, and will hold their wedding ceremony in Tokyo today. The couple, who are both with the same Stardust Promotions management agency, announced their engagement at the beginning of December. Toyota plans to continue her career, though she has a much lower profile than Yagira. In 2004 he became the youngest ever, and the first Japanese, winner of the Best Actor award at the Cannes International Film Festival. His role in the Koreeda Hirokazu movie "Daremo Shiranai" (Nobody Knows) launched a movie career that seemed destined for great heights. After a drug overdose in August 2008 that derailed his career it seemed that success may have come too early, but Yagira got things back on track and even found time to write his first novel. Last year, he starred in "The Shock Labyrinth," the first feature-length 3D movie made in Japan. His most recent work is the movie "Subete wa Umi ni Naru," which co-stars Sato Eriko and opens on January 23. Toyota, whose father is British, got her showbiz start in the idol group Snappeas. She made her big screen debut in the 2006 movie "Youkina Gang ga Chikyu wo Mawasu."
• Actor Okumura Koen died last month, it was revealed yesterday. He was 79. Known for playing a corpse in the movie "O-Soshiki" (Funeral), a role for which he trained himself to hold his breath for several minutes, he ironically died of respiratory failure at a Tokyo hospital on December 24. He was an acclaimed supporting actor on the big screen, perhaps most notably in the movies of director Itami Juzo, in TV dramas and in the theater.
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The Global Face of Japanese Beauty
January 14, 2010
Actress Kuroki Meisa (21, photo left) is to become the global face of French cosmetics giant L'Oréal Paris. It was announced yesterday that she recently signed a contract to appear in advertisements and TV commercials for the brand around the world, a job that has previously gone to such top Hollywood names as Penelope Cruz, Beyonce Knowles and Jane Fonda. The only other Japanese woman to have landed the gig was model Kawahara Ayako (38). Kuroki will first appear in commercials for the new Damage Care Proex line of products in the spring.
Vianney Derville, L'Oréal's International General Manager, saw Kuroki in her international big screen debut, last year's Japanese-Chinese movie "Subaru." Describing the Okinawa-born actress he said, "Her appeal lies in her natural talent, her elegance and her beauty." Kuroki had a breakthrough year in Japan in 2009 and is now headed for the world stage. "I hope to become someone who can support Japanese women and be on a par with the other women of the world. I'd like to show the world the beauty of Japanese women."
• Management for Shaku Yumiko (31, photo right) acknowledged yesterday that she is on the verge of marriage to a handsome Tokyo vet. The popular actress and Sato Takanori (31), head of a veterinary clinic in the posh Tokyo suburb of Shiragane, have been dating since last autumn. Tommy's Artist Company president Kobayashi Kenji, himself a former Johnny's Jimuso idol, said "It's true that (Shaku) is in a serious relationship. She is 31 so any decision about marriage is hers to make. But I think that's where she's headed."
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Even Cancer Can't Stop Kampei's Earth Marathon
Hazama Kampei isn't going to let a little thing like cancer stop him from running round the world. The Yoshimoto comedian recently made a hospital visit in Istanbul for a scheduled checkup as part of his Earth Marathon, an attempt to run and sail around the globe. After having sailed across the Pacific and Atlantic, and run across the North American and European continents, he was shocked when test results showed that he has prostate cancer. He revealed the illness for the first time on his blog yesterday.
The shocking news came almost a year after Hazama (60) was diagnosed with high levels of PSA, a protein produced by the cells of the prostate gland, following tests in Los Angeles. Doctors diagnosed it as a prostate infection and he was given antibiotics. Subsequent tests in cities across the U.S. and Europe indicated the problem was under control, though Hazama was still taking the medication. After the test in Istanbul revealed excessive levels of PSA, doctors recommended further tests. But Hazama insisted on continuing to Ankara and reaching the 10,000km mark in his global quest on New Year's Eve, before returning to Istanbul. He underwent more tests and was given the bad news on January 4.
"For about a week I was really worried," he said. "Could I finish the Earth Marathon? Could I beat this disease? Would I die? At times I couldn't sleeping from worrying about it." But after the test data was shared with doctors in the U.S. and Japan, it was decided that rather than undergo surgery he could be treated with hormone therapy that would keep the cancer in check and allow him to continue his quest. "I was incredibly happy," he said, announcing that he would resume his journey from tomorrow. He hopes to arrive back in Osaka sometime between this autumn and the spring of 2011.
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Kuroda Tamotsu Escapes Prosecution
January 13, 2010
It looks like comedian Kuroda Tamotsu (39, photo left) has largely got off the hook following his recent arrest for assault. He was released by the Osaka District Court yesterday, and was totally serious several hours later at a press conference at the company headquarters of Yoshimoto Kogyo. Dressed somberly in a black suit and tie, Kuroda apologized to the victim of his drunken attack as well as his own fans. One half of the manzai duo Messenger, Kuroda said that he had also met and apologized to his comic partner while in custody. As by reporters about a return to work, he said, "It's not my decision to make. First I have to repay those who I inconvenienced. But I hope to someday be able to make people laugh again." Yoshimoto Creative Agency president Mizukami Haruki said that the comedian's future plans were blank and that he would be disciplined.
Kuroda and a friend were arrested in late December after a night out on the town ended in violence. Kuroda had a beer and a highball at one bar, before heading to a "girly bar," where he had another beer and seven more highballs. The trouble started when Kuroda was presented with what he thought was an outlandish bill for ¥255,000 (about $2,800). He threw an ashtray at the bar manager (24) and punched and kicked him several times. The manager was initially reported to have suffered broken bones, though it was later revealed that the injuries pre-dated the assault. Kuroda and the manager met last week and reached a settlement, allowing the indictment against the comedian to be dropped yesterday.
• On a lighter note, talento Uehara Sakura (32, photo right) made her comedy debut yesterday. She appeared in the first round of the R-1 Grand Prix, an annual contest for solo comedians. With material based on her divorce last November, she got enough laughs to get through to the next round, which will be held at the end of the month.
Fuji TV announcer Nagano Tsubasa (28) sent a fax to the media this morning about her upcoming marriage plans. She and Uchikawa Seiichi (27), an infielder for the Yokohama Bay Stars and Japan national baseball teams, plan to hold their official engagement ceremony this month and tie the knot on March 24. They don't currently have plans to hold a wedding ceremony or reception. Romance started for the couple when they met during last year's World Baseball Classic, where Japan defended its title thanks in large part to Uchikawa's solid batting.
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X Japan Finally Realize American Dream
January 12, 2010
Rock group X Japan have been shaking things up recently in downtown Los Angeles. The band were in Hollywood for a weeklong promotion video shoot, at a cost of over $5 million, for their upcoming launch into the U.S. market. The first ever performance on top of the Kodak Theater was announced in late December with an open invitation to American fans to attend, though they were asked to register in advance at the J-Rock Nation website.
The band performed several songs for the weekend shoot, including "Endless Rain," "Rusty Nail," last year's comeback single "I.V." and their latest release, "Jade." The performance included lasers, flame towers and fireworks, all shot from multiple cameras and helicopters. Some 8,000 fans and passersby took in the show, which ran from late afternoon. After dark, pairs of glowsticks were given out, allowing fans to cross them in the familiar "We are X" style. Drummer and band leader Yoshiki was performing publicly for the first time since neck surgery and wore a brace throughout. Guitars once played by the late Hide were placed on stage, while his role in the band has been taken by Luna Sea guitarist Sugizo.
X Japan have been wanting to perform in the U.S. for almost two decades. They held a press conference in New York in 1992 but a concert tour failed to materialize before they split in 1997. After last year's reunion shows in Tokyo, they planned to perform at Madison Square Garden. But Yoshiki's health problems forced them to put that plan on ice, too. Yesterday he said, "What Toshi and I did at junior high school festivals and local culture centers, we're now doing in the heart of Hollywood. If you hold onto a dream, it will come true."
The band will continue filming for their promo videos until next month. The project is being produced by Yoshiki and directors include Dean Karr, who has worked with such artists as Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourne and Velvet Revolver. An album is in the works and the band are said to be in negotiations to appear at the Lollapalooza rock festival in Chicago in August.
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Oguri, Yamada - Who are They Fooling?
Actor Oguri Shun (27) and actress-model Yamada Yuu (25) did their best to avoid looking like a couple yesterday, but they're not fooling anyone. The pair returned to Narita Airport after a weeklong vacation in Hawaii but, just as when they left, they passed through arrivals and customs separately. As long as the media don't get a shot of them together, they can plausibly deny any serious relationship. But the giveaway signs were not too hard to spot. Oguri came out of customs with a luggage cart carrying some distinctly feminine baggage, including a pink golf bag. Most of the time he talked on his mobile phone, a common ploy to avoid reporters' questions, and seemed annoyed by all the media attention. Yamada, on the other hand, was all smiles for the cameras as she walked arm in arm with friend and fellow model Hasegawa Jun (23). Yamada was seen carrying two passports, and something sparkly on her ring finger. But like Oguri she refused to answer reporters questions and denied that the vacation was a "pre-marriage" trip.
• Yesterday was the Seijin no Hi national holiday, and 20-year-olds across the country celebrated their coming of age. Many of the ceremonies featured words of encouragement from celebrity guests, and of course a few young celebrities themselves celebrated their new adulthood. Among them were talento Minami Akina and enka singer Oe Yutaka.
• Oe is a protege of veteran enka singer Kitajima Saburo, who yesterday had another reason to celebrate when he became the oldest artist to have a Top 10 single and album on the Oricon charts. His latest release, "Fufu Issho," entered the singles chart this week at No.10. Kitajima, at 73, easily beat the previous record, held by the late actor Ueki Hitoshi, who made the Top 10 in 1991 with "Suudara Densetsu" at the age of 64.
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Rinka Ties the Knot
January 11, 2010
Model-talento Rinka got married at the weekend. In her usual offbeat style she announced the news on her blog yesterday, posting a photo of herself with the marriage registration form and even a dialog between herself and the "old guy at the information desk." Rinka and her new hubby, described as a construction company employee in his early 30s, will hold a small reception at their Tokyo home this evening. The pair tied the knot after a relationship of eight years, though they split up once in 2007. When Rinka announced her engagement last October, it took many by surprise as she had long touted her image as one of the "make-inu" types, eligible female celebrities destined to remain forever single.
• Veteran actress Azuma Mieko died of heart failure at her Tokyo home on Friday night, it was revealed this morning. She was 85. She was one of the founders of the Gekidan Seinenza theater group in 1954 and remained one of its leading actresses for many years. She appeared in more than 90 movies, dozens of TV dramas, and was recognized with an award from the Ministry of Culture in 1997. She was also famous for her "free" marriage to the influential social psychologist Minami Hiroshi (1914-2001).
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Tamura Acknowledges Romance With Amuro
January 08, 2010
Comedian Tamura Atsushi (36, photo left) was all smiles yesterday as he formally acknowledged his reported romance with J-pop star Amuro Namie (32). Tamura spoke to reporters in the lobby of the Yoshimoto Kogyo offices in Shinjuku, Tokyo, shortly after his return from a vacation with Amuro in the U.S. "We really stimulate each other. And I feel very relaxed when we're together," he said. Asked if they had plans to marry, he pointed out that their relationship had only just started but added in his usual frank style, "As things develop, if those kind of feelings grow..." Amuro of course has been down that road before and has an 11-year-old son from her marriage to TRF member Sam (47), while Tamura has been involved in a string of romances with other celebrities. Some commentators have described the couple as "unbalanced" but they have both matured into solid careers and Japan Zone wishes them all the best. Earlier story: Atsushi, Amuro Get Some Sedona Healing (Jan. 6, 2009)
• Actress Yakushimaru Hiroko (45, photo right) gave her first concert in almost 20 years at the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka in central Tokyo last night. Some 1,000 fans were treated to such hits as "Sailor-fuku to Kikanju" and "Tantei Monogatari" from her early 1980s heyday as one of Japan's top idol singers. She was also joined by actor Toyokawa Etsushi (47) and director Yukisada Isao (41) to talk about their upcoming movie "Kondo wa Aisaika."
Tokyo Joshiryu (aka Tokyo Girls' Style) are the latest tween idol group on the block. The five members of the new group were named, one per days, over the first week of January and their website officially launched on Wednesday. The group is the latest creation from Avex, the record company behind such major J-pop superstars as Hamasaki Ayumi and Koda Kumi. It's the record company's first new girl group since SweetS in 2003. The group consists of leader Yamabe Miyu, Konishi Ayano, Arai Hitomi, Nakae Yuri, and Shoji Mei, all between the ages of 11 and 13. They will make their live debut February 7 at Shibuya O-Nest in Tokyo. Though they have no CD release scheduled as yet, they will be active in social media, with a blog and accounts on Twitter and the biggest Japanese SNS site, Mixi.
• NHK has announced details of the new morning drama series that will air from September. "Teppan" is the story of a teenage girl who, with the help of her grandmother, decides to open an okonomiyaki restaurant. It will be set in the cities of Osaka and Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture. Onomichi is famous for a trilogy of movies made in the 1980s by Ohbayashi Nobuhiko (71), and is where Ozu Yasujiro's 1953 classic "Tokyo Monogatari" was filmed. Auditions will be held until March for the lead role and filming is expected to start in mid-May.
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Ozawa Seiji Diagnosed With Cancer
January 07, 2010
World-renowned conductor Ozawa Seiji has canceled future performances after he was recently diagnosed with esophageal cancer. His management office announced this morning that he has decided to cancel all performances for the next six months while he undergoes treatment. Ozawa received the news at the end of last year and the cancer is said to be in its early stages, so surgery will be the first step. He and his doctor are scheduled to give a press conference in Tokyo this evening.
One of the first Japanese classical music figures to become widely recognized in the west, Ozawa (74) led the Boston Symphony Orchestra for almost 30 years. In 2002 he became the first Japanese conductor to be named musical director of the the Vienna State Opera, though he was due to step down from that post later this year. He has also made efforts to revitalize the classical music scene in Japan, establishing the annual Saito Kinen festival in the city of Matsumoto in 1992.
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Atsushi, Amuro Get Some Sedona Healing
January 06, 2010
J-pop star Amuro Namie (32, profile) and Yoshimoto comedian Tamura Atsushi (36) are the latest Japanese showbiz "power couple," according to today's issue of women's weekly magazine "Josei Seven." Though they left Japan on separate flights to Los Angeles at the end of December, the pair were spotted on a flight to Phoenix. From there they headed to the spectacular scenery of Sedona, Arizona. During their 9-day trip, the couple were seen holding hands and cuddling so there is little doubt that they are in a relationship, but their respective management agencies refused to comment. One half of the comedy duo London Boots No.1 No.2 (profile), Tamura has been popular with the ladies for many years and has had romances with the likes of talentos Fujisaki Nanako (32) and Wakatsuki Chinatsu (25), and actress Nakagoshi Noriko (30). A relationship with an "ippanjin" (someone not in showbiz) ended last September. He and Amuro met at a mutual friend's house party last summer. Amuro has had a roller coaster career, starting at the Okinawa Actors School before she hit her teens. She rode the Eurobeat wave in the early 1990s and was at the peak of her solo success in 1997 when, at the age of 20, she became pregnant and married TRF dancer Sam (47). She continued her career, even overcoming the murder of her mother in 1999 and divorce in 2002. Her popularity has been resurgent in the last couple of years, helped partly by her image as a working single mother.
• In a world first, satellite channel Wowow have announced that they will be showing the entire James Bond movie series during the spring. Due to the complicated nature of the rights to the 22 movies, they have never been broadcast in one go. Wowow will show two movies every Saturday and Sunday afternoon from March 21 to April 28, and then the whole series continuously between April 29 and May 1.
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Junichi, Riko Take "Pre-Honeymoon"
January 05, 2010
Actor Ishida Junichi (55) and pro golfer Higashio Riko (34) headed off yesterday for a week in Los Angeles. The trip is described by the media as a "pre-honeymoon" for the couple, who recently got engaged. They have announced that they will be tying the knot in California in May and they are planning to visit the Napa Valley winery where they will hold their reception. Ishida has long been regarded as one of the playboys of Japanese showbiz. He has been married twice before and has a child from each marriage. His son Ishida Issei (35) is an established actor, while daughter Sumire (19) took a break from her modeling career last year to enter Carnegie Mellon University.
Also heading overseas are actor Oguri Shun (27, photo left) and actress Yamada Yuu (25, photo center). The couple have hardly been seen together since their romance was revealed in May 2008. Although they passed through Narita Airport separately yesterday, they were both headed for Hawaii. They denied reporters' speculation that they are on the verge of tying the knot. Another showbiz couple vacationing overseas are model Ebihara Yuri (30) and Rip Slyme musician Ilmari (34), who are in Guam.
• On her third visit to Japan, young British "kawaii" ambassador Beckii Cruel (14, photo right) has filmed her first Japanese TV appearance. She will appear Wednesday evening on the Tokoro Joji-hosted NTV show "Jinruiga Akiramekaketeita Yume." She will display some of the J-pop-inspired dancing skills that made her a huge hit on YouTube last year. Earlier story: Don't Be Cruel! (Oct. 26, 2009)
• More details of who got the best ratings during the recent "Kohaku" broadcast. The ratings for the New Year's Eve concert peaked at 50.1% with the headline performance of Dreams Come True, but the show was dominated by SMAP and other Johnny's Jimusho artists. The show was co-hosted by SMAP leader Nakai Masahiro, the group's performance segment had a rating of 44.6%, and their tribute to Michael Jackson reached 49.6%. Those figures are both higher than the ratings for VIP guests Susan Boyle and Yazawa Eikichi.
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Oshio Manabu Arrested Again
January 04, 2010
Oshio Manabu (31, photo left) has been arrested again today in an ongoing case of sex, drugs and death. The (now "former") actor has already been tried and convicted for using MDMA (ecstasy) and received an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for the maximum five years, in early November. He was indicted again shortly before the New Year for supplying the drug on August 2 to 30-year-old Ginza bar hostess Tanaka Kaori, who died shortly afterward at the Roppongi Hills apartment of a friend. His latest arrest is for failing to take appropriate action to save Tanaka - when she lost consciousness, Oshio called his manager rather than the police and an ambulance wasn't summoned until some three hours after she went into convulsions.
• Singer Yoshimura Yumi (34, photo right, seated) revealed on January 2 that she got married on New Year's Eve. One half of the J-pop duo Puffy, she announced on their website that she and a 29-year-old entrepreneur had tied the knot after a 4-month relationship, though they had been friends for about 7 years. Yoshimura was previously married to singer Nishikawa Takanori (39), also known as T. M. Revolution, from 1999 to 2002. More recently, she was in a relationship with actor Omori Nao (37) until they broke up last summer. Her musical partner, Onuki Ami (36), has been married to Glay vocalist Teru (38) since 2002.
• Internet marketing company Cyber Agent announced this morning that the blog IDs and passwords of some 450 celebrities were recently hacked. Clicking on images of such stars as Fujimoto Miki and former wrestler Jaguar Yokota allowed viewers to download an Excel file containing the account details. Cyber Agent contacted police, who are still investigating how the data was leaked, but the accounts were all updated on January 1.
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Rating the New Year
NHK are probably happy with the audience ratings for "Kohaku Uta Gassen," the network's New Year's Eve song spectacle. In its golden age, the show was compulsory viewing for the whole nation, but with the increase in satellite channels, online distractions and competition from the other networks, its ratings have been in steady decline. NHK have tried various means to reverse the trend, and a show that keeps the ratings above the 40% level has to be deemed a success. The second half of Friday's 60th anniversary show (9:00-11:45pm) featured VIP performances by Susan Boyle (48) and rock legend Yazawa Eikichi (60, photo right), but the 40.8% rating was lower than last year's 42.1%. The show also included the Kohaku debut of hugely popular Johnny's Jimusho idol group Arashi; the first appearance in 16 years by popular actor-singer Fukuyama Masaharu (40) in a satellite hookup from his hometown of Nagasaki; child stars Ohashi Nozomi (10, photo left), who sang last year's "Ponyo" theme, and Kato Kiyoshiro (8, photo left), who has already been in more than 20 TV dramas and, most notably, a series of TV commercials for Toyota; and a powerful and emotional performance by singer Ayaka (22) in her final show before taking an extended break to battle Graves' Disease.
Meanwhile, despite heavy promotion of this year's taiga drama series and its star, NHK saw just average ratings for last night's first episode "Ryomaden." The latest dramatization of the life of 19th-century samurai Sakamoto Ryoma, it stars Fukuyama Masaharu, who has been working the TV circuit to help promote the series. Last year's taiga, "Tenchijin," started with an audience rating of 24.7% in the Kanto region, while 2007's "Atsuhime" only managed 20.3%.
• Comedian Chihara Junior (35) has broken up with actress Uchida Yuki (34). The Yoshimoto comedian let the news slip during a comedy variety show aired on Saturday. The pair's relationship was first revealed in the gossip magazines back in the spring of 2007. Uchida was previously married to actor Yoshioka Hidetaka for three years until they split in 2005.
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