Japan Entertainment News - August 2010
Yukiina, Fujimon Tie the Knot | August 31, 2010 |
Their relationship has been known for some time, but still the media did a double take yesterday when it was revealed that comedian Fujimoto Toshifumi (39) and talento Kinoshita Yukina (22) have tied the knot. They are said to have registered their marriage at a Tokyo municipal office on August 28. The couple first met on the set of the Shimada Shinsuke-hosted Fuji TV variety show "Quiz! Hexagon II." They are expected to make the first public announcement of their marriage on tomorrow's edition of the show.
Their romance was first reported in the spring of last year, though partly due to the 17-year age difference it was often assumed to be a joke. Another reason is the wacky image promoted by Fujimoto, popularly known as Fujimon and one half of the Yoshimoto comedy duo Fujiwara. Yukiina, as she is usually called, is immensely popular with the young female demographic. When she got her TV break on Hexagon in 2008 she was a popular fashion magazine model, but her off-the-wall answers on the quiz show quickly earned her a place as one of the show's "o-baka kyara" (idiot characters).
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Kahara Tomomi Hits Bottom, Again | August 30, 2010 |
Troubled singer Kahara Tomomi (36, photo left) has had another...health episode. Currently on an extended break from her career, she was taken to a Tokyo hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning after a suspected drug overdose. Kahara got in the back of a taxi near the Kabukicho entertainment district of Tokyo around 1am on Sunday but was unable to tell the taxi driver where she wanted to go. As he was unable to wake her up, the driver called the police for help. They found she had a temperature and called for an ambulance to take her to a nearby hospital. She didn't appear to have been drinking.
Kahara was involved in an almost identical incident last year and it was reported at the time that she had taken an overdose of prescribed tranquilizers. This time, though she had the same pills in her possession, she insisted to police she hadn't taken any medication. The incident comes about a month after she was taken into protective police custody when she was found walking the streets of Tokyo in a half-comatose state. These are just the latest in a series of what could be categorized as "cries for help" that have marked the long decline of a once-successful J-pop career.
Kahara was one of the most successful acts in the stable of producer Komuro Tetsuya (51, photo right) in the mid-1990s, with a series of chart-topping singles and albums. The two became romantically involved but there were rumors of drugs and other problems, and when their relationship ended, so did Kahara's success. Suicide attempts followed and she became a poster girl for how the ruthless J-pop industry spits out its fallen idols. She tried in recent years to make a comeback and was visible in the media on and off, but sales have only been a tiny fraction of what she achieved in her heyday. She was fired by her talent agency in June 2007 after repeated personal problems. Komuro's arrest and trial for fraud in 2008 is also said to have had a major impact on Kahara's mental state.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Haruna Ai Finishes 85km Charity Run | |
The TV highlight of the weekend was the 33rd annual edition of NTV's 24-hour telethon, "24-jikan Terebi - Ai wa Chikyu wo Suku." And as usual, the main event was a long-distance run by a celebrity. This year, "new half" talento Haruna Ai (38) became the first transsexual to take on the challenge. She was reduced to tears when her father was surprise guest on Saturday night, and again when she was welcomed by her mother at the Nippon Budokan on Sunday having completed the 85km run in 25 hours 40 minutes. The gruelling run its toll not only on the knees but also on Haruna's makeup, and she arrived looking a lot more like the Onishi Kenji she was originally named.
Johnny's Jimusho group Tokio were the first to host the show for a third time, having last done the job back in 2003.
Another Johnny's star was in pain over the weekend. Ueda Tatsuya (26) of the group KAT-TUN broke the big toe of his left foot during a concert in Taipei, Taiwan on Friday. But he still performed a second show on Saturday and flew back to do a solo concert in Hiroshima last night.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Kato Rosa, Tamaki Hiroshi an Item Again? | August 27, 2010 |
Romance is back on again between Tamaki Hiroshi (30) and Kato Rosa (25), according to this week's issue of the gossip magazine "Friday." The magazine even reported that they were seen in the company of Kato's mother, so you know it must be serious! The two actors were first reported as a couple back in the autumn of 2004 but split up in 2007. They both got involved in other relationships, Kato with Johnny's Jimusho heart throb Akanishi Jin (26) and Tamaki most recently with young actress Yoshitaka Yuriko (21). But in July and this month they were spotted driving around town together again. Management for the actress insist that the two are just good friends, while Tamaki's agency refused to comment.
Related stories:
Yoshitaka Dumps Tamaki for Flumpool Bassist? (Apr. 15, 2010)
Romance for Rosa and Jin? (Jul. 27, 2007)
Wedding Party for Ebi-chan, Ilmari
Popular model Ebihara Yuri (30) and Rip Slyme member Ilmari (35) held a wedding party in central Tokyo yesterday. The couple tied the knot last December and held their wedding ceremony in Paris in June. Yesterday's event was attended by about 200 people, including a host of celbrities including actor Sakai Masaaki (64) and singer Bonnie Pink (37), who gave a surpise performance of "A Perfect Sky" that reduced the bride to tears. Ebi-chan showed off her own wedding dress design, decorated with no less than 6,000 Swarovski crystals. She joked how her new nickname would have to be Ogi-chan - her Helsinki-born, half-Finnish husband's full name is Ogiwara Ilmari Keisuke.
Puppet Master Dies at 85
Pioneering puppet animator Kawamoto Kihachiro died of pneumonia on August 23, it was reported yesterday. He was 85. He started out with the Toei movie studio but went freelance in 1950, and a few years later was part of the group that created Japan's first puppet animation, based on a Kirin Beer mascot character. In the 1960s, he traveled extensively in eastern Europe and studied under the Czech master Jiri Trnka. In his later years, Kawamoto was the creator of such popular NHK shows as "Sangokushi" (1982-84) and "Heike Monogatari" (1993-95). His last work was an adaptation of the novel "Shisha no Sho" (Book of the Dead) in 2005. In 2007 a museum celebrating his work was opened in the city of Iida, Nagano Prefecture.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Shinohara Ryoko Back in the Lead | August 25, 2010 |
Just a week after losing her father, actress Shinohara Ryoko (37) had a happier announcement yesterday. She is to play the lead role in an upcoming Nippon TV drama series about tax investigators. Starting in October and airing on Wednesday nights, "Ougon no Buta" (The Golden Pig) features Shinohara in her first drama starring role since she became a mother. Her last lead was in 2007's "Haken no Hinkaku." NTV have described the new series as a modern version of the long-running "Mito Komon." The show also stars Oizumi Yo (37) and Okada Masaki (21).
Shinohara said of her father, who died on August 17, "For me, he was my biggest fan and the person who understood me better than anyone. I want to devote myself to my work and hope that my father will be smiling down on me."
Oguro Maki to Take Medical Break
Singer songwriter Oguro Maki (40) is to take an indefinite break to undergo treatment for a variety of uterine diseases. She announced on her website that she will continue working until the end of October. She said that her medical problems have been getting progressively worse since they were first discovered at the end of 1996.
Oguro made her debut in 1992 and has had had a series of hits such as "Da-Ka-Ra" and "Natsu ga Kuru." She married in 2003.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Oda Yuji is Married | August 24, 2010 |
Popular actor Oda Yuji (42, photo left, profile) shocked his legions of female fans with the weekend's announcement that he had married. He said on his official website that he and his 30-year-old bride tied the knot on August 16. Oda has been a star for more than 20 years but has been the source of virtually no romance rumors and very rarely talks about his private life.
Along with Fukuyama Masaharu (41, photo right), Oda was considered one of Japan's most handsome showbiz bachelors. He is the star of the "Odoru Daisosasen" (Bayside Shakedown) movie series, the most successful Japanese movie franchise of all time. The third episode is currently in theaters and, with current revenues of over ¥6.5 billion, is the biggest Japanese box-office hit of the year.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Japan Loses Top Showbiz Reporter | |
Leading showbiz reporter Nashimoto Masaru died of lung cancer at a Tokyo hospital last Saturday, it was revealed yesterday. He was 65. His daughter, minor talento Nashimoto Marina (30), declined to speak to reporters gathered outside the family home as she headed to a temple for her father's funeral.
Nashimoto spent most of his 40-year career as a reporter for TV Asahi before switching to TBS in 2005. He was a regular on many so-called wide shows, reporting on the various scandals and happy announcements from the showbiz world. He often butted heads with TV networks about what he could and couldn't reveal on air, which of course added to his public appeal. His image was so strong that he often landed the role of showbiz reporter in TV dramas and movies. In 2006, he used his fame in slightly different way, making his debut as a soft porn video director.
His battle with cancer was made public in June. Though he was hospitalized for the last couple of months, he maintained his showbiz news blog almost up until the end.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Shinohara Ryoko's Bittersweet Farewell to Father | August 20, 2010 |
The father of actress Shinohara Ryoko (37, photo left) died just three days after finally seeing his daughter in her wedding dress, it was revealed yesterday. Shinohara Katsuo died on August 17 at a Gunma Prefecture hospital were he had been undergoing treatment for a liver ailment for more than a year. He was 71. On Saturday he was allowed to leave the hospital in a wheelchair to attend a reception held by his daughter and her husband, actor Ichimura Masachika (61, photo right). The couple married five years ago but never held a wedding ceremony.
The father of the "bride" was in tears Saturday when he saw his daughter wearing a white wedding dress. His condition worsened during the event and he left the room. The event was about to be brought to an early close when it was realized they hadn't had the traditional reading of a letter from the bride to her parents. Katsuo returned for one more emotional scene before he was taken back to the hospital. Ryoko attended his wake and funeral but was too overcome with shock to speak with anyone. She is the youngest of three children and she says she in particular was spoiled by her father. Her mother died in a traffic accident when she was two years old. Her father initially objected strongly to her relationship with the divorced and much older Ichimura. But in the end it was he who persuaded her to hold a press conference to announce their marriage in December 2005.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
No End to X Japan's Money Problems | |
Financial troubles never seem to be too far from Japan's biggest rock band. Japan Music Agency, who manage X Japan leader Yoshiki, revealed to the media yesterday that they are being asked to pay ¥2 billion for the use of images of the band's late guitarist Hide. JMA have said that, depending on how things play out, they may take the matter to court. The wrangling over money is just the latest of many that have plagued the group since it achieved commercial success.
Headworks Organization is the company that represents the estate of Hide, who died under controversial circumstances in 1998. The firm is run by his brother Matsumoto Hiroshi (42), who seemed to be on good terms with the rest of the band during a memorial service for Hide held in May. During last week's two concerts in Yokohama, Hide's image was used on stage as it has been at all the band's shows since their reunion in 2008. But the money problems began some time ago.
When X Japan reunited in 2008, they signed a ¥600 million contract with music production company Nexstar Corporation, who put on the band's concerts. The deal included the use of some recordings, advance royalties and contract money. Nexstar reportedly made some ¥2.5 billion from concert ticket and merchandise sales over the following two years. But JMA never saw the money, and Yoshiki filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court against Nexstar back in March seeking ¥375 million in damages. Headworks has reportedly received ¥300 million from Nexstar, and they have now instructed JMA to pay ¥2 billion to Nexstar or no longer be allowed to use Hide's image.
The tangled financial web will hopefully not hinder the band's upcoming assault on North America, with a concert tour due to start in September. As Yoshiki said, "I think the one who is suffering most in this is Hide. But with or without his image, we are still spreading our wings together."
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
A Fresh Start for Shoken? | August 19, 2010 |
The media is speculating today about a new romance for actor Hagiwara Kenichi (60). Today's issue of the women's weekly magazine "Josei Seven" claims that the actor is involved with popular "housewife model" Tomita Rika (48) and that the pair are basically co-habiting at Hagiwara's Yokohama home. He denied that they are living together, insisting that they are just good friends. But last night Tomita posted on her blog that she had just finalized her divorce from her former husband (52).
Hagiwara, popularly known by his nickname of Shoken, has had a very up and down life. He found fame as a teen rock vocalist in the mid 1960s and became a hugely popular actor in the early 1970s. A drug arrest in 1983 derailed his career for a full year, but he bounced back. There were further arrests, for a traffic accident in 2004 and attempted blackmail in 2005, which led to a suspended 18-month prison sentence and the end of his second marriage. This year, he performed in concert for the first time in seven years.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
We hear a lot on TV about how young comedians struggle financially before establishing their careers. But duo Total Tenbosch have a very lucrative winning streak going. The pair were announced yesterday as the winners for the fifth time in a row of the "S1 Grand Battle, Round 2", a funny video contest sponsored by Softbank Mobile and voted on by the network's mobile phone subscribers. The win landed the duo prize money of ¥10 million, bringing their total from the contest to ¥30 million, and entry to the "S1 Grand Champion" round next March.
The afro-haired tsukomi half of the duo, Fujita Kensuke (34) said he would use his share of the winnings to bring up his son to be a pro baseball player. Then again, the baby's not due to be born until October. The name Total Tenbosch is a mix of two ideas, the sci-fi movie "Total Recall" (Fujita is a fan) and the Dutch theme park Huis Ten Bosch in Kyushu, which was the suggestion of his comic partner Omura Tomohiro (35).
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Shimizu Kentaro Arrested for 6th Time | |
Actor Shimizu Kentaro (57) has been arrested yet again. The organized crime department of the Metropolitan Police announced yesterday that they had arrested the actor on suspicion of the use of "kakuseizai" (stimulant drugs). It is the sixth arrest for Shimizu, who was previously held on drug and reckless driving charges. His criminal record has probably only boosted his image as an on-screen gang boss, in a career that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
Real name Sonoda Iwao, he was involved in a fatal traffic accident in 1973 and was fined for professional negligence resulting in death. His handsome looks brought him popularity on the youth TV show "Ginza Now" which led to a major hit with his debut single "Shitsuren Restaurant" in 1976. He had several more hits the following year, earning him a best newcomer award and a slot of the NHK "Kohaku Uta Gassen" New Year's Eve concert. But his career had peaked by the time he was arrested in 1983 for marijuana possession. Marriage to an American model in 1985 was followed by another drug arrest and a career move to the "V Cinema" (straight-to-video) movie business. His marriage ended in 1991 and a third drug arrest in 1994 led to an 18-month prison sentence. The following years saw another return to movies, earning him the nickname "The Emperor of V Cinema," and brief marriage to a woman 22 years younger and another spell in prison for drug use. His most recent brush with the law was in 2008 when he was arrested for an hit and run incident and received a 7-month prison sentence.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Julia Roberts Finally Lands in Japan | August 18, 2010 |
Julia Roberts (42, photo) has been a Hollywood star for two decades, so it came as a surprise to many that when she landed at Narita Airport yesterday, it was her very first time in Japan. She flew in by private jet with her husband, photographer Daniel Moder (41, photo right), and was welcomed at the airport by about 300 fans. She's in Tokyo to promote her highly anticipated new movie, "Eat, Pray, Love." Roberts will attend a press conference today and the Japan premiere of the movie at the Roppongi Hills Arena tomorrow night. She is expected to stay in Japan for a few days after that. Directed by Ryan Murphy, the movie opens in Japanese theaters on September 17.
Roberts is said to be the last of the major Hollywood stars to visit Japan, and that led to rumors that she had a dislike for the country. A spokesperson said yesterday, "It was just a matter of the timing never being right. This time, her children are a little bigger and she is the star of the movie, so everything fell into place." Roberts and Moder have three children, 5-year-old twins and a son (3).
Macchan Gets Back to Work
Comedian Matsumoto Hitoshi (46) is returning to work today after his recent surgery, according to his management at Yoshimoto Creative Agency. One half of the veteran duo Downtown (profile), he has been on medical leave since the end of June and underwent surgery on his left hip joint in late July. Today, he will film an episode of the comedy show "Downtown no Gakinotsukaiya Arahende!!!" that will air on August 22. For the time being, as he is still undergoing rehabilitation, Matsumoto will not do any location shooting or indeed be on his feet for very long.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Yamamoto Mona Finally Settles Down | August 17, 2010 |
Has talento Yamamoto Mona (34, photo left) finally put her history of romantic scandals behind her? She and the owner of a real estate investment company got married in Tokyo yesterday. According to her management agency, she and her fiance went together to a municipal office and registered their marriage. They don't currently have plans for a wedding ceremony and Yamamoto is reportedly not pregnant. She attended the Japan premiere of "The A Team" in Tokyo last night but gave no hint of her new marital status.
The couple tied the knot after a relationship of two years and three months, which means there was some overlap with a high-profile scandal that temporarily derailed her showbiz career. In July 2008 Yamamoto was photographed with married Yomiuri Giants baseball star Nioka Tomohiro (34) after leaving a Tokyo gay bar and heading for a love hotel. Though she denied any sexual relationship, she lost all her commercial contracts and was forced to lie low for several months. The media was all the more harsh on Yamamoto because in October 2006 she had been involved in a similar scandal with married national Diet member Hosono Goshi, which led to her being dropped by TBS from the "News 23" show.
Nagayama Yoko an "Arafo Mama"
Enka singer Nagayama Yoko (42, photo right) announced on her blog this morning that she became a mother for the first time yesterday. She and American entrepreneur Mark Smith (41) are the proud parents of a bouncing baby girl. Smith is the president and CEO of temp staffing company Skillhouse Staffing Solutions. Arafo is the Japanese abbreviation of "around forty" and has been popular in the last couple of years when referring to those who marry or have children after reaching that landmark age.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
X Japan - The New and the Old | August 16, 2010 |
For the first time in the long history of X Japan, the country's premier rock band performed a solo show outdoors and they did it with "seven members." Of course, one of those members was the late guitarist Hide, who died in 1998 but is still given honorary band membership. But during their shows at the weekend the five current members were joined for the encore by bassist Taiji, who last played with the band 18 years ago.
The two shows at the Nissan Yokohama Stadium drew 130,000 fans, who were treated to a 12-minute drum solo by band leader Yoshiki. It was the first time for him to perform the hyper-speed solo (he is said to play at 800 beats per minute) since he underwent surgery for a hernia last year. So it was made all the more dramatic by the 10m-high revolving drum stage and the neck brace he wears since the surgery. With the song "Tears" playing in the background, Yoshiki tearfully thanked his fans, saying, "Each and every one of you is the wind beneath our wings."
The band performed 11 songs, including the new track "Jade." And as they got ready to play "X" for an encore, vocalist Toshi called an old friend onto the stage to join them. Taiji (photo left) was a member of the band for its first three albums and was the man behind the extravagant stage costumes and hairstyles that largely defined the visual kei rock image. he left the band in 1992 due to "musical differences" and went on to perform with Loudness and D.T.R.
The stadium shows, which cost an estimated ¥1 billion, were the Japan leg of a world tour that hits North America on September 25 and is said to be heading to Europe early in 2011.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Sato B-saku Steps Down from Stage Role | |
Actor Sato B-saku (61) is the latest celebrity to announce that cancer has forced him to put his career on hold. The rumors began yesterday after it was revealed that he was stepping down from his role in an ongoing production at the Mitsukoshi Gekijo theater in Tokyo for health reasons. As he underwent surgery for stomach cancer in May 2008, the media speculated that a recurrence of the same condition was the most likely explanation. Today he acknowledged that a growth had been found in his stomach, though as yet it is not known if it is malignant or benign.
Sato will continue to perform until August 19, after which Matsumura Yuki (46), who was already appearing in the play, will take over his role for the last three shows of the Tokyo run and carry on in the role during a nationwide tour until the end of September.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
NHK Leans on Mao-chan to Revive Morning Drama | August 12, 2010 |
In an effort to boost the sagging audience rankings of its morning drama slot, NHK took everyone by surprise by naming established actress Inoue Mao (23, photo left) as the star of next year's 50th anniversary series. "Ohisama" will air at 8am on Mondays through Saturdays from March 28, 2011. It is set in the Nagano Prefecture towns of Matsumoto and Azumino, and tells the story of a teacher who becomes a maker of soba (buckwheat noodles). The original script is by Okada Yoshikazu (51, photo right), who also wrote one of the more popular morning dramas, "Churasan," in 2001.
At a press conference yesterday, the media were visibly taken by surprise when the leading actress's name was announced. But Inoue herself admitted to having been bowled over by her choice for a morning drama role, something she had dreamed of since she was a girl. "It's seen as a gateway to stardom for young actors and the auditions are very competitive. I had half given up that my name would ever be called, so I was very surprised," she said. She added that she had watched the 2007 series "Chiritotechin" without missing a single episode. "I thought it seemed like a tough job. Portraying the life of one person for such a long time, it must need both physical and mental strength."
The NHK morning drama slot is usually reserved as a vehicle to launch the career of a promising young actress, such as Tanaka Miri and Konishi Miho. During the 1960s to 80s, the morning drama slot enjoyed solid audience ratings of 30-40%, but that has fallen to around 10% in recent years. The current series, "Gegegeg no Nyobo" had the worst ever ratings for an opening episode, and though it has since been doing reasonably well, it rarely breaks the 20% barrier.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
The Latest Korean Pop Invasion | |
A surprise appearance yesterday in central Shibuya by South Korean pop newcomers Kara drew an unexpectedly big crowd. With schools on summer break, the Tokyo shopping district was even more overflowing than usual with young people. So when the female pop quintet were announced on a stage in front of the iconic 109 building, a crowd quickly began to form. The group were making their major label debut in Japan and performed their debut single "Mister," which made it to No.5 on the Oricon daily chart rankings.
They were scheduled to appear for 30 minutes, including interviews and a photo shoot, but as the crowd built to an estimated 3,000 people and started spilling out onto the roads, it was decided to cut the event short after just the one song. Disappointed fans will have a chance to meet the group at an event in Shin Kiba on August 14.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Tomosaka Rie, Suneohair to Wed | August 11, 2010 |
Popular actress Tomosaka Rie (30, photo right) and singer Suneohair (39, photo center) are planning to get married within the year, it was revealed yesterday. The couple have already told friends about their plans, less than a year after they started dating. It would be the second marriage for Tomosaka, who divorced from theatrical producer Kawahara Masahiko (41) at the beginning of 2008 and since has custody of their son (5). Suneohair has previously been married twice to the same woman, with whom he has two children.
Tomosaka made her showbiz debut in a TV commercial for Toyota in 1992. She has gone on to become a regular in TV and movie roles, and won a Golden Arrow best newcomer award for a stage role in 2000. Given name Watanabe Kenji, Suneohair was an independent musician until 2002, when he made his major label debut. He had some stage experience from his college days and first worked on the big screen in 2003. He landed his first starring role in the movie "Aburakusasu no Matsuri," in which he and Tomosaka played a husband and wife and also performed a duet for the ending theme. Filming started last November and the movie is scheduled to open in the late autumn. Suneohair is also known for contributing the ending theme for the anime adaptation of the popular shojo manga "Honey & Clover."
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Utada Hikaru to Take Indefinite Break | August 10, 2010 |
Singer-songwriter Utada Hikaru (27, profile) shocked her fans yesterday by announcing that she will be taking an indefinite break from music. In a blog update yesterday she didn't give many details but said that she will complete her scheduled activities for the rest of this year, including the release of a second singles collection in the autumn. The album will also include 4 or 5 five new songs. She will then concentrate on other aspects of her life, "It could be two years, it could be five, I don't know."
Though still in her mid-20s, Utada already has a 12-year career under her belt, as well as an unfinished university course,a brush with cancer and a failed marriage. But she acknowledges that in some ways she has yet to grow up and says she needs to do so as a "person" rather than as a "musician." She thanked fans and the staff at the EMI label for their ongoing support and asked for their patience and understanding.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
X Japan Finally Play in U.S. | |
The dream is finally realized. 18 years after X Japan held a press conference in New York to announce their U.S. concert debut, it finally happened as the band took to the stage at the Lollapalooza rock festival in Chicago yesterday. They stuck to their hard rock/speed metal numbers for a 5-song set that included English language versions of the classics "Rusty Nail" and "Kuranai," the more recent "Jade" and "I.V." and ended with the fan favorite, "X."
The front rows of the audience were dominated by Japanese faces, some with the elaborate fashion, makeup and hair that X Japan and their fans established as the dress code of visual kei rock. And unlike many of the locals, they certainly didn't need any encouragement to sing along or make the traditional X symbol with their forearms. Many were reduced to tears, especially when slow motion images of the band's late guitarist Hide were projected on a screen during an interval.
X Japan return home for two shows at the Yokohama Nissan Stadium next week, before returning to the U.S. for a full North American concert tour. The tour was scheduled to start in October but the date for the opening show has been announced as September 25 in Los Angeles, where drummer and band leader Yoshiki is based. Plans to go on a European tour from January were also revealed yesterday.
Related stories:
X Japan Announce First US Tour (Jul. 9, 2010)
X Japan Named to Lollapalooza Lineup (Apr. 7, 2010)
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Graduation Time for Morning Musume | August 09, 2010 |
Three members of Morning Musume (profile) are to leave the super aidoru group in the fall. In what is usually referred to as "graduation," Kamei Eri (21, photo right) and Chinese members JunJun (Li Chun, 22, photo left) and LinLin (Qian Lin, 19, photo center) will perform with the group for the last time during their upcoming nationwide tour. Founder and guru Tsunku (41) said that the 9th round of auditions, the first in four years, will be held to bring fresh blood into the group.
It is the first time that three members will leave the ever-evolving lineup at once. In the case of Kamei, who joined in 2003, it is so that she can undergo treatment for atopic dermatitis. The two Chinese members, who were added in 2007 to help expand the fan base base in Asia, are to undergo preparations to launch singing careers in their home country.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Third Time Lucky For Ishida Junichi? | |
Actor Ishida Junichi (56) and pro golfer Higashio Riko (34) held their wedding reception yesterday in Tokyo. The event, attended by about 350 guests, was held at the Fuji-no-ma ballroom of the Imperial Hotel. Riko was given away by her father, former baseball manager turned commentator Higashio Osamu (60), who said, "I leave everything up to Junichi-kun. I hope they will go through life with a par score." The event also featured a surprise gift for Riko's mother - a performance by singer Matsuyama Chiharu (54) of his song "Ozora to Daichi Nonakede." The happy couple actually tied the knot last December at a ceremony held in the wine country of California. There was no mention in the media of why the reception was held yesterday rather than the originally announced date of July 12.
It is the third marriage for Ishida, a renowned playboy. At a press conference, when asked about the chances of her groom's infidelity, Higashio joked, "I guess the chances are high. But I'm more concerned with looking after him in his old age!" Actor Ishida Issei (35), Junichi's son from his first marriage, said it would take him a while to get used to having a mother-in-law who is a year younger than him.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Young Stars Bring Their Dads Along | August 06, 2010 |
Some young stars in Tokyo this week, with their high profile dads in tow. Hollywood big shot Will Smith (41) was in town with the whole family, though it was actually his son Jaden (12) who was working. He and co-star Jackie Chan are promoting their remake of "The Karate Kid" and attended the Japan premiere at the Roppongi Hills complex in central Tokyo last night. At the Roppongi Hills Arena, they appeared on stage for about 2,000 fans. The movie will be released here, like the 1984 original, with the title "Best Kid" on August 14.
Also appearing for fans yesterday was Stevie Wonder (60), and he too brought his son along. He is celebrating his 50th year in the music business, while son Mumtaz (25) is a highly regarded R&B/hip-hop artist/producer/singer. Stevie is scheduled to perform at the Summer Sonic music festival this weekend, and is also promoting his new album "Love, Harmony & Eternity," which went on sale here on Wednesday.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Actresses Prang Cars in Tokyo | |
A couple of actresses were involved in minor traffic accidents recently, according to stories on the Sankei Shimbun website. Police at the Akasaka station in central Tokyo say that Enami Kyoko (67) failed to check her rear view mirror before pulling onto Route 246 in Minami Aoyama on the evening of August 2. She hit a car driven by a 33-year-old Yokohama man that was coming from behind her. Neither driver suffered any injuries.
Meanwhile, Hasegawa Kyoko (32) was stopped in the parking lot of the Samezu driving test center in Tokyo on August 3 when her car was hit by a vehicle driven by a middle-aged woman. Again, neither driver suffered any injuries.
New Addition to Musical Family
Musicians Wakadanna (34) and Minmi (35) became the proud parents of a second baby boy in New York yesterday. Minmi gave birth to their first son in November 2007 and she and Wakadanna, a member of the reggae unit Shonan no Kaze, got married on the same day.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Kuwata Keisuke Recovering After Surgery | August 05, 2010 |
Just a week after announcing that Kuwata Keisuke (54) had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, management for the hugely popular singer said yesterday that he has undergone surgery. In a brief statement, the Amuse agency said the operation was a success. "He was able to speak immediately after the anesthetic wore off, and surprised the doctors by being able to walk a little the next day." The agency didn't give details of the surgery, but today's issue of the "Josei Seven" magazine says that Kuwata was admitted to a Tokyo hospital on July 30 and underwent a 6-hour operation on August 2. It said that the Southern All Stars vocalist will remain in intensive care for a few days at least but is thought likely to make a full recovery within the year. And of course he has the loving support of his wife and fellow band member Hara Yuko (53).
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Yoshida Bros. U.S. Tour | August 04, 2010 |
The shamisen duo Yoshida Brothers this week embarked on their latest tour of the United States, starting in New York on Tuesday. The Hokkaido-born brothers Ryoichiro and Kenichi Yoshida played at the Highline Ballroom, after warming up with an earlier sold-out performance at the Otakon convention in Baltimore last weekend (photo).
While commercially still a long way from the sales of mainstream J-pop acts, with their youth and rock sensibilities the Yoshida brothers have brought a whole new audience to the world of Tsugaru shamisen music. They have teamed up with rock and pop artists to create a form a crossover music that is frowned upon by the shamisen elders but goes down well with audiences in Japan and overseas. The duo will be playing seven more shows in the U.S., in Cambridge MA on Thursday, Chicago on Saturday, the San Francisco and L.A. next week. For more details, see the Domo Music Group website.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Comedian Hachimitsu Jiro (35) and former aidoru singer Saito Hitomi (28) are maried, the Yoshimoto Creative Agency announced last night. The couple are said to have registered their marriage yesterday but have no plans for a wedding ceremony or reception. The article made a point of saying that Saito is not pregnant. Real name Takano Jiro, Hachimitsu (which translates as Honey) is one half of the Yoshimoto manzai duo Tokyo Dynamite, while Saito was the leader of Hello! Project aidoru group Melon Kinenbi. The group played their last concert in May, and Saito announced her retirement from showbiz. Hachimitsu was a fan of the group, often going to concerts, and he and Saito started dating at the beginning of this year.
Movie Critic Commits Suicide
Movie critic Konno Yuji recently commited suicide at his Tokyo home, according to the Metropolitan Police. He was 66. Konno was found hanging by the neck at his apartment in Daikanyama, where he lived alone. He had been dead for several days. With a background in magazine editing, Konno became a regular guest on the early 1990s late night show "11PM." He was known for his soft-spoken but unrestrained style.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Ikuta Touma Lands Genji Role | August 03, 2010 |
Actor and Johnnys Jr. member Ikuta Touma (25) has landed probably the best movie role going. Directed by Tsuruhashi Yasuo (70), the latest big-screen adaptation of "Genji Monogatari" (The Tale of Genji) has a budget of over ¥1-billion. It is based on the classic novel written at the beginning of the 11th century by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting for the emperor. It is considered to be one of the finest works in Japanese literature and the world's earliest novel.
The tale revolves around the romantic life of the central character, a son of the emperor who for political reasons has been relegated to the status of a commoner. Given the surname Minamoto, but known to readers as Hikaru Genji, he is portrayed as strikingly handsome, an image that has fixed his place in the popular culture (Hikaru Genji was the name of a hugely popular 1980s Johnny's Jimusho group). The role has been given to some of the most popular and handsome young movie stars of each generation, including Hasegawa Kazuo in 1951 and kabuki actor Ichikawa Raizo in 1961. On TV, the role has gone to music icon Sawada Kenji (1980) and Johnnys star Higashiyama Noriyuki (1991).
That image adds pressure to the portrayal by Ikuta, who joined profileJohnny's Jimusho in 1996 but only made his big-screen debut this year in "Ningen Shikaku." That was the first of three starring roles this year (the others are "Seaside Motel" and "Hanamizuki") that are expected to mold him into a movie star, under the guidance of the svengali-like Johnny Kitagawa and powerful producer Kadokawa Tsuguhiko. The movie is expected to have a late-2011 release.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Ozawa Seiji Back on the Podium | August 02, 2010 |
Conductor Ozawa Seiji (74) wants the world top know he has won his battle with cancer. Making his public comeback yesterday, he looked considerably more frail than he did when he revealed his esophageal cancer back in January. Nevertheless he was on the podium conducting a chamber orchestra as they rehearsed for the annual Saito Kinen Matsumoto festival in the resort area of Shiga Kogen, Nagano Prefecture.
Following surgery to remove his gullet in late January, he returned work a week ago to prepare for the festival, which he founded in 1992. At a press conference afterward, he offered words of support to singer Kuwata Keisuke (54), who announced last week that he has been diagnosed with the same condition. Both he and Ozawa were diagnosed at an early stage, vastly increasing their chances of a full recovery. "He's 20 years younger than me, so I'm certain he'll be fine," Ozawa said. "But it's very important to get a regular checkup."
Related stories:
SAS Singer Diagnosed With Cancer (Jul. 29, 2010)
SMAP Announce New Shanghai Shows
After the disappointment of their canceled China show in June, SMAP are scheduled to perform there in October. The group were to play their first ever overseas concert at the Shanghai World Expo on June 13 but organizers canceled the appearance at the last minute due to crowd safety and security concerns. The group have just embarked on their first nationwide tour of Japan in two years and will head over to China for two shows at the Shanghai Gymnasium on October 9 & 10.
X Japan Add D.C. to Tour
X Japan have added a Washington D.C show to the lineup for their North American tour. The announcement came as band leader Yoshiki and guitarist Sugizo performed a couple of songs at the "Otakon2010" convention in Baltimore on Saturday. With Yoshiki on piano and Sugizo trading his guitar for a violin, they played a couple of their most popular ballads, "Endless Rain" and "Forever Love," for the audience of 10,000.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Top
|
