Japan Entertainment News - September 2010
Watch Out for Layla Lane | September 30, 2010 |
You may not have heard of the rock duo Layla Lane, but you may have heard their music. Shizuoka native Heday (29) on guitar and Valerie (27) from Los Angeles on piano and vocals have caused a buzz in Japan with their song "Happy Lane." The song has been used in an ongoing Coca Cola commercial campaign since April, and the company has received over 1,000 inquiries asking who is performing it. The growing buzz in Japan over the summer was heightened when the duo came to do a short tour. Now it's been decided to give the duo their break and they will release their major label debut single on October 13. The duo describe their music on their website as combining "exquisite arrangements and clever harmonies for a style that is equal parts 1960's pop, gypsy swing, and good old-fashioned rock n' roll."
Heday (real name Ikumo Hidehito) first headed to the U.S. at the age of 19 to study music at UCLA, where he graduated in 2007. He caught the eye of drummer and Beatles collaborator Jim Keltner (68), and found himself doing session work with Ringo Starr (67) and the Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh (62). The former Beatle was very impressed by his songwriting, guitar, bass and arrangement skills. Heday teamed up with Valerie Stern based largely on their shared interest in the Beatles' music. Last year, a collaboration with director Ken Ochiai produced an award-winning video for the song "No More," which also featured in the summer Katherine Heigl-Ashton Kutcher movie "Killers."
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Tom and Cameron Wow Tokyo | September 29, 2010 |
Hollywood stars Tom Cruise (48) and Cameron Diaz (38) were in Tokyo yesterday to promote their latest movie collaboration. The pair, who last worked together about a decade ago on "Vanilla Sky," were at the Roppongi Hills Arena in the center of the capital for the Japan premiere of "Knight and Day." They signed autographs and posed for photos with some of the 800 or so fans.
Also in attendance was Mongolian former sumo grand champion Asashoryu (30). He says he is a big Cruise fan but seemed more excited about getting a photo with Diaz (above). But the Hollywood star was only in town for 14 hours as he is currently filming "Mission Impossible IV," which is scheduled for release next May. Meanwhile "Knight and Day," a less than huge critical success in the U.S., is due to open here on October 9.
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Win Tickets to See Puffy AmiYumi in NYC | September 28, 2010 |
J-pop duo Puffy AmiYumi is heading to New York City as part of the New York Comic Con & New York Anime Festival. They will be performing at Irving Plaza on October 10 along with Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys and Echostream. And Japan Zone has a pair of tickets to give away for the show.
To enter and - as we don't do giveaways very often - have a pretty good chance of winning, all you have to do is drop an email to puffy@japan-zone.com and answer this one simple question - what are Ami and Yumi's family names? Don't forget to include your name, and a phone number and postal address would probably be a good idea, too.
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Rocky Vs. Chiyonofuji? | September 27, 2010 |
Over the weekend, Rocky star Sylvester Stallone (64) was in Japan for the first time in more than two decades to promote his latest action flick "The Expendables." He hooked up with an old friend from his last trip, former yokozuna (grand champion) Chinofuji (55), now known as Kokonoe oyakata (stable master).
The pair last met in 1988 (photo above), when Chiyonofuji - known as The Wolf - was at the peak of his dominance and Stallone was promoting "Rocky 3." "The last time I saw him he took me to his house. He was in training. I do action in the movies but he does it for real. He's a real superstar," said Stallone. He added, "He looks younger now than he did then. He should be in the movies!"
 He also got to watch live sumo for the first time, watching the second-to-last day at of the tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, and met current yokozuna Hakuho (25). The Mongolian sumo star lifted up the Hollywood star for the cameras. "He was heavy. I have no arm strength," Hakuho said. Yesterday he went on to win his fourth tournament in a row and is now on a 62-bout winning streak. During this tournament he passed the 53-win mark of Chiyonofuji, and he will have Futabayama's 71-year-old record of 69 in his sights at the next tournament in November.
With sumo's recent troubles and scandals, a bit of Hollywood glitz and PR was very welcome. Stallone was more than happy to oblige, saying he was very impressed by the simplicity of Japan's national sport. "It's so fantastic about the fury of the sport," he said. "It's so easy to follow. The rules are simple. It's why people love it. It's man versus man." The Expendables opens in Japanese theaters on October 16.
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X Japan Tour Starts in L.A. | |
Rock band X Japan finally kicked off their first ever North American concert tour, performing for about 2,300 fans at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday. After the support act Vampires Everywhere!, X Japan took the stage at 9pm. Representatives of the band's late guitarist Hide made it known the same day that they didn't want the band to use his image onstage as they usually do. That led to some last-minute setlist changes, But the band were in good form, but they still played 14 songs, including recent additions "Jade" and "Born to be Free." There was even a bit of stage diving by vocalist Toshi. The tour will take in seven cities and finish in New York on October 10. The band are due to tour Europe in the New Year.
Meanwhile it was announced that X Japan have signed a contract with the William Morris entertainment agency, the biggest in the world. A global version of their "Blue Blood" online fan club is on the way and radio promotion of the band's first original album in 14 years is due to start in the U.S. on October 1.
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The Sagamihara home of singer-songwriter UA (38) was completely destroyed in a fire on Saturday. The fire in the 300-sq.m. two-storey wooden house is believed to have started about 1:40am on Saturday morning. UA, real name Hasegawa Kaori, her husband (28) and their 3-year-old son were sleeping downstairs and they evacuated the house along with their elder son (13) and two school friends who were sleeping upstairs.
After the long hot summer, the weather in Japan has turned a lot cooler and the family used their wood-burning stove for the first time in months. According to local police the stove is thought to have been the cause of the fire. One of the firemen who helped put out the blaze said, "The fire burned trees more than 20m from the house. If it hadn't been raining so hard, we probably would have had a forest fire on our hands."
According to a neighbor, the house was built about 25 years ago by a soprano singer at a cost of about ¥50 million. It has an octagonal room that was used for small concerts. UA and her family have been renting it since she re-married in 2008. They work a neighboring field, where they also keep two goats. UA's latest album, released in June, was recorded in a studio at the house. UA was married to actor Murakami Jun (37) from 1996 to 2006.
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The New Kings of Comedy | September 24, 2010 |
Manzai duo King of Comedy are living up to their name. The pair won the final round of the annual "King of Conto 2010" comedy battle on TBS last night. They took home ¥10 million in prize money, though they jokingly complained that their management agency will be taking 40%. Asked how he would use his share, Takahashi Kenichi (39) said he would help pay off his father's debts. "But we need to win this another eight times..." Takahashi is the tsukkomi of the duo, and his boke partner is Konno Hiroshi (31).
The competition, one of several that have become popular over the last couple of years, had 3009 acts vying for the prize money and the exposure that can help an up-and-coming act make a breakthrough. King of Comedy are already pretty established and in the 10th year of their career. They followed the example of sempai duo Untouchable in borrowing their stage name from the title of a Robert De Niro movie. Takahashi was arrested in 2007 for allegedly groping a female passenger on a Tokyo subway train, though the case was never taken to court.
The Japanese word "conto" comes from the French "conte" and is used to describe a comedy skit or routine.
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Shinsuke Ordered to Pay for Assault | September 22, 2010 |
Popular TV host Shimada Shinsuke (54) has been ordered to pay a major sum in compensation for an assault that almost ended his career several years ago. A Tokyo District Court judge yesterday decided that Shimada and the Yoshimoto Kogyo talent agency were liable for ¥10 million in damages for the injuries and humiliation suffered by a female Yoshimoto employee in 2004. The plaintiff had sought ten times that amount.
The incident happened backstage at an Osaka TV studio in June 2004. Shimada was angered by the words and attitude of the woman, 40 at the time and the manager of commentator Katsuya Masahiko. He is said to have taken her to another room to lecture her on manners and became infuriated when she talked back. He allegedly pulled her hair, hit her face against a wall and spat on her. When the case blew up in the media, he gave a tearfully apologetic press conference and stepped down from several regular TV slots. A few months later, an Osaka court ordered Shimada to pay a ¥300,000 fine. The woman was put on extended leave by Yoshimoto for more than 18 months, during which time she underwent treatment for stress-related problems. After the leave finished in June 2006, she claimed, she was fired.
But for a star of Shimada's stature, the media has a short memory and he eventually returned to being one of the busiest and best-paid celebrities on TV. He is sometimes mentioned as a potentially strong political candidate. The latest court decision will make only the tiniest dent in his substantial wealth, but the case will forever hang over any plans to run for public office.
Related stories:
Shinsuke Fined, May Quit (Dec 11, 2004)
Shinsuke's Troubles Not Over (Aug 4, 2006)
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Paris Hilton Stopped at Narita | |
US socialite Paris Hilton was stopped by immigration officials at Tokyo's Narita airport as she flew in from Las Vegas yesterday, a day after pleading guilty to cocaine charges, media reports said. The 29-year-old hotel heiress arrived at Narita by a chartered flight and the officials were interviewing her and considering refusing her entry because of a suspended sentence she received for the charges, Jiji news agency said. She spent the night at an airport hotel (the Hilton?) before facing further questioning today.
A court in Las Vegas on Monday gave her two six-month suspended jail terms for possessing cocaine and lying about it, but said she would be jailed for a year if she was arrested again. The sentence also included a $2,000 fine, completion of a substance abuse program and 200 hours of community service.
Hilton arrived in Tokyo at about 5:30pm, the Asahi Shimbun reported on its online edition. The Narita branch of the Tokyo immigration control office told Jiji that a person on a suspended jail term was not allowed to enter Japan except for "special reasons."
Hilton had been scheduled to attend an event with her sister Nicky, 26, in Tokyo on Wednesday to promote her original brand for handbags and accessories. But the event has been canceled, Jiji said. (AFP)
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Mizushima Hiro Quits Acting to Write | |
Popular young actor Mizushima Hiro (26) is giving it all up to be a writer, according to the Sankei Sports newspaper. Mizushima's former management at Kenon Group acknowledged the report, saying that he had quit the agency. They said his interest in novels and other forms of writing was something he had made known for some time. Mizushima started working as a model while a student at the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo. His breakthrough as an actor came when he landed the lead role in the action hero TV series "Kamen Rider Kabuto." He most recently worked on the manga adaptation movie "Beck," which is scheduled for release this month.
Kenon also represents Mizushima's wife, singer Ayaka (22). Though she is on an extended sabbatical as she battles with Graves' disease, her husband's decision doesn't affect her existing contract. The couple tied the knot in February of 2009.
Related stories:
Mizushima Hiro, Ayaka Married (Apr 4, 2009)
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Higashi to Play 2nd Fiddle in Genji Flick | September 21, 2010 |
Johnny's Jimusho veteran Higashiyama Noriyuki (43, photo right) is to play a key role in the latest big screen adaptation of the Tale of Genji, Japan's and perhaps the world's earliest novel. The Shonentai member was given the lead role of Hikaru Genji in a similar TV adaptation about two decades ago, but this time will be playing second fiddle to young star Ikuta Touma (25, photo left) as the powerful courtier Fujiwara Michinaga. In other big casting announcements, Nakatani Miki (34) will play the role of the novelist Murasaki Shikibu, while Kubozuka Yousuke (31) will play the mysterious court diviner Abe Seimei.
Directed by Tsuruhashi Yasuo (70), the movie started filming yesterday. Budgeted at over ¥1 billion, it is due for release sometime next spring.
Another Tokio Baby
Another Johnny's Jimusho star has become a father for the second time, it was announced yesterday. Yamaguchi Tatsuya (38) of the group Tokio and his former model wife got married in March 2008 and had their first son the following May. They now have two boys, though they didn't announce any names or further details.
Hide's Wedding Day
Meanwhile Hide (30), vocalist of the mysterious J-pop group Greeeen, has tied the knot. He made the announcement on his blog yesterday that he and and his ippanjin bride got married on September 18. The four members of Greeeen are all practicing dentists and have never revealed their faces or true identity in public. Despite, or perhaps helped by, the mystery they have achieved major chart success over hte last couple of years. They are planning to release a new single early next year.
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Kobayashi Keiju Dies at 86 | September 20, 2010 |
Japan lost another of its favorite veteran actors yesterday when Kobayashi Keiju passed away of heart failure at a Tokyo hospital. He was 86. Over a career that spanned almost seven decades, he appeared in about 260 movies and TV dramas playing everything from the prime minister in "Godzilla 1985" to detective Muta Ichiro in a long-running TV series. His lifetime achievements and cultural contributions were recognized by the nation in the form of medals of honor from the government. His final public appearance was last November, at the funeral of actor Morishige Hisaya, with whom he did some of his most famous work.
Kobayashi made a couple of propaganda movies after joining the Nikkatsu studio in 1942, before moving to the Daiei studio. With his man-next-door personality, he became popular in the 1950s starring in a series of "salaryman" (company employee) comedies for the Toho studio. In the "Shacho" (company president) series of more than 30 movies between 1956-71, he played the serious secretary to Morishige's less than serious boss. The series more than any other shaped the image of the corporate warriors who rebuilt Japan from the ashes of WWII. Most of his award-winning work was in the late 1950s or 60s, but he continued to work in movies and on TV until recent years.
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Oshio Manabu Gets Two and a Half Years | September 18, 2010 |
The verdict is finally in on Oshio Manabu (32). At the Tokyo District Court yesterday, the "former" actor was handed a 30-month prison sentence for negligence resulting in the death of Ginza hostess Tanaka Kaori last year. Prosecutors had sought a 6-year prison term, insisting that Tanaka could have been saved if medical help had been sought soon after she passed out from taking MDMA (Ecstasy). Some experts had expected Oshio to get 6 years or longer due to his continued refusal to accept his guilt. His lawyers insisted that Tanaka died within minutes of becoming unconscious and couldn't have been helped, asking for a suspended sentence. In handing down his verdict, the judge said that Oshio had been found guilty of negligence but that there was a question about whether this was directly responsible for Tanaka's death.
Among the witnesses who appeared in court were Tanaka's parents and the friend of Oshio who supplied him with the drugs. The trial was the first celebrity case to be decided by a jury of lay judges. At a press conference afterward, Oshio's lawyers said that he had trouble understanding some of the verdict as it was read out. "Do I have to go to prison? Or is it a suspended sentence?" he is said to have asked them. He has decided to file an appeal.
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Uchino Masaaki in Double Scandal | September 17, 2010 |
Actor Uchino Masaaki (42) has got himself into a double scandal, and on his birthday no less. More than 100 reporters waited outside the Le Theatre Ginza yesterday to ask about photos published in this week's issue of the weekly magazine "Friday" that allegedly show him drinking and driving on more than one occasion, and in a romantic clinch with a married woman. The magazine says that, on his way back from rehearsals for "Ilias," his current stage production, he stopped at a convenience store and downed a can of "happoshu" (low-malt beer) before continuing home. On another occasion he allegedly drove home after eating and drinking alone at a Chinese restaurant. Management for Uchino released a statement saying that he had a driver at the time. And without any way to test his blood alcohol level now, the actor will not face any police investigation. But just last summer the drink-driving law was strengthened so this incident will not be treated lightly.
Meanwhile, Uchino will have a harder time wriggling out of the other scandal. It was reported earlier this year that he is separated from Ichiro Maki (45), his wife of four years, with whom he has a 3-year-old daughter. But the other woman in the magazine photos, taken in mid-August, is also married.
Uchino is a highly regarded actor who made his stage debut while a research student at Waseda University in 1995. His popularity grew the following year after he appeared in an NHK morning drama series. Other major roles on the conservative network came in "Semishigure" (2003) and the 2007 taiga drama "Fuurinkazan" (photo).
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Tashiro Masashi Has Blown It Again | September 16, 2010 |
Talento Tashiro Masashi (54) has allowed drugs to destroy yet another attempt to get his life back on track. According to the Kanagawa Prefectural Police, the once hugely popular star was arrested again in the early hours of this morning, this time for possession of cocaine. It is at least the fifth arrest on a variety of charges for the former singer, comedian and TV regular.
Police said that Tashiro was arrested on the spot at 2:10am when he was found in possession of two bags containing cocaine in a parked car in Akarenga Park, Yokohama. The area has increased security as it will be the venue for the APEC summit in November. Also arrested, for possession of stimulant drugs, was a 50-year-old beauty parlor owner Arai Chieko. Tashiro told police that he had bought the cocaine from a DJ about 3 months ago, adding that he had come to Yokohama to enjoy the night scenery and discuss work with Arai. She gave a different account, saying that she had supplied the cocaine to Tashiro.
A juvenile delinquent in school, Tashiro became an overnight star when he and the blackface doo-wop group the Chanels had a chart hit with "Runaway" in 1980. After several years of pop success, Tashiro switched to TV comedy, becoming a sidekick to Shimura Ken. Throughout the 1990s he was one of the most popular stars on TV.
But things started to change in 2000, when he was sent to the prosecutor's office for filming up a woman's skirt with a camcorder. He received a fine for that offense and spent about six months away from showbiz before asking for forgiveness. But within six months he was in trouble with the law again, this time for peeping through the bathroom window of a neighbor's house. A police search of his home turned up stimulant drugs and his arrest led to a suspended prison sentence. Another period away from TV was followed by a more subdued attempt to get back to work, this time as a video director.
The next slipup was a traffic accident he caused in June 2004, injuring a young motorcyclist after making an illegal U-turn. A few months later he was arrested again, for possession of a butterfly knife, stimulants and marijuana. This led to three and a half years in prison. During this time, he was subjected to a media blackout, with his image and voice removed from old recordings and the very mention of his name became taboo.
Since his various scandals first emerged, Tashiro has been something of an anti-hero for the online underground. This support plus jobs on radio and cable TV seemed to be enough to allow him to get some semblance of a career going again after his release from prison in June 2008. He recently published a book that included messages of support from various public figures.
For some celebrities, a stint at a drug addiction treatment facility just doesnt work for them.
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Living High on Royalties | September 15, 2010 |
Producer and TV regular Terry Ito (60, photo right) appeared at a PR event in Tokyo yesterday to promote his latest movie project. "10-okuen Kasegu" (Earn ¥1 Billion" is a documentary about Ito's efforts to make a fortune from royalties. The movie will be released in Tokyo cinemas on November 20.
Ito started out with ¥3 million (about $36,000) in funds for his project. Deciding to invest it in the cartoon character business, he had an unknown designer come up with an original character design and then set out to sign licensing agreements. By August, the pink bat Nanity was the basis of 16 contracts with Japanese companies and another 11 overseas.
A special guest at yesterday's event was musician Takahashi Joji (52, photo left), guitarist and vocalist with the rock band The Trabryu. The band made their breakthrough with the mega-hit "Road" in 1993. The single sold 2.2 million copies, earning Takahashi about ¥1.6 billion in royalties. He said that he spent most of that money in the space of a couple of years. But he still earns ¥7 every time someone sings the song at karaoke. And it adds up, as he reckons he makes about ¥12 million a year in royalties alone. Takahashi is married to actress Mifune Mika (28), daughter of the screen legend Mifune Toshiro (1920-1997).
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Onitsuka Chihiro Victim of Assault | September 14, 2010 |
Tokyo police have issued an arrest warrant for a man who is believed to have assaulted singer-songwriter Onitsuka Chihiro (29), the Sankei Sports newspaper reported yesterday. According to information from the Shibuya police station, the incident happened early in the morning of August 18 at Onitsuka's Tokyo apartment. It was not reported until that night, when a building caretaker called the police.
Onitsuka was assaulted by a male friend and left with injuries that required a month to heal. The man's whereabouts since the incident are unknown.
Onitsuka won a Virgin Tokyo Artists Audition while still in high school and her debut album "Insomnia" topped the Oricon chart in 2001. But subsequent years saw modest chart success mixed with health and personal problems. She had surgery for polyps on her vocal chords, admitted to an eating disorder, and talked about a suicide attempt in 2004.
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Tani Kei Dies at 78 | September 13, 2010 |
Comedian and actor Tani Kei died of a brain contusion early Saturday morning at a Tokyo hospital. He was 78. According to a source, he was rushed to hospital on Friday evening after falling down the stairs of his Mitaka home. He had been suffering from health problems in recent years and hadn't appeared in public for some time. His swansong was, appropriately, last year's 20th and final movie in the long-running "Tsuri Baka Nisshi" (Diary of a Fishing Fool) series, of which he appeared in every one. Real name Watabe Yasuo, Tani's stage name was a tribute to the Hollywood star Danny Kaye. Married since 1958, he and his wife Kazuko had four children.
The multi-talented Tani was one of the best known stars of the post-war era. Born in Tokyo, he was raised in Hiroshima and Yokohama. He started playing trombone in junior high school and first played professionally while in college. He performed in groups such as Sharps & Flats and Frankie Sakai's City Slickers in the early 1950s before joining the legendary jazz/comedy band Crazy Cats in 1956. With their roles in the "Musekinin" comedy movies and the TV shows "Otona no Manga" and "Shabondama Holiday" they were among the biggest stars of their day. The late Hana Hajime and Ueki Hitoshi were the two most popular members of that band, with Tani a close third, and their lyrics were written by Aoshima Yukio, who would go on to become governor of Tokyo. Among Tani's many other contributions to pop culture were catchphrases like "Gatchon!" and "Buhyo-Buhyo" and the Japanese voice of Charlie Brown.
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Rock band Anzen Chitai gave up on last night's concert halfway through due to problems with its frontman. Vocalist Tamaki Koji (52) seemed to be drunk as he got into arguments with audience members, forgot lyrics and finally collapsed on stage. People were already walking out of the show at the Fukuoka Sun Palace Hotel and Hall when organizers brought it to a halt. Kyodo Nishi Nihon announced on their website that tickets would be fully refunded. Today is Tamaki's birthday and there are concerns about whether he will appear at tonight's scheduled show in Kumamoto. The September 7 Anzen Chitai show in Osaka was cut short when Tamaki complained of health problems.
One of the more colorful characters on the rock music scene, Tamaki recently got a lot of media exposure following his relationship and recent marriage - his fifth - to talento and former pin-up girl Aota Noriko (42). This week's "TV Bros" magazine, celebrating its 600th issue, features a photo spread of the couple naked in bed at their Tokyo home.
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Kikuma Yukino Passes Bar Exam | September 10, 2010 |
Former Fuji TV announcer Kikuma Yukino (38) has passed the bar exam at the second attempt. The Ministry of Justice yesterday announced the names of those who had passed the exam, which along with the exam for certified public accountants is considered the most difficult in Japan. Up to 2006, the pass rate was as low as 3% and in order to deal with a shortage of lawyers nationwide the exam system was revamped. The pass rate this year was a little over 25%, the lowest under the new system. At a reception to honor those who passed this year's exam, Kikuma said, "I learned that if you make the effort and do your best, good things will happen. I'm even more delighted than when I was recruited to enter Fuji TV!"
While still working on TV, she attended Omiya Law School but the intense schedule led to stress and health problems. She quit Fuji TV in 2007 to focus on her studies. After she failed the exam last year, she started getting up at 6am every day and putting in 16-17 hours of study a day before the exam in May. She will undergo legal training from November.
One of Kikuma's most famous episodes came while she was a presenter on the "Mezamashi Terebi" show in 1998. On the live show, she fell from a 5th-storey window while demonstrating emergency escape equipment and ended up in the hospital for three months. Another infamous case was where she was involved in an underage drinking incident with a member of the Johnny's Jimusho boy aidoru band NEWS.
Taylor Swift to Kick Off World Tour in Japan
Universal Japan announced yesterday that Grammy Award-winning country music singer Taylor Swift (20) is to start her first world tour in Japan next February. The first show in the 18-country tour will be on February 13 at the Osaka Castle Hall. That will be followed by two shows at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo and then another 80+ shows worldwide. Commenting on the plan to kick off the tour in Japan, she said, "It's my Valentine's Day present." Swift performed in Tokyo on Valentine's Day this year. Her 2008 debut album "Fearless" spent 11 weeks atop the US charts.
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Making a Fresh Start | September 09, 2010 |
Several stories today with a common theme - making a fresh start.
Three members of the popular female group AKB48 performed in Tokyo yesterday to mark the release of their debut single as the spinoff unit French Kiss. Made up of Kashiwagi Yuki (19), Takajo Aki (18) and Kuramochi Asuka (20), the trio performed "Zutto Mae Kara" at a movie theater before a special screening of a drama by the same title. During a stage interview, Kuramochi told the gathered 400 fans she had been scolded by her father, former pro baseball pitcher Kuramochi Akira (58), after her attempt to throw out the ceremonial opening pitch at Jingu Stadium on Tuesday.
Kane Aims to be the Asian Bond
Actor Kane Kosugi (35) says he hopes the new action role he has lined up will become the Asian version of James Bond. Provisionally titled "Silent Storm," the movie is a joint production between Japan, the US, South Korea and Hong Kong. "In a suit, he will look like a regular office worker. But he's actually a spy and kung fu expert. I want to create a strong hero figure using just the power of kung fu, without CG or wire action." The search is on for a director and scriptwriter, but Kosugi will the role of producer for the first time. He hopes filming will get underway this winter.
Kane, the son of famed Hollywood ninja Sho Kosugi, has been established on Japanese TV for a decade. Though he has appeared in several overseas productions, most recently working on location in China, he has yet to make a major breakthrough internationally. On the private side, he got married to a Hong Kong beauty (32) last November.
A Girl for Hitori, Ohsawa
Comedian Gekidan Hitori (33) and talento Ohsawa Akane (25) became parents for the first time yesterday. Management for the couple (photo left), who got married in February 2009, said the proud parents have named their baby girl Senka. Osawa plans to return to work after a short maternity break.
Hama-chan to Play Rookie Detective
Comedian Hamada Masatoshi (47, photo center) has his first leading role in a TV drama series in 9 years. He will also play a detective for the first time in TV Asahi's "Keiji - Onijima Heihachiro." The title character is a 44-year-old company man who becomes a detective following the death of his sister. With his worldly experience, he brings a new perspective to the fight against political corruption and organized crime. Hamada will be supported by actress Uchida Yuki (35, photo right), who recently played a police role in the summer blockbuster "Odoru Daisosasen 3," and Nishimura Masahiko (49). The drama is adapted from Ikebe Katsumi's manga about a special prosecutor at the Tokyo District Court.
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Fukatsu Eri Wins Top Award at Montreal Festival | September 08, 2010 |
Fukatsu Eri (37) has won the Best Actress award at the 34th Montreal World Film Festival for her role in the movie "Akunin" (Villain). On Monday she thanked the festival in three languages, saying "Arigato, merci beaucoup, thank you so much." Modest as always, she added, "I think this is an award given to the (movie's) entire staff. I am very happy." Fukatsu was in Canada along with the film's director, Lee Sang Il (36), and Tsumabuki Satoshi (29, photo right), who played the title role. The movie was screened on the second-to-last day and received a standing ovation. It is scheduled for release in Japan on September 11.
Fukatsu is just the second Japanese actress to win the award and the first since Tanaka Yuko (55), who starred in "Amagi Goe" in 1983. But Japanese movies have been doing well at the festival in the last couple of years. Okuda Eiji's "Nagai Sanpo" (A Long Walk) won the Grand Prix in 2006 and two year's later Takita Yojiro's "Okuribito" (Departures) took the top award. And Terajima Shinobu (37) won the Best Actress award at this year's Berlin International Film Festival for her role in "Caterpillar."
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Oshio Trial Continues | September 07, 2010 |
The trial of former actor and singer Oshio Manabu (32) continues this week. Already charged and tried for drug offenses, he is currently on trial for his involvement in the death of 30-year-old Ginza hostess Tanaka Kaori. In August of last year, the two took MDMA (ecstasy) at the luxury Roppongi Hills apartment of a friend, but when Tanaka lost consciousness Oshio called his manager rather than the police or an ambulance. Against his manager's advice Oshio repeatedly refused to call for an ambulance, and it was 3 hours before medical assistance was finally requested, by which time Tanaka was beyond help.
Oshio's former girlfriends and manager were among the witnesses called to the stand as prosecutors built a case around an image of Oshio as pressuring others to use drugs. This flies in the face of his own claims of innocence and that he used but did not supply drugs. Izumida Yusuke (32), a friend of Oshio who has been given a 1-year prison sentence in a related case, said he supplied the MDMA pills that are believed to have killed Tanaka just two days before her death. In text messages between the two, the drugs were referred to as "amino acids." The trial at the Tokyo District Court is the first celebrity case to be held under the recently introduced lay judge system.
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Calling It a Day | September 06, 2010 |
Nezu Jinpachi (62, photo left) has decided to retire from his long and successful acting career. The decision was announced by his wife Kimika (47) on today's edition of the TV Asahi show "Super Morning." He has been hardly since since he was sidelined by health problems in 2002. A fatal traffic accident in July 2004 and further health problems led to depression. His decision to retire was due to a loss of confidence in his acting ability. His wife says he plans to continue working as a writer and producer.
Nezu made his acting debut in a theater group in 1969. He had a few years of TV and movie experience before landing a part in the popular 1978 taiga historical drama on NHK. He later went on to work several times with the legendary Kurosawa Akira, including major roles in "Kagemusha" (1980) and "Ran" (1985).
175R Calling It Quits
Also calling it quits, at least temporarily, are the rock quartet 175R (photo right). They announced today that after their December tour of Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka, they will be taking an extended break. In a statement, the band said, "We aren't taking it as a negative thing, but as a chance to polish our individual skills." Made up of Shogo (vo), Kazya (g), Isakick (b) and Yoshiaki (dr), the group formed in 1998 and made their major-label debut in 2003. They had their first Oricon No.1 the same year with "Sora ni Utaeba." Their sixth and most recent original album, "Japon," was released earlier this year but only made No.55 on the chart. Shogo (30) was married to Speed member Imai Eriko (26) from 2004-07.
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Yasuoka Rikiya Gets Son's Liver | September 01, 2010 |
Tough guy actor Yasuoka Rikiya (63) underwent a liver transplant yesterday, with the donor being his son Rikito (24). The two were taken to the operating room on the morning of August 30. About 65% of Rikito's liver was removed and transplanted to his father, who spent a total of 39 hours in surgery. Rikiya was diagnosed with a form of paralysis known as Guillain-Barré syndrome in 2006. But he made his return to work in an appearance on the TV Asahi talk show "Tetsuko no Heya" in April. He also worked on the movie "Oh! My Brother," which is due for release in November.
Rikiya made his movie debut in 1964s "Jidosha Dorobo" (The Car Thieves) and went on establish himself as Japan's most famous potrayer of hulking gangsters.
Living donor liver transplants began in Japan in the early 1990s and there are currently about 500 such procedures annually.
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