Japan Entertainment News - March 2003
Ururun Mishap | March 31, 2003 |
 In a rare TV hiccup, the TBS travel documentary "Sekai Ururun Taizaiki" was interrupted for more than a minute last night. A "teroppu" message saying "Please wait" was broadcast. The exact cause is still not known but is believed to have been an error in the TV commercial data. The show features young TV personalities who are sent to spend a week with families in remote world locations.
• J Friends, the group formed by Johnny's Jimusho band members to raise money for Kobe earthquake relief, has come to an end. The 13 members of Tokio, Kinki Kids (photo) and V6 raised more than ¥870 million over 9 years. • The female duo Hana-Hana announced on the last night of a national tour that they are going to take a few months off. 26-year olds Ono Makiko and Kojima Izumi have had a breakneck couple of years, with hits like "Ah, Yokatta" and "Sayonara Daisukina Hito", and making their Kohaku debut last New Year's Eve.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Yaguchi leaves Mini Moni | March 30, 2003 |
 Yaguchi Mari (20) has "graduated" from Morning Musume sub-unit Mini Moni, to be replaced by Takahashi Ai (16). During a concert at Tokyo International Forum yesterday, the tearful group leader announced that she was leaving, causing mass hysteria from the thousands of "chibiko" (tiny tot) fans. Mini Moni is just one of many groups and solo projects under the Hello! Project umbrella created by MM founder Tsunku (40).
• Director Ninagawa Yukio has opened a production of Shakespeare's "Pericles" at the Royal National Theatre in London. Ninagawa has a long association with the Bard and set out in 1998 to put on all of his works. The British press has raved over the show, using such words as "achingly beautiful" and "a director of genius."
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Amigo Gets a Break | March 29, 2003 |
 The future finally looks a little brighter for singer Suzuki Ami (21) after the Tokyo district court ruled that she is free of any legal ties to the Sony Music Entertainment record label. Hugely popular just a couple of years ago, things went sour with her management agency and Sony, and her career was put on hold while they tried to unwrangle the legal mess. She had talks with the giant Yoshimoto agency but it was said they backed out when Suzuki's side demanded too much money.
• Mori Hosachi (28), the fastest ever to become a Takarazuka top star, is to make her debut as a TV regular in the long-running "Hagure Keiji" detective series. The show has aired on TV Asahi for the last 15 years. • Actor Nishida Toshiyuki (55) has been released from hospital, 9 kilos lighter, after having suffered a heart seizure several weeks ago.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Sayuri Ordered to Pay Huge Debt | March 28, 2003 |
 A company that operates karaoke boxes was ordered by the Tokyo District Court to repay ¥2.8 billion against loans taken out from the now bankrupt Kokumin Bank. Popular enka singer Ishikawa Sayuri (45) is the president of the company and was a joint guarantor of the loan. She was ordered to pay ¥220 million of the debt.
• Following arguments during the making of a recent TV variety show, there are rumors of an imminent breakup of the comedy duo Bakusho Mondai. The pair are currently hugely popular and present several regular TV shows.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
B'z Take Over Chart | March 27, 2003 |
 Japan's No.1 rock band just added to their own legend. To mark the release of their new single "It's Showtime," B'z re-released ten other old singles on Tuesday. Not surprisingly, the new single went straight to No.1 on the Oricon daily chart. But what no one expected was that the other singles took the rest of the spots down to No.11. An Oricon spokesperson said, "I don't think anyone will ever top that!"
• Popular actor Matsumoto Koshiro (60) reached a kabuki milestone when he played the part of Benkei for the 700th time yesterday. It was the final day of a production of "Kanjincho," one of the 18 kabuki classics. He first played the part of the famous hero more than 44 years ago. Matsumoto, who is the father of actor Matsu Takako, can often be seen on TV in dramas and commercials.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Furuoya's Death Believed Suicide | March 26, 2003 |
 Actor Furuoya Masato (45) was found hanged in his Tokyo apartment yesterday, following an emergency call by his family to the fire department. Police believe the death was a suicide. Furuoya made his debut in 1977 and starred in many movies and TV dramas.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
The Rumor Mill | March 25, 2003 |
 TV personality and former child star Enari Kazuki (18) is said to be trying to get into a prestigious private university, thought to be Todai.
• Veteran actress Toake Yukiyo (left, 60) is currently romantically involved with Kaname Jun (28). That's a 32-year age difference! Kaname plays the action hero Kamen Rider Agito. • Comedian Matsumoto Hitoshi (39) of the comedy duo Downtown was recently seen at one of his Tokyo apartments with a young woman. It was not the busty personality Yuka (24), with whom he's usually seen at another of his Tokyo bachelor pads.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Chihiro Brings Home Oscar | March 24, 2003 |
 Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) has won the Oscar for best animated feature. The 2001 movie, directed by Miyazaki Hayao was described as a rare and deep animated movie, of the type that comes along only once every 50 years.
• Taira Tetsuo (56), former president of the Rising Production Co. talent agency, was convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to 30 months in jail. The company has since been renamed Freegate Promotion.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
 It's been a busy time for actress Uchiyama Rina (22). In her debut movie "Sotsugyo" (Graduation), which just opened, she gets romantically entangled with a father she hasn't seen in twenty years. In the popular TV series "Good Luck", which just finished last night, she played an ANA flight attendant flying the friendly skies with SMAP member Kimura Takuya (30). And she also appeared in the recent NHK Taiga drama "Musashi." In each case, she worked alongside actor Tsutsumi Shinichi (38), who plays her father in the movie. "He's very open and honest," she said, "but not my type!"
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Amamoto Hideyo Dies | March 23, 2003 |
 Eccentric actor Amamoto Hideyo died of pneumonia in a hospital in his home town of Kitakyushu today. He was 77. Unusual in Japan, he is to have a catholic rather than buddhist funeral. Tall and thin, he was perennially cast as the bad guy, particularly in most of the films by director Okamoto Kihachi. A dropout from Tokyo University law school, he is most famous for the role of Mr. Death in the popular Kamen Rider superhero TV series. He had a passionate interest in Spain and would often talk for hours about the country and its poetry.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
From Kobuhei to Shozo | March 22, 2003 |
 Rakugoka Hayashiya Kobuhei (40) is to assume the name Hayashiya Shozo IX from the spring of 2005. As in the other traditional arts, such as kabuki or noh, stage names of the traditional comic story tellers are passed down through the generations. The name Shozo was "loaned" by Kobuhei's grandfather outside the family for the duration of the 8th generation, and will be returning to the family bloodline for the first time in 24 years. Kobuhei started his career in 1978 and in 1987 was the youngest ever to be promoted to "shinuchi," a qualification given to those comic storytellers who demonstrate superior skill. He can often be seen on TV variety shows but has recently been promoting traditional rakugo.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Warlords and Anti-war Messages | March 21, 2003 |
 The samurai TV series "Abarenbo Shogun" is to come to an end after 25 years and 830 episodes, the second longest series of its kind. Star Matsudaira Ken (49) said he was sad, adding that he had hoped to reach the 1,000 mark. The final episode will air on TV Asahi on April 7.
• Several stars have stated their opposition to the war in Iraq. Singers including Utada Hikaru (20) and Yaida Hitomi (24) and actors Fujiwara Norika (31) and Kubotsuka Yosuke (23) have all posted anti-war messages on their websites. Singer Misia (24) appeared at an event to launch her new live DVD wearing a "No War" t-shirt.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Love + Laughs = Tiffany | March 20, 2003 |
 There are rumours of romance between Matsushima Naomi (31) of the comedy duo Othello (photo, right) and Azuma Takahiro (33) of the combi Take2. Azuma was seen buying her ¥400,000 Tiffany earrings in Tokyo's trendy Mishuku district.
• "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" star Shaku Yumiko (24) is to star in the movie version of her popular TV series "Sky High." Shaku plays Izuko, guardian of a gate between this world and the afterlife, who listens to the tragic tales of murder victims. The show has scored high ratings despite its late-night time slot.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
 Beautiful young actress Fukiishi Kazue (20) is to be the first woman to play superhero Ultraman, in this summer's movie "Ultraman Cosmos vs. Ultraman Justice." There have been many members of the Ultraman family, including one "bi-sexual" in the early 1970s, when both a man and a woman transformed into the hero.
• "Chijo no Hoshi", the single by Nakajima Miyuki (51) has become a million-seller after 139 straight weeks in the charts. SMAP's latest single broke that mark in less than a week. • Okuda Miri (41), who divorced actor Sakai Masaaki two years ago, has remarried. Her husband is a 46-year old sports and fitness advisor. • NHK and TBS have announced that their live coverage of the opening games of the J-League season will be cancelled if the expected US-led attack on Iraq begins this weekend.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Kotaro Moving Up in the World | March 18, 2003 |
 We've been seeing a lot of Koizumi Kotaro (24) in the last year and a half. The Prime Minister's son entered showbusiness in 2001 and has been busy doing TV and commercial work since. Next month he is to get his own weekly show on Fuji TV, tentatively titled "Kotaro ga Yuku" (Kotaro Goes). He will seek out and interview big players in various walks of life. The first 'target' is baseball legend and current Daiei Hawks manager Oh Sadaharu.
• Up and coming "visual" rock band Akira were involved in a traffic accident at the weekend. Kimishima Hirotaka (18) was left unconscious and the four other band members slightly injured when their tour van was hit from behind by a refrigerator truck on the Tomei Expressway.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Ayu Up Close and Personal | March 17, 2003 |
 J-pop diva Hamasaki Ayumi was in the spotlight yet again, after making a rare appearance at the Tokyo FM radio studio in the middle of Tokyo's trendy Shibuya district. The studio is visible to passers-by on the famous Spain-zaka street, and more than 1,000 people mobbed the area for a glimpse of the star. Some female fans were said to be in tears after such a close-up encounter with the aura of their idol.
• The latest in the recent spate of Hollywood remakes of Japanese hit movies is said to be Kurosawa Akira's "Shichinin no Samurai" (The Seven Samurai). The movie was already the inspiration for 1960's The Magnificent Seven, but the latest project is said to be happening under the Disney umbrella. Another movie in the works is a version of "Shall We Dance?" with Richard Gere in the lead.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Itsuki Turns 55 in Style | March 16, 2003 |
 Popular enka singer Itsuki Hiroshi held an extravagant 55th birthday party at the Yokohama Arena on Friday. Actually it was a concert for 12,000 fans, many of whom may well have turned up to see the impressive line up of star guests. These included Morning Musume, Da Pump, veteran actors such as Watari Tetsuya and Matsukata Hiroki, and former sports stars Konishiki and Ochiai Hiromichi.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
The Beauty of Sports | March 15, 2003 |
 Two new presenters have been announced for the late-night Fuji TV show "Sport!" Both are recently crowned beauty queens with no TV experience. The Sunday night job will go to Miss Japan 2003 Aizawa Reiko (left, 22), a senior at the Tamagawa University foreign language department. Honda Akiko (19), Miss Rikkyo (Uni.) will take over on Friday nights.
Onuki Ami (29) and her husband, Glay vocalist Teru (31), are the proud parents of a baby girl. Onuki is one half of the pop group Puffy who recently tried their luck with a live tour of the US, to mixed reviews. The couple married in April of last year.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Hikki Wins Again | March 14, 2003 |
 The Gold Disc Award for artist of the year went to Utada Hikaru (20) for the second time. As in 2000, she accepted her prize by video at the awards ceremony, held at the NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. She joins Chage & Aska, trf and Hamasaki Ayumi as the only double winners. The award is based on sales for the previous year. Utada's album and singles sales reached well over 6 million copies. She won six awards in all, including three for singles, one for Best Rock and Pop Album and one for Music Video of the Year. The Album of the Year award went to Korean artist BoA.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
 The king of 90s J-Pop is back in business. This month will see a new album "Level4" by Komuro Tetsuya's (44) group Globe, featuring his new wife Keiko (30) on vocals, Marc Panther (30) and a new addition, former X-Japan drummer Yoshiki (36). The first single "Get it on Now, feat. Keiko" will be released March 26. Renamed Shinsei Globe, the group will play live for one night only at the Tokyo Dome in July. It will be Yoshiki's first real live show since X-Japan broke up in 1997.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Breaking Up is Hard to Do | |
 Former Johnny's Jimusho actor Maeda Koyo (34) and former idol singer Nakamura Yuma (33) have divorced after five years of marriage. They cited career differences as the reason, but admitted things might have been different if they'd had children.
• Sports writer and former Nihon TV announcer Sekiya Ayako (38) has given birth to her first child. • Hamasaki Ayumi (24) is to appear in a TV CM for the new Panasonic digital camera Lumix from this weekend. She will also provide the music with her single "Rainbow." • Her boyfriend, Nagase Tomoya (left, 24) of the boy band Tokio, is to release his second solo single under the persona of singer-songwriter Sakuraba Yuichiro. He will play his first solo gig at the end of April to mark the single launch.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
Shido Seeking Satisfaction? | March 12, 2003 |
 Popular kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (30) was spotted at the recent Rolling Stones concert with a beautiful woman, and it wasn't girlfriend Shinohara Tomoe (23). This was despite his recent admission that the two are seriously involved. Shinohara was working abroad at the time. Nakamura's career is on the up at the moment. He starred in last year's hit movie "Ping Pong", and he is currently appearing in Japan's first ever sitcom, "HR", with SMAP's Katori Shingo.
• Speaking of SMAP, sales of their new single "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" broke the million mark in less than a week. It is their 35th single and 4th million-seller. Last year, only Hamasaki Ayumi's "Independent" sold more than a million copies. • Veteran actor Nagoya Akira (72) has recently undergone surgery for a brain tumor. He was in rehearsals for a stage production of "The Little Match Girl" next month when he was hospitalized.
Interesting story? Then add it to your favorite social site:
| 
