Monthly Archives: May 2006

Today is the National People’s Day (Kokumin-no Kyuujitsu) national holiday, part of Golden Week.

If you thought the Korean boom had cooled off in Japan, think again. Korean star Lee Byung Hun (photo, 35) held a fan event at Tokyo Dome yesterday and no less than 42,000 fans turned out to catch a glimpse. Also in attendance for the 3-hour show were his co-star in the TV drama series “Utsukushii Hibi” (Beautiful days) Choi Ji Woo (30), so popular here she is known as “Ji Woo-hime” or Princess Ji Woo, and several top pop artists.

Here’s the latest singles chart (up to May 8).

1. Tabibito – Ketsumeishi

2. Dear Woman – SMAP

3. Junrenka – Shonan no Kaze

4. Age Age Every Kishi – DJ Ozma

5. Believe – Ai

6. Frienger – Otsuka Ai

7. 19-sai – Suga Shikao

8. Yuruginai Mono Hitotsu – B’z

9. Real Face – KAT-TUN

10. Bouken Desho Desho? – Hirano Aya

• Hoping to make it back into the charts soon is T.M.Revolution. The singer will be celebrating his 10th year in showbiz this month and has announced a greatest hits album, “Billion”, that will go on sale on June 7. The jacket has been designed by popular art director Sato Kashiwa.

Popular model/talento Rinka (32) is to release her first pop single in 11 years. “Millions Kisses” is to go on sale on the Avex label in July and will include a DVD. The jacket for the new single includes a bikini poster and a selection of sexy photos. Rinka made her singing debut in 1993 but last released anything in 1995. She has been something of a pioneer for the current crop of fashion models who are crossing over to the TV circuit. The timing of the new release is no doubt related to the growing number of singers using sex appeal as their main marketing weapon. The leader in the field is currently Koda Kumi (23), but she’s recently been joined by former CC Girls member Aota Noriko (38) and pin-up girl Kumada Yoko (23).

• It was revealed yesterday that TV Asahi announcers Murakami Yuko (27) and Nishiwaki Kyosuke (35) got married on April 29. In a regular corner on yesterday’s “Yajiuma Plus” early morning show, Nishiwaki presented the day’s newspaper headlines and, red-faced with embarrassment, included one from the sports papers about his own marriage.

• NTV announcer Osugi Kimie (42) is five months pregnant with her first child. She and her husband, who is nine years younger, have been married for four years. Osugi was previously married from 1996 to 2001 to an entrepreneur who was two years younger.

• Actor Odagiri Jo (30) is to make an appearance at Cannes for the second year in a row and the third time since 2003. His new movie “Yureru” will be shown as part of the Director’s Week at the 59th Cannes International Film Festival, which runs from May 17-28. The movie, directed by Nishikawa Miwa, is scheduled to open here in July.

The band with the flashiest names in all of Japanese pop are back! Kome Kome Club, who enjoyed huge popularity in the 1980s and 90s, are making their comeback after a 9-year absence, though only temporarily. They officially launched the comeback yesterday and will be recording and performing only until the end of October, with an album planned for September to be supported by a national tour. The group turned up at Tokyo FM’s Spain-zaka radio studio in Shibuya on Sunday, their first appearance together since a farewell concert at Tokyo Dome in March 1997. Led by vocalist Carl Smokey Ishii (46), the group consists of Bon (bass), Ryo-J (drums), Be (guitar), James Onoda, Joplin Tokuno (guitar/keyboards), Flash Kaneko (sax), and dancers Mari and Minako.

• In baseball, the Yomiuri Giants just can’t seem to win. Win over fans, that is. Long regarded as Japan’s team, the Giants are off to a very good start this season and currently lead the Central League. But according to Video Research, their TV audience rating for April was the lowest ever. The monthly average for Giants night games was only 12.6%, a further decline from last year’s record low. The lowest rating for the month was for the Hiroshima Carp game shown on TBS on April 26.

Six-piece rock band High and Mighty Color got a great reception from 2,000 fans Friday at the Shiokaze Con anime festival in Houston, Texas. The event marks their first move into the foreign market, and they performed 8 songs including tracks from their album Goover, which went on sale in the US in March. Their debut single “Pride” is used as the theme for the popular “Kidou Senshi Gundam – Seed Destiny” anime series, which went on the air in the US last month. (See earlier story)

• Johnny’s boy band News insist this is not the end. The group played the last concert in their national tour in Sendai last night, and from today are on a forced sabbatical until the end of the year following a series of underage drinking scandals. The six members, including Yamashita Tomohisa (21), ended up in tears as a full house of 9,000 fans screamed out their support. Yamashita returned the encouragement, saying, “We’re not breaking up. We’ll do our best as solo artists and be back, even stronger, next year.” Koyama Keichiro, who turns 22 today, briefly mentioned an accident that happened on Saturday when a female crew member was seriously injured by a speaker that fell onto the stage. She is said to be in stable condition.

• Rapidly rising young star Yamada Yuu (21) and Matsuda Ryuhei (22), son of the late screen legend Matsuda Yuusuke, are to co-star in a movie about yakiniku. The pair appeared at a pre-production PR event in Tokyo yesterday. It will be the first leading movie role for Yamada, a former model who has been appearing in a number of variety shows and TV commercials.

• Veteran singer Kato Tokiko is a surprise addition to the lineup for this year’s Fuji Rock Festival. The 62-year old Kato is best known as a chanteuse, and voiced the role of Madame Gina in the Studio Ghibli anime classic “Kuranai no Buta” (Porco Rosso). The character appears in the advertising for kato’s latest album of french music. She plans to sing some of her old hits as well as a couple of John Lennon songs at Fuji Rock.