Category Archives: Entertainment News

Romance rumors that circulated during the summer about SMAP leader Nakai Masahiro (35) and “ero-kakkoii” pop singer Koda Kumi (25) are true after all. Today’s issue of the weekly women’s magazine “Josei Seven” includes photos of the couple at Nakai’s plush Tokyo apartment, which he moved into just in October. The photos were taken on December 5, after the couple had both appeared on a Fuji TV music show. Koda was a guest on the Fuji show “Utaban”, co-hosted by Nakai and comedian Ishibashi Takaaki, in late September and they both tried to laugh off the rumors. But with SMAP being the kings of the J-pop world and Koda being the top-selling artist of the last few years, the media are now referring to them as a “chou biggu kappuru” (super big couple). And with Nakai in the role as emcee for the female Red Team at this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen on New Year’s Eve, he will have to introduce his own girlfriend on stage for the most widely viewed show of the year. And she’s scheduled to perform the song “Ai no Uta” (Song of Love). That’s just the kind of publicity that NHK have been praying for as the show has seen a slump in ratings over the recent years.

Management for idol singer Goto Maki (22) have denied that she is taking a sabbatical during her brother’s ongoing trial. The former Morning Musume member was reported to be refusing leave her home or take on work until a verdict is reached in the trial of Goto Yuuki (21) on robbery and assault charges. With the next hearing scheduled for late January, the trial is likely to continue for several months. “Gomaki”, as she is known to fans, quit the Hello! Project ensemble at the end of October when the case came to light and has insisted that the decision was because she wants to pursue her own musical goals. Two of Yuuki’s accomplices, both junior high school friends, were arrested yesterday for the September robbery. Yuuki, who himself had a brief pop career and is married with a child, has said he got into crime because of financial problems.

• Internationally renowned jazz pianist Ozone Makoto (46) is to provide the background music for a Fuji TV drama series. “Ashita no Kita Yoshio”, which airs from January 8, will be Ozone’s first attempt at TV music, and it is very rare for such a project to be undertaken by a jazz musician. He will also make a cameo appearance in the series, which stars Kohinata Fumiyo (53), Matsuda Ryuhei (24) and Konishi Manami (29). Ozone was the first Japanese artist to sign with the Columbia Records label, and he has since been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

• At the Tokyo District Court yesterday, singer Kye Eun Sook (46) was given an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years, for drug possession. The Japan-based Korean singer was arrested by Tokyo police at the end of November for possession of amphetamines.

• TV Asahi announcer Dou Mariko (26) is getting married. She and her company employee fiance, said to be in his 30s, plan to tie the knot next April. Dou says she will continue her career. After joining the network in 2004, she immediately became a hit and landed the post of assistant to host Tamori on the popular “Music Station” show.

• Australian pop queen Kylie Minogue (40) is in Japan for the first time in ten years. She attended a PR event for her album “X” and the documentary DVD “White Diamond”. She promised local fans that she will come back to perform in Japan as soon as she can.

• Just two days after turning 20, singer/songwriter Ayaka performed her first solo concert at the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo. She started off the show with an acappella version of her hit “I Believe” and also gave the 12,000 fans a preview of her next single “Te wo Tsunagou”, due for release next spring.

Popular manga-ka Inoue Takehiko (40) has created his first ever movie poster. Known for such hit manga series as “Slam Dunk” and “Vagabond”, he got the job of designing the poster for the upcoming movie “Kakushi Toride no Sanakunin”. Starring Arashi member Matsumoto Jun (24), the movie is a remake of the 1958 Kurosawa Akira classic. That film, known internationally as “The Hidden Fortress”, was a major influence on George Lucas when making the first “Star Wars” movie. Matsumoto said, “Inoue-sensei is a hero to my generation. I’m delighted to be connected with him through this movie.” The poster features Matsumoto’s character, Miyamoto Takezou (who did not feature in the original), staring out of his prison cell. The cast also includes Nagasawa Masami as Princess Yuki, Abe Hiroshi in the original hero role of General Makabe Rokurota (played by the legendary Mifune Toshiro), and Shiina Kippei as Takayama Gyoubu, the incarnation of evil. Directed by Higuchi Shinji, the movie is due for theatrical release on May 10.

The song “Sen no Kaze ni Natte”, which made opera tenor Akikawa Masafumi (39) a household name, was named yesterday as the best-selling single of the year. It was the first classical recording to reach No.1 on Oricon’s singles chart and Akikawa became Japan’s first classical artist to have a million-selling release. With over 1.1 million copies sold, it brought in ¥1.12 billion for Teichiku Entertainment. The song is based on an English poem by an unknown author called “Do not Stand at my Grave and Weep” and Akikawa’s version was released in May 2006. After he sang it on NHK’s “Kohaku Utagassen” last New Year’s Eve, sales started to really pick up and Akikawa started popping up all over the place on TV. He has performed more than 120 concerts this year and estimates that he has sung the song about 160 times.

Meanwhile, the best-selling artist of the year was Koda Kumi (25), who had combined sales of ¥7.35 billion. Her album “Black Cherry” alone brought in ¥4.3 billion, though in terms of copies sold the year’s best-selling album was Mr. Children’s “Home” at 1.18 million.

• Talento Oh Rie (37) and psychiatrist Honda Masaki (37) have postponed their wedding plans, it was revealed yesterday. Oh is to give an official explanation at a press conference on December 25. Sources say that the couple had originally planned to marry at the end of next year’s baseball season, when Oh’s father and Softbank Hawks manager Oh Sadaharu (67) plans to retire. The schedule was moved forward after the media got hold of the story, with the marriage registry planned for New Year’s Day and a wedding and reception later in January.

• Actress/singer Sawajiri Erika (21) is in trouble again. The moody star, who drew media fire for her grumpy behavior at a movie behavior in November, caused a minor traffic accident on Monday night. She was turning right at a signal in the Aobadai area of Tokyo when she collided with a motorcycle. Nobody was injured but the young male motorcyclist reported the accident to police. Sawajiri recently returned from London, where she and her rumored boyfriend, media creator Takashiro Tsuyoshi (43), attended the Led Zeppelin concert.

• The contenders for the major Japan Academy Awards were announced yesterday: “Tokyo Tower, Okan to Boku to, Tokidoki, Oton” has 13 nominations; “Always, Zoku: Sanchome no Yuhi” (12); and “Soredemo Boku wa Yattenai” (11). The awards ceremony will be held at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa in Tokyo on February 15.

“CSI: Miami” star David Caruso (51) was in Tokyo yesterday to promote the upcoming release on DVD of season 3 of the popular crime show. At the PR event he was flanked by the always publicity-hungry Gorgeous Kano Sisters.

NHK’s taiga (historical drama) series “Fuurinkazan” finished its year-long run on Sunday with a disappointing audience rating. According to the firm Video Research, the series had an average rating for the year of 18.7%, peaking at 22.9% for the fifth episode back in early February. Sunday’s climactic episode only managed 18%. The numbers are in line with NHK’s audience trend of the last few years – 2005’s “Koumyo ga Tsuji” managed 20.9%, while last year’s “Yoshitsune” dropped to 19.5%. The decline is ascribed to factors such as a lack of interest among young viewers, despite the leading roles in both series being played by top young stars (Nakama Yukie in 2005 and Takizawa Hideaki in 2006). Fuurinkazan starred relatively minor stage actor Uchino Masaaki (39) as medieval warrior Yamamoto Kansuke, but also featured popular rock star Gackt in the major role of warlord Uesugi Kenshin (1530-78). The title of the series is an expression that translates as “as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain”.

• A classic late-night music show of the late 1980s is to make a one-night comeback. Talento Aihara Yuu (40), one of the original presenters of TBS’s late-night show “IkaTen”, returned from her home in New York, to record the special with Miyake Yuuji (56). The special will air on December 30. With the full title of “Miyake Yuuji no Ikasu Bando Tengoku”, the show featured a contest between 10 amateur bands every week, with the winner being named “IkaTen King”. Any band that won for five weeks running was promised a major-label contract. The show launched the careers of such bands as Flying Kids, Begin, Tama, and Blankey Jet City. IkaTen aired from early 1989 but despite its popularity it ran only until the end of 1990. During that time, two program staff were arrested for marijuana possession and there were claims of major labels trying to sign up bands behind the scenes.

Rock legend Yazawa Eikichi (58) reached a new milestone in his long career on Sunday when he became the first musician to perform at the hallowed Nippon Bukodan for the 100th time. He was joined on stage by members of the Doobie Brothers, long-time friends who came to Japan just for the occasion. He first played the central Tokyo venue in August, 1977 and in recent years it has become an established practice to perform there in December. Yesterday he wore the same black shirt and white suit fashion that he had in the 70s and he kicked of the show with the same song, “C’mon Baby”. He thanked fans, musicians, crew and his own muscles for supporting him over four decades and gave the 10,000-strong audience a performance of two and half hours. In 1966, the Beatles were the first ever band to play the Budokan and it was their influence that led Yazawa to become a musician. He will extend his record run at the Budokan with two more shows this week.

• Veteran actor Tsugawa Masahiko (67) revealed on a documentary aired last night that he had recently been close to bankruptcy. The majority of his ¥600 million in debts were related to his struggling toy brand “Gran Papa”. Tsugawa was forced to sell his most valuable asset, the original Norman Rockwell painting “Extra Good Boys and Girls”. The famous illustration of Santa Claus planning his Christmas Eve route round the world, created for a December 1939 cover of The Saturday Evening Post, was auctioned for $2.17 million in New York at the end of November.

• Singer Hamasaki Ayumi (29) had to overcome mechanical problems at a “secret live” performance yesterday. She was at the Ikspiari shopping mall in the Tokyo Disney Resort filming a performance for her now annual NTV Christmas special. Just one song into the set, there were technical problems but rather than leave the gathered audience of 2,500 people waiting in the cold, Ayu went back on stage and did an acappella version of her hit “Seasons”.

• The sequel movie “Always Zoku San-chôme no Yuhi” (Always – Sunset on 3rd St.) has done even better at the box-office than the 2005 original. In the 42 days since it opened, it has made ¥3.7 billion and been seen by 3.1 million people. Directed by Yamazaki Takashi, the heart-warming tales set in 1950s Tokyo star Yoshioka Hidetaka (37) and Horikita Maki (19).

• Johnny’s Jimusho have teamed veteran singer Kondo Masahiko (42) with young Johnny’s Jr. unit Question? Described as a rock band, Matchy With Question? have recorded “Mezasero! Yasei” as the ending theme for January’s new series of the popular anime “Naruto Shippuuden”. It’s the first anime song for Kondo, who marks 28 years as a singer on Wednesday. The new band are set to appear in his scheduled Budokan show next February 14.

• Popular vocal and dance unit Exile have shipped a million copies of their latest album “Exile Love” since its release last Wednesday. Sales have been helped by their recently completed nationwide tour and the inclusion of a bonus DVD that features comedian Okamura Takashi of the duo Ninety-Nine.

Enka singer Hikawa Kiyoshi (30) won a record 4th Grand Prix at this week’s annual Nihon Yusen Taisho music awards. The awards show, being held for the 40th time, took place at the TBS studios in Akasaka, Tokyo. Known as the “Prince of Enka”, Kiyoshi also won the award for most requested artist and thanked his (mostly middle-aged female) fans for his decade of success. He then sang a tearful version of his most famous hit, “Kiyoshi no Souran Bushi”, which won the award for most requested song. The award for best newcomer went to the female unit RSP.

The following day, Hikawa performed two shows for a combined 10,000 fans at the Tokyo International Forum. He went through six costume changes and 21 songs during the show. Referring to the previous night, he said that despite the fact that he recently turned 30, he’ll probably be known as the “Emotional Prince”.

• Lawyer and TV celebrity Hashimoto Touru (38) has finally announced that he is running in next month’s Osaka gubernatorial election. A regular on variety shows and the father of seven children, the Osaka native became famous on more “serious” variety shows such as “Sunday Japon” (TBS) and “Gyouretsu no Dekiru Houritsu Soudansho” (NTV). He is campaigning with the support of the ruling LDP party, and possibly quite a few celebrities. He is represented by the showbiz management agency run by Ohta Mitsuyo, wife of Bakusho Mondai comedian Ohta Hikari.

• Veteran comedienne Utsumi Keiko (85) underwent surgery last week for breast cancer. She has already left hospital and is recuperating at home. She plans to return to work on December 21, shooting an episode of NHK’s detective drama series “Keiji no Genba”.

Former pop singer Goto Yuuki (21) has been re-arrested for robbery and assault. As the leader of a group of teenage thieves, he was arrested in October for stealing 48 coils of copper electrical wiring (worth about ¥470,000) from a Tokyo construction site in July. The latest arrest is for a similar robbery in September, in which a 57-year-old security guard was severely beaten. Goto is accused of threatening the guard with a steel pipe and saying “If you try to stop us, we’ll kill you!” He has confessed to the crimes, saying he and his gang committed about 10 such robberies. Goto had a brief fling with a pop career in 2000 as one half of the duo EE Jump, but his underage drinking and clubbing brought it to an early end. He is the younger brother of former Morning Musume member Goto Maki (22), who quit the Hello! Project after the first arrest and is now trying to build a solo career.

• Young actress Fukuda Saki (17) has been named to the cast of the planned live-action “Yatterman” movie. Due for release in the spring of 2009, the movie is an adaptation of the hugely popular 1977-79 Fuji TV anime series. Filming is scheduled to start next March with Miike Takashi directing the project. Fukuda will play the role of heroine Ai-chan, also known as Yatterman No.2 and the girlfriend of Yatterman, to be portrayed by Sakurai Sho (25) of the Johnny’s Jimusho pop group Arashi.

• NTV announcer Miyazaki Nobuko (28) was late for work again yesterday. She arrived on the set of the morning show “Rajikaru” about an hour late, apologizing for having overslept. It’s the second time she’s been late for the show. Fellow announcer Furuichi Sachiko (34), a presenter on the “Zoom In Super” show, had to cover for her.

Rock duo B’z have truly established themselves as kings of the Japanese music world. Their latest album “Action” naturally went straight to No.1 on the Oricon charts. Their 13th consecutive chart topper and 21st overall means they share the record for most No.1’s ever with 70s folk singer Matsutoya Yumi. So B’z now hold or share the record in all of Oricon’s six major sales categories: most No.1 singles/albums; most million-selling singles/albums; most total single/album sales. Oricon say this is the first time in the company’s 40-year history that one artist has held all six records. The duo recently became the first Asian artists to be inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk.

Meanwhile, Southern All Stars vocalist Kuwata Keisuke (51), who’s broken a few records of his own, is on top of the singles chart again. “Darling” is his third No.1 solo single of the year and seventh overall, giving him a share of the record with Boowy’s Himuro Kyosuke for most by a male group member as a solo artist.

• Comedian Nagura Jun (39) and talento Watanabe Marina (37) are parents for the first time, it was announced yesterday. Watanabe, a former member of the 80s teen idol group Onyanko Club, gave birth to a baby boy at a Tokyo hospital on Sunday and wrote about it on her blog yesterday. She and Nagura, a member of the trio Neptune, married in May 2005.

• A somewhat more belated birth announcement came yesterday from actress Matsushima Nanko (34), who revealed that she had her second daughter on November 10. The baby had been due at the end of December. This year, Matsushima had her first movie starring role in almost a decade in “Bizan”. She’s been working far less since she married actor Sorimachii Takashi (33) in February 2001 and says she is currently undecided about her future career.

• The long court battle over the estate of the late actress Miyako Chocho (1920-2000) seems to be at an end. The actress left about ¥260 million and a home in Osaka worth about ¥170 million, which her adoptive brother said would be turned into a museum. Her three step-siblings had been trying since 2002 to have the home sold.

Talento Oh Rie (37, photo right) is getting married again. The daughter of baseball legend and current Softbank Hawks manager Oh Sadaharu (67) is engaged to marry Honda Masaki (37, photo left), the doctor who recently treated sumo yokozuna Asashoryu (27, photo center). The couple are planning to register their marriage on New Year’s Day and hold a ceremony in Tokyo sometime in January. They first met on Oh’s 37th birthday in March when they happened to be seated next to each other at a restaurant. Oh, a graduate of Aoyama University, worked for the Hakuhodo ad agency before moving to TV in 1996. Qualified as a “vegetable sommelier”, she is marrying for the third time. Honda, also a divorcee, is a psychiatrist and plastic surgeon, with a clinic in the tony neighborhood of Roppongi in central Tokyo. He got a lot of media attention during the summer’s sumo scandal when he treated grand champion Asashoryu for his depression.

• Yukinari (29), a member of J-Pop trio Da Pump, and former talento Tamaki Miho (24) are heading for divorce. They are already separated and are expected to go to the Tokyo Family Court for mediation next week. They have a young daughter. In 2000, Tamaki won an audition to join the major Hori Pro agency and become an idol singer using the stage name Nishida Natsu. In 2002, she tried her hand for a few months in the pro wrestling scene before returning briefly to singing and retiring from show business in 2003. By that time, she was dating Yukinari and was several months pregnant when the couple married in February 2004.

• Talento Moriguchi Hiroko (39) gave a mini concert in Tokyo yesterday to promote her new CD, “Mo Hitotsu no Mirai – Starry Spirits”. It includes the main theme and ending song for the latest “SD Gundam G Generation Spirits” game for the Sony PlayStation 2. Moriguchi made her smash hit debut as an idol singer in 1985 with the ending theme for the “Gundam Z” anime, but never made much of an impression after that as a singer. Instead she established herself as a general chatterbox talento on the variety show circuit. Indeed, it was her success that led to the coining of the term “baradol”, a combination of “baraeti” (variety) and “idol”. Yesterday she denied that a nude shower movie that has been circulating on the Net is really her, joking that she looks a lot worse in the flesh.