Category Archives: Entertainment News

Ichiro and Nakama Yukie are Japan’s most popular stars. Video Research yesterday released its twice-yearly rankings of the most popular celebrities on Japanese TV. Seattle Mariners center-fielder Ichiro (32) was the No.1 male choice for the third time, pushing perennial favorite, comedian Akashiya Sanma (51), into second place despite the fact that his TV appearances are limited mainly to commercials. Fellow baseball star Matsui Hideki (32) dropped from #7 to #17. This is largely due to his not playing in this year’s inaugural World Baseball Classic (where Ichiro led Japan to a heroic title) and missing most of the season through injury. Comedians and musicians made up most of the Top 20.

Actress Nakama Yukie (26) has starred in some of the most popular TV dramas of the last couple of years, but has made the No.1 spot for the first time. Also getting a big boost from the popularity of her drama roles is former Takarazuka star Amami Yuki (39), up from #12 to #3. Sandwiched between them is pop duo Dreams Come True, led by vocalist Yoshida Miwa (41).

• Comedian Kinashi Noritake (44) performed with his new soul band Ajisai in Tokyo yesterday. One half of the duo Tunnels, who have released quite a few big-selling singles, Kinashi had been performing with the musicians for two years before deciding to make them into a formal band. They performed their debut single “Futari Dake no Sekai” at an invitation-only event for 500 fans at the O-East live house in Shibuya.

Singer Hitomi (30) shares top billing with Matsuda Ryuhei (23) in the movie “Akumu Tantei” (Nightmare Detective). Directed by Tsukamoto Shinya, the supernatural thriller had its world premiere yesterday at the 11th Pusan Film Festival in South Korea. The movie’s synopsis reads like “Nightmare on Elm Street” meets “One Missed Call”. Detective Kirishima Keiko (Hitomi) tries to recruit a mysterious man (Matsuda) who can enter people’s dreams to help unravel unusual suicides whose victims are found to have dialled 0 on their mobile phones before their death. With the current boom in Japanese horror and an impressive cast that also includes Ando Masanobu and Osugi Ren, it is sure to be a hit. Hitomi is known for her revealing outfits in promo videos and her movie role is said to be no exception. Matsuda is the son of late legendary actor Matsuda Yusaku. “Akumu Tantei”, scheduled for theatrical release in Japan next January, has drawn interest from more than 25 countries.

“Vespa” was in Tokyo yesterday to promote “Casino Royale”, the latest in the James Bond movie series. Daniel Craig (37), the 6th actor to take on the role, was nowhere in sight but the movie’s director Martin Campbell and new Bond girl Eva Green (26) stood in for him. Green said fans hoping for steaming sex scenes between Vespa and 007 would be disappointed as theirs is a more “platonic” relationship. The film, which has received excellent pre-release reviews, opens here on December 1.

Mariah Carey (36) kicked off her fifth Japan tour at the Nippon Budokan last night. She sang a good number of her 17 No.1 hits and delighted fans with bits of Japanese like “Genki desu ka?” and “Aishite imasu!” She ended the show with an early Christmas present for the 9000 fans, performing “All I Want For Christmas Is You” complete with snow and a pair of big Christmas trees. The 1994 song is still her best-selling single here, with over 1.3 million copies sold. Surprisingly, though it’s a popular song in the U.S. it was never a hit on the Billboard chart due to rules regarding commercial releases and Christmas singles. The tour continues tomorrow in Nagoya, then Saitama on October 20 & 21 and finishes up in Osaka on October 24 & 25.

• If you’re promoting an already over-hyped movie, who better to do it than an over-hyped celebrity. Kano Mika, younger of the Gorgeous Kano Sisters was on hand yesterday, python around her neck, at an event to promote the Japan release of “Snakes on a Plane”. Set for release here on Saturday as “Suneku Furaito”, or Snake Flight, the Samuel L. Jackson movie will need a massive box office to reverse its disappointing run in the U.S., despite huge pre-release hype on the Web.

• Talento Kanda Uno (31) staged a fashion show of her original wedding dress collection at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York yesterday. She modeled some of the dresses herself and also had some help on the catwalk from Kill Bill actress Kuriyama Chiaki (22), who is with the same management agency.

A minor fire broke out Saturday on the set of “Oh-Oku”, the movie adaptation of the popular Fuji TV series. Ten fire engines were called to Toei’s Kyoto studios, but no injuries or major damage were reported. The fire is said to have been started by a lighting fixture. The movie stars Nakama Yukie (photo, 26) as one of the battling wives and lovers behind the warlords of Edo Castle and the story is an extension of the series which ran at the end of 2005. Nakama is a new addition to the cast, which sees the return of veteran actresses including Matsushita Yuki, Asano Yuko and Takashima Reiko, and also includes a whopping 31 female Fuji TV announcers. Directed by Hayashi Toru, the film is scheduled for release on December 23, the Emperor‘s birthday and a national holiday. There have been five TV series over the years, dating back to the first in 1968.

Official movie website (Japanese)

• Actor Oshio Manabu (28) was spotted out on a dinner date with young pin-up girl Nagasaki Rina (19). Photographers from women’s weekly magazine Josei Seven spotted the pair at the end of September having dinner and leaving the restaurant together in Oshio’s Ferrari.

• Comedian Ogi Hiroaki (35) revealed on Friday that he recently married the daughter of folk singer Moriyama Ryoko (58). Ogi announced on the live TBS show “Ogi Yahagi no Megane-Biiki” that he and musician Moriyama Naho (34) registered their marriage on October 10. They plan to hold a wedding ceremony and reception. Naho is also the elder sister of singer songwriter Moriyama Naotaro (30).

• The Tokyo office of My Promotion Inc, the agency that represents theater director Ningagawa Yukio and actor Tsutsui Michitaka among others, was recently burglarized. Five computers and over ¥2 million in cash were stolen.

What the hell’s going on with Akanishi Jin (22)? A member of the hugely popular Johnny’s Jimusho group KAT-TUN, he is supposedly taking six months off to study abroad. A Johnny’s spokesman insisted that Akanishi is not retiring or leaving the group permanently. But as they only made their recording debut this year and are currently riding a wave of popularity, that official explanation sounds bogus. Then again, there is a precedence: in 1996 Mori Katsuyuki (32) quit fellow Johnny’s group SMAP to become a bike racer at around the same stage of his career. The five remaining members survived the ordeal and have stayed on top of the showbiz world since. KAT-TUN, minus Akanishi, recently recorded the theme song for NTV’s new drama series, “Tatta Hitotsu no Koi” and will continue to perform as a five-member unit. Akanishi joined the Johnny’s agency in 1998, at the same time as fellow KAT-TUN members Kamenashi Kazuya (20) and Nakamaru Yuichi. The group was formed from six former members of Johnny’s Junior in April 2001. They supported several of their fellow Johnny’s artists over the years, building up a fan base before finally making their hugely successful CD debut in March of this year. Several members have started out on acting careers too, starring in some of the most popular drama series of the last few years. Akanishi was in the NTV series “Gokusen” and “Anego”.

• Actress Yamaguchi Tomoko (41) yesterday appeared before fans for the first time in almost ten years. She is to appear in an NTV documentary about the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg on October 24. One of the most popular and visible actresses of the 90s, Yamaguchi has in recent years only appeared in commercials and the occasional TV special.

• Playboy Haga Kenji (44) has given details of his plans to finally settle down. He and finacee Yamada Mayu (29) announced their engagement recently and yesterday Haga told the media they plan to register their marriage on October 24 and hold a wedding ceremony in Hawaii on December 29. They will tie the knot at the Central Union church in downtown Honolulu.

It’s lucky 13 for actor and SMAP member Kimura Takuya (33). He’s been chosen as Japan’s favorite guy for the 13th year in a row by readers of women’s magazine an.an. He was way ahead of No.2 choice, singer Fukuyama Masaharu (37). As usual, SMAP dominated the rankings, with Nakai Masahiro (#3), Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (#6), Katori Shingo (#8) and Inagaki Goro (#9) all in the Top 10. Two other Johnny’s Jimusho artists and a pair of “ikemen” (handsome) actors completed the ranking.

1. Kimura Takuya
2. Fukuyama Masaharu
3. Nakai Masahiro
4. Okada Junichi
5. Kamenashi Kazuya
6. Kusanagi Tsuyoshi
7. Tsumabuki Satoshi
8. Katori Shingo
9. Inagaki Goro
10. Sakaguchi Kenji

• Senior rakugo comedian Yanagiya Kosen died from pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday. He was 83 and the oldest active rakugo performer until his retirement in 2004.

• Actor Shimizu Shogo revealed on his blog today that the man who intimidated and robbed his son, model Shimizu Koshun (20), has been arrested. The incident happened in August when Koshun was almost hit by another car at a traffic intersection in Saitama Prefecture. The other driver forced his way into Koshun’s car and kept him there for two hours, before making him withdraw ¥80,000 from a convenience store ATM. Shimizu senior is best known for his role alongside a chihuahua in the popular Aiful TV commercials.

• Talento Sato Eriko (24) insists that she and popular kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo (28) are just good friends. This week’s issue of women’s weekly magazine Josei Seven published photos of the pair having dinner at a monjayaki restaurant in Tokyo at the beginning of this month.

Details of the romantic relationship between actress Mizumo Miki (photo, 32) and actor Kitamura Yukio (32) have been revealed by a lost keitai (mobile phone). Yesterday’s issue of weekly gossip magazine Flash includes photos of the couple in a resaturant and in bed, photos believed to have been stored on Kitamura’s keitai, which he recently lost. The couple have known each other for about four years. Kitamura, the eldest son of veteran actor Kitamura Kazuo (79), was romantically linked in 2004 with the recently married Henmi Emiri (29). And romance between Mizuno and actor Odagiri Jo (30) was revealed in the summer of 2003. There was speculation about a possible wedding, but they split up last year.

• Popular duo Yuzu are teaming up with veteran Oda Kazumasa (59) to record a Christmas song. As YuzuOda, they will record a version of Oda’s song “Kurisumasu no Yakusoku” (Christmas Promise), which has only ever been performed twice. The single is due for release on November 29 and is a strong contender for the No.1 slot over the Yuletide season. All three artists are natives of Yokohama, and they have been friends for the last few years. They performed the song together on a year-end TBS show in 2003 and again at Oda’s Nippon Budokan concert last year. The single will also include an Oda cover of Yuzu’s “Itsuka”.

Two concerts by popular idol singer Matsuura Aya (20) had to be cancelled yesterday for medical reasons. She has been diagnosed with temporomandibular arthrosis, a condition similar to arthritis that affects the joint connecting the jaw to the skull. Ayaya’s management say she has been using painkillers to continue working, though the condition has caused her to cancel concerts before. Doctors examined her yesterday and decided that performing was out of the question. She had been scheduled to perform two concerts in Sagamihara in Kanagawa Prefecture. Management have scheduled a press conference for today but whether she herself will appear depends on her condition. It’s also undecided whether two concerts later this month in Tokyo will go ahead.

• AAA vocalist Uno Misako (20) made her Hollywood debut yesterday. She was at Knotsberry Farm for the world premiere of “The Grudge 2”, Shimizu Takashi’s Hollywood remake of his own smash hit horror flick, which was held at the famous tourist attraction near Los Angeles. It was legendary horror director Sam Raimi, the producer of this project, who decided he wanted to use AAA’s music in a film and invited Uno to try out for a part. Uno said, “I didn’t think I’d be scared seeing as how I’m in it, but I was. And I was surprised by my own acting!” She added, “We were chosen as Best Newcomer at the Japan Record Awards last year. It’d be great if I could win something similar at the Academy Awards!”

Yoshimoto Kogyo comedian Kato Koji (37) had some good news for a change. He announced on the Fuji TV comedy show “Mecha Mecha Iketeru” that his wife, actress Ozawa Rin (27), is expecting their third child in November. Known as Gokuraku Tombo, he and his former comedy partner Yamamoto Keiichi (38) were regulars on the show all during its ten-year history until Yamamoto got embroiled in an alleged rape and assault case this summer and saw his showbiz career come to an abrupt end. Kato has said he felt like “beating the crap” out of his former sidekick, but has been valiantly carrying with his solo career. He is a regular on several variety shows and presents the NTV wide show “Sukkir!!” In a typical move for Japanese TV, a recent special that looked back on the ten years of “Mecha…” had carefully edited Yamamoto out of all scenes.

• The 19th Tokyo International Film Festival has a new head. French director Jean Pierre Jeunet, whose 2001 movie “Amelie” was a huge sleeper hit in Japan, has been named to head the festival’s panel of judges. He replaces , who pulled out due to a work schedule conflict. Jeunet is best known in the English language market for directing “Alien 4”. He won the Gold Award at the 1991 Tokyo fest with his film “Delicatessen”.

• It was revealed on Saturday that singer UA (34) and actor Murakami Atsushi (33) divorced in August. They had been married for ten years and have one son, who is with his mother. Both have succesful, if somewhat ofbeat, careers and their busy work schedules kept them apart.

The organization that decides on Japan’s commemorative holidays has designated October 6 as “Tomu no Hi” or Tom Day in honor of Hollywood actor Tom Cruise (42). It is the first time a holiday has been named after an American star. Pre-orders are being accepted from today for the DVD of “Mission Impossible 3”, due for release on November 17. By the way, today is also “Suppon no Hi” (Snapping Turtle Day) and “Denwa Housou no Hi” (Telephone Broadcast Day) among others.

• Rock bands the pillows and Mr. Children played the first show of their joint concert tour last night. Some 2,250 fans at Zepp Tokyo saw two of Japan’s best rock acts together for the first time in 14 years. Friends since before they debuted, they both performed a cover of one of the other’s hits, ‘Misuchiru’ playing a version of “Strange Cameleon” and the pillows knocking out their version of “Tsuyogari”.

• Singer Oshima Hanako (32) announced yesterday that she is engaged. Her fiance is the 38-year old owner of a dojo for Brazilian Jujitsu. They plan to hold a wedding ceremony on the island of Maui in December. Oshima is the daughter of the late singer Sakamoto Kyu, who died in a JAL airliner crash in 1985 at the age of 43. He remains the only Japanese artist to have reached No.1 on the U.S. Billboard chart.