Category Archives: Entertainment News

Veteran movie director Yamada Yoji (74) is teaming up with actress Yoshinaga Sayuri (61) for the first time in 34 years. “Kaabee” (provisional title) is a drama set in Japan in 1941 immediately before the start of the Pacific War. It tells of a woman bringing up two daughters alone after her husband is arrested for a white-collar crime. Yoshinaga is often regarded as the quintessential Japanese “haha” (mother), and this will be her 112th movie. She last worked with Yamada in 1972 when he was in the middle of the 48 movies that made up the “Otoko wa Tsurai Yo” series. She played the “madonna” role, the female romantic foil to star Atsumi Kiyoshi’s Tora-san, twice in the series. The movie is based on an autobiographical story by Nogami Teruyo (79), who worked as a scriptwriter with the late Kurosawa Akira. It is scheduled for theater release in 2008.

The news was just announced: A baby boy was born to Princess Kiko at 08:27 by Caesarian section at the Aiiku Hospital in central Tokyo. He weighed in at 2558g.

It’s the first male heir born to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 41 years. Regardless of how it may dent the hopes of those who wanted to see a change to allow a female heir to ascend the throne, it has to be seen as good news for Japan.

Kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (33) appeared in public yesterday for the first time since apologizing for driving while drunk in July. Dressed in a black suit, he apologized again for the incident at a PR event for “Shido-ryu Mori no Ishimatsu”, a show scheduled to open on October 2. He wasn’t asked about his wife, actress Takeuchi Yuko (26), or their baby son, or about actress Okamoto Jun (23), who was reported to be in the car at the time of the incident. Nevertheless, he took no chances after the event, avoiding reporters backstage and slipping out a side door.

• “Nagai Sampo” (A Long Walk), the latest directorial effort from actor Okuda Eiji (56), has won the Grand Prix and two other prizes at the Montreal World Film Festival. The movie opens in Japan in December.

• Sayaka (19) is coming back into the spotlight. The daughter of pop legend Matsuda Seiko (44) had a falling out with her mother and has been on a hiatus from showbiz since May. Using her real name of Kanda Sayaka, she plans to make a comeback in December in a stage production starring Daichi Mao (50).

It’s that time of year again. Regular readers will know that we always bring you the results of the silly awards given out every year. One of the most established is the “Best Jeanist” awards, given to celebrities who look best in jeans. Kimura Takuya (33) and Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (32) of the Johnny’s group SMAP and pop diva Hamasaki Ayumi (27) have won the award so many times that they’re now in some denim hall of fame and no longer eligible. And this year’s winners? Johnny’s is represented by Kamenashi Kazuya (20, left) of KAT-TUN, while the pop diva is Koda Kumi (23, second from left). The other recipients were actress Shaku Yumiko (28, right), Olympic gold medalist Arakawa Shizuka (24, center), and Yokohama Mayor Nakada Hiroshi (41, second from right).

• Meanwhile, National Beauty Week was launched yesterday, with Nagasawa Masami (19) and “Kill Bill” star Kuriyama Chiaki (21) sharing the “Actress Beauty Award”. The “Theme Beauty Award” went to enka singer Sakamoto Fuyumi (39) for her elegant kimono and tied-up hair. The weeklong PR event is based around yesterday’s slightly more traditional “Kushi no Hi” (Comb Day) which was created in 1978. For your information, today is “Sekitan no Hi” (Coal Day)!

• Hollywood stars Keanu Reeves (42) and Sandra Bullock (42) were in Roppongi Hills yesterday to promote their latest movie. “The Lake House” (called “Irumaare” in Japanese) is their first project together since 1994’s “Speed”. About 1,000 mostly female fans turned out for the Japan premiere, letting out screams of “Kyaaa!” when Reeves introduced Bullock as a “wonderful actress and my good friend” and gave her a kiss. He also thanked the many fans who wished him a happy birthday, which was on September 2. The movie opens here on September 23.

The latest spin-off from Fuji TV’s “Odoru Daisosasen” series sees Yashima Norito (35) land his first drama leading role. Known in English as “Bayside Shakedown”, the series first aired on Fuji in 1997 and was a big hit. But it was the huge box-office success of two follow-up movies in 1998 and 2003 that turned it into a major phenomenon and re-launched the career of its star Oda Yuji. But rather than rely only on Oda, two further movies have focused on side characters. May 2005 saw the release of “Negotiator: Mashita Masayoshi”, starring Yusuke Santa-Maria (35), and Yanagiba Toshiro (45) was “The Suspect: Muroi Shinji”, released in August of the same year. The latest spin-off is a TV series called “The Lawyer: Haijima Hideki”, which will air from October 28. Yashima has become popular in the last couple of years mainly through the Fuji variety shows “Trivia no Izumi” and “Miracle Type”.

• Actress Ueto Aya (22) was reduced to tears when talking about her role in the show “Taiyo no Fune”. A follow up to a 2004 production at the Nippon Budokan, the ¥1-billion show is directed by and tells the story of fashion designer Yamamoto Kansai (62). Ueto’s tears started when she talked about how moved she had been by the family bonds between the veteran showman and his daughter, actress Yamamoto Mirai, and her relationship with her husband, actor Shiina Teppei. The cast of 2,000 includes Matsuoka Masahiro (29) of the Johnny’s group Tokio as the young Kansai and such major names as former wrestler and politician Antonio Inoki (63) and actress Kudo Yuki (35). The show’s theme song is by Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi (49). The production will be held on January 13 &14 at Tokyo Dome.

• Beyonce was in Tokyo for her 24th birthday yesterday. She told a press conference at a city hotel that the choice of location and date to launch her new album “B’Day” was a thank you to Japanese fans who have supported her since her days with Destiny’s Child.

• The latest figures from Video Research show that the average TV audience for Yomiuri Giants night games hit another all-time low last month. Traditionally, Japan’s most popular team, its ratings managed only 6.8% in the Kanto region for August, a month which saw the Giants spend time at the bottom of the Central League.

Johnny’s Jimusho is finally making another move into Asia. Five-member group Arashi (which means Storm) announced after finishing their Japan tour at the Yokohama Arena yesterday that are to be the first Johnny’s artists to play a solo concert in South Korea. They will play two shows at the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul on November 11 and 12. The dates will follow their first overseas shows later this month in Taipei, Taiwan (September 16/17), Guangju, South Korea (Sept. 22) and Bangkok, Thailand (October 7), but the shows in Guangju will be a collaboration with Korean artists. Arashi visited Korea at the end of July to promote the tour, and hundreds of local fans turned out to catch a glimpse. The Asia tour comes 22 years after Kondo Masahiko (42) played in Hong Kong at the height of his career as one of the biggest Johnny’s idol stars. It marks another step forward in Korea’s opening up to Japanese artists. Until 2000, they were not allowed to play venues holding more than 2,000 people. In the summer of that year, Chage & Aska became the first performers to play a major show, and have since been followed by such top names as Tube and Amuro Namie. In January 2004, the ban on Japanese-language CDs was lifted, further boosting interest in J-pop artists. But to date, the only Johnny’s artists to play in Korea have been V6, who took part in collaborative events.

Disgraced funny man Yamamoto Keiichi (38) is to be replaced by fellow comedian Tsukaji Muga (photo, 34). With Yamamoto’s career believed to be finished because of the ongoing rape allegations against him (see yesterday’s update), his role in the Fuji TV drama “Tokyo Tower” is to be taken by Tsukaji, the rotund half of duo Drunk Dragon. Fuji had already begun promoting the drama, which featured Yamamoto in a key role and was due to air on July 29, when the rape case broke on July 17. The network initially planned to just archive it, but after receiving a barrage of messages from disappointed fans, they decided to postpone it until key scenes could be re-shot. The drama is a tearjerker based on the bestselling novel by Lily Franky (whose official pen-name, by the way, is “Lily Franky Goes to Hollywood”). It features Hokkaido actor Oizumi Yo in his first lead role in a national network drama.

• The 63rd Venice International Film Festival opened yesterday, and will feature several giants of the anime world. Among the 21 entries in the running for the Golden Lion are a live-action version of the hit anime “Mushishi”, directed by Otomo Katsuhiro and starring Odagiri Jo, and the anime “Papurika” by Kon Satoshi. Otomo is best known for the 1988 anime classic “Akira” and most recently 2004’s “Steamboy”. Kon’s earlier works, including “Sennen Joyu” (Millenium Actress) and “Tokyo Godfathers” have enjoyed worldwide acclaim. Four other Japanese films are to be screened outside the competition, including “Gedo Senki” (Tales from Earthsea), the latest anime feature from Studio Ghibli, and “Korogi” (Crickets) by Aoyama Shinji.

The criminal case continues against comedian Yamamoto Keiichi (38). Police in Hakodate have sent documents to prosecutors regarding his alleged assault and rape of a 17-year old girl in the city on July 17, though an arrest is not expected at the present time. Yamamoto was in Hakodate to play for the amateur baseball team run by comedian Hagimoto Kinichi (65). He and several acquaintances picked up four local girls the night before the game and took them back to their business hotel. Yamamoto has admitted to having sex with the girl, but has insisted it was consensual and that the girl claimed to be 18. The latest move by police is an attempt to clear up contradictions in the two accounts. Yamamoto was dropped by the Yoshimoto Kogyo agency the day of the incident and is considered unlikely to be able to resume his showbiz career. His partner in the duo Gokuraku Tombo, Kato Koji, is continuing as a solo performer.

• From today, Americans will be able to get a glimpse of the future of Japanese baseball. The two pitching sensations who had their home nation enthralled during the recent national high school championship are part of the team that left for the U.S. yesterday. They will play a total of five games against American youngsters on the east and west coasts, as well as fit in a visit to Cooperstown and a Major League game. In particular, the media have focused on 18-year old Saito Yuki, who led Waseda Jitsugyo to their first Koshien title, and his rival Tanaka Masahiro of Komadai Tomakomai. Saito threw an amazing 948 pitches in seven complete games, including a replay of the final against Tomakomai. Rather than going the usual route and joining a Japanese team, he has expressed an interest in going to college and then playing in the major leagues. This morning’s wide shows featured footage of the team meeting New York Yankees star Matsui Hideki and visiting the Ground Zero site.

Actress Honjo Manami (31) has been named as a presenter of Fuji TV’s autumn variety show “The Best House 123”, despite the fact that she’s currently six months pregnant. The show, which will air from November 1, presents the world’s Top 3 in a variety of categories. Honjo, who along with comedy duo London Boots presented the show in a late-night slot in January, is expecting a baby at the end of December but plans to work until the last moment and hopes to be back on the show early in the new year.

Actress Hazuki Riona (31) is making her return to the big screen after three and a half years. She will be at the Venice International Film Festival, which opens August 30, to promote the movie “Sakebi” (Scream). She has a supporting role to star Yakusho Koji (50). She will accompany director Kurosawa Kiyoshi (51) and producer Ichise Takashige (45) in her first visit to an international film festival. Hazuki has made headlines in recent years for her tumultuous personal life. She has already been married twice, after earlier romances with stars like actor Sanada Hiroyuki and baseball player Ichiro, but neither marriage lasted more than a few months. She had a child during her second marriage.

• The weekend saw the annual 24-hour TV marathon on NTV. This year’s theme was “kizuna” (ties), which led to some smaltzy but also some genuinely moving segments. One particularly sad documentary saw actress Hirosue Ryoko visit the site of the 2004 massacre at the school in Beslan, Russia in which over 340 people died, more than half of them children. It looked at the stories of some of the children who survived the horrific ordeal. On a lighter note, the centerpiece of the show is always a long-distance run by a celebrity, and this year it was the turn of Japan’s lankiest comedy duo, Ungirls. If ever there was a pair who looked like they couldn’t manage 100m, let alone 100km, it’s these two. As always seems to happen, they managed to arrive at the Nippon Budokan right on time for the end of the show. But it’s all for a good cause. The charity event, which managed a second-best ever average audience rating of 17.7% in the Kanto region, brought in almost ¥300 million in donations.

Ogawa Makoto (18) is the latest starlet to graduate from Morning Musume. She made her last appearance in the musical “Ribbon no Kishi” (Princess Knight) at the Koma Theater in Shinjuku yesterday. She gave a special performance of the song “Aozora ga Itsumademo Tsuzukuyouna Mirai de Are!” from the group’s new album “Rainbow 7”. The other members of the group then presented her with bouquets as she looked back on her five years with Momus. She was a second-year junior high school student when she and three others joined in 2001. One of the others was Konno Asami (19), who graduated in July. They released 19 singles in that five-year span. Ogawa is going to study abroad, but plans to remain with the Hello! Project group and rejoin them after her return to Japan.

• Announcer Zemba Takako (31) is to become the main “sub-caster” on the TBS news show “Tsukushi Tetsuya NEWS23” from September. Zemba quit NHK in March and will replace fellow ex-NHK announcer Kusano Michiyo (39) on the show from September 25. Other new additions include “reporter/caster” Yamamoto Mona (30), who moves from Asahi Hoso, and former TBS “sportscaster” Takano Takahiro (26).

• Talento Mister Chin (42) and his wife Aimi have had their first baby. The couple married in February and were expecting the baby at the end of September. But both mother and child are said to be doing well.

Paris Hilton (25) is staying true to form on her visit to Tokyo. She’s been late for every PR event she’s attended over the past few days, and was 45 minutes tardy for yesterday’s “Samantha Tabatha” promotion in Tokyo’s Minami Aoyama. She greeted the 30 fans, chosen by lottery to attend the event, with some basic Japanese. Making her emcee debut for the event was 2006 Miss Universe runner-up Chibana Kurara (photo, 24), who in my opinion easily overshadows the heiress in the looks department. The Okinawa native was the highest Japanese finisher in the annual event since Kojima Akiko was crowned in 1959. She also won a prize at the event for best national costume, wearing a version of a Sengoku-jidai samurai outfit that included a slit miniskirt and high heels!

• American-Japanese newcomer Joelle already has her third theme song. She has recorded the theme for “Tanka”, the directorial debut by lyricist Aki Yoko (64), who also penned the lyrics for the tune “Rashin” (Naked). With music written by her husband Uzaki Ryudo (60), the song is said to be suitably raunchy for the erotic theme of the movie. Joelle was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and has an American father and Japanese mother, both English teachers. The family moved to Akita when she was one year old. She went to a girl’s high school during which time she studied opera. After graduating from a Tokyo music school, she sent a demo tape to a Backstreet Boys producer and ended up recording in the U.S. Her debut album, “Lucky Maria” was released in January and included all three songs from that demo. The title track was used as the theme for a special edition of the TV Asahi drama “Trick” in November, and again for a movie version in June.