Category Archives: Entertainment News

In a first for a Japanese production, alternative Brit rockers Radiohead are contributing the theme song for the Matsu Takako movie “Kokuhaku.” The 2009 Grammy Award winners have agreed for the song “Last Flowers,” to be used as the movie’s theme. A live version of the song was included as a bonus track on overseas editions of the band’s 2007 album “In Rainbows” but it has never been released in Japan.

“Kokuhaku” (Confession) is adapted from the 2009 bestselling mystery novel by Minato Kanae, which won the 2009 Honya Taisho award. If the movie lives up to its trailer, Matsu (35), who was chosen as the Best Actress at this year’s Japan Academy Awards, will have enhanced her solid reputation yet again. She plays a junior high school teacher who, after her infant daughter is found dead, seeks revenge against the two students that she believes carried out the murder. The plot evolves through a series of confessions and the movie also addresses some heavy social themes such as HIV, “ijime” (bullying) and “hikikomori” (social withdrawal). With Nakashima Tetsuya directing, the movie looks to have the visual flair of his other films, which include “Kamikaze Girls” and “Memories of Matsuko.” The movie is scheduled for release on June 5.

Watch the trailer for Kokuhaku on YouTube.

American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga (24) touched down at Narita International Airport yesterday with a very visible message for all her fans in Japan. In addition to her usual tattoos, her left arm displayed a hand-written message in Japanese: “I love little monsters,” a reference to her pet name for her fans. A closer look at the katakana reveals that it was likely written by a Japanese person rather than the star herself. Similar messages (“I love small monsters” and “Tokyo love”) were written in black pen on her extremely expensive Hermes “Birkin” bag. Renowned for her outlandish fashion sense, she wore an outfit that seemed inspired by both kabuki stage wear and the tobi style worn by Japanese construction workers.

The singer headed to Kobe for the first of five shows in Japan. After three nights at Kobe World, she will play Yokohama Arena on Saturday and Sunday.

Rakugo-ka Yanagiya Karoku (38, photo left) announced yesterday that he got married on Sunday. Speaking with reporters after a memorial service in Tokyo for the late shikaisha Tamaoki Hiroshi, he said that his new bride (42) was an ippanjin who was originally a fan. “She is very good at looking after my eight apprentices. She’s well suited to being the wife of a rakugo-ka.” The couple started dating last summer, just a few months after Yanagiya ended his 7-year marriage to fellow rakugo-ka Hayashiya Kikuhime (39). He is the grandson of Yanagiya Kosan (1915-2002), the first rakugo-ka to be named as a Living National Treasure.

Babies for Ucchi, Sawamura
Popular former Fuji TV announcer Uchida Kyoko (33, photo center) posted on her blog last night that she gave birth to a baby boy yesterday morning. Popularly known by the nickname Ucchi, she married a Yoshimoto Kogyo employee (36) in July, 2006.

Meanwhile, actor Sawamura Ikki (42, photo right) revealed in today’s issue of the “Josei Jishin” weekly magazine that his wife is expecting their third child at the end of this month. Dad’s on the small screen from this Friday starring in the catchily-titled new TV Asahi detective series “Keishichou Shissoka – Takashiro Kengo.”

Inoue Hisashi (photo left), one of the major figures in modern Japanese literature, died of lung cancer last Friday night. He was 75. A playwright, screenwriter and novelist, he was best known for his comic fiction. His most famous works include the 1981 novel “Kirikirijin” (The People of Kirikiri) and the classic 1960s NHK puppet show “Hyokkori Hyoutanjima.” His beginnings were a little more colorful though – his father died when he was four and he was brought up in a Christain children’s home. While a student at Sophia University in Tokyo, he made his literary debut writing scripts for the famous France-za strip club in downtown Asakusa.

Inoue started collecting awards early on and they included the top Naoki Prize in 1972 for his novel “Tegusari Shinju” (Handcuffed Double Suicide). “Kirikirijin” earned him the Yomiuri Literary Prize, the Japan Science Fiction Award and the Seiun Award. He served as president of the Japan P.E.N. Club from 2003 to 2007.

According to his family, he was diagnosed with lung cancer last October and started undergoing treatment the following month. He made enough of a recovery to be back at work in February and his own theater group, Komatsu-za, was planning to put on a new play in August.

Happy Days for Hokuyo Duo
Just days after her comedy partner got engaged on a TV show, Ito Saori (35, photo right) has gone one better. On last Wednesday’s edition of the “Haneru no Tobira” comedy show, Abukawa Mihoko (35, photo center) proposed to her chef boyfriend and he said yes. But Ito and Toray Arrows captain Shinoda Ayumu (30) are expected to actually tie the knot as early as today. The 193cm Shinoda spoke to reporters yesterday after Toray played in this season’s 3rd-place playoff. He said they made the decision to get hitched after Toray won the Japanese Volleyball Premier League last year. Ito is likely to reveal her feelings on this week’s edition of “Haneru…” She and Abukawa make up the popular duo Hokuyo.
Earlier story:
Abu-chan’s Wacky Wedding Ring (Apr. 8, 2010)

Delico Kumi Ties the Knot
Also newly married is Kumi (33) vocalist of the pop band Love Psychedelico. She announced on her blog at the weekend that she and her hubby, who she describes only as a 43-year-old “ippanjin” (someone not in showbiz), tied the knot on March 9. Management for Kumi said the couple were dating for about a year and have no plans for a formal wedding or reception. Love Psychedelico are scheduled to start a nationwide tour on June 26 in Fukuoka, their first since 2007.

At his regular press conference yesterday, NHK chairman Fukuchi Shigeo (75) said that the public network had no plans to fire sports announcer Yoda Tsuyoshi (44, photo). A weekly gossip magazine recently revealed that the married Yoda was having an affair with a flight attendant, and that she had aborted a pregnancy. Yoda appeared as usual on the “Sunday Sports” show last weekend, after the story was published.

Yoda joined the Chunichi Dragons baseball team as a No.1 draft pick pitcher in 1989 and had a hugely successful first season in 1990. He set a Japan Pro Baseball record with a 157km/h pitch in August of that year, recorded 31 saves, a record for a rookie, and made the All Star game. He was recognized with Rookie of the Year and Best Relief Pitcher awards. But the physical strain of pitching relief took its toll and Yoda never saw the same level of success again. From 1996, he bounced around between several teams until retiring in 2000. He married former TBS announcer Kiba Hiroko (45) in 1992.

Producer Komuro Tetsuya (51, photo center, profile) is continuing his gradual comeback to the music scene. Serving a suspended prison sentence last May, when he was found guilty of fraud, he got back to work in February, performing a solo concert. Yesterday he announced his first releases as a producer since his wife Keiko’s solo album “O-Crazy Luv” in 2008. The two songs are by the 7-member group AAA (Triple A). “Aitai Riyu” is released as a download today, while “Dream After Dream/Yume Kara Sameta Yume” comes out on April 14. The tracks will be released as a the double-A side single on May 5. “Aitai…” is a medium-tempo ballad with lyrics by Kyasu Morizuki, best known as a writer for Do As Infinity; the dance pop number “Dream…” is a collaboration with Kenn Kato, who has worked with Exile since their 2001 debut.

Komuro has written some 60 songs over the last six or seven months and the Avex label asked him to work with AAA in order to help them “move up a notch.”
Earlier stories:
Komuro Gets Off With Suspended Sentence (May 1, 2009)

Abu-chan’s Wacky Wedding Ring
Comedienne Abukawa Mihoko (35) made one of the strangest marriage proposals on last night’s edition of the “Haneru no Tobira” comedy show. After surviving three rounds in the ring with boxer Stephanie Dobbs (29), ranked No.5 WBC light flyweight in the world, she earned the chance to propose to her boyfriend of two years. Masuya Shuichiro (37), owner-chef of the Osteria Lucca Italian restaurant in Tokyo, was seated ringside with another 400 people, but knew nothing of the plan. Abukawa said, “Please make me your wife!” and the unsuspecting Masuya immediately said, “If you’ll have me, I’d be honored.” “Abu-chan” is one half of the comedy duo Hokuyo, along with Ito Saori (35).

The Japanese movie industry lost a pair of its veteran directors in the last week.

Nishikawa Katsumi died at a Tokyo hospital of pneumonia on the morning of April 6. He was 91. Nishikawa joined Shochiku’s studios in Ofuna in 1939 and spent 13 years working as an assistant director before landing his first directorial job. He moved to Nikkatsu in 1954 and in the following years he helped shape the career of a young Yoshinaga Sayuri (65) and Takahashi Hideki (66) in movies like 1963’s “Aoi Sanmyaku” and “Izu no Odoriko” (poster left) and the late Ishihara Yujiro (1934-87) in “Wakai Hito” (1962). In the 1970s, he directed the golden couple of Yamaguchi Momoe (51) and Miura Tomokazu (58), who would later marry, in movies such as “Shiosai” (1975) and “Shunkinsho” (1976). In 2001, his hometown in Tottori Prefecture built a memorial hall in his honor.

Director and screenwriter Yamanouchi Tetsuya died of heart failure at his home in Hiroshima Prefecture on March 3, it was revealed yesterday. He was 75. After graduating university in 1957, Yamanouchi joined the Toei studio, and made his directorial debut with “Ninjagari” (poster right) in 1964. He is best known for turning out “jidaigeki” or period dramas for the big and small screen, though he often spiced things up with elements of horror and science fiction. He worked on the popular “Mito Komon” and “Oh-oka Echizen” TV series.

It’s finally official – X Japan have been formally named as the only Japanese artists in the lineup of this year’s Lollapalooza rock festival in August. In what will be the band’s long-awaited first concert appearance in the U.S., leader Yoshiki said yesterday that they will be performing new material from an album now in the works. Sources say the album will be a mix of new songs and fan favorites such as “Rusty Nail,” and will be all in English. Due for a summer release, it is the band’s first original album in 14 years.

Though the band recently played on a rooftop in Hollywood as part of a promotional video shoot, American fans have had to wait more than 20 years to see X Japan live on stage. Concerts have been announced in the U.S. and Europe several times over the years but have never happened, due to a variety of contractual, medical and personal reasons. When they take to the stage in Grant Park, Chicago in early August, it’ll be the realization of a dream for the band members themselves, though sadly too late for the late guitarist Hide, who died in 1998. After a hiatus of ten years, the band reunited in 2008, with Hide appearing on stage as a “hologram.” Though he has since been replaced in the lineup by former Luna Sea guitarist Sugizo, it will be interesting to see if he “appears” at Lollapalooza.

This year’s festival lineup also features the likes of Green Day, Lady Gaga and the eagerly awaited reunion of grunge pioneers Soundgarden.
Earlier stories:
Yoshiki Says X Japan Will Play Lollapolooza (Feb. 2, 2010)

Otsuka Ai Cancels Appearances
J-pop star Otsuka Ai (27) has canceled all upcoming professional engagements while she undergoes testing for suspected acute abdominal condition, which is often caused by appendicitis. Management for the popular singer said she was admitted to hospital yesterday after suffering severe pains, and they have canceled several scheduled radio appearances over the rest of the week.

New Member of the Watanabe Clan
Actor Watanabe Ken (49) is a grandfather for the second time. His son, Dai (25), announced on his blog that his wife gave birth to a baby girl at the end of March. Married since March 2008, they had a son the following August. Dai stars in the popular TV Asahi detective series “Rinjo,” which returns for a second season from tonight.

Comedian Razor Ramon HG (34, photo left) is determined not to be remembered as a one-hit wonder, and is making a comeback from serious injury. Hugely popular for a couple of years with his Hard Gay character, he made a switch from comedy to full-time professional wrestling with the Hustle promotion. But he suffered multiple fractures in his left foot following a dive from the ring at Korakuen Hall last July. He was taken to a Tokyo hospital but told that, as the injury wasn’t life threatening, he’d have to wait three weeks for surgery. Wrestling associates introduced him to another hospital where, a week later, he had 12 bolts inserted to hold his foot together. He spent the following two months in hospital and required a skin graft to repair his foot.

Real name Sumitani Masaki, HG has been unable to work since the accident, undergoing two major operations. He’s set to make his return as a regular on the TBS variety show “Sekai Waraeru! Journal” later this month. Asked if he was stuck for money, he replied, “Over the last eight months, I’ve made as little as ¥7,000 ($75) a month. I was like a pimp! But I was okay because my wife was earning about ¥1 million.” He married former pin-up girl Suzuki Anna (27) in 2006 and they had a son in July 2008.

Holding the leg brace he wore for several months, HG said yesterday, “I’ve retired from wrestling and I’m going to get back to TV and acting. I’m aiming to be a two-hit wonder!”

Nagayama Yoko to be an Arafo Mother
Enka singer Nagayama Yoko (42, photo right) is finally realizing her dream. As a girl, she planned to get married and have a baby around the age of 20. Well she was only two decades late in achieving the first of those when she married American businessman Mark Smith (41) a year ago. And yesterday she announced on her blog the happy news that she is expecting her first child. She said she is a five months pregnant but won’t be taking maternity leave until after she records the June 23 edition of her regular TV Tokyo show.

Nagayama says she plans to continue her career: “Being a mother and working, these are both precious treasures in my life. As for my work, I will try not to be a burden to my fellow staff.” Speaking about having her first baby in her 40s, she said, “To be honest, I am a bit nervous. But I hope I can be an inspiration to other women of the ‘arafo’ generation.” The term ‘arafo’ has been widely used in the last few years to refer to people, particularly those getting married or having children, who are “around forty.”

Korean pop quintet Tohoshinki received plenty of love from fans across Japan and Asia after their weekend announcement that they are indefinitely suspending all performances. Thousands of messages flooded in to their official website, and a spokesperson for the Avex record label said most of them were positive and expressed a desire for activity in the group’s fan club to continue. The announcement wasn’t entirely a surprise, as there had been rumors circulating for some time. Last July three of the five members – Jejung (24), Junsu (23), and Yunchun (23) – got into a legal dispute with their SM Entertainment management agency about the fairness of the 13-year contract they were signed to and the way profits were shared. The three won a court decision in October and set up a new management company, and several scheduled concerts were canceled.

The dance-vocal group debuted in South Korea in 2004 and in Japan the following year. They have had considerable success in Japan, with several No.1 hits, CD sales of over 5 million, and appearances on NHK’s annual “Kohaku Uta Gassen” New Year’s Eve concert and Nihon Record Taisho awards the last couple of years. Their last performance was a CDTV Special last New Year. All five members are said to be considering solo careers, and Jejung is to appear in a Japanese TV drama series later this month.

Kimura Takuya in Shanghai
SMAP’s Kimura Takuya (37) was in Shanghai over the weekend to start shooting his latest drama series for Fuji TV. “Tsuki no Koibito – Moon Lovers” will air from May 10 and is KimuTaku’s first romantic drama in about 10 years. Playing an interior design company president, he will have not one but three love interests, one of whom is popular Chinese model Lin Zhiling (35). The other main female roles will be played by Shinohara Ryoko (36), in her first drama role since becoming a mother in 2008, and Kitagawa Keiko (23).

Though very few Japanese dramas have ever been aired on Chinese TV, KimuTaku has a large following across Asia, and hundreds of fans turned out for a glimpse of him on location around Shanghai, including a restaurant near the landmark Oriental Pearl TV Tower.