Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

Rock musician Okamura Yasuyuki (42) is the latest celebrity in a recent string of drug arrests. The arrest, his third for drugs, was announced yesterday on his official website. The singer-songwriter made his debut in 1986 and has released some 25 singles. His best-known hits, such as “Ikenai Koto Kai” and “Daisukji” date from the late 1980s. He plays several instruments and has also worked as a producer. Renowned for his vibrant live performances, he says he considers himself a Japanese version of Prince. He was first arrested for drugs in 2002, and while on probation in April 2005 he was arrested again when drug tests proved positive. He admitted he had shot up in a Shibuya record store several days before and he was given an 18-month prison sentence. He started a nationwide tour last October but injured his left calf during a show in November. The tour was due to restart with three concerts scheduled for later this month, but all are now canceled and Okamura’s fan club has been disbanded.

• The next Hollywood project for actor Watanabe Ken (48) was announced yesterday. He’ll be heading to China next month to start filming on “Shanghai”, directed by Mikael Hafstrom. Set on the night before the start of the Pacific War, the movie also stars John Cusack (41) and Gong Li (42). Watanabe will be busy over the next few months – he is also filming the children’s vampire flick “Cirque du Freak” with Salma Hayek and John C. Reilly.

• Sony Computer Entertainment has announced the first in its new “Playstation3 The Best” series of software titles. The five re-released titles, which go on sale March 19 for ¥3,800 each, are: “Ridge Racer 7”, “FolksSoul – Ushinawareta Densho”, “Resistance – Jinrui Botsuraku no Hi”, “Ninja Gaiden Σ”, and “Kidou Senshi Gundam – Target in Sight.”

• Enka singer Mori Masako (49) made her return to work yesterday. After being hospitalized last September with acute pneumonia, she was back on stage for the first time to sing “Ettou Tsubame” in a regular NHK kayou (ballad) concert. She will re-start her national tour on February 22 in Tokyo.

Victor Records and the music industry are expecting big things from rock band Otona Moodo (translates as Adult Mode, but we’ll just call them Otona Mode). The band have three indie-label albums and several TV commercial tie-ups under their belt, but make their major-label debut tomorrow with the release of the single “Kaze ni Natte”. Their label are backing them up with major radio exposure – 32 networks nationwide will have the song as a “power play” this month. The band’s five members, who come from places as far apart as Hokkaido, Kanagawa and Aichi prefectures, met while at music college in Tokyo in 2004. They started performing mainly in the hip district of Shimo-Kitazawa and released their debut single in February 2006. More recently they worked on “Sora”, the debut album by up-and-coming idol Aragaki Yui (19). The coming week will see them perform in-store events at Tower Records in Tokyo and Osaka and a gig at the Liquid Room in Ebisu on February 25. The growth of their fan base has been helped by the boyish good looks of vocalist Takahashi Keita (22) and their melodic musical stylings, which have drawn comparisons to an early Mr. Children.

Another release with big expectations is the first album in two and a half years from Utada Hikaru (25). “Heart Station” is not out until March 19, but media were given a look at the album cover this week. It features a photo that is a bit more natural than Hikki’s usual look and was taken during a 4-hour studio session last Christmas Eve. Now in her mid-20s and a divorcee, she has clearly grown up. Her most recent release, last year’s single “Flavor of Life”, was downloaded some 7.5 million times, as a “chaku-uta” for mobile phones among other things. The first single from the new album, “Heart Station/Stay Gold”, will be her 20th and goes on sale February 20.

• From one queen of J-pop to another. Currently the best-selling J-pop artist, Koda Kumi (25) is biting her tongue the last couple of days. She got herself into trouble at the weekend while hosting the All Night Nippon radio show, making a caustic comment to the effect that once women reach the age of 35, their amniotic fluids go rotten. The throwaway remark drew protests from listeners and Koda and her handlers are taking the criticism seriously. One of her TV commercial sponsors has withdrawn the campaign, and she has canceled a scheduled TV appearance on the “Tetsuko no Heya” talk show. At a time when she should be out promoting her new album “Kingdom”, she’s riding out the storm at home. The album has entered the latest Oricon chart at No.1 anyway.

The main cast members have been announced for the live-action manga adaptation “20th Century Boys”, on which filming started yesterday. Yesterday also saw the first look at the movie’s original poster art (left). Urasawa Naoki’s popular science fiction mystery story, which first appeared in the weekly magazine “Big Comic Spirits” in 1999, is being made into a trilogy of movies directed by Tsutsumi Yukihiko (52). The first two chapters are being shot simultaneously over the next six months, and the first chapter is scheduled to open in theaters on August 30. It’s expected to be the biggest adaptation movie of the year. And with locations in seven countries and a budget estimated at ¥6 billion, some big name actors were expected. Karasawa Toshiaki (44) will play the lead role of Kenji, a man who must search his childhood memories for the secrets of a mysterious cult leader known only as “Friend.” The key roles of Kenji’s childhood friends will be played by Toyokawa Etsushi (48) as Otcho and Tokiwa Takako (35) as Yukiji. The obvious title theme for the movies is T. Rex’s 1973 hit “20th Century Boy”, which Urasawa lists as an inspiration for the story. As children, Kenji and his friends write a “book of revelations” that tells of a hero who stands up to an evil organization bent on destroying the world. 30 years later and those events start to play out in real life, but with Kenji – now a convenience store manager but with hero and rock-star dreams – cast not as the hero but as one of the villains. 20 million copies of the manga have been sold in Japan.

• Musician Kato Raimon (29) has been arrested for possession of marijuana. According to police reports, several grams of the drug were found in a rucksack in his car outside his Meguro Ward, Tokyo home. It is believed that his family turned him in. Kato is best known as the second son of folk duo Hide and Rosanna, made up of the late Demon Hide (1942-90, real name Kato Hideo) and his Italian wife, who were very popular in the 1970s. He is a member of the band Smorgas.

• Management for Iida Kaori (26) announced yesterday that the former Morning Musume leader became a mother last month. She had a baby girl on January 22. Iida married former 7House member Kenji (29) in July of last year. She plans to continue her musical career.

• Fans of Kawamura Ryuichi (37) got a rare treat yesterday at the Nippon Budokan, when the Luna Sea vocalist performed a “marathon live” show that included all 71 songs recorded during his ten years as a solo artist. When Kawamura got to song No.65, “Sunset”, the 12,000 fans went wild when he was joined on stage by Luna Sea guitarist Inoran (37).

A haggard looking Haga Kenji (46, left) and a defiant Watanabe Jiro (52, right) were at the Osaka District Court yesterday for the first hearing in their extortion case. The one-time popular talento and renowned playboy and the former world boxing champion have pleaded not guilty to the charges for which they were arrested last year. Haga is accused of swindling an associate out of some ¥370 million in 2001 by selling shares in a medical consultancy at triple their actual price. When the company failed to go public and went bankrupt, the man came looking for his money back. Haga then enlisted the help of Watanabe and others to use death threats and force the man to relinquish the debt and accept a payment of just ¥10 million. This all played out at a time when Haga was promoting himself as having dug his way out of serious debt by building up a successful jewelry business. In 2006, he held a press conference to announce his engagement to get married in Hawaii, and proudly said he had repaid all his debts. Seeing this on TV, the extortion victim decided to go to the police, and eight months later Haga was arrested. In his first appearance in seven months, he looked much thinner and his permed hair was down to his shoulders. His wife Mayu will appear in court as a witness at the next hearing, scheduled for February 7. Watanabe has a history of similar trouble with the law. In 1995, he was arrested for making death threats against debtors to his import business, but police failed to prosecute the case. In 1999, he was arrested for giving a gun to a friend accused of murder, and he served four and a half years in prison.

• The two teenage daughters of actress Matsuzaka Keiko (55) will make their showbiz debut alongside their mother in an upcoming TV series. The English language education series on NHK will focus on the book “Anne of Green Gables”, which has been popular in Japan for many years. Matsuzaka and her daughters Monet (15) and Marisa (13), who were both born in New York and attend an international school in Tokyo, filmed the series on location on Prince Edward Island in Canada, where the book is set. The series will air on NHK’s education channel on Tuesday nights from April. Matsuzaka is married to jazz guitarist Takauchi Haruhiko.

• Hollywood’s back on top at the Japanese box office. After 2006 saw domestic movies beat out foreign imports for the first time in 21 years, it was business as usual last year. In its data released yesterday, Eiren (the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan) said that total box office receipts fell 2.2% last year to ¥198 billion yen, with local movies bringing in 47.7% of the revenue, down from 2006’s 53.2%. Blockbuster sequels provided the main impetus, with the Top 3 being: “Pirates of the Caribbean: World’s End” (¥10.9 billion), “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (¥9.4 billion), and “Spiderman 3” (¥7.1 billion). The biggest local hits were the Kimura Takuya vehicle “Hero” (¥8.1 billion), the Pokemon feature “Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai” (¥5.0 billion), and the nostalgic “Always: Zoku Sanchome no Yuhi” (¥4.6 billion).

Dreams Come True vocalist Yoshida Miwa (42) represents Japan on the latest album from the legendary Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes (66). “Morning in Rio” is a follow up to 2006’s “Timeless”, a collaboration with various neo-soul and alternative hip hop guest artists, in particular will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas. The new album is described as a celebration of 50 years since the birth of Bosa Nova. It features 13 guest artists from five countries, with Yoshida providing Japanese vocals for the track “Lugar Comum”. The track will be released as a single worldwide except for North America. The album goes on sale worldwide in April, but has an advance release in Japan February 27. DCT recently released the single “Mata ne”, the theme tune for the latest “One Piece” anime feature. It’s good to see one of J-pop’s finest artists fully back at work again following the death of her husband last October.

• Oscar-nominated actress Kikuchi Rinko (27) has dropped out of the cast of an upcoming movie. She is said to have torn muscles in both thighs in mid-December while preparing for her role in “Kamui Gaiden”, due for release in 2009. The movie is being directed by Sai Youichi (58), Japan’s most established film director of Korean descent, and filmed on location in Okinawa. Though shooting has already started, Kikuchi’s wasn’t due to start working until February. But it was decided that she wouldn’t be able to be ready for the movie’s demanding action scenes. Star Matsuyama Kenichi (22) has also suffered minor injuries during filming. Kikuchi recently appeared at the Japan premiere of Ang Lee’s “Lust, Caution” and is not said to be suffering any ongoing physical problems.

• Also injured is top Takarazuka star Hizuka Hana, who has dropped out of an upcoming production after breaking her ankle. She is the female lead in the Soragumi (Sky Troupe) and was due to appear in “Reimei no Kaze” at the Grand Theater in Takarazuka City from February 9. In her absence, her role will be played by Kazune Miou. The all-female theatrical revue is made up of five troupes, each with a top star for both male and female roles.

• Actor Kawakubo Takuji (26) was recently spotted staying at the home of former Morning Musume member Yaguchi Mari (25), according to today’s issue of weekly magazine “Josei Seven”. The two are said to have met at a party last summer and Yaguchi pursued Kawakubo relentlessly. He was seen entering her home, where she lives with her parents, after midnight and leaving the following morning.

• J-pop trio Globe have closed their fan club “house of globe”. Made up of Komuro Tetsuya (49) his wife Keiko (37) on vocals, and Marc Panther (35), the group has been largely absent from the charts since the late 1990s. They announced on their official website yesterday that the fan club is being temporarily shut down and membership fees will be returned.

Former NHK announcer Imai Yoshinori (63, photo right) has been named as the network’s new vice chairman. He held a press conference yesterday with the new chairman, Fukuchi Shigeo (73, photo left). Imai, who officially takes on his new 3-year post from today, said he was as nervous as when he first started as a newscaster. He joined NHK as a journalist straight from Keio University in 1968, and later spent three years working at the Washington DC office. He started his TV career on “NHK News Wide” in 1986 and became a household name over the following decade. Fukuchi, the first NHK outsider to take on the top post in 20 years, began his term last Friday. The new management take over just when NHK has become embroiled in yet more financial scandals, and their main job will be to restore public trust in the network.

• “Kaabee” (Kabei – Our Mother), the latest movie from Yamada Yoji and starring Yoshinaga Sayuri (62), is the current box office hit. Over its opening three days, it was watched by more than 208,000 people across the country. The movie has been entered for the Golden Bear at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival, which Yamada and Yoshinaga plan to attend.

• Singer-actress Shibasaki Kou (26) is releasing her first greatest hits album. “Single Best” will go on sale March 12. It includes all her 15 singles, which have combined sales of over 4 million. Also included is “The Back Best”, a second CD of selected album tracks.

• At No.1 on the latest Oricon album chart is “Zard Request Best – Beautiful Memory”. Zard, as vocalist Sakai Izumi came to be known when she was the only remaining member of the band, died in a fall at a Tokyo hospital last May. She tops the chart for the 11th time, putting her in joint first place for the most No.1’s by a female vocal group with Dreams Come True. Meanwhile, at No.1 on the singles chart are rock band Radwimps with “Ordermade”.

Family lawyer and TV personality Hashimoto Toru (38, photo left) became Japan’s youngest-ever governor when he won a landslide victory in Osaka on Sunday. Supported by the governing – but troubled – Liberal Democratic Party, he campaigned with the message that he wanted to bring the smiles back to the faces of Japan’s second city. Like fellow celebrity turned Miyazaki prefectural governor Higashikokubaru Hideo (50, photo right), who stumped for him on Saturday, he will no doubt make the most of his non-political background and try to shine a spotlight on slush funds and other financial problems. After the results were in, he was in practical mode, saying that his major challenge is to eliminate debt issues by the prefectural government. Hashimoto, the father of seven children, has been a regular face on the variety show circuit in the last couple of years.

• Singer Takahashi Yuya (28) was handed an 18-month prison sentence at the Tokyo District Court yesterday. He will however be allowed to continue hospital treatment for depression and drug addiction, after having paid ¥6 million in bail. The son of top actress Mita Yoshiko (66), he was arrested back in November for drug possession and use, his third such arrest.

• Rock legend Jimmy Page (64) attended a PR event in Tokyo yesterday for the new Led Zeppelin hits album “Mothership” and a re-release of the live album “The Song Remains the Same”. Asked to comment on speculation of an upcoming world tour following last year’s hugely successful reunion concert in London, Page said, “Robert Plant also had a parallel project running and he’s really busy with that project, certainly until September, so I can’t give you any news.” When asked what he thought of actress Sawajiri Erika, a Zeppelin fan who flew to London for the concert, he simply said “Unfortunately, I don’t know her.” But his reply was interpreted as “Betsu ni…”, echoing Sawajiri’s famous grumpy line and drawing roars of laughter from the assembled fans and media. A bemused Page said, “Judging from this reaction, maybe I should have met the lady!”

• Actress Kawakami Maiko (41) is romantically involved with younger actor Takasugi Mizuho (29), according to today’s issue of women’s magazine “Josei Jishin”. A somewhat drunken Kawakami was spotted bringing Takasugi back to her Tokyo apartment after a New Year’s party earlier in the month.

Miyazaki Prefecture governor Higashikokubaru Hideo (50, photo left) really is a one-man publicity machine. The former comedian didn’t even have to leave his new workplace to film his part in an upcoming Fuji TV drama special. Comedian Tsukaji Muga (36, photo right) of the duo Drunk Dragon visited the prefectural office at the weekend to film scenes for “Hadaka no Taisho” (The Naked General), in which the governor plays himself. Ironically, three people were arrested just last week for shooting nude photos in front of the building, just the kind of stunt the politician might have been involved in during his days as Sonomanma Higashi. But his first year in politics has seen him plugging Miyazaki products left, right and center, making countless TV appearances, and he continues to enjoy unwavering popularity among his constituents. In the Fuji drama, Tsukaji revives last year’s role as the late artist Yamashita Kiyoshi (1922-71).

• Former Johnny’s Jimusho idol Okamoto Kenichi (38) has been divorced since last year, according to the latest issue of “Shuukan Gendai” magazine. The former rhythm guitarist of the group Otokogumi married model Yoshie in 1992. Their son Keito was born the following year, and he followed in his dad’s footsteps, becoming a member of the Johnny’s group Hey! Say! Jump! last year.

• Actor Karato Ryou (38) spoke yesterday for the first time about his battle with cancer. Appearing at a PR event in Osaka for the movie “Koneko no Namida”, he revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx eight years ago, shortly after getting his license as a pro kick boxer. He spent the next two and a half years in hospital, undergoing surgery five times, and his vocal cords were repaired using fat from his stomach. He was able to return to his acting carer in 2004 but kept his medical history a secret. He decided to open up about it yesterday as the film is set in his home town of Osaka and tells the story of boxer Morioka Eiji, who won a bronze medal at the 1968 Mexico Olmpics and died of cancer in 2004. The movie stars Takeda Shinji (35) and is directed by Morioka’s nephew Morioka Toshiyuki.

• Popular magician Magii Shinji (34) and talento Yoshida Yuki (28) became parents for the first time on Saturday. Magii, known mainly for his corny party tricks, announced the arrival of their baby girl on his blog on Sunday. The couple got married in August 2006.

Recently divorced actress Mihara Junko (43, photo right) just got back from a trip to Australia with a former band-mate of her ex-husband, according to today’s issue of weekly magazine “Friday”. The article published photos of the two at Narita Airport on their arrival back from Cairns, and speculated that they are planning to get married. A former top idol singer, Mihara married a racing driver in 1990, but they split in mid-1999. Within six months, she was married to comedian Koala (38, photo left), who later followed the advice of fortune teller Hosoki Kazuko and changed his stage name to Happy Happy. That marriage ended last year, and both parties insisted on telling their side of the story on TV variety shows. In both her marriages, Mihara got pregnant but suffered miscarriages. Her newest partner is musician Satoshi (32), who was in the band Edo Fish with Koala in 2003. Mihara’s agency say he is just one of several boyfriends she’s had since her divorce.

• Actor Nishimura Kazuhiko (31) and calligrapher Kunishige Tomomi (29) became parents for the first time yesterday. Nishimura announced the arrival of his baby boy on his blog.

• British actor Jude Law (35) was in central Tokyo yesterday for a party to commemorate the recent opening of an Alfred Dunhill store. Also at the party was kabuki star Nakamura Shido (34), who refused to answer questions about his ongoing divorce from popular actress Takeuchi Yuko (27).

• Just out of hospital after surgery for a compression fracture to a lumbar vertebrae, veteran actor Ogata Ken returned to work yesterday. He took part in the Japanese dubbing of the Hollywood movie “The Golden Compass”, in which he took on Ian McKellen’s role as the voice of Lorek the Ice Bear. Other cast members include newcomer Nishiuchi Mariya (14), Narumi Riko (15) and Yamaguchi Tomoko (43).

• A joint concert tour by U.S. bands Chicago and Huey Lewis & the News was announced yesterday. Chicago will be making their 11th visit and the first since 2003, while Lewis hasn’t played in Japan since 1998. Both artists of course had their heydays well before that, with most hits dating back over 20 years. Between April 14 and 22 they will roll back the years with shows in Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and Yokohama. Tickets go on sale February 16 from Udo Music.

Yoshimoto comedian Tamura Kenji (34) was involved in a minor scuffle while filming in Osaka on Tuesday. TamuKen, as he is known to fans, and a crew of four were filming an interview in a shopping street when a 64-year-old male passerby got into an argument with one of the staff members. Tamura stepped in and got a kick for his trouble. After the police got involved, the man apologized to Tamura and no charges were pressed. With his trademark hairstyle, sunglasses, loincloth and shishimai lion, Tamura is one of the more visible comedians to have made a breakthrough in the last couple of years. He also owns a pair of successful yakiniku restaurants in Osaka and often talks of giving up showbiz to run the business full time.

• Another Yoshimoto comedian, Downtown‘s Matsumoto Hitoshi (44), is back at work after taking time off to recover from illness. He came down with a fever and lung infection earlier this month and missed the January 13 recording of an episode of Fuji TV’s “Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ”. But he was back on his feet yesterday to record an episode of the long-running “Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!”

• Talento Yamada Mariya (27) admitted on her blog that she and stage actor Kusano Touru (40) are planning to get married next month. The two started dating after they appeared together in a theatrical production, and their romance was first reported last August.