Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

Following up his appearance in this year’s NHK taiga drama, the enigmatic Gackt led a historical parade in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture on Saturday. Dressed as medieval warlord Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578) in full armor and riding a white stallion, Gackt led the parade of about 450 people wearing samurai and other period costumes. The Kenshinko Matsuri festival is an annual event that centers around the famous warrior, most recently portrayed by the rock singer in “Fuurinkazan”. The event, started in 1926 and held this year for the 82nd time, is based around the famous battle of Kawanakajima between Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. The lead up to the battle is also the climactic scene of this year’s taiga series and, though yet to be aired, was already filmed earlier this month. A much larger crowd than usual, the 50,000 spectators were impressed with the touch of “authenticity” Gackt brought to the event, and he returned the compliment by encouraging them in their recovery from the recent earthquake that caused heavy damage to the region.

• Fashion model turned actress Yamada Yu (23) did some cleaning up in a Shibuya park on Sunday. For the “Shibuyamada Beauty Fiesta”, she and 50 other volunteers, including comedian Haraguchi Akimasa (31), painted over graffiti in Miyashita Park near the capital’s youth mecca. The urban beautification project also included the nearby Yoyogi Park.

British Hollywood star Orlando Bloom (30) will make his first ever television commercial appearance tonight on Japanese TV. Billed as a one-night-only event, a 2-minute version of the commercial for Shiseido’s men’s cosmetics brand Uno will air on three networks around midnight (see Shiseido’s website for details). Each network will have a different keyword after the CM, with all three needed to enter for a prize draw. The CM features the “Pirates of the Carribbean” star in a futuristic setting – in the year 2019, his character Neo is being pursued by unknown forces and uses the “New Fiber Neo” hair gel to disguise himself. The soundtrack is an “Uno” reworking of the Quincy Jones classic “Ai no Corrida”.

• Comedian Nagai Hidekazu (37) is leaving his wife and 2-year-old son behind to pursue his dream of studying in New York. He plans to spend a year in the Big Apple studying English, and not just aiming for conversational level but in order to be able to perform in English. Nagai made his breakthrough in 2003 with his catchphrase “Machigainai!”

With a major domestic film about to be released in a few weeks, SMAP‘s Kimura Takuya (34) had some other big news this week. In what will be his first appearance in an English-language movie, he has been named to an all-star international cast for the latest project by renowned Vietnamese-French director Anh Hung Tran (44). “I Come With the Rain”, Tran’s first movie in eight years, stars Josh Hartnett (29) as former L.A. cop turned private eye, Kline. Hired to find Shitao (Kimura), the son of a Chinese billionaire, he travels to Hong Kong where he teams up with an old friend and local cop (Shawn Yue). His search leads him to the gangster Su Dongpo (Korean star Lee Byung Hun) and his druggie mistress (Tran’s wife, actress Tran Nu Yen Khe). But he is haunted by memories of the serial killer Hasford (Elias Koteas) whose crimes almost drove him insane and made him quit the LAPD. The movie is scheduled to open in the autumn of 2008, with a possible screening at next year’s Cannes Film Festival. Director Tran is best known for 1993’s Academy Award nominee “The Scent of Green Papaya”. Meanwhile Kimura’s “Hero”, the movie version of Fuji TV’s most successful ever drama, hits the big screens on September 8. He is joined by co-star Matsu Takako (30) and a host of major names.

• It was revealed yesterday that Fuji TV announcer Sano Mizuki (35) got re-married recently. His new bride is described only as 24-year-old A-san, an “ippanjin” (“ordinary person”, or someone not in show business). They have registered their marriage and plan to hold a wedding ceremony later this month. And in October they will have an even bigger upheaval as Sano is to be transferred to New York. He was previously married to Shizuoka TV announcer Totsuka Kikuko (34) from 2000 to 2004.

• Talento Mitsuura Yasuko (36) is to return to live braodcasting today after her hospitalization last month for a cerebral aneurysm. She will resume her regular slot on an afternoon radio show and has already started doing studio recording for her many TV variety show appearances.

Talento Suzuki Sarina (30) really seems to have found her way in the world of reggae. It was revealed yesterday that Suzuki, who in addition to her regular TV variety show appearances is a reggae singer, is engaged to be married to Tela-C (photo top left), a member of the reggae duo Infinity16. The couple, who have visited Kingston, Jamaica several times together, have been living together for the last two years and are planning to get married next spring. Tela-C formed Infinity16 in 1994 and was joined by Desem two years later. After several years in New York and Jamaica, they starting performing in Japan in 2002. This March, they won first prize at the “International Cup – Garrison Showdown” World Reggae Soundclash competition in New York. With five independent label albums under their belt, in April they made their major label debut with a collaboration number “Dream Lover” with other reggae acts including Shonan no Kaze and Minmi (32). The song made the Oricon singles chart Top 10, a first for a debut by a reggae artist. Suzuki debuted as a pop singer in 1997 but switched to reggae using her real name, Kanako, in 2003. She changed that to her family name, Munehiro, in 2005.

• The Japan Today website included the following quote translated from the Shukan Gendai/Mainichi: “She’s appeared in several dramas and the evaluation of her performances has been pretty much unanimous: she can’t act.” The quote, attributed to a “Fuji TV drama production crew member”, refers to top model Ebihara Yuri but let’s face it – it could just as easily apply to any number of talentos, male or female. But according to the article “Ebi-chan,” who turns 28 in October, is considered past her “use-by” date in Japan’s showbiz world and now finds her career at the crossroads.

Two rising stars from quite different worlds have been romantically linked. It was revealed yesterday that handsome comedian Tokui Yoshimi (32, photo top left) is dating top badminton cutie Shiota Reiko (23, photo bottom left). Tokui is the boke half of the duo Tutorial, who took the comedy world by storm when they won the annual M-1 Grand Prix and ¥10 million in 2006 while still relative unknowns. Together with partner Fukuda Mitsunori (32), he is now a regular face on TV. He is expected to go far not only because of his looks but also his comic ability, and he was runner-up in this year’s R-1 Grand Prix for solo comedy acts. Shiota and doubles partner Ogura Kumiko (24) have been Japan champions for the last three years running, and just last weekend they won the bronze medal at the World Badminton Championships. The pair are known as “OguShio” are are popular as much due to their good looks as their medal-winning ability. Shiota is due to publish a photo book next month, a relative rarity for sports stars. The badminton pair and the comedy duo met when they were teamed up for a double date on a TV show in February 2006. Though the date was only meant to be for entertainment, it led to one real-life romance after a somewhat drunk Tokui expressed his feelings for Shiota. It’s just a shame the word “shuttlecock” doesn’t have the same comedy potential in Japanese!

• The weekend saw a new audience ratings record fr NTV’s annual 24-hour charity telethon. As reported here yesterday, the broadcast centered around the 70km run by veteran comedian Hagimoto Kinichi (66). While the 18.6% average rating for the show, which actually ran for 26 hours and 24 minutes, was just short of 200%7s record of 19%, the peak rating was a whopping 43.9%. The viewing audience peaked at the end of the show as Kin-chan, who was the emcee for the first ever NTV telethon 30 years ago, reached his goal at the Nippon Budokan on Sunday night.

• Yamaguchi Sayoko, who in the 1970s was the first Japanese fashion model to achieve global fame, died yesterday of acute pneumonia. She was 57. Following her debut in 1971, she took part in collections in Paris and New York wearing clothes by designers such as Takada Kenzo and Yamamoto Kansai. Newsweek magazine named her as one of the Top 6 models in the world. She later worked in movies, contemporary dance and fashion design.

• Actress Minakaze Yoko died of pancreatic cancer at at a Yokohama hospital yesterday. She was 77. A graduate of the Takarazuka theatrical troupe, she joined the Mingei (Public Theater) company in 1959. She became a top star playing such roles as Kate Keller in “The Miracle Worker”. She also worked on TV and in movies. She is survived by her husband, director Wakasugi Mitsuo, and daughter, actress Wakasugi Tami.

• Actor Nishimura Kazuhiko chose yesterday, his 41st birthday, to reveal that he is to become a father. He announced on his blog that his wife Yumi (28) is expecting their first child, believed to be due next January. The couple married in May of 2006. Yumi is an established shodouka, or calligrapher.

The TV highlight of the weekend was NTV’s annual 24-hour telethon. And as usual the centerpiece of the marathon broadcast was the charity marathon run by a celebrity. This year’s runner was veteran comedian Hagimoto Kinichi (66), who took over 26 hours to complete a 70km course from Kanagawa Prefecture to the Nippon Budokan in central Tokyo. “Kin-chan” completed his run at 9:05 on Sunday night, ten minutes after the scheduled end of the broadcast, having fought off the humid summer heat and intense pain in his legs and feet. From Sunday afternoon his left leg was numb and, with just 10km left to go, his suffering was such that he could no longer put a brave smile on his face. But Tokyo residents lined the streets to cheer him and somehow he found the strength to carry on. He, the audience and presenters were all in tears as he struggled the last few meters down the Budokan’s steps to the stage. The theme of this year’s show was “The Moment that Changed My Life”, and Kin-chan’s hope was that his completion of the run would inspire other senior citizens to fight on. In another segment, comedian Kazama Kampei (58) completed a decathlon and set a new Japan Masters record for the 1500m. In its 15th year, the show had raised a record ¥363 million by the end of the broadcast.

• Popular TBS announcer Kaiho Chisato (31) revealed during her regular appearance on the live “Hanamaru Market” show this morning that she is engaged to be married. She will be quitting the network at the end of September and joining her new husband in the U.S., where he currently works.

• SMAP member Nakai Masahiro (34) and sexy pop star Koda Kumi (24) refused to comment over the weekend on rumors of their romance. A big Yomiuri Giants fan, Nakai was in New York to report live on a New York Yankees game. And on Saturday, Koda was among the major artists taking part in the “J-Wave Live 2000+7” event at the Yokohama Arena.

Even the rain couldn’t cool down the fans at yesterday’s “Matsuriina 2007”, one of the summer’s many outdoor music festivals. With blistering temperatures across the country, a lineup of eleven Sony Music acts led by Orange Range headed for the coast and the Riviera Zushi Marina in Kanagawa Prefecture. The event had started off under sunny mid-morning skies but turned cloudy and then rainy as a succession of young artists including Nakagawa Shoko (photo, 23), Kato Miriya (19) and Yui (20) took the stage. But the majority of the 5,000-strong crowd were there to see the chart-topping rock band from Okinawa, who are giving sales of their two recently released hits albums a bit of a boost. Five years after their debut, sales have cooled for Orange Range this year, and their last two singles “Ika Summer” and “Ikenai Taiyou”, failed to reach the top of the Oricon chart. The hits albums made No.1 and No.2, but combined sales are still short of half a million. Nakagawa is particularly popular among otaku, who call her “Shokotan”, and is referred to as the idol “Blog Queen”. She’s the daughter of the late singer Nakagawa Katsuhiko (1962-94), who as one of the few visual kei artists of the early 1980s was (generously, in my opinion) called the “Japanese David Bowie”.

• To mark the upcoming visit by Carole King (65), her entire album collection and a new hits collection are to be released in a Japan-only paper jacket format. Five albums, including the classic “Tapestry” will go on sale from September 26, and five more albums on October 31. A Japan-only collection of hits, “The Best of Carole King”, will be released on September 19. Together with Fergie (32) and Mary J. Blige (36), King will perform in the “Three Great American Voices” shows at Osaka Castle Hall, Saitama Super Arena and Nippon Budokan in November.

Several tabloid newspapers published a story yesterday saying that SMAP leader Nakai Masahiro (34) is dating sexy singer Koda Kumi (24). Management agencies for both stars refused to comment on the story, saying it was a private matter. The report coincided with the revelation that Koda had broken up with her long-term boyfriend earlier in the year. The relationship, which Koda made no attempt to hide, started before she made her breakthrough and became the country’s top-selling artist. The couple were last photographed together in December. But her extreme work schedule and his move to Osaka in May of last year put a heavy strain on their relationship. The 10-year age gap aside, the media would have a field day with a romance between Koda and Nakai. But with Johnny’s Jimusho controlling every aspect of its stars’ lives, it may be a while before the truth is out.

• Mori Masako (48) is to release her first new album in 21 years. “Ano Koro” is a collection of covers that is largely dedicated to her late father, who died in March of last year. It’s the latest step in a comeback that started with the release of two singles last summer after a bitter divorce from singer Mori Shinichi (59) in 2005. The new album is the first release since her retirement in 1986, when marriage put an end to one of the most successful idol careers of the decade.

• Japan Post has released a set of postage stamps marking the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. It will be the final set of commemorative stamps before the post office is privatized on October 1. In a world first, a combined set of stamps and a CD of Elvis’ hits compiled by broadcaster Ogura Tomoaki (60) goes on sale today.

Actor Kamikawa Takaya (42) is to play his first leading role in a drama on a commercial network. From October on Fuji TV, he will star as a 40-year-old office worker forced to get by on a ¥30,000-a-month allowance in “Swan no Baka”. The cast also includes Tanaka Misako (47) as his older wife and former office colleague, and Narimiya Hiroki (24) as the CEO of an IT company located in his office building. Kamikawa is often described as an “engiha haiyuu”, meaning an actor who can actually act (which doesn’t say much for the rest!). He admits that he has no experience of working as a “salaryman” but says that the gap between his own career and that of the nation’s company employees fascinates him. After dropping out of university to work in theater, Kamikawa first gained broader fame with the NHK drama “Daichi no Ko” 13 years ago. Last year he played roles ranging from the medieval warrior Yamauchi Kazutoyo in the “Koumyou ga Tsuji” taiga period drama on NHK to a gay doctor on the Fuji TV series “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e”.

• Comedian Chihara Junior (33) refused to comment yesterday on his rumored split with actress Uchida Yuki (31). The younger of the Chihara Brothers duo, he was appearing at a PR event for the French movie “Azur et Asmar”. Uchida divorced actor Yoshioka Hidetaka (37) in 2005.

The song “Sen no Kaze ni Natte” has made opera tenor Akikawa Masafumi (39) a household name. And now it has finally made him Japan’s first classical artist to have a million-selling release, according to sales data from Oricon. 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, with the Japanese translation and melody by Arai Man. But after he sang it on NHK’s “Kohaku Utagassen” popular song concert last New Year’s Eve, sales started to really pick up and Akikawa started popping up all over the place on TV. It became the first classical recording to reach No.1 on Oricon’s singles chart and was named the best-selling single for the first half of 2007. The song was most recently used as the closing theme for a two-night Fuji TV special adaptation of “Hadashi no Gen”, the famous anti-war manga based on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. With the ongoing decline in CD sales, million-selling hits are becoming fewer and further between, with only one a year in the last four years, compared to 14 in 2000 and five in 2001.