Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

Tetsuwan Atom, better known abroad as Astro Boy, celebrates his birthday today, and with him being one of the most beloved of Japan’s animation characters, this is quite a big event. Originally created as a comic book hero in 1951 by legendary cartoonist Tezuka Osamu, the rocket-powered robot boy was the star of Japan’s first TV anime in the 60s. Atom’s official “creation” date was April 7, 2003 which became a kind of Japanese equivalent to Stanley Kubrick’s “2001.” There was a brief revival in the 80s before Tezuka’s death in 1989. Yesterday saw the first of a new 50-episode series on Fuji TV. Compared to the original, the new series has cut out scenes showing tobacco or alcohol as well as cutting down on violence. Tezuka’s central message was always simple and relevant: “Love everything that has life.”

Actor Kurata Yasuaki (57), who has appeared in something like 60 Hong Kong action movies, announced that plans for filming there in May have been cancelled due to the ongoing SARS scare. There have been no officially reported cases in Japan yet, though there are ‘rumors’.

• Sony Music duo Exceed (Iksi:d?) have broken up. I never heard of them but the news sites say they were popular, so… Made up of guitarist Kimura Ryo (28) and vocalist Kodama Kyo (23), they debuted in 1999 and had a hit with “I Will” the following year. Both members plan to pursue solo careers.

There’s a lot of demand abroad for the upcoming movie “Battle Royale II – Requiem” – and it’s not even finished yet. Started by the late Fukasaku Kinji and taken over by his son Kenta (30), the movie is a sequel to the father’s controversial 2001 hit. Contracts have already been signed to show the movie in five countries, including the UK and Russia. The first movie was shown in more than the 22 countries and made over $2 million. It is scheduled to open in Japan on July 5.

• Leading kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro (photo, 56) was slightly injured when hit by the mirror of a passing micro-bus while walking in the town of Kotohira, Kagawa Prefecture. He is set to go on with a performance in the town from today. He is the father of actor Shinnosuke, who has been in the news recently.

Fuji TV’s “News Japan” has won the 62nd Peabody Award for a report last year on Hepatitis C. The award is among the most prestigious awards for broadcasting and is considered the television equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize.

• Further sightings of kabuki actor Ichikawa Shinnosuke (25) and actress Yonekura Ryoko (photo, 27) together, this time in Kyoto, have the media speculating again about a relationship between the two. They are currently appearing together in NHK’s samurai drama “Musashi” and have a love scene in this Sunday’s show.

Matsui “Godzilla” Hideki got a hit and an RBI in his first at-bat for the NY Yankees. It was his only contribution to the Yankees’ 8-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays but the consensus in Japan was that he was off to a good start. Though the game aired from 8:30am on a weekday in Japan, one in three TV viewers in the Kanto area tuned in, a very high number.

• Okinawa pop group Speed are to get back together and play a series of concerts for the “Save The Children” charity. Since breaking up in 2000, the four members have pursued solo careers, playing together just once, also for charity in 2001.

• A cafe and gallery owned by minor personality Kawashima Amiru (25) was destroyed in a fire which broke out in a neighboring restaurant in Osaka. One woman died in the fire.

Actress Ryo (30) and Brahman vocalist Toshi-Low (28) tied the knot yesterday. They have been friends for seven years but became closer when Ryo’s brother became seriously ill last year. Rock band Brahman recently completed a tour of the UK and plan to continue touring abroad.

• Pink Lady, the hugely popular 70s “idols,” are to make a comeback after 22 years. They’ll release a new single in May and, starting from June, will play 120 concerts nationwide over the course of two years. Mii has been showing up quite a bit on the variety show circuit while the recently married Kei is coming out of semi-retirement. They both look good for 45!

Britney Spears is to appear in a TV commercial for Kirin G.G. Tea.

• The Yomiuri Giants opening game of the season drew an all-time low TV rating of 16.2%.

• Producer Tsunku (photo, 34), the man behind Morning Musume, is to join Yuuka (22) as a presenter of NHK’s late Saturday night music show “Pop Jam.”

• “Spirited Away”, the Oscar-winning animation by Miyazaki Hayao, has opened at over 700 cinemas in North America. It grossed more than $1.6 milion last weekend.

• According to today’s “Josei Jishin” magazine, Yamaguchi Tatsuya (31) of the pop group Tokio has a steady girlfriend, who is said to be in her late 20s and from Tohoku.

In a rare TV hiccup, the TBS travel documentary “Sekai Ururun Taizaiki” was interrupted for more than a minute last night. A “teroppu” message saying “Please wait” was broadcast. The exact cause is still not known but is believed to have been an error in the TV commercial data. The show features young TV personalities who are sent to spend a week with families in remote world locations.

• J Friends, the group formed by Johnny’s Jimusho band members to raise money for Kobe earthquake relief, has come to an end. The 13 members of Tokio, Kinki Kids (photo) and V6 raised more than ¥870 million over 9 years.

• The female duo Hana-Hana announced on the last night of a national tour that they are going to take a few months off. 26-year olds Ono Makiko and Kojima Izumi have had a breakneck couple of years, with hits like “Ah, Yokatta” and “Sayonara Daisukina Hito”, and making their Kohaku debut last New Year’s Eve.

Yaguchi Mari (20) has “graduated” from Morning Musume sub-unit Mini Moni, to be replaced by Takahashi Ai (16). During a concert at Tokyo International Forum yesterday, the tearful group leader announced that she was leaving, causing mass hysteria from the thousands of “chibiko” (tiny tot) fans. Mini Moni is just one of many groups and solo projects under the Hello! Project umbrella created by MM founder Tsunku (40).

• Director Ninagawa Yukio has opened a production of Shakespeare’s “Pericles” at the Royal National Theatre in London. Ninagawa has a long association with the Bard and set out in 1998 to put on all of his works. The British press has raved over the show, using such words as “achingly beautiful” and “a director of genius.”

The future finally looks a little brighter for singer Suzuki Ami (21) after the Tokyo district court ruled that she is free of any legal ties to the Sony Music Entertainment record label. Hugely popular just a couple of years ago, things went sour with her management agency and Sony, and her career was put on hold while they tried to unwrangle the legal mess. She had talks with the giant Yoshimoto agency but it was said they backed out when Suzuki’s side demanded too much money.

• Mori Hosachi (28), the fastest ever to become a Takarazuka top star, is to make her debut as a TV regular in the long-running “Hagure Keiji” detective series. The show has aired on TV Asahi for the last 15 years.

• Actor Nishida Toshiyuki (55) has been released from hospital, 9 kilos lighter, after having suffered a heart seizure several weeks ago.