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Pistol Valve to be first Japanese artist to play at Abbey Road
Sat, January 26, 2008 (5:32pm EST)



The 10-girl band Pistol Valve will become the first Japanese artists to perform at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. They will be one of several groups participating in a live event on February 21.

Pistol Valve started gaining international attention last year when they toured the U.S. in March and released an American album in July, which ranked #15 on Billboard's internet albums chart.

On February 15, Pistol Valve is starting a Europe tour that will take them to 7 cities in France, Germany, and England. The Abbey Road Studios performance is scheduled the day before their other London concert.

The Abbey Road event, being held for the 3rd time, is organized by XM Satellite Radio. This year, it is bringing together 10 artists with international prospects.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Kobayashi, Yasuda honored as "bridal princesses"
Sat, January 26, 2008 (6:53pm EST)



On Friday, the 19th International Jewellery Tokyo presented its second annual Bridal Jewelry Princess awards, which are given to celebrities who have helped promote bridal jewelry. This year's awardees were Mao Kobayashi and Misako Yasuda.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Horikita, Fujiwara star in drama special about Tokyo bombing
Sun, January 27, 2008 (7:59pm EST)

NTV is producing a two-night drama special titled "Tokyo Daikushu," which is a phrase referring to the bombings on Tokyo during World War II. The story will focus on two young pairs and their painful love.



The main couple will be a woman (Maki Horikita) whose father's factory is bombed and a man (Tatsuya Fujiwara) who stops her when she tries to rescue her father from the fire. They meet again a few years later when the woman is working as a nurse and the man is brought in as a patient with a heart condition. The second couple is a Korean man (Eita) and another nurse (Yuki Shibamoto).



The drama has been in planning for two years. Involved in the project are art director Takeo Kimura, who was fortunate enough to escape the bombings, and essayist Kayoko Ebina, who lost her family in the bombings.

NTV will broadcast the drama on March 17-18.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Kenichi Okamoto divorced since last year
Sun, January 27, 2008 (8:20pm EST)



Actor Kenichi Okamoto, once a member of the Johnny's unit Otokogumi, has been divorced since last spring, it was learned on Sunday. The news was reported in the latest issue of Shukan Gendai, which goes on sale Monday.

In 1992, Okamoto married Katsue Nishi, who was a model at the time. The following year, they gave birth to their son Keito, who recently debuted as a member of Hey! Say! JUMP.

According to the magazine, one of the couple's friends explained that the two had conflicting views of parenting, which strained their relationship. For example, Okamoto encouraged their son studying abroad in England when he was only 9, while Nishi was apprehensive about it.

Okamoto's management confirmed the divorce, but explained that they did not make a public announcement out of respect for the couple's privacy. Okamoto reportedly has custody of Keito.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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v-u-den to disband in June
Sat, January 26, 2008 (3:09pm EST)



Hello! Project trio v-u-den is disbanding at the end of their tour in June. They delivered the surprising announcement to their fans during a concert at Yokohama Arena on Saturday.

According to an official announcement, the decision to break up was partly timed to coincide with member Yui Okada turning 20 this past December. As leader Rika Ishikawa mentioned on stage, the three members will each be moving on to their "next step."

Ishikawa is remaining with Ongaku Gatas, while Okada and Miyoshi are reportedly starting solo activities within Hello! Project.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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[JAPAN] Kaneshiro Takeshi and Konishi Manami promote 揝weet Rain Shinagami no Seido擺/b]



Kaneshiro Takeshi (34) and Konishi Manami promoted their film 揝weet Rain Shinagami no Seido擺/b] at a press conference on Jan. 27th. The film is to be released on March 22nd in Japan.

Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT

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[JAPAN] DREAMS COME TRUE collaborates with ONE PIECE anime



Japanese pop group DREAMS COME TRUE will be collaborating with the popular ONE PIECE anime with 揗ata Ne擺/b] (UPCH-80061) which will be used for the upcoming ONE PIECE film titled 揙ne Piece Episode Of Chopper Plus Fuyu ni Saku, Kiseki no Sakura擺/b].

The CD single抯 cover art which features the characters of 揙ne Piece

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[JAPAN] Hoshino Aki promotes 揃ee Movie擺/b]



Mainichi Daily News reported, 揙n Jan. 21, pin-up idol Aki Hoshinoattracted audience attention as she appeared in a bee costume for a preview of the animated film 揃ee Movie.

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Charts: ZARD returns, RADWIMPS arrive
Wed, January 30, 2008 (4:56am EST)



The newest ZARD compilation, "ZARD Request Best ~beautiful memory~," ranked 1st on the charts this past week, selling more than 126,000 copies. The two-disc release features 30 songs from ZARD's discography, chosen by fans' votes. This is the group's 11th time at the top, tying with DREAMS COME TRUE for the most number-one albums by a female vocal group.

Following up on their #1 single the previous week, TVXQ entered the album charts at #4 with "T," which saw over 52,000 in sales. Meanwhile, R&B group COLOR came in at #6, followed closely by SOUL'd OUT. THE BACK HORN's best album also made the charts at #10.



On the singles side, rock band RADWIMPS finally achieved their first #1 release with "Order Made," which sold more than 73,000 copies. They were joined in the Top 10 by a flood of new releases, including Ketsumeishi at #2 with their theme to the movie "Kagehinata ni Saku" and R&B artist Thelma Aoyama at #3. Other entries were Kumi Koda, MATCHY with QUESTION? (Masahiko Kondo's first Top 5 single in almost 12 years), AKB48, Kalafina, and Idoling!!!

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Nihon University student crowned Miss Nippon
Mon, January 28, 2008 (4:23pm EST)

The final round of the 40th Miss Nippon Contest was held in Tokyo on Monday. This year's Grand Prix winner, chosen from a total of 2,941 contestants, was 20-year-old Eri Suzuki, a second-year student in the college of humanities and sciences at Nihon University.

The Sponichi Special Prize, decided through online voting, went to 21-year-old Asami Okada, a student of Kumamoto University. She received more than 7,000 of the approximately 50,000 votes cast. Slim Beauty House gave out a special award of its own, presented to 21-year-old Mai Zuiki.

In addition to the Sponichi award, Okada was crowned Miss Nature. The other award winners were:

Miss Kimono: Yukimi Ishii, 22 Miss Sky Day: Natsumi Yagi, 20 Miss Marine Day: Nao Tokou, 17.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"SP" finale gets high ratings
Mon, January 28, 2008 (4:40pm EST)

The final episode of Fuji TV's drama series "SP" aired on Saturday, and according to Video Research Ltd., it had viewer ratings of 18.9%. This is the highest in recent history for a late-night drama, surpassing "LIFE" (17.4%) and "Tokumei Kakarichou Tadano Hitoshi 3" (17.0%). The series has also outperformed most of the prime-time dramas last season and this season.

It was announced last week that the show will get a prime-time special on April 5.

Source: www.tokygraph.com

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Possible romance between Kawakami, Takasugi
Mon, January 28, 2008 (6:09pm EST)



41-year-old actress Maiko Kawakami and 29-year-old actor Mizuho Takasugi are rumored to be dating. The current issue of Josei Jishin took pictures of the two that suggest a romantic relationship.

Earlier this month, both attended a New Year's party at a Korean restaurant. They had some drinks and were seen being intimately close. After the after-party, they both went back to Kawakami's apartment early in the morning.

Kawakami's management says it's a private matter and chose not to comment. Takasugi's agency denied the rumor, stating that the two are just friends.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Yuya Takahashi receives 18-month sentence
Mon, January 28, 2008 (4:59am EST)



On Monday, singer Yuya Takahashi was sentenced to prison in his trial for drug possession. He was arrested in November for carrying stimulants. The prosecution sought a two-year term, but judges gave him 18 months instead.

Takahashi was previously arrested ten years ago for the same offense, while he was in high school. He was later arrested a second time and in 2001 received a two-year sentence, suspended for 5 years. This time, the judge explained that given Takahashi's record, he could not grant a suspended sentence again.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Toshiba ties in with "Kurosagi"
Tue, January 29, 2008 (3:30pm EST)

Toshiba has produced a new commercial tie-in with the "Kurosagi" movie, which opens on March 8. The TV commercial, promoting Toshiba's notebook computers, will feature scenes from the movie, while additional narration will be provided by Toshiba employees. It begins airing on the 30th.

Promotional flyers have also been made by the same collaboration. The two sides will carry the same design, featuring the film's star Tomohisa Yama$hita, though one side will say "Kurosagi" while the other says "Toshiba."

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Fujiki, Abukawa join "Ware wa Gogh ni Naru!" cast
Tue, January 29, 2008 (3:41pm EST)



Actor Naohito Fujiki and comedian Mihoko Abukawa have been announced as part of the main cast in Fuji TV's drama special "Ware wa Gogh ni Naru!" The production was revealed earlier this month, and it stars Hitori Gekidan and Yu Kashii as the famous woodblock artist Shiko Munakata and his wife.

Fujiki and Abukawa will play a couple who are friends with Munakata, though they become jealous of Munakata's talent.

The special was previously announced for broadcast this coming summer, but it is now being advertised for fall.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Tsukamoto starring in Sun Music's first film
Tue, January 29, 2008 (4:19pm EST)



Young actor Takashi Tsukamoto has been given his first starring movie role since he married last May and entered fatherhood. The film is titled "Yesterdays" and is being directed by Takashi Kubota. It is the first project planned and produced by management agency Sun Music, which launched its film production operations last year.

Tsukamoto plays a young man who learns that his estranged father (Jun Kunimura) has only three months left to live. He agrees to take on his father's last request - to find his former lover. In his search, he encounters a "time slip" and meets his father as a young man (Asahi Uchida), eventually gaining an understanding of his father's heart.



The supporting cast includes Noriko Sakai, Cunning Takeyama, Hiroshi, and Jun Fubuki. Filming is already under way and will be completed in time for a fall release.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Kou Shibasaki to release two best albums
Tue, January 29, 2008 (5:22pm EST)



Actress Kou Shibasaki has scheduled a simultaneous release of two best albums on March 12. Shibasaki made her singing debut in 2002 with "Trust my feelings" and has so far released 15 singles and 3 original albums.

"Single Best" will be a complete collection of her published singles, including "Tsuki no Shizuku" (released under the name RUI) and her most recent "KISS $hite" (a collaboration with Masaharu Fukuyama released under the name KOH+). The 15 songs have sold a total of approximately 4 million copies.

The second release, "The Back Best," will consist of B-sides and other songs from her previous albums.

Shibasaki held her first two live performances last August. She is currently considering more concerts for this summer.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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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 Yama#a Kiyoshi (1922-71).

Source: www.japan-zone.com