Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

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Anna Tsuchiya frolicks with elephant in Shiseido's new sunblock commercial

Thursday 19th March, 03:00 AM JST



TOKYO —

Cosmetics giant Shiseido announced this week that singer/actress/model Anna Tsuchiya, 25, will be the face and body for their ANESSA sunblock range in 2009. Shiseido has employed various actresses and models to promote the ANESSA range in the past, and featured Yuri Ebihara, 29, popularly known as Ebi-chan, 29, in its advertisements for the last four years.

The new commercial will see Tsuchiya in a racy orange two-piece swimsuit as she rides an elephant and frolicks on the beach in Thailand, all the while showing her strength against the UV rays above. Tsuchiya said she got along with the elephant well, and they played around like they were long-time friends.

The new commercial will air from Sunday.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Chinese gov't promotes animated films at Tokyo event

Thursday 19th March, 03:59 AM JST

TOKYO —

A rare Chinese government booth to promote the country’s animated films is among the stands set up by around 250 organizations from 12 economies plus Japan at the Tokyo International Anime Fair, which kicked off Wednesday.

The Chinese Culture Ministry, which has set up the booth in the first government-led project to promote animated films in Japan, said it will screen about 60 films during the four-day event at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center, which the organizer expects to draw 130,000 visitors. The Chinese films will include ‘&#8216leasant Goat and Big Big Wolf,’’ a smash hit in the country, ‘‘Meihouwang,’’ ‘‘Storm Rider’’ and ‘&#8216rince of Tennis,’’ a story inspired by a Japanese manga comic of the same title.

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Taichi Kokubun becomes a sportscaster
Thu, March 19, 2009 (12:59am EDT)



Starting this April, TOKIO member Taichi Kokubun (34), will become a caster for Fuji TV's sports program "Sport!" This is his first appointment as a sportscaster.

Kokubun was even given the title of "Editor-in-Chief" on his business card, to be used for on-the-spot coverage. Known as a sports lover, he was extremely enthused about the opportunity. "It's like a dream!"

The show, which has been on the air since 2001, is undergoing a renewal next month. Kokubun's first appearance will be on April 4, one day after the opening for both of Japan's professional baseball leagues.

"Sport!" is just one of a few new appointments for Kokubun. As of next month, he will be a regular on 7 television programs and 2 radio shows, plus 2 more television shows as part of TOKIO. With his TV appearances, he will be visible on all five of the major networks.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Younha returns with a movie and a theme song
Thu, March 19, 2009 (2:52am EDT)



Korean singer Younha is back with a new song, which is being used as the theme in her movie "Kondo no Nichiyoubi ni." Directed by Satoshi Kenmochi, the film is based on a script that won the Angel Award. Past award winners include "Linda Linda Linda," "Zenzen Daijoubu," and "Funuke Domo, Kanashimi no Ai wo Misero."



The film is a human drama starring Somegoro Ichikawa and Younha. Younha plays Sora, a Korean high schooler. She chases after a boy she likes who has moved to Japan for college, but after she gets there, she discovers that he has returned to Korea due to family circumstances. She remains in Japan, but things eventually end in heartbreak for Sora. Shortly after, she runs into an odd man called Matsumoto (Ichikawa), who works multiple jobs to pay off his debts but also spends his time gathering discarded glass bottles. With her video camera, she begins documenting Matsumoto and his bottles, and in the process, she regains her lost smile.

Younha's song, titled "Niji no Mukougawa," was written specifically for the film. It is being included on the original soundtrack, which goes on sale on March 25th. The soundtrack also includes a song called "Visit of love" by Sachi Tainaka. The music video for "Niji no Mukougawa" can be seen here.

"Kondo no Nichiyoubi ni" begins playing in theaters on April 11.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Masato Sakai stars in film based on real-life marriage swindler
Thu, March 19, 2009 (3:25am EDT)



Actor Masato Sakai will be taking on the lead role in "Kuhio Taisa," the second feature-length film directed by Daihachi Yoshida ("Funuke Domo, Kanashimi no Ai wo Misero"). The movie is based on writer Kazumasa Yoshida's "Kekkon Sagishi Kuhio Taisa," a nonfictional account of a real-life marriage swindler in Japan who took a total of roughly 100 million yen from several women between the 1970s and the 1990s.

The model for Sakai's character is "Captain Kuhio," a Japanese man who passed himself off as a pilot for the U.S., telling grandiose lies to women and promising them a payout from the military if they married him. In Yoshida's movie, the character will be portrayed more humorously, making mistakes such as spelling errors on his own business card.



The film's female lead, one of Kuhio's targets, will be played by Yasuko Matsuyuki. Hikari Mitsushima and Yuko Nakamura play two of his other victims, while Masaaki Uchino plays a bureaucrat. Filming started on the 11th and is scheduled to last until mid-April. Theatrical release is planned for this fall.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Drama Grand Prix: "Kami no Shizuku" wins winter
Thu, March 19, 2009 (12:31am EDT)



In preparation for its annual Drama Grand Prix, Nikkan Sports already conducted voting for the 2009 winter season earlier this month. A total of 13,613 votes were collected. The big winner this time was NTV's "Kami no Shizuku," which starred KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi. The show picked up all four categories it was eligible for, leaving Miho Kanno to win for Best Actress.

Best Drama:

   1. Kami no Shizuku - 4376
   2. Uta no Oniisan - 3950
   3. Zeni Geba - 1207
   4. RESCUE - 876
   5. Voice - 864

Best Actor:

   1. Kazuya Kamenashi (Kami no Shizuku) - 4637
   2. Satoshi Ohno (Uta no Oniisan) - 4154
   3. Kenichi Matsuyama (Zeni Geba) - 1387
   4. Hiro Mizushima (Mei-chan no Shitsuji) - 625
   5. Yuichi Nakamaru (RESCUE) - 554

Best Actress:

   1. Miho Kanno (Kiina) - 5136
   2. Nana Eikura (Mei-chan no Shitsuji) - 2330
   3. Yukie Nakama (Arifureta Kiseki) - 2012
   4. Nao Minamisawa (Akai Ito) - 880
   5. Pinko Izumi (Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari) - 805

Best Supporting Actor:

   1. Seiichi Tanabe (Kami no Shizuku) - 2104
   2. Ryuhei Maruyama (Uta no Oniisan) - 1891
   3. Toma Ikuta (Voice) - 1782
   4. Takahisa Masuda (RESCUE) - 870
   5. Takeru Sato (Mei-chan no Shitsuji) - 844

Best Supporting Actress:

   1. Riisa Naka (Kami no Shizuku) - 2310
   2. Nana Katase (Uta no Oniisan) - 2007
   3. Yoshino Kimura (Uta no Oniisan) - 1464
   4. Mimura (Zeni Geba) - 919
   5. Satomi Ishihara (Voice) - 773

Voting for the annual awards will begin on the 23rd.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Junko Mihara has surgery for uterus cancer

Friday 20th March, 03:33 AM JST



TOKYO —

Actress Junko Mihara, 44, last year underwent surgery to completely remove her uterus due to uterus cancer, according to a report by weekly magazine Josei Seven. According to the magazine, the cancer was detected in March last year during a routine medical check. The magazine said that Mihara had the surgery in April, which is why she has not performed since then.

On her official blog, Mihara said Thursday, “I will not officially comment on this very private matter because I have recovered and I am fine now. However, I would like to encourage anyone suffering the same illness that it can be healed.”

Source: www.japantoday.com

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Ebi-chan happy to become 'sweet shrimp' for the right guy

Friday 20th March, 04:28 AM JST



TOKYO —

Popular model Yuri Ebihara, 29, attended an event this to announce her upcoming commercial for Japan’s biggest sugar producer and refiner, Mitsui Sugar Co, as it celebrates the 50th anniversary of its signature product “Spoon Jirushi.”

The commercial features Ebihara in a white dress and a red apron, flashing smiles in between the slogan “Sweet Smile with Spoon Sugar.” Asked ifthere was someone in her private life she smiles at so sweetly, she said: “There’s not, but if I meet the right guy, I will cover myself in sugar and become a sweet shrimp!”

The commercial will run from Friday until the end of the month.

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Judy and Mary to release complete singles collection
Fri, March 20, 2009 (2:47pm EDT)



Rock band Judy and Mary are releasing a limited-edition box set titled "15th Anniversary Complete Single Box," which will contain all 22 of the singles they released before their breakup in 2001.

The 22-disc collection includes all of the singles as individual CDs with their original tracklists. The singles that were originally released on 8cm discs have now been converted to full-size 12cm discs, accompanied by remade jackets. With the band's earlier releases now nearly impossible to find, this collection is a chance for newer fans to obtain Judy and Mary's rare B-sides. The box set is also being packaged with a T-shirt commemorating the band's 15th anniversary.

The "15th Anniversary Complete Single Box" is being released on August 5. Earlier this week, a Judy and Mary tribute album went on sale, featuring artists such as Ai Otsuka, Puffy, and HALCALI.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Tatsuya Ueda lands a drama role in "Konkatsu!"
Fri, March 20, 2009 (3:49pm EDT)



KAT-TUN's Tatsuya Ueda will appear in his first role on a television drama series. He has been announced as a cast member in Fuji TV's Monday night serial "Konkatsu!," which stars Masahiro Nakai0 and Aya Ueto.



The story revolves around a single salaryman in his mid-thirties (Nakai) who loses his job, and in order to find new work, he is forced to seek out a marriage partner. Ueda plays his younger brother.

The series begins on April 20.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Perfume to host "Chandelier House," "Music Japan"
Sat, March 21, 2009 (5:19pm EDT)



Electropop group Perfume will have a new show on NTV starting next month. Titled "Perfume no Chandelier House," the 30-minute program will feature short comedic skits performed by Perfume and a secret guest.

"Perfume no Chandelier House" will air on Saturday nights at 1:40am, starting on April 11. Their current late afternoon show, "Perfume no Kininaru Ko-chan," will be ending on March 28.

Perfume has also been chosen to co-host NHK's music show "MUSIC JAPAN," joining the current emcee Mari Sekine. Perfume's first appearance on the show will be on April 5.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Island brings Utada to Sephora
Sun, March 22, 2009 (5:29am EDT)



Island Def Jam recently announced that Hikaru Utada will be appearing at three Sephora stores in the U.S. to promote her new album, "This Is The One," which goes on sale digitally on the 24th.

The scheduled appearances are in Hollywood on March 24 (6-8pm), New York on March 25 (6-8pm), and Miami on March 27 (7-9pm).

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Maou" voted TVnavi's Drama of the Year
Sun, March 22, 2009 (5:17am EDT)



Readers of TVnavi magazine have cast their votes for 2008's Drama of the Year, and on Saturday it was announced that the winner is the TBS suspense series "Maou" that starred Satoshi Ohno and Toma Ikuta. Ohno also was named Best Actor for his role in that series.



Aoi Miyazaki was voted Best Actress for "Atsuhime." Best Supporting Actor and Actress went to Eita and Juri Ueno, who both appeared in Fuji TV's "Last Friends." In the Best Newcomer category, Ryosuke Yamada ("One-Pound Gospel," "Scrap Teacher") and Manami Higa ("Code Blue") received the most votes.



Source: www.tokyograph.com

[ Last edited by  whitedove at 25-3-2009 17:49 ]

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Hitoshi Matsumoto's next film is "Symbol"
Sun, March 22, 2009 (5:02am EDT)



On Thursday at the Okinawa International Movie Festival, comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto (of Downtown) held a press conference for his next film. The piece is titled "Symbol" ("Shinboru") and like "Dainipponjin," Matsumoto is taking on the roles of screenwriter, director, and lead actor.

Filming took about four months starting at the end of last September, and the movie is currently in editing. Matsumoto is planning for theatrical release this coming September, but he hopes to have the film done in time for a possible screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

According to Matsumoto during the press conference, "Symbol" is about an imprisoned man who plans his escape but is caught up in various incidents. He also remarked that the film does not really have any cast members other than himself.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Jinnai's Wayward Ways Led to Talk of Divorce
       
March 20, 2009



All the media buzz over the last 24 hours has been about the divorce of actress Fujiwara Norika (37) and comedian Jinnai Tomonori (35). Fujiwara is currently on location in Africa, so the spotlight has fallen squarely on Jinnai. In a statement yesterday, he flatly denied a rumor that the cause of the split was domestic violence. Insisting that the blame lay completely on his shoulders he said that they were trying to patch things up. Speaking to reporters, Fujiwara's mother was in tears as she her daughter had made every effort to make their relationship work, changing her schedule to suit her husband's and even cooking his favorite food. Then she dropped a bombshell when she said that Jinnai had been having affairs for about the last year. She refused to go into further detail, telling reporters they should ask him directly. She did say, "She's an entertainer's wife, so she could put up with two or three (affairs). She's a generous type." But after Norika finished a stage production last month, she returned to her family home in Kobe and said to her mother, "Mom, I'm sorry. I tried to keep it all secret, but I just can't take it anymore." The divorce has not been formalized yet, but both parties are said to have stamped their seals on the paperwork and it simply needs to be registered at the municipal office. Fujiwara will no doubt have come under intense media attention on her arrival back from Africa.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Japan has just defeated the United States 9-4 in the second semi-final of the World Baseball Classic to set up yet another clash against their Asian arch-rivals South Korea. The Americans had won four in a row against Japan, including the bronze medal game at the Beijing Olympics. Japan starter Matsuzaka Daisuke was less than dominant but remains unbeaten at the WBC, where he was named MVP in 2006. Japan and Korea will face each other for the fifth time in this tournament, where they have a 2-2 record. Last Friday's matchup pulled in a huge audience rating that peaked at over 48% in the Kanto region. It helped that Friday was a national holiday and that Japan managed to beat the Koreans again to set up today's semi-final game against the U.S. Despite Friday's loss, the Koreans already had one of the other spots in the semis, where they easily defeated Venezuela on Saturday.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Yesterday's Tokyo Marathon was a good day for some of the 35,000 runners, but not so for others. 65-year-old Kusuda Akinori set a new Guinness World Record in the event, though not by actually winning it. His amazing feat was to have completed 52 marathons on consecutive days. His record-breaking run began on January 30 when he finished a 42.195-kilometer run in his local park. Friends and fellow joggers helped him keep track of his ongoing feat over the course of nearly two months.



Meanwhile the event also featured many celebrity runners, of whom comedian Matsumura Kunihiro (41) probably had the worst day. The overweight impersonator suffered cardiac and respiratory arrest after the 10km mark and was resuscitated by paramedics, who took him to hospital. He is said not to be in a life-threatening condition. Matsumura, a popular figure on the variety show circuit, was taking part in the race for a show on the local-access Tokyo MX TV. A company staffer was running alongside him as he ran in his third marathon attempt - he dropped out at the 35km mark last year as he went over the time limit. Among those who did finish the race were newscaster Miyane Seiji (45). But he didn't manage to beat his target time of four and a half hours, so he now has to keep a promise and shave his head. In a matchup of politicians, Miyazaki governor Higashikokubaru Hideo (51) finished ahead of Diet member Suzuki Muneo (61).

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Eriko Tamura interviewed about “Dragon Ball Evolution”

March 22, 2009 by Dennis Amith



In a recent article for Daily Yomiuri written by Ikuko Kitagawa, Kitagawa interviews actress Eriko Tamura who plays Mai for the upcoming film “Dragon Ball Evolution”.  Here is an excerpt from the article:

Being cast in a crucial role for Dragonball Evolution has certainly been a boon for the career of Eriko Tamura, a former idol who decided a decade ago to establish herself as a Hollywood actress.

With limited demand for Asian actors–especially nonnative English speakers such as Tamura–in Hollywood, the chance for a nonstar like herself to be cast in the role of sexy villainess was a rare one, the actress explained.

“Action films are really popular in the United States, and the role of sexy villainess is one that any actress–not just an Asian–would love to fill,” Tamura told The Daily Yomiuri during a promotional visit to Tokyo for the live-action Dragonball film. In the film, Tamura plays the sexy Mai, who is on the trail of the lead character, Goku (Justin Chatwin), under orders from Lord Piccolo.

“Over the eight years that I’ve been in Hollywood, I have noticed that the types of roles Japanese actors get tend to be otaku or costume-heavy idols,” said Tamura, who had a role in the popular U.S. TV show Heroes as a love interest of Hiro (Masi Oka), himself an otaku. “That trend has definitely started to change, though.”

The movie is based on the immensely popular Dragonball manga and anime series by Akira Toriyama. With the added title of “Evolution,” Toriyama is urging his fans to consider this film in a “different category” than the original series. Director James Wong’s Dragonball Evolution only follows the basic plot–Goku’s search for the seven balls that will make his dreams come true–while the other details (characters, nationalities and setting) bear no resemblance. Goku has been recast as a geeky American high-schooler trained by his Asian grandfather, while Goku’s trainer Kamesennin is not the bald old lecherous man of the comics, but instead a handsome middle-aged man portrayed by Chow Yun Fat.

Although the drastic changes may confuse the series’ fanbase, the whole concept of the casting, according to Tamura, was to be “international.”

“When I heard Dragonball would be made into a movie, I, as a fan of the manga, was so excited and happy. At the same time, I thought the cast of an American version of the story wouldn’t need to be populated by Japanese,” she said.

But she later heard the film was being cast to reflect racial diversity, which spurred her to try out for a role. After worldwide auditions, Tamura was chosen to play the cold-hearted, sexy fighter.

“Mai was not originally planned as an Asian role, meaning the director was not looking particularly for an Asian. And that means a lot to me,” Tamura said.

Source: www.nt2099.com/J-ENT

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Shiori Kutsuna stars in drama series
Mon, March 23, 2009 (12:22am EDT)



Teen actress Shiori Kutsuna (16) will have her first starring role in a drama series this spring. The show, a suspense-comedy titled "7 Mannin Tantei Nitobe," is the second original drama for the satellite channel BS Asahi.

Kutsuna plays the part of Tsugumi Nitobe, an ordinary college student who works at an apparel shop. She doesn't spend much time with friends, but with the fastest mobile phone typing speed in Japan, she is active on a mobile site with 70,000 members. By chance, she comes across various murder scenes, and with the advice and encouragement of the site's members, she solves the different cases.

Kutsuna has been the current Pocky Princess since last year. She was chosen as the heroine of Yuichi Sato's film "Shugotenshi," which opens in June, and she has also been cast in Fuji TV's drama series "Majo Saiban," which starts in April.



Seiji Rokkaku and Kotaro Tanaka have also been cast in "7 Mannin Tantei Nitobe." Broadcast is scheduled for Thursdays at 11pm, beginning on April 23.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Kamogawa Horumo" wins at OIMF
Mon, March 23, 2009 (2:38am EDT)

On Sunday, Katsuhide Motoki's latest film, "Kamogawa Horumo," took the grand prize at the Okinawa International Movie Festival. A total of eight films competed for the Golden Shisa, but it was Motoki's adaptation of the Manabu Makime novel that emerged victorious, winning 5 million yen in prize money.



"Kamogawa Horumo" stars Takayuki Yamada and Chiaki Kuriyama in a coming-of-age comedy in which university students battle against each other using spirits known as shikigami. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on April 18.

The comedy-focused festival, organized by Yoshimoto Kogyo, also awarded the Uminchusho, chosen by audience voting. The prize went to the Korean film "Unstoppable Marriage," directed by Kim Sung Wook.

Source: www.tokyograph.xom