Japanese Entertainment News & Info HERE! [part II]

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Suicide Ali, GPKism, LM.C in U.S., Miyavi in Paris
Sat, June 7, 2008 (3:05am EDT)

Music website JaME has recently reported on a few upcoming overseas performances by visual-kei artists.



According to promoter Tainted Reality, Suicide Ali will debut in the U.S. during the November 7-9 weekend at the Pacific Media Expo in Los Angeles. That same weekend, GPKism will also have their U.S. debut at Nekocon 11 in Virginia.



Before that, LM.C will be visiting Los Angeles for their American debut in July, participating in the Battle of the Bands at Anime Expo on July 3. GaGaalinG has already been announced as another participating band. After LM.C's appearance at AX, they are reportedly playing another Los Angeles show on July 5 at Crash Mansion.



Last but not least, Miyavi has announced another appearance in Paris. He already scheduled a July 6 show at the L'Olympia as part of his world tour, but he will also be turning up at the Laforet Harajuku Collection '08 fashion show on July 5, which is part of the Japan Expo.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Remioromen sings Olympic theme song for Fuji TV
Sat, June 7, 2008 (4:33pm EDT)



Remioromen's next single is being used by Fuji TV as the official theme song of their Olympic Games coverage. The song, a ballad titled "Motto Tooku e," will be released on July 30.

The single's B-side is "Orchestra," which is also tied in to the Olympics. It will be used as a support song by the Japanese branch of Coca-Cola, which is one of the Olympics' sponsors this year.

Remioromen also plans to release a new album by the end of the year.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Kaseifu wa Mita!" coming to an end
Sat, June 7, 2008 (6:01pm EDT)

"Kaseifu wa Mita!," a long-running drama that is part of TV Asahi's "Doyo Wide Gekijo" (Saturdays 9:00pm), is coming to a close this year. The show has had roughly one episode a year in that time slot since 1983, with all of them starring actress Etsuko Ichihara as a temp housekeeper assigned to upper class households. So far, the 25 single episodes have averaged a 21.5% rating. The drama was also given an 11-episode series in a different time slot in the fall of 1997.

The 26th and final episode on "Doyo Wide Gekijo" will air on July 12. Shiro Sano and Rino Katase have also been cast.

Ichihara, who is now 72 years old, was also the star of another long-lasting drama, "Obasan Deka Sakura Otome no Jikencho." It had 15 episodes between 1994 and its end last September.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Oricon: high school fashion role models
Sun, June 8, 2008 (12:31am EDT)

Last month, Oricon surveyed a group of high schoolers to find out which celebrities they currently admire in terms of fashion.



The favorite among girls was singer Kaela Kimura, noted for her unique and original style. Tied at #2 were Ayumi Hamasaki, who tends to be a trend-setter, and talento Becky, popular for her colorful and showy clothes. Rounding out the top 5 were Miho Tanaka and Yuri Ebihara.



The high school boys that were surveyed had Takuya Kimura at the top of the list, with many saying that he looks cool no matter what he's wearing. Hyde's fashion sense earned him the #2 spot, while Tsuyoshi Domoto, Mocomichi Hayami, and Joe Odagiri had a three-way tie at third.

High school fashion role models (female):

1) Kaela Kimura
2) Ayumi Hamasaki
3) Becky
4) Miho Tanaka
5) Yuri Ebihara

High school fashion role models (male):

1) Takuya Kimura (SMAP)
2) Hyde (L'Arc~en~Ciel)
3) Tsuyoshi Dohmoto (KinKi Kids)
3) Mocomichi Hayami
3) Joe Odagiri

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Perfume & Porno team up for music video
Sun, June 8, 2008 (1:56am EDT)



Electropop unit Perfume is making a special appearance in the music video for Porno Graffiti's latest song, "Itai Tachi Ichi." Porno Graffiti offered the collaboration to the young trio, who belong to the same management agency (Amuse) and are currently riding a wave of success.

"Itai Tachi Ichi" is a song about love, told from the perspective of the opposite sexes. The music video is set in a cabaret club-like live house, where the two members of Porno Graffiti are singing on stage while Perfume is seated in the audience. The three girls also sing some of the lyrics in the video, though the CD version of the song is sung entirely by Porno vocalist Akihito Okano.

The single is being released on June 25.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Acid Black Cherry collaborates with online game
Sun, June 8, 2008 (2:09am EDT)



Acid Black Cherry, the solo project of Janne Da Arc's yasu, is taking a stab at designing for a video game. The project is a collaboration with the online multiplayer game "Monster Hunter Frontier." yasu has created a special gunlance (a type of weapon) that will be given away to players who buy the Chaku-Uta Full version of one of five songs, including "SPELL MAGIC" and "Fuyu no Maboroshi." The promotional campaign starts on July 2, though more details will be revealed later this month.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Makoto Ogawa returns to showbiz armed with English
Sat, June 7, 2008 (2:46am EDT)



20-year-old Makoto Ogawa is returning to television after almost two years of being away from show business. She graduated from Morning Musume in August 2006 to pursue language studies overseas, and she is now said to be very skilled in English.

Ogawa made a surprise return during the taping of this Sunday's (June 8) episode of "Haromoni." Reunited with some of her former groupmates, she demonstrated her fluency by speaking mostly in English, joking that she had almost forgotten Japanese. She was studying in Auckland, New Zealand, between December 2006 and this past April. She attended language school five days a week, though she also took dance lessons after classes.

Ogawa reportedly scored 730 out of a possible 990 on the TOEIC, an international test used to measure the English ability of non-native speakers. She also devoted her time to other studies, taking the TECSOL course (which trains people in teaching English to children as a second language) and gaining some qualifications as a barista (someone knowledgeable in coffee drinks).

Like talento Lou Oshiba, Ogawa may soon build a reputation for freely mixing English and Japanese in conversation. She says she is currently aiming to become a popular variety show personality.

Source: www.tokyoraph.com

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X Japan suspends international tour due to Yoshiki's health
Sun, June 8, 2008 (5:46pm EDT)



Yesterday, it was reported that musician Yoshiki has suddenly canceled a scheduled visit to Korea and Taiwan, but the reason was unknown at the time. Today, it was learned that Yoshiki is currently suffering from some health problems, and as a result, X Japan's international concerts have been indefinitely postponed.

Yoshiki has been suffering from chronic disc herniation (also known as a "slipped disc") in his neck and is also experiencing tendinitis. For several years, he has been medically advised to wear a corset during his concerts to help address the problem, though he disregarded that advice for X Japan's reunion concerts at the Tokyo Dome in March. Despite suffering a separate injury during the first of those shows, he continued his energetic performances, and at the hide memorial event in May, he re-triggered the herniated disc.

According to one source, Yoshiki is at home in Los Angeles receiving medical treatment and is mostly immobilized. The extent of the injury this time is said to be serious. Yoshiki has previously had to take extended time off due to his condition, spending half a year in recovery in 1990 and nine months in 1996.

X Japan had scheduled concerts for Paris (July 5), Taiwan (August 2), and New York (September 13), with additional shows being planned. However, ticket sales have now been stopped. It is not yet known if and when the shows will be rescheduled.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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In a relatively rare occurrence, new live-action features from Japan's three major movie studios opened on the same weekend. Toho released "The Magic Hour," directed by Mitani Koki; Shochiku countered with "Tsukiji Uogashi Sandaime," starring Osawa Takao and based on a popular manga; while Toei's money is on "Kamisama no Pazuru," directed by the prolific Miike Takashi and produced by the flamboyant mogul Kadokawa Haruki. The studios each release up to a couple of dozen movies a year, but it's been a year and a half since they went competed directly against each other on an opening weekend. The timing is no doubt an attempt to keep the market lively during what is usually an off-peak time between Golden Week and the summer vacation. Hitmaker Mitani and his star Sato Koji (47) have been backing up a massive advertising campaign with appearances on 96 TV shows, 15 radio shows, and 47 newspaper and magazine interviews.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Popular rock band L'Arc En Ciel finished up their "world tour" at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka yesterday. The name "L'7 Trans Asia via Paris" sums up the scope of the tour but it was a big enough project that it gets its own DVD. Along with the new single "Nexus 4/Shine," it's due out on August 27 and fans of the band's live performance will have to make do with the DVD for some time. Guitarist ken and vocalist Hyde shocked yesterday's audience when they said the band wouldn't be playing live again until 2011, when they mark their 20th anniversary.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Popular rock band L'Arc En Ciel finished up their "world tour" at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka yesterday. The name "L'7 Trans Asia via Paris" sums up the scope of the tour but it was a big enough project that it gets its own DVD. Along with the new single "Nexus 4/Shine," it's due out on August 27 and fans of the band's live performance will have to make do with the DVD for some time. Guitarist ken and vocalist Hyde shocked yesterday's audience when they said the band wouldn't be playing live again until 2011, when they mark their 20th anniversary.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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NHK announced yesterday that they are to make a drama based on the Snow Brand tainted meat scandal that shook Japan back in 2002. The case was groundbreaking in that it was a rare incidence of a whistleblower exposing corporate wrongdoing. Mizutani Yoichi, president of a refrigerated storage company, exposed the fact that Snow Brand were relabelling foreign meat in order to qualify for government compensation for mad cow disease. The action led not only to resignations at the major food producer but also to the closure of Mizutani's company. Only through extensive lobbying of public support did he get the business back on its feet in 2004. The new drama will focus on Mizutani's story, with top actor Takenaka Naoto (52) in the lead role. The drama will air on July 30.



Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Currently riding a wave of popularity, comedienne Edo Harumi is to have her first regular drama role. She will play a head nurse in the TBS medical drama "Tomorrow." The drama series features top stars Takenouchi Yutaka (37) and Kanno Miho (32) together for the first time and will air on Sunday nights from July 6.

Source: www.japan-zone.com

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Sorimachi wins lottery in new drama series
Mon, June 9, 2008 (12:14am EDT)

In July, TV Asahi is starting a new drama series titled "Loto 6 de 3 Oku 2 Senmanen Ateta Otoko," which tells the story of a man whose life completely changes when he unexpectedly wins 320 million yen in a lottery. The show is based on the true story of a lottery winner, which started out as a blog and was later turned into a book.



Takashi Sorimachi stars as Satoru Tachibana, an advertising firm employee slaving away under a younger boss for a meager salary. With a pachinko habit, no savings, and no prospects of romance since his divorce, Tachibana is left wondering what the future holds for him.

One day, he desperately enters a lottery, trying to make enough money to pay for his child support, but his sense of self-disgust kicks in. However, his curiosity gets the better of him, and he later discovers that the ticket is a winner, turning him into a millionaire overnight.

TV Asahi will broadcast the series on Friday nights at 9:00pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Kamen Rider Den-O" comes back with a spinoff
Mon, June 9, 2008 (11:03am EDT)



"Kamen Rider Den-O" fans are getting a little more out of the franchise this summer, through a series of short clips being labeled as a "spinoff" project. Titled "Momotaros no Makkakkajo no Ou," the comedic series consists of 3 one-minute episodes and 1 two-minute episode, all revolving around the character Momotaros.

The first three episodes will air at the end of the "Kamen Rider Kiva" broadcasts on July 20, July 27, and August 3. The two-minute conclusion can be seen as a bonus at the end of the movie "Kamen Rider Kiva: Makaijo no Ou," which opens in Japan on August 9.

"Den-O" has had exceptional popularity, being the first "Kamen Rider" series since 1988 to be made into two movies.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Junior Chihara in a new relationship
Mon, June 9, 2008 (11:05am EDT)

34-year-old comedian Junior Chihara has recently started a new relationship, it was revealed on Sunday. His girlfriend is a model-like beauty in her twenties, and she has been often seen at Chihara's apartment since about a month ago.

Chihara was previously dating actress Yuki Uchida (32). Their relationship was first reported in April 2007 and it seemed to be serious, but they apparently broke up earlier this spring, said to be caused by Uchida wanting to focus on her own career.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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"Ghost in the Shell" returning to theaters in digital form
Mon, June 9, 2008 (12:10am EDT)



Mamoru Oshii's 1995 animated film "Ghost in the Shell" is coming back to theaters in Japan, starting on July 12. While the story has not changed, the movie has been entirely converted to digital format and relabeled as "Ghost in the Shell 2.0" to signify the visual upgrade.

The film's audio track has also been updated to 6.1 surround sound, done in collaboration with Lucasfilm's Skywalker Sound division.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Hey! Say! JUMP sings for "Kung Fu Panda"
Tue, June 10, 2008 (12:29am EDT)



Hey! Say! JUMP has their first movie tie-in with their new tune, "Your Seed." It is being used as the image song for the Japanese version of the animated film "Kung Fu Panda," which opens on July 26. "Your Seed" will play during the credits and in the film's television commercials.

The CD single goes on sale July 23.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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DCT, ELT collaborate for music video
Tue, June 10, 2008 (12:49am EDT)



Two of Japan's top artists have come together to collaborate on a music video. Kaori Mochida of Every Little Thing will be starring in the video for Dreams Come True's "MERRY-LIFE-GOES-ROUND," which is being sold as a single on June 25.

The members of Dreams Come True will not be seen in the video, making it an unprecedented case of one musician being the sole star of another artist's PV. Mochida will be singing, with part of it done a cappella. However, her version will not be available on the CD release.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

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Detroit Metal City to release a single
Tue, June 10, 2008 (1:04am EDT)

Two songs from the upcoming "Detroit Metal City" movie are being released together as a single on August 6. The first track will be the metal tune "SATSUGAI" (sung by Kenichi Matsuyama as Johannes Krauser II) while the second is the love song [b"Amai Koibito" (sung by Matsuyama as Soichi Negishi).

The first edition of the single will come with a movie trailer on DVD and a tattoo seal in Matsuyama's handwriting.

The "Detroit Metal City" movie is opening in theaters on August 23.

Source: www.tokyograph.com