Entertainment news from Japan-zone.com-Your Guide to Japan and Japanese Culture:
July 9, 2007
Japan's main Live Earth event was held Saturday at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo. The only major problem was when fans rushed forward during the Linkin Park set, knocking over barricades and forcing the band to leave the stage for 15 minutes. Koda (photo, 24) was the main local artist and gave a typically dynamic performance (video footage here). In keeping with the global warming theme, she went with the hot pants look. The full lineup of for the 9-hour, 78-song show was: Genki Rockets, Rise, Ayaka, Otsuka Ai, Ai, Xzibit, Abingdon Boys School, Cocco, Linkin Park, Koda Kumi and Rihanna. A separate event was held at the Toji temple in Kyoto on Saturday night, featuring a one-time-only revival of Sakamoto Ryuichi's legendary band Yellow Magic Orchestra, Michael Nyman and Rip Slyme. Over the 24-hour period, shows were held in Sydney, Shanghai, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg and Rio de Janeiro.
• Talento Yasuda Misako (25) admitted yesterday that she and actor Kashiwabara Shuji (28) have split up. Appearing on the Sunday morning live show "Akko ni Omakase!", she revealed that they had broken up at the end of May. "He's a really kind guy and I respect him, but, well...love is difficult, isn't it?", she told the show's veteran hostess, Wada Akiko (57). Insisting she was over the split, she said it was a mutual decision. The pair met in 2005 when they co-starred in the movie adaptations of the popular manga "Luna Heights", and they started dating last summer.
• Talento Hasegawa Rie (33) is tight-lipped about her rumored romance with rapper Rino Latina II (33). Appearing Saturday at a PR event for Pedro Almodovar's latest movie "Volver" in a pink summer yukata, she refused to answer questions about the first reported romance since her split with actor Ishida Junichi (52) at the end of 2005.
• Traditional musicians ZAN recently performed at an event to promote the release of their U.S. debut album "Shiku". Featuring Kominato Akihisa (28) on vocals and shakuhachi, and Ichikawa Shin (31) on koto, the group had to overcome the April 2006 death of its leader Sunagawa Norikazu in a climbing accident. "Making our debut in the U.S. was a dream we all shared. We want the whole world to know about these wonderful Japanese musical instruments."
• Chubby talento Uchiyama Shinji (25) has admitted that he is currently embroiled in a court case with his ex-girlfriend. The 30-year-old woman, with whom he lived for eight years, has sued him for \500 million in compensation following their breakup as well as unpaid wages from her job at the company he runs. Their split is said to have resulted from Uchiyama's reported affair in January, though he has denied both the report and that the couple's relationship was a common-law marriage. He has also disputed her claim for wages, saying she was paid for her occasional work for "Mago no Te", a home nursing service.
Former Morning Musume Leader Iida Kaori to Wed
More Morning Musume scandals. When will it ever end?
July 10, 2007
Iida Kaori (25) is the latest former member of Morning Musume to have a shotgun wedding. The group's second leader is currently three months pregnant and planning to marry Kenji (28), former vocalist with the defunct rock band 7House, later this month. But she is still scheduled to appear in this summer's Hello! Project tour, a first for either a wife or an expectant mother. The show starts in Tokyo on August 11 and ends its run in Iida's hometown of Sapporo on September 1, after which she will take maternity leave. 7House, which debuted in 1999 but broke up three years later, was yet another brainchild of MoMus producer Tsunku (38). Romance between Iida and Kenji was reported in 1999 but flatly denied. After his band broke up, Kenji became a company employee and the two drifted apart. Iida left MoMus in January 2005 and has been exhibiting as an artist. The couple reportedly began dating again at the end of 2005 and started thinking about marriage last autumn.
• Two former members of Johnny's Jimusho boy band News have made their comeback. Uchi Hiroki (20) and Kusano Hironori (19) are appearing in this summer's "Playzone 2007", the annual musical production featuring veteran Johnny's group Shonentai, now in its 22nd year. The two youngsters were both dropped from News following separate underage drinking incidents, Uchi in 2005 and Kusano last year. Both are considered to have done their penance and are being given another chance. The show also features Uekusa Yuta (12), son of Shonentai member Uekusa Katsuhide (40). The show opened yesterday at the Aoyama Gekijo theater in central Tokyo, where it runs till mid-August.
• Actor Jerry Ito died of pneumonia on Sunday at his California home. He was 79. The U.S.-born son of Broadway dancer Ito Michio, he appeared in over a dozen Japanese movies including the kaiju classic Mothra (1961) and the manga adaptation Golgo 13 (1977).
• It was revealed yesterday that producer/musician Komuro Tetsuya (48) recently ended his 6-year relationship with the Yoshimoto Kogyo agency. Yoshimoto, best known for its huge stable of comedy acts, said that Komuro's contract finished at the end of June and the decision was amicable.
July 9, 2007
Japan's main Live Earth event was held Saturday at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo. The only major problem was when fans rushed forward during the Linkin Park set, knocking over barricades and forcing the band to leave the stage for 15 minutes. Koda (photo, 24) was the main local artist and gave a typically dynamic performance (video footage here). In keeping with the global warming theme, she went with the hot pants look. The full lineup of for the 9-hour, 78-song show was: Genki Rockets, Rise, Ayaka, Otsuka Ai, Ai, Xzibit, Abingdon Boys School, Cocco, Linkin Park, Koda Kumi and Rihanna. A separate event was held at the Toji temple in Kyoto on Saturday night, featuring a one-time-only revival of Sakamoto Ryuichi's legendary band Yellow Magic Orchestra, Michael Nyman and Rip Slyme. Over the 24-hour period, shows were held in Sydney, Shanghai, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg and Rio de Janeiro.
• Talento Yasuda Misako (25) admitted yesterday that she and actor Kashiwabara Shuji (28) have split up. Appearing on the Sunday morning live show "Akko ni Omakase!", she revealed that they had broken up at the end of May. "He's a really kind guy and I respect him, but, well...love is difficult, isn't it?", she told the show's veteran hostess, Wada Akiko (57). Insisting she was over the split, she said it was a mutual decision. The pair met in 2005 when they co-starred in the movie adaptations of the popular manga "Luna Heights", and they started dating last summer.
• Talento Hasegawa Rie (33) is tight-lipped about her rumored romance with rapper Rino Latina II (33). Appearing Saturday at a PR event for Pedro Almodovar's latest movie "Volver" in a pink summer yukata, she refused to answer questions about the first reported romance since her split with actor Ishida Junichi (52) at the end of 2005.
• Traditional musicians ZAN recently performed at an event to promote the release of their U.S. debut album "Shiku". Featuring Kominato Akihisa (28) on vocals and shakuhachi, and Ichikawa Shin (31) on koto, the group had to overcome the April 2006 death of its leader Sunagawa Norikazu in a climbing accident. "Making our debut in the U.S. was a dream we all shared. We want the whole world to know about these wonderful Japanese musical instruments."
• Chubby talento Uchiyama Shinji (25) has admitted that he is currently embroiled in a court case with his ex-girlfriend. The 30-year-old woman, with whom he lived for eight years, has sued him for \500 million in compensation following their breakup as well as unpaid wages from her job at the company he runs. Their split is said to have resulted from Uchiyama's reported affair in January, though he has denied both the report and that the couple's relationship was a common-law marriage. He has also disputed her claim for wages, saying she was paid for her occasional work for "Mago no Te", a home nursing service.
Former Morning Musume Leader Iida Kaori to Wed
More Morning Musume scandals. When will it ever end?
July 10, 2007
Iida Kaori (25) is the latest former member of Morning Musume to have a shotgun wedding. The group's second leader is currently three months pregnant and planning to marry Kenji (28), former vocalist with the defunct rock band 7House, later this month. But she is still scheduled to appear in this summer's Hello! Project tour, a first for either a wife or an expectant mother. The show starts in Tokyo on August 11 and ends its run in Iida's hometown of Sapporo on September 1, after which she will take maternity leave. 7House, which debuted in 1999 but broke up three years later, was yet another brainchild of MoMus producer Tsunku (38). Romance between Iida and Kenji was reported in 1999 but flatly denied. After his band broke up, Kenji became a company employee and the two drifted apart. Iida left MoMus in January 2005 and has been exhibiting as an artist. The couple reportedly began dating again at the end of 2005 and started thinking about marriage last autumn.
• Two former members of Johnny's Jimusho boy band News have made their comeback. Uchi Hiroki (20) and Kusano Hironori (19) are appearing in this summer's "Playzone 2007", the annual musical production featuring veteran Johnny's group Shonentai, now in its 22nd year. The two youngsters were both dropped from News following separate underage drinking incidents, Uchi in 2005 and Kusano last year. Both are considered to have done their penance and are being given another chance. The show also features Uekusa Yuta (12), son of Shonentai member Uekusa Katsuhide (40). The show opened yesterday at the Aoyama Gekijo theater in central Tokyo, where it runs till mid-August.
• Actor Jerry Ito died of pneumonia on Sunday at his California home. He was 79. The U.S.-born son of Broadway dancer Ito Michio, he appeared in over a dozen Japanese movies including the kaiju classic Mothra (1961) and the manga adaptation Golgo 13 (1977).
• It was revealed yesterday that producer/musician Komuro Tetsuya (48) recently ended his 6-year relationship with the Yoshimoto Kogyo agency. Yoshimoto, best known for its huge stable of comedy acts, said that Komuro's contract finished at the end of June and the decision was amicable.