Veteran actor Shimojo Masami, who played the role of the uncle of Tora-san in the film series "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" (It's Tough Being a Man), died of pancreas cancer Sunday at his Tokyo home, his son, actor Shimojo Atomu (57) announced yesterday. He was 88. He took the role of Ryuzo Kuruma, known as Oi-chan, the uncle of itinerant peddler Torajiro Kuruma, nicknamed Tora-san, from the 14th movie in the Yamada Yoji-directed series in 1974 through the last and 48th in 1995.
Matsuura Masato (30) has stepped down as managing director of Avex, the company he established in 1988. He also plans to resign as vice president in October. The reason given was a difference in vision for the business side of operations. The avextrax record label became huge with a Eurobeat focus in the 1990s, producing such acts as Amuro Namie (photo, 27), Hamasaki Ayumi (26), Every Little Thing and TRF. But the company has seen sales decling in recent years, buoyed only by the contined popularity of a few top stars like Hamasaki and Amuro. Matsuura set up the company, then known as Avex DD, as a CD import business straight after he graduated from college. He released the first album, a Eurobeat compilation, in 1989 and set up avextrax in September of that year. • Former badminton player Jinnai Kimiko (40) and her husband, former baseball player Kaneishi Akihito (43) have been the victims of crime again. Their luxury car was broken into on Friday night and a bag containing jewelry was stolen. Jinnai was stabbed by a burglar in their home, while they were still engaged, in 2001.
The woman known as the "Japanese Liza Minelli" and "Little Dynamite" has died. Shuri Eiko was a popular jazz singer who enjoyed sucess in the U.S. in the 1960s. With a powerful voice, expressive body language and beautiful legs, she was a sensation on her return home. She had a big hit with "Kitakuni Yuki de" in 1972 but became better known for sudden cancellations and neurosis in the following years. • Having already formed their own unit "W" in March, Kago Ai (16) and Tsuji Nozomi (17) officially "graduated" from Morning Musume last night. They made their final appearance as members of the unit as the Hello! Project summer tour came to a close in front of 12,000 fans in Yoyogi, Tokyo. The pair are both short, baby-faced and look almost like twins. They joined the group together in April 2000 and have been inseparable since. Their departure sees Momus reduced to a mere 14 members...for now. "W" will start their own Japan tour in a week, while Momus will start theirs a couple of weeks later.
Popular entertainer Kosaki Kazuki (48) is currently recovering at his Tokyo home following surgery for cancer. It was announced a few days ago that he would be stepping down temporarily from his regular afternoon show "Gokigenyo" but the reason was only made clear yesterday. A tumour was removed from his neck and was found to be malignant. The always bouncy Kosakai anoounced that he plans to return to work by September.
FYI, Kosakai plays the lazy-boy writer who pesters Hideaki Takizawa in Boku-dake no Madonna. Best of luck to him in getting rid of it.
Record company Avex is in a state of chaos following the sudden announcement by managing director Matsuura Masato (39) and executive director Chiba Ryuhei (40) that they are quitting. The pair addressed company employees at an emotional morning assembly yesterday, and said the problem was chairman and president Yoda Tatsumi (64). Yoda criticized Chiba for pursuing personal profit from a few big artists. Chiba tearfully denied any fault, while Matsuura complained that Avex had lost its love of music and said he wanted to start over. They have the support of many staff who also said they would quit. More significantly, the label's top star, Hamasaki Ayumi (26), has already said she's off, too. The company's share price went into freefall until trading was suspended. • Ironically, Hamasaki's announcement came on the same day her new single topped the Oricon chart. It is her 20th hit to go straight to the top. On the album chart, rock group Porno Graffitti's Greatest Hits "Blue" and "Red" have grabbed both the top two slots, the first time the feat has been achieved since Mr. Children in 2001. • Rock band The Yellow Monkey have formally broken up. They have been inactive since a concert at Tokyo Dome in 2001, but finally decided to call it a day last month. They made their major debut in 1992 and released 8 albums.
Masato Matsuura, the famous producer who brought pop star Ayumi Hamasaki into the spotlight, will return to the Avex record company group along with former managing director Ryuhei Chiba, the firm said Tuesday.
Avex announced the informal decision just two days after both Matsuura and Chiba resigned as senior managing director and managing director, respectively.
Matsuura had quit over internal trouble involving management plans at the company, and it had been rumored that artists he had dealt with would also move to another company as a result. But Avex officials said that this would no longer happen.
"With this, the possibility of artists transferring has been eliminated," an Avex representative said.
In addition to his position as managing director, Chiba had also served as president of a firm that managed artists. Avex officials said it was stated during a board of directors meeting on July 31 that conflicts of interest in Chiba's transactions would become a problem in the future. As a result it was recommended that he resign from his position as managing director.
Matsuura moved a motion for chairman Tatsumi Yoda to resign, saying his management plans were mistaken, but it was voted down, and he and Chiba resigned as directors.
Later, during a meeting between Chiba and Avex officials, it was reportedly decided that there were prospects for a solution to the problem of conflicts of interest affecting Chiba's transactions, and an informal decision was made for Matsuura and him to return to the company. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, Aug. 3, 2004)
Another twist in the Avex saga. President Yoda Tatsumi (64) has resigned, leaving the door open for Matsuura Masato (39) and Chiba Ryuhei (40) to return. Taking over as president will be Kobayashi Toshio (39), formerly an executive director, but it is presumed to be only temporarily, until Matsuura assumes the post. Top artist Hamasaki Ayumi (25) is expected to stay with the label, after earlier saying she would leave amidst the accusations (for more details, see earlier stories this week). • Impersonator Corokke (41) announced during a show last night that he and his estranged wife are back together. • Folk singer Yoshida Takuro (photo, 58) had to stop halfway through a performance in Tokyo last night. The singer, who became a big star in the 1970s, was diagnosed with cancer last year. He recovered well enough to play a comeback tour last autumn, and had recently started another.
Actor Watanabe Fumio, a star in many movies by Oshima Nagisa (72) and a TV regular, died yesterday in a Tokyo hospital of acute respiratory failure. He was 74. In the 1950s and 60s, he appeared in such Oshima films as "Ai to Kibo no Machi" (Town of Love and Hope, 1959) and "Seishun Zankoku Monogatari" (Cruel Youth, 1960). In his forties, he began to work mostly in television. He starred in such TV shows as "Kuishibo Banzai!" and "Renso Gemu". The former made him a household name as he travelled the country sampling regional foods, a standard type of show these days. • Namesake actor Watanabe Ken (44) has hinted he may move to Hollywood following his invitation to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. More details of his upcoming Tinseltown project, Batman Begins, have also come to light. His character, Ra's Al Ghul, is central to the development of a young Bruce Wayne into the caped crusader. Once again, Watanabe will have a shaved head as he did in The Last Samurai. Is he the new Yul Brynner?
yay..I wish for Ken's success in Hollywood!! I hope those Hollywood ppl will give him equal opportunity to asian actors. What ever happened to Chow Yun Fat now?
Akakage wrote:yay..I wish for Ken's success in Hollywood!! I hope those Hollywood ppl will give him equal opportunity to asian actors. What ever happened to Chow Yun Fat now?
I guess he's yesterday's news: they put him in a couple of movies and they sorta tanked, so that's it I'm afraid... :(
In what is being billed as one of the most unlikely couples around, actress Fukuda Kyoko (21) has been linked with comedian Arita Teppei (photo, 33) by the gossip weekly Friday. According to the magazine, "Fukakyon" spent a full 24 hours with Arita at an apartment belonging to a "kohai" (junior) member of his talent agency. The relationship between the pair is thought to have been a "date" they went on as part of a variety show. Fukuda is very busy in the middle of filming a TV Asahi light drama series and the way she chose to spend a rare day off has reporters assuming the relationship is serious. Arita is one half of the manzai duo Cream Stew and is not exactly considered eligible bachelor material. • What seemed like a dream match, between actress Takagi Saya (40) and pro diver and photographer Sugahara Maki (40), has come to an end. The couple's life in Hawaii featured on several TV shows and seemed idyllic. Takagi had become a world-class free diver, but it seems she needs the fast-paced life of Japan and will return to work as an actress.
bmwracer wrote:In what is being billed as one of the most unlikely couples around, actress Fukuda Kyoko (21) has been linked with comedian Arita Teppei (photo, 33) by the gossip weekly Friday. According to the magazine, "Fukakyon" spent a full 24 hours with Arita at an apartment belonging to a "kohai" (junior) member of his talent agency. The relationship between the pair is thought to have been a "date" they went on as part of a variety show. Fukuda is very busy in the middle of filming a TV Asahi light drama series and the way she chose to spend a rare day off has reporters assuming the relationship is serious. Arita is one half of the manzai duo Cream Stew and is not exactly considered eligible bachelor material.