Entertainment news from Japan-zone.com-Your Guide to Japan and Japanese Culture: :D
October 14, 2005
Southern All Stars kicked off their first Japan tour in seven years yesterday in Hiroshima. And it's the biggest tour in their 27-year career - with a set based around their latest album "Killer Street", they'll be playing to about half a million people at 21 shows in 11 cities across the country until New Year's Eve. Some venues will be small, like yesterday's 2,000-seater, but they'll also play five domes, seating 30-50,000. The new album waltzed straight to the top of the latest Oricon charts, making it their 16th No.1, and has already sold about 1.1 million copies. The double album is their first original release since 1998 and was about 3,000 studio hours in the making.
• The popular NHK documentary series "Project X" is to be taken off the air by the end of the year. As part of its efforts to rebuild its tattered image and deal with budget problems, the national broadcaster is revamping its schedule across the board. Over a million people are refusing to pay their annual subscription fee due to an ongoing series of scandals.
• Getting a lot of airtime is promotion for the upcoming wrestling/variety event "Fighting Opera, Hustle Mania 2005." Taking place at the Yokohama Arena on November 3, the event will feature pro wrestler Ogawa Naoya - who has turned "hustle hustle" into one of the most popular phrases of the day - as well as celebrities such as Hard Gay and kyogen actor Izumi Motoya in a new ponytail, and plenty of scantily clad ladies.
October 14, 2005
Southern All Stars kicked off their first Japan tour in seven years yesterday in Hiroshima. And it's the biggest tour in their 27-year career - with a set based around their latest album "Killer Street", they'll be playing to about half a million people at 21 shows in 11 cities across the country until New Year's Eve. Some venues will be small, like yesterday's 2,000-seater, but they'll also play five domes, seating 30-50,000. The new album waltzed straight to the top of the latest Oricon charts, making it their 16th No.1, and has already sold about 1.1 million copies. The double album is their first original release since 1998 and was about 3,000 studio hours in the making.
• The popular NHK documentary series "Project X" is to be taken off the air by the end of the year. As part of its efforts to rebuild its tattered image and deal with budget problems, the national broadcaster is revamping its schedule across the board. Over a million people are refusing to pay their annual subscription fee due to an ongoing series of scandals.
• Getting a lot of airtime is promotion for the upcoming wrestling/variety event "Fighting Opera, Hustle Mania 2005." Taking place at the Yokohama Arena on November 3, the event will feature pro wrestler Ogawa Naoya - who has turned "hustle hustle" into one of the most popular phrases of the day - as well as celebrities such as Hard Gay and kyogen actor Izumi Motoya in a new ponytail, and plenty of scantily clad ladies.