January 2011
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Tokyo MX TV Affected by Youth Ordinance Bill
On Monday, the February 12th issue of Kodansha’s Weekly Gendai magazine published an article that discussed the disruption that the recently passed amendment to Tokyo’s Youth Healthy Development Ordinance may cause to the Tokyo MX TV station’s future plans. According to the magazine’s unnamed source in the station’s management, “There is a possibility that...
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Suzuki Sensei Manga Gets Live-Action TV Show in...
A live-action television series adaptation of Kenzi Taketomi’s Suzuki Sensei manga has been green-lit for an April premiere on TV Tokyo. Hiroki Hasegawa (Second Virgin) plays the title role of an ordinary middle school teacher who struggles to deal with his students’ issues.
The manga launched in Futabasha’s Manga Actionmagazine in 2005, and it just ended on January 6. A...
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Yamashita Tomohisa starts his first solo Asia tour
NEWS member Yamashita Tomohisa just started his solo Asia tour, “TOMOHISA YAMASHITA ASIA TOUR 2011 Super good Super bad“,at HITEC Star Hall in Hong Kong.
Yamashita appeared to the stage, receiving enthusiastic “Yamapi!” calls, and he performed “Daite Senorita“, “Fever to Future“, and “Seishun Amigo” as the opening songs, and grabbed the hearts of 4,000 fans. When Yamashita performed “Seishun...
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AKB48 & Shimizu Shota to appear in free live for...
The Japanese Red Cross Society has announced that they’ll be holding a free live concert called “LOVE in Action Meeting (LIVE)” at the Nippon Budokan on June 14th.
The live concert is a part of their “LOVE in Action project” which has been held by Japanese Red Cross Society since October 2009. The aim of the project is to appeal to the younger generations by having their favorite idols lay...
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Morning Musume’s Tanaka Reina goes on a date
Morning Musume member Tanaka Reina uploaded purikura prints of herself and…?
It is well-known that members of Morning Musume are forbidden from dating, but it doesn’t look like Tanaka is breaking any of the rules. The idol cheerfully blogged, “Today I have a date! …Just kidding (lol) The guy next to me is my little brother (´∀`)”
Fans fawned over the adorable purikura shots, commenting, “I...
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Mana Ashida becomes youngest drama star ever in...
Child actress Mana Ashida (6) will star in an NTV drama special titled “Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien” this March, making her the youngest lead ever in Japanese television drama history. The show will reunite the staff behind last year’s series “Mother” that made Ashida famous. Directed by Nobuo Mizuta and written by Yuji Sakamoto, “Sayonara Bokutachi no...
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Most attractive tall actresses
A recent poll on the mobile site NTT DoCoMo/goo asked their users about the most attractive tall actress. By “tall” they are referring to women who are taller than 170 cm (5.6 feet).
They came up with the poll after the recent play called, “Chinke-san to ookina onna-tachi” (Chinke-san and the tall women), starring Kondo Yoshimasa. There are several attractive actresses taller than that, but...
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Rankings: actresses with most unique voice
Japan is known for having a lot of amazing voice actresses, but even ordinary actresses often have very unique and individualistic voices. Therefore, it’s quite common for actresses to challenge the job of a voice actress by dubbing popular foreign movies or domestic animated films. The most recent example of this happening would be the upcoming animated film, “Toriko 3D“, which is to be...
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Cast members of GANTZ celebrate the first day of...
The highly anticipated new movie, “GANTZ“, starring Ninomiya Kazunari (Arashi) and Matsuyama Kenichi, was finally released in 410 theaters across Japan on January 29th!
To celebrate the occasion, the cast members (Ninomiya, Matsuyama, Yoshitaka Yuriko, Hongo Kanata, Natsuna, Taguchi Tomorowo, Yamada Takayuki) visited TOHO Cinemas Scalaza (Hibiya, Tokyo) to greet the audience. Ninomiya commented...
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Sephora Cosmetics Launches U.S. Hello Kitty Line
In an e-mail newsletter, cosmetics retail chain Sephora announced that it is launching an exclusive Hello Kitty line of products this month. The line includes cosmetics in brandedHello Kitty-shaped cases, perfume in a Hello Kitty bottles, and various accessories, including a scented necklace. Prices range from US$5 for nail art stickers to US$55 for the Hello Kitty fragrance. Sephora website...
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KinKi Kids’ Domoto Koichi to release DVD from solo...
It’s been a while since KinKi Kids‘ Domoto Koichi held his solo tour, “KOICHI DOMOTO CONCERT TOUR 2010 BPM“. For those fans who were upset at missing such a grand event, Domoto has a special surprise lined up!
The artist plans to release a DVD of his October 11th live from the Yokohama Arena. Available on March 9th, the DVD will be released as two different versions: ‘limited edition’ and...
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Which female artist/group does the best dance...
It’s almost impossible to imagine a pop artist or group without considering their dance choreographies. For example, veteran J-pop group EXILE is known for their great dance performances, and recently their female protégés, “Happiness“, described themselves as a ‘dance unit’.
Considering this emphasis on dance in pop music, mobile portal site ‘NTT DoCoMo/goo‘ wanted to know which female solo...
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Which actresses are just as impressive at singing?
The singing career of actress Kuroki Meisa has been quite successful recently and there is no sign of her going to stop singing anytime soon, but fans of Japanese music should know that she is far from being an exception, as many actresses have had and still have successful careers as singers.
Contrary to their male counterparts, it seems to be more common to start out as an actress and add a...
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Horikita Maki’s hard efforts gone to waste, will...
Yesterday actress Horikita Maki attended the stage greeting for “Byakuyako” to commemorate its opening day.
During the interview on stage she had an interesting trivia to share with everyone. She said, “I’ve been practicing social dance for a couple of months. I even bought shoes for the dance, but guess what…”,and she exchanged glances with the director. He immediately responded, “that scene...
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Which actor has the most amazing abs?
Many fans and girls in general are looking forward to the eye-candy called “Ashita no Joe” starringYamashita Tomohisa. Especially because there’s going to be a lot of scenes of him showing off his abs. Obviously he isn’t the only actor with a well-built body and I’m sure you have your own favorite when it comes to abs.
NTT DoCoMo/goo recently wanted to find out which actor is the most famous...
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Tohoshinki (TVXQ) to release new album in Japan
Tohoshinki (TVXQ) updated their official website with a special announcement: the duo will be releasing a Japanese version of their Korean album,“Keep Your Head Down”, in Japan! According to the brief message on their website, the album will be released in Japan some time in March. No other information on the album is available at the moment, but fans can expect the powerful duo to reveal more...
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Johnny’s General Election 2011: The results
Who’s Number 1 in each category? Is it surprising? Did you expect this? The general election has brought some interesting results! Monthly TV Guide (January 27 – February 28 2011)
Best Singer
1. Tsuyoshi Domoto (KinKi Kids) – 10 votes
2. Masayuki Sakamoto (V6) – 8 votes
3. Yuya Tegoshi (NEWS) – 6 votes
4. Satoshi Ohno (Arashi) – 2 votes
Best Dancer
1. Noriyuki Higashiyama...
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Nakagawa Shoko appears as character in manga!
It is well-known that Nakagawa Shoko is a huge fan of anime and manga, but she probably never expected to be a character in one!
The idol posted some photos of a manga she had been reading, where Nakagawa is depicted as being slightly off-kilter, saying only nonsense. Nakagawa found it so hilarious that the remainder of her blog post consisted of repeating her only lines in the manga and...
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Ex-Morning Musume Mari Yaguchi Designs New Digimon
Mari Yaguchi, a former Morning Musume idol singer, designed a new character called Panbachimon which will appear in the television anime Digimon Xros Wars on February 1. Yaguchi also recorded the voice for the new character on January 19, the day before her birthday. Yaguchi said that she is a big fan of anime and wanted to try her hand at becoming a voice actress.
The opportunity to work...
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Press conference for NHK’s drama special “Maigo”
NHK held a press conference for their upcoming drama special “Maigo“. Scriptwriter Maeda Shiro and the two actors, Minamisawa Nao and Kanai Yuuta attended the event.
“Maigo” is a nice little drama about a female high school student (Minamisawa) and a college student (Kanai) who come across a foreign grandmother that seems to have lost her way in the Japanese city. Together they want to help...
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AKB48’s Ohshima Yuko, and Fukuda Saki receive...
AKB48 member, Ohshima Yuko, and actress Fukuda Saki have received “The 5th Bridal Jewelry Princess” awards, and appeared at the awarding ceremony held on January 28th at Tokyo Big Sight. This award is to recognize celebrities who fit as the image leaders for bridal jewelries. Both Ohshima and Fukuda showed up in wedding dresses designed by Katsura Yumi, and received a ring for their ring...
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Morning Musume OG members announce "dream" team,...
Ten of Morning Musume’s OG members held an event on Friday to reveal that they have launched a new group called Dream Morning Musume. The participating members are Yuko Nakazawa (37), Kaori Iida (29), Natsumi Abe (29), Kei Yasuda (30), Mari Yaguchi (28), Rika Ishikawa (26), Hitomi Yoshizawa (25), Makoto Ogawa (23), Miki Fujimoto (25), and Koharu Kusumi (18).
Originally, Nozomi Tsuji (23)...
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NYC to sing theme song and ending song for...
Popular group NYC will be singing the theme song and ending song for upcoming anime film, “Nintama Rantaro Ninjutsu Gakuen Zenin Shutsudou no Dan“, which is scheduled to be released on March 12th.
These songs mark the first time that NYC has sung for a film, and it was revealed that the theme song will be “Yuuki 100%“, and the ending song will be NYC’s new song, “Yume Tamago.” As many NYC fans...
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the GazettE reveal details on “NAMELESS LIBERTY”...
rock band the GazettE will have a very exciting release day on March 23rd when they simultaneously drop their concert DVD, “TOUR 10 NAMELESS LIBERTY SIX BULLETS FINAL THE NAMELESS LIBERTY“, as well as their upcoming best album, “TRACES BEST OF 2005-2009.” After teasing for a month, the group has finally revealed more details on the releases. The live DVD will be a recording from the long tour...
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Japanese Movies Online Via Japan Flix
New York/Tokyo based production company TK Digital today launches Japan Flix, a new digital distribution venture that makes never-before-released Japanese films available for the first time in the United States. “There are so many great films made each year in Japan, that never get a chance to find an audience abroad. Our goal is to provide a new platform to introduce these films to an audience...
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Kamen Riders Hiroshi Fujioka, Takeshi Sasaki,...
More information about the “OOO・Den-O・All Riders: Let’s Go Kamen Rider” movie has been released. The film will bring together actors Hiroshi Fujioka (64), Takeshi Sasaki (63), and Hiroshi Miyauchi (63) for the first time in 37 years, though they will only be lending their voices.
Fujioka, Sasaki, and Miyauchi played the characters of Kamen Rider #1, Kamen Rider #2, and Kamen...
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Johnny’s General Election 2011: Tackey & Tsubasa &...
Johnny’s General Election 2011: Tackey & Tsubasa (translation) For our momentous first edition of “月間TVガイド (Monthly TV Guide)”, the super popular stars of Johnny’s have come together to congratulate us! And we’ve finally been able to do the, perhaps, unimaginable!? It’s a Johnny’s ranking chosen by Johnny’s talents. Monthly TV Guide (January 27 – February 28 2011): THE QUESTIONS Q1. Best...
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Johnny’s General Election 2011: Kanjani8, NEWS &...
Johnny’s General Election 2011: Kanjani8 (translation) For our momentous first edition of “月間TVガイド (Monthly TV Guide)”, the super popular stars of Johnny’s have come together to congratulate us! And we’ve finally been able to do the, perhaps, unimaginable!? It’s a Johnny’s ranking chosen by Johnny’s talents.
Monthly TV Guide (January 27 – February 28 2011): THE QUESTIONS Q1. Best singer...
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Sony Announces PSP Successor, Codenamed NGP
During its 2011 PlayStation Meeting event on Thursday in Tokyo, Sony unveiled its successor to the PlayStation Portable game console. The successor is tentatively named the Next Generation Portable (NGP) and is slated to ship at the end of the year.
The NGP’s initial specifications include a 960 x 544 5-inch display, 3G and Wi-Fi wireless communication support, GPS, dual analog...
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Malta Library Puts Manga Book Under Restricted...
The Malta Today newspaper reported last Friday that the University of Malta Library placed 33 books — listed here — in a special cabinet where patron must request access. Included among these books is Paul Gravett’s 2004 nonfiction volume Manga: The First Sixty Years, alongside the Marquis de Sade’s Justine, 101 Myths of the Bible: How Ancient Scribes Invented Biblical History, and...
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Sawajiri Erika’s husband, Takashiro, signs divorce...
Today it has been revealed that Sawajiri Erika’s husband, Takashiro Tsuyoshi, has signed and handed over the official divorce papers. He spoke about the matter in an exclusive interview with NTV’s morning news program “news every,” that aired around 5am.
One of the reporters of the show is said to be a good friend of Takashiro and when he asked him about the details of the divorce, he...
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More details on Kanjani8’s new song for “Crayon...
Kanjani8’s new song titled, “T.W.L” which will be released this spring, will be used as the new theme song for ongoing anime “Crayon Shin-chan.” Today, it was revealed that “T.W.L” will start airing on February 4th, and the song was made by popular duo, Yuzu’sKitagawa Yujin. This is the first time for Kitagawa to make a song for other artist.
This song is said be a “strong collaboration”...
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Meisa Kuroki breaks into Oricon top 5, new single...
Singer, model and actress Meisa Kuroki has seemingly created a niche for herself in the pop world, as the singer’s new album “MAGAZINE“, which went on sale on the 26th, has moved up to #5 on the Oricon for its second day on the charts.
Having released three physical singles and two mini-albums since her debut back in 2008, the busy 22 year old is currently promoting her new album, which is...
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7!!’s major debut song to be used as theme for...
Four membered Okinawan band, 7!! (pronounced Seven Oops), will debut as a major band from EPIC Record Japan and release a debut single, “Falling Love“, on March 30th. It was recently announced that their debut song will be the theme song for upcoming movie, “Koukou Debut”, which Mizobata Junpei and Ohno Ito star in.
7!! was formed in 2004 with the...
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Kobukuro to sing for Oguri Shun’s upcoming movie,...
Kobukuro’s new song, “Ano Taiyou ga, Kono Sekai wo Terashi tsuzukeru youni“, has been chosen as the theme song for the upcoming movie, “Gaku“, starring Oguri Shun.
The song was created as a result of the feeling that Kobukuro got from watching the movie, and the track ended up having the longest title among all of Kobukuro’s songs.
“Gaku” is based on Ishizuka Shinichi’s ongoing manga in...
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Yuki Amami returns for "BOSS" sequel
It is now confirmed that Fuji TV will broadcast a sequel to the 2009 drama series “BOSS” this spring. Starring Yuki Amami (43) as the head of a team of detectives, the show averaged 17.0% ratings with a peak of 20.7%, and many fans have been hoping for another season.
The story this time will continue from the final scene of the first series, with Amami’s character Eriko...