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Well, time restraints and other work commitments mean that I'm
going to have to cut back on the newsletter content from this
issue. I'll continue to keep you up to date with what's going
on in the popular culture. This newsletter is still the only English-language
source of this kind of news.
The big news items were the death of a veteran movie director,
the end of one brilliant sumo career and also the start of another.
Mark McBennett
Webmaster, Japan Zone
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Movie director Fukasaku Kinji, best known for the 1970's "Jinji
Naki Tatakai" series and was also a director on the 1970 movie
"Tora, Tora, Tora", died of cancer. He was 72. His most recent
hit was the controversial "Battle Royale", about high schoolers
fighting to the death on a desert island. He was working on the
sequel, which will now be completed by his son Kenta.
In NHK's annual survey of the most popular male and female stars,
the top male was Akashiya Sanma for the fifth year running. Top
female was Hisamoto Masami for the second year in a row.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/akashiya_sanma.shtml
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/hisamoto_masami.shtml
Mongolian Ozeki (Champion) Asashoryu (22) proved that his first
yusho (tournament victory) in November was no fluke by winning
again at the New Year tournament. The two successive wins make
him almost a certainty for promotion to the highest rank of Yokozuna
(Grand Champion). He would be the first Mongolian and only the
third non-Japanese to reach the top. With Yokozuna Takanohana
(30) having retired just last week, the timing would be good for
the sport, whose popularity has dropped considerably in recent
years. Takanohana struggled with injuries over the last couple
of years and his prolonged absences had many people speculating
about his retirement. He was not expected to fight in this month's
basho but surprised everyone. After suffering a couple of losses,
he withdrew with a shoulder injury. But in a historic first for
a Yokozuna in the modern era, he rejoined the event after a couple
of days only to suffer a further injury. He finally faced the
inevitable, though the media reacted with suitably respectful
shock.
https://www.japan-zone.com/omnibus/sumo.shtml
Takahashi Toshimasa (44), editor of the manga Shuukan Shonen Jump
died suddenly during a press conference for the new animation
"One Piece, The Movie". The press conference, which was being
held on a boat in Tokyo Bay, was promptly cancelled.
With Yasuda Kei set to "graduate" from the group, Morning Musume
are in their sixth incarnation, and now officially composed of
15 members. Newly chosen from over 12,000 hopefuls are Kamei Eri
(14, Tokyo), Tanaka Reina (13, Fukuoka) and Michishige Sayumi
(13, Yamaguchi). Already something of an "idol" star in her own
right, Fujimoto Miki (17) is the first new member not chosen through
the audition system.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/morning_musume.shtml
Nakajima Miyuki (53) set a new record when her single finally
reached the No.1 spot in the Oricon chart 130 weeks after it was
released. "Chijo no Hoshi/Headlight, Taillight" is currently at
No.4 and in its 131st week in the chart.
Getting Hitched
Kabuki actor Ichikawa Somegoro (30) and an unnamed 30-year old;
Judo star Tamura Ryoko (28) and baseball player Tani Yoshitomo
(30) of the Orix Blue Wave finally announced their engagement
after several years of speculation.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/tamura_ryoko.shtml
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
It was revealed that former Kome Kome Club vocalist "Carl Smokey"
Ishii Tatsuya (43) divorced his former stewardess wife of 7 years
in December.
Actor Hagiwara Masato (31) and Wakui Emi (32) have separated.
More Bits and Bobs
The new TBS drama "Good Luck!!", starring SMAP member Kimura Takuya
(30) as an airline pilot, scored a high 31.6% audience rating,
the third highest on a public network in the last decade.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/smap.shtml
Utada Hikaru celebrated turning 20 and coming of age on the 19th.
Her official web site was inundated with over 20 million accesses,
as opposed to the 3 million or so it usually gets. She has been
laying low since a brush with cancer and her marriage last year.
Her new single "Colors" goes on sale on the 29th.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/utada_hikaru.shtml
Currently enjoying something of a revival in her career, singer
Kahala Tomomi (28) has recorded the new theme song for the popular
TV Asahi animation series "Crayon Shinchan". The single "Pleasure"
will go on sale at the end of next month.
Masuoka Hiroshi (42), driving a Mitsubishi, won his second successive
Paris-Dakar rally, the first Japanese driver to do so.
Music producer Ikeda Fumio died at the age of 69 of heart failure.
He was best known for producing such stars as Yamaguchi Momoe,
Pink Lady and Koizumi Kyoko in the 1980s.
TV personality Hayami Yu (36) has had a baby daughter, her second.
Both babies were born in San Diego. Hayami married a foreign bank
employee in 1996, shortly after she had been romantically linked
with sumo star Akebono.
Veteran star of stage and screen Morishige Hisaya (89) is recovering
after being hospitalized over the New Year with heart problems.
National team and Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder Toda Kazuyuki (25)
surprised the sports world when he joined English Premier League
team Tottenham Hotspur on a 1-year loan. Toda had trained with
Sunderland and was expected to join the struggling team. Manager
Howard Wilkinson was said to be devastated by the move.
Attracting a lot of attention these days is 13-year old singer
Hayashi Asuka. This month, the junior high schooler made her CD
debut and appeared at the Chinese Music Awards.
TV personality and "CM Queen" Kikukawa Rei (24) has reinforced
that latter title with her 22nd concurrently running TV commercial,
a new Japanese record. The latest one is for a Suzuki scooter.
https://www.japan-zone.com/modern/kikukawa_rei.shtml
Kamikawa Takaya (37) and actress Takeuchi Yuko (22) are romantically
involved. Kamikawa is known for playing cool, silent types. Takeuchi
is currently featuring in a series of TV commercials for cold
medicine.
Actor Katsurayama Shingo (30) and actress Hosokawa Naomi (28),
who married last October, are expecting a baby in August.
Awanojaku Kimimaro (52), a mandan artist became the first artist
to have a non-music CD enter the Oricon Top 10. Mandan is not
a particularly popular form of comedy but is the closest Japan
has to the stand-up comedy of the West. Awanojaku was an emcee
for enka stars such as Mori Shinichi until making a career change
three years ago.
Oricon Album Chart (January 23rd)
1. Shiina Ringo - Kuki
2. Lord of Measure - Zasso/Ashiato
3. RUI - Tsuki no Shizuku
4. Nakajima Miyuki - Chijo no Hoshi
5. 175R - Happy Life
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