Korean-born pop star BoA held her first event with her fan club in Tokyo over the weekend, to celebrate her 18th birthday on Friday. 3,000 fans turned out to hear an acoustic version of her new single “MeriKuri” (an abbreviated form of Merry Christmas). There was also news of her playing a concert in Korea at the end of this month. To make it an even bigger event, she will be teaming up with the queen of J-pop, Hamasaki Ayumi (26), who’ll be playing in Korea for the first time. And next spring will see an Asia tour that will include BoA’s first solo live concert in her home country.
• “Chi to Hone” (Blood and Bones), the new film starring Beat Takeshi (57) and Suzuki Kyoka (36), opened nationwide at the weekend. It was also announced that the film will be shown in the U.S. and the U.K. next year. The first starring role in 14 years for Takeshi in a film he hasn’t directed himself is of a Korean who comes to Japan to seek his fortune in the 1920s. Suzuki plays his much-abused wife. The film is directed by Sai Yoichi (55).
• In sports, hats off to 24-year old Tabuse Yuta, who has made a strong start as the first Japanese player to get into the NBA. The new 1.73m point guard for the Phoenix Suns was something of a legend in high school in Japan.