Today is the Kinrou Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day) national holiday
The latest Miyazaki Hayao-directed anime feature, “Hauru no Ugoku Shiro” (Howl’s Moving Castle), opened at a record 448 cinemas across Japan at the weekend and is already predicted to break the box office record set in 2001 by Miyazaki’s previous hit, the Oscar-winning “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” (Spirited Away). The number of screens showing the movie is exactly a third more than the 336 that “Sen to…” opened on, and that movie made over ¥30 billion. “Hauru…” is scheduled to open in Korea on December 24, France on January 12, Taiwan on February 5, and Hong Kong on March 17. Negotiations are underway for the U.S. version and the dubbing is likely to feature some top Hollywood names.
• Talento Carousel Maki celebrated her first birthday as a woman on Sunday. Her actual 62nd birthday is the 26th, but Sunday’s party saw over 150 gays, “new half,” and drag queens from across the country gather for the celebration.