News reports on Saturday’s Live8 event in Japan say that only 10,000 fans turned up. This is half of the projected number, despite a lineup that included foreign artists Bjork and Good Charlotte as well as domestic acts such as Dreams Come True and Rize. DCT vocalist Yoshida Miwa (photo) was dressed all in white and had the white-armband-waving fans at the Makuhari Messe convention center singing “bimbou wo nakusou” (let’s get rid of poverty) to the group’s popular hit “Love Love Love.” The amount of money raised by the event is due to be announced on the Japanese Live8 website today.
• Actor Akabane Hideyuki (32) foiled an attempted mugging outside his suburban Tokyo home late Saturday night. He and his wife were watching TV about 1am when they heard a woman screaming for help on the street outside. The actor tackled the 30-year old mugger and held him until police arrived. Akabane is a member of the Mumeijuku theater group and a minor celebrity, but has worked regularly on TV since 1992.
• Tourbillion, the new group formed by former Luna Sea vocalist Kawamura Ryuichi (35), played their first concert at the Nippon Budokan at the weekend. Kawamura put the group together with former bandmate Inoran (34) and D-Loop member Hayama Hiroaki (31) after they played in his backing band at a solo Tokyo concert last December. They played a 20-song set, one each from their various solo careers but all the rest were new compositions. The name of the group means “whirlpool” in French.
Actress Ishino Youko (37) gave a press conference yesterday to reveal that her Tokyo home has been burglarized again. She returned to her home in Meguro Ward from filming a TV drama at about 3am on June 30 to find her living room in a mess. She found about ¥400-500,000 in cash was missing. According to her agency, it is at least the third time she has beeen the victim of burglars.
“The Sun” (Taiyo), the Russian movie depicting the Emperor Hirohito in the dying days of World War II, has taken the Grand Prix at the 13th St. Petersburg International Film Festival. Starring versatile actor Issey Ogata (photo, 53), the critically acclaimed film (it has been described as the best Russian film in years) is unlikely to see general release in this country due to its subject matter. Indeed, the identity of the actor playing the lead role was not revealed until after shooting had finished, for fear of what right-wingers might do. The movie is the third in a series by director Alexander Sokurov which has previously included films about Hitler and Lenin.