Monthly Archives: September 2005

Congratulations to the Hanshin Tigers! Yesterday Japan’s most fanatical and loyal baseball fans got their fifth Central League pennant, and second in three years, when the Tigers clinched their place in the Japan Series. Thousands gathered in central Osaka to celebrate and some 60 fans waited till after midnight, when police had mostly dispersed, before jumping into the stinking Dotombori River. A dozen or so regretted it afterwards, not because the jump is dangerous but because the river is so heavily polluted. The team used up 5,000 bottles of beer in the traditional celebration style, pouring it over teammates and rookie team manager Okada Akinobu (47) (photo).

• Celebrities lined up to grab some of the Tigers’ limelight, passing on their congratulations. Among the many showbiz fans are actor Watanabe Ken (45), who was sad to be in the US promoting “Last Samurai” when the Tigers won in 2003; enka singer Shimakura Chiyoko (67), something of a mother figure for manager Okada; Talented flyweight boxer Kameda Koki (18), the eldest of three highly touted boxing brothers; and of course the hordes of comedy stars from the Osaka-based Yoshimoto Kogyo.

Troubled actress Sugita Kaoru (40) seems to be seeking a move out of the limelight. She’s been a regular on the live afternoon variety show “Waratte Iitomo” every Wednesday for the last year, but made the surprise announcement yesterday that she will no longer be appearing. The show is a TV institution, hosted every weekday for more than 20 years by comedian Tamori (60). Sugita only recently stepped down from a planned role in next year’s prestigious taiga period drama on NHK. Official statements say the decisions have nothing to do with her recent widely publicized brief marriage and divorce, but there can be little doubt that she could do with a break from the intense media glare.

• “Chi to Hone” (Blood and Bones), the movie featuring Kitano “Beat” Takeshi (58), has been chosen as the Japanese entry for the foreign movie category at next year’s Academy Awards. It will be up against a host of entries from around the world for one of five nominations. Yamada Yoji’s “Tasogare Seibei” (Twilight Samurai) was shortlisted in 2003, the first Japanese feature to be nominated in 22 years. Directed by Sai Yoichi (56), “Chi…” is a story about ethnic Koreans in Osaka in the 1920s. Takeshi turned in a powerful performance as a violent husband and father. He got so into his fight scenes with his son (Odagiri Jo), that it left him with a dislocated shoulder. As a director himself, he has received awards at the Cannes and Venice film festivals. This may be his first step toward getting an elusive Oscar.

Japan’s best-selling rock band B’z are to release the follow-up to their multi-million selling first greatest hits album, after an interval of seven years. “Pleasure II” will go on sale on November 30. In terms of worldwide sales, B’z are just 7 million albums behind Elvis Presley. Their previous hits album “Pleasure” sold 5.9 million, itself a Japanese record, so this new release could see them topple even The King himself.

As the silly awards season continues, the latest winners are…enka singer Hikawa Kiyoshi (28) and pop diva Hamasaki Ayumi (26) are this year’s Best Jeanists. Ayu was selected for the fifth time and so goes into the jeanist Hall of Fame, where she joins SMAP stars Kimura Takuya and Kusanagi Tsuyoshi.

Foreign athletes or those with foreign roots are making headlines these days. Sumo‘s only current Yokozuna (Grand Champion), Mongolian rikishi Asashoryu (24) equaled the record of six yusho (tournament victories) in a row, held by the legendary Taiho, when he won the aki basho (Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament) on Sunday. But to do so he had to beat a surprise challenger, young Bulgarian rikishi Kotoshu (22), who won 12 bouts in a row before dropping two and facing Asashoryu in a final-day playoff. The two are among a growing number of young non-Japanese rikishi at the top level in sumo.

• Also on Sunday, Nippon Ham Fighters’ young star Yuu Darvish became the first pitcher fresh out of high school in 39 years to win five games in his rookie season. The tall and handsome 19-year old Tohoku High School graduate has been closely watched since he pitched his school team to the final of the summer Koshien tournament last year, and was the No.1 draft pick for the Fighters. His first season as a pro got off to a late start after he was suspended for smoking during spring training (he’s still a minor) and a knee injury. An interesting fact is that the pitcher’s Iranian father Farusa (45), who spent his high school and university years in the US, is the owner of an English conversation school in Osaka, among several other businesses. He, along with several family members, friends and 50 students from his school, was in the crowd to witness his son’s latest win.

• On the showbiz front, talento Umemiya Anna (33) is romantically involved with Chunichi Dragons player Tatsunami Kazuyoshi (36), according to the weekly magazine Friday. While Umemiya is divorced with a daughter, Tatsunami is married with children, but is known in the baseball world as a ladies’ man and there were rumors that only his celebrity prevented his arrest in a rape case last year.

The movie “Mayonaka no Yaji-san, Kita-san” is to be released in the US. The film, which stars Nagase Tomoya (photo, 26) – a member of the Johnny’s band Tokio and the boyfriend of singer Hamasaki Ayumi – and kabuki actor Nakamura Shichinosuke (22), is scheduled to show at 30-40 theaters in major US cities by next summer. It opened in Japan in April and was a minor hit, grossing ¥800 million at the domestic box office. A DVD version is set to go on sale next month. The movie is based on the manga of the same name, and tells the comic story of two gay samurai traveling on the Tokaido highway. The promo image shows the pair straddling a Stars and Stripes-decorated Harley Davidson.

• 28-year old Canadian English teacher Adam James Anderson was arrested last week on vandalism charges after he and a Japanese friend were caught spray painting a building in the trendy “ura-Omotesando” area of Tokyo. The two were said to have been drunk when caught in the act by police shortly before 4am on September 19. The arrest, which was made last Friday, made the news headlines because the Japanese person arrested was Mori Tsutomu (24), the grandson of world-famous fashion designer Mori Hanae. The younger Mori is said to work as a website designer. No details about Anderson were given other than that he is resident in the Nishi-ogi Kita area of Suginami Ward in Tokyo (literally just down the road from us at Japan Zone!). Graffiti has become increasingly common in metropolitan areas in recent years, though few people are caught in the act.

Today is the “Shuubun no Hi” (autumnal equinox) national holiday.

• Singer Koda Kumi (22) released her first greatest hits album this week. Record label Avex organized a launch event on the streets of Shibuya for “Best – First Things,” with a photo session on the famous Scramble Intersection. Koda’s usual low-cut, sexy attire turned plenty of heads among the hundreds of passers-by. She said that if the album becomes a million seller, she plans to fulfill another ambition – to become the “mama-san” of a high-class club for a night. She also alluded to her rumored romance, said to be with someone not in showbusiness.

• Singer Hajime Chitose (26) is set to make a full comeback after taking an extended break to get married and have a child. She will release a new single “Kataritsugu Koto” on November 23, her first general release in almost two years. She recently released an anti-war song, “Shinda Onna no Ko” (Dead Girls), produced by Oscar-winning musician Sakamoto Ryuichi (53), but it was available only for download to PC or mobile phone. She is also set to play a concert in Okinawa on October 22.

• The latest Hollywood star to come to town is actress Cameron Diaz (33). She arrived Wednesday from Melbourne to promote the movie “In Her Shoes,” which is scheduled to open here on November 12. About 200 fans turned out to welcome her at Narita Airport. It’s her third visit to Japan, the last being in July 2004 for “Shrek 2.” She and co-star Toni Collette held a press event at a Tokyo hotel last night.

Young actress Nishina Hitomi (20) has been chosen as the 2006 Triumph Image Girl. As such, she will be the campaign girl for the lingerie maker for next year. Nishina is the daughter of actor Matsukata Hiroki (63), famous for many yakuza and samurai roles, and actress Nishina Akiko (52). When Hitomi called her father to tell him the good news, all he had to say was “Hmmm.” She is the 14th Triumph Image Girl, and the position has launched the careers of several popular female talento, such as Yoshioka Miho (2001).

• Fuji TV has cancelled its scheduled broadcast of Saturday’s Yomiuri Giants-Chunichi Dragons baseball game. The game will be shown on its BS Fuji satellite channel, but the dramatic drop in popularity of the Giants plus the fact that the Hanshin Tigers have all but wrapped up the Central League means the game would have almost definitely continued the long slide in poor audience ratings.

• Classic comedy troupe Drifters are to do their live routine for the first time in 20 years on TBS. They will appear on a special 4-hour show on October 2. The group were huge in the 1970s and 80s, though their bawdy and often dangerous brand of comedy was not popular with parents. Individual members, especially Shimura Ken (55) and Kato Cha (62), have retained their popularity over the years, though group leader Ikariya Chosuke died last year.

Actor Shiina Kippei (41) refuses to comment on speculation that he and his wife, actress Yamamoto Mirai (30) are on the verge of divorce. Appearing at a PR event in Tokyo for an upcoming stage production, Shiina passed the buck, leaving a spokesperson for his management agency to say that the couple are doing just fine and had recently got back from a trip together to San Francisco. Then again, trips abroad are often used by showbiz couples to take a serious look at their relationships outside of the Japanese media glare. Yamamoto is the daughter of famous fashion designer Yamamoto Kansai (61), a pioneer of Japanese design on the international stage. She spent several years growing up in the US and attended the international American School in Tokyo. She and Shiina married in 2003 after going out for 8 years (story) and held a lavish wedding ceremony last year (story). A difference in values is said to be a main reason for the couple’s rumored split.

Today is the Keiro no Hi (Respect for the Elderly Day) national holiday.

• Talento Oizumi Yo (32) is to get his first starring dramatic role. He will play the lead in the Fuji TV drama series “Okashina Futari” (The Odd Couple) at the end of the year. The drama tells of an unemployed divorcee (Oizumi), his ex-wife (Takaoka Yuki), and the people who live in his apartment building. One of the best-known names on TV in his native Hokkaido, Oizumi became a star on the local network show “Suiyo wa Doudesho” (How Do You Like Wednesday?), which has a big cult following that has started spreading nationwide. Over a decade on the show, he and co-star Suzui Takayuki (43) went on many wild and whacky adventures, including riding the length of Vietnam on a 50cc Honda, and crossing the Australian outback in four days. Traveling with just a director and a cameraman, the show’s “home-made” style and Oizumi’s unscripted humor made it a big hit. Oizumi made his national network debut in a Fuji drama in January, though he had an even bigger, though less visible, role a few years earlier – he was one of the voice actors in Miyazaki Hayao‘s 2003 Academy Award-winning animated movie “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” (Spirited Away).

• Speaking of Hokkaido, pop star Hamasaki Ayumi (26) was in Sapporo yesterday doing PR for her latest single, “Heaven.” A huge crowd of 5,000 fans turned out to catch a glimpse when she appeared at a local radion station, 5 times the number that came to see local boys Glay the last time they were in town. Security officials were almost overwhelmed by the crowds, which they say were bigger than even the ones they handle at the annual Snow Festival. Fans were disappointed last month when Ayu had to pull out of the Hokkaido leg of the Avex “A-nation ’05” tour due to illness and were delighted that she kept her promise to come back soon.

Shiina Ringo (26), vocalist and songwriter for rock band Tokyo Jihen, is to do her first TV show collaboration. The band have recorded the theme song for the latest run of the Fuji TV period drama series “Oh-oku, Hana no Ran.” Set to start on October 13, the drama is set in the time of the 5th shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and, as with the previous two series, focuses on the lives and loves of the women in the court. Written by Shiina, the title of the theme song is “Shurajo” (fighting scene, scene of carnage), typical of the dramatic and provocative images she uses in her songs. After a successful five years as a solo artist, Shiina announced while on tour in 2003 that she was starting the 5-member Tokyo Jihen. The group started working together full-time in May of last year and had their first tour in January. In July, two members quit and they have been replaced with a new guitarist and keyboard player for the latest single. So far, the group has put out two singles and the album “Kyoiku” (Education).

• This morning’s wide shows gave a lot of time to the financial matters of musician and super-producer Komuro Tetsuya (46). The story came to light as Komuro’s company Tribalkicks has failed to honor its financial sponsorship commitments to the J-League soccer team Oita Trinita. In 2002, Komuro married Keiko, the vocalist of his group globe, who is originally from Oita Prefecture. He agreed to sponsor Trinita last year, but the club’s latest financial report revealed it to be several hundred million yen in the red and facing insolvency. Komuro himself, while hardly poor, is far removed from his heyday in the late 1990s when he was one of the biggest earners in Japan, with earnings in the billions.

• Pin-up girl Kumada Yoko (23) has denied rumors of a romance with comedian Watanabe Ken (32) of the manzai duo Anjashu. The two were recently spotted at a “go-kon,” a popular word that was originally coined to describe parties with equal numbers of male and female college students.