Sexy divas from the US and Japan are teaming up for an MTV live performance in December. Ashley Simpson (21) and local girl Koda Kumi (photo, 22) will perform at the “Cool MTV Christmas 2005” at Pacifico Yokohama on December 16. Simpson’s latest album is No.1 on the US Billboard Chart, while Koda’s broke through this year – her ‘greatest hits’ album “Best – First Things” was released in September and has sold over 1.2 million copies. The flamboyant Koda will not want to lose out in the glam stakes and is sure to be showing off her trademark low-cut, no-bra look.
• Taking the honors at the Tokyo International Film Festival was local production “Yuki ni Negau Koto” (What the Snow Brings). The festival closed on Sunday and the talk of the town was the Negishi Kichitaro-directed film, which took not only the Tokyo Sakura Grand Prix, but also Best Actor (Sato Koji), Best Director and Audience Choice awards. It tells of a failed businessman who returns from Tokyo to his hometown in Hokkaido and the world of horseracing. Meanwhile the Special Jury Prize went to “Conversations With Other Women,” and the Best Actress Award was shared by British actress Helena Bonham Carter for her role in the same film and Jin Ya-gin in the Chinese feature “You and Me.” the award for Best Artistic Contribution went to another Chinese film, the strangely named “Loach is Fish Too.”