Monthly Archives: September 2006

Sakamoto Ryuichi (54) is taking a new artist under his wing for the first time. The Academy Award-winning musician and composer is to produce the debut single by fellow New York-based singer Kotoringo (28, real name Miyoshi Rieko). “Konnichiwa, Mata Ashita” (Hello, See You Tomorrow) is the theme for the latest Gekkeikan TV commercial and will be released as a single on November 28. Over his long career, Sakamoto has worked with a wide variety of artists from around the world, but has never produced a newcomer (other than perhaps his daughter Miu, who made her debut single with Sugizo of the band Luna Sea). Kotoringo (a combination of ‘kotori’, or little bird, and ‘ringo’, apple) studied at the Berkeley College of Music in Boston, where she won a Piano Department Achievement Award. After graduating, she moved to New York where she performed as a pianist and singer until deciding to make a demo tape last autumn. A copy of the tape made its way to Sakamoto at the J-Wave radio station. “She is a composer of lovely and freewheeling music, and her voice sometimes has the purity of a young girl,” he said. “But she also has amazing ability on the piano. The “imbalance” between the two is her charm.” The description could just as easily be applied to Sakamoto’s ex-wife, Yano Akiko. (Gekkeikan is a Kyoto company that has been brewing sake for over four and a half centuries.)

• Yamamoto Mona (30), a recent addition to the lineup on Chikushi Tetsuya’s late-night “News23” on TBS, is having an affair with handsome Minshuto politician Hosono Goshi (35). She only started on the news show this week and ironically her first report was on the Minshuto party conference. The scandal – reported complete with photos in today’s issue of weekly gossip magazine Friday – may put her position in danger, but she appeared as scheduled on the show last night, looking rather tense. TBS refused to comment on what they called a private matter. Hosono has a wife (31) and daughter.

Talento Haga Kenji (44) is finally settling down. Long regarded as one of Japan’s leading playboys, his well-publicized romance with talento Umemiya Anna (34) ended in 1999 just when the media were expecting them to announce their engagement. It was no secret that her father, actor Umemiya Tatsuo, disapproved of their relationship and it only made matters worse when they published a book of nude photos together. (Anna was soon to go through marriage, motherhood and divorce). After the split, Haga’s life went into something of a tailspin and he found himself hundreds of millions of yen in debt. But he started his own jewelry design and sales business and has found success and prosperity once again. And now he has found his true love, in the form of Yamada Mayu (29). “To be honest, I thought I’d never be able to get married,” he said. “I’m so glad I met her.” He announced yesterday that they are now engaged, but currently have no plans for a wedding ceremony (there is a rumor however that one of the TV networks is planning a live broadcast of their wedding ceremony in Hawaii at New Year). Haga proposed earlier this month, presenting Yamada with an engagement ring he designed himself two years ago. He says the 7-carat diamond ring would have a sale value of between ¥50-70 million. The Okinawa-born Haga, whose real name is Toma Mikio, had his showbiz breakthrough in 1982 when he was one of the young assistants on the Fuji TV afternoon variety show “Waratte Iitomo.”

• Hollywood actress Ann Hathaway (23) is in Japan for the first time. She’s here to promote her latest movie, the fashion comic-drama “The Devil Wears Prada”. At a PR event in Tokyo, she appeared with popular model Oshikiri Moe (26), whose slim legs grace the poster for the movie, and eight other foreign models. The movie is scheduled for release here on November 18.

Actress Sugita Kaoru (41) is in trouble yet again, according to the Josei Jishin women’s weekly. The latest episode in her off-screen antics is an affair with an older married man with children. Late one night earlier this month, she was seen having a lover’s tiff with the man on a bridge in central Tokyo. Clearly drunk, she was screaming at the man for having slept with his wife. The pair then went to a bar where they made up, kissed and ended up at a love hotel. Sugita admits that she was drunk at the time and has tried to shrug off the incident, saying “I have no memory of it. I went into the love hotel because I thought it was a castle.” The man is described as in his 50s and an employee of a major media company. The former child star has long had a reputation as a drinker and playgirl. Single until last year, she was often cited as an example of a “make-inu” (lit. loser dog) who could never find happiness in life. She took everyone by surprise when she married a rich heir in March after a whirlwind relationship, instantly transforming into a “celeb” wife. But the marriage lasted only a few months and they divorced in August amidst accusations of violence and infidelities by Sugita.

• Former folk singer Takada Mari jumped to his death from his apartment building yesterday afternoon. He was 59. The suicide came days after he was released on bail having caused a traffic accident on September 11 – driving his scooter while drunk, he hit a woman and caused serious injuries including a fractured skull. Residents of his apartment building in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture, heard a loud noise around 4pm yesterday. They found his body face down on the asphalt at the foot of the building’s staircase. He was wearing a shoulder bag which contained a suicide note saying simply that he wanted to die. In the early 1970s, he was a member of the folk trio “Aoi Sankakujogi” that had a million-selling hit with the TV drama theme song “Taiyo ga Kureta Shiki”. After the group broke up in 1973, Takada had a brief solo singing career before running an izakaya. But only last month, the trio took the first step toward a planned comeback, performing together on the NTV 24-hour TV marathon. A shocked Nishiguchi Kumiko (55), the trio’s vocalist, could only speculate that Takada’s suicide was out of a sense of responsibility for having ruined their plans with his drunk-driving arrest.

• Composer Ichikawa Shosuke died yesterday of liver failure at a Tokyo hospital. He was 73. Since his debut in 1961, he composed over 3,000 songs, most notably for Minato Harumi. In 1996, he was awarded the Purple Ribbon Medal for his contribution to the arts.

Actor Tamba Tetsuro died late Sunday night of pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital. He was 84. Born in the Okubo area of Tokyo in 1922, his real name was Tamba Shosaburo. He was one of the busiest stars of the postwar Japanese movie industry, making his debut in 1952 at the late age of 30 but still managing to cram over 300 movies into his long career. The best known include “Suna no Utsuwa” (The Castle of Sand, 1974) and “Ningen Kakumei” (The Human Revolution, 1973). But the one that stands out for western movie fans is his role as Tiger Tanaka in the 1967 James Bond flick “You Only Live Twice” (photo). His final appearance was in the currently showing “Nihon Chinbotsu” (Japan Sinks), and he also played a major role in the 1973 original.

A fluent English speaker, he worked as an interpreter at the U.S. military’s GHQ in Tokyo while studying at Chuo University. He made his debut with a big role in the Shin Toei studio production “Satsujin Yogisha” (Murder Suspect), but would be stuck in supporting roles for the next decade. The 1963 Fuji TV series “Sanbiki no Samurai” (The Three Samurai) finally brought him stardom. The rest of the decade saw him play a series of yakuza and gang bosses in what was the most popular genre of the 60s. His best work came in the 70s, including the definitive TV detective series “G-Men 75”. In his later years, he turned to the spiritual world and started proclaiming himself to be a medium and making several documentaries in the 1980s. Dapper up until the end, he always appeared immaculately dressed and wearing his signature sunglasses. But in his final public appearances, years of battling heart disease were clearly taking their toll and he looked increasingly gaunt. He was hospitalized at the beginning of this month with pneumonia and appeared to be making a recovery when he suddenly suffered heart failure. His son, actor Tamba Yoshitaka, said, “He passed away peacefully. It was very much like him to spend his last hours without bothering anyone.”

Former X Japan leader Yoshiki is to make his Hollywood debut. He has written the opening music and ending song to the thriller “Catacombs”, produced by Gregg Hoffman, the man behind the 2004 horror hit “Saw”. Based on a true story about the youth parties in the catacombs beneath 14th century Paris, it stars Shannyn Sossamon. “I don’t usually like scary movies, but the artistry of this project appealed to me,” said the L.A.-based former X Japan drummer and pianist. He has worked on movies in the past, such as the anime “X” and the South Korean film “Boku no Kanojo wo Shokai Shimasu”, but this is his first truly international project. The ending theme, “Blue Butterfly”, is sung by Nina, an American vocalist with Yoshiki’s band Violet UK. The unit has been around for several years, but planned projects – including a debut album scheduled for release a year ago – have yet to come to fruition.

• On Saturday, folk legends Yoshida Takuro (60) and the band Kaguyahime recreated a famous concert from 31 years ago. The all-night “Tsumakoi Concert” in August 1975 was a highlight of the folk scene’s heyday, but this time the 8-hour show was done before 10pm. Some 35,000 fans, mostly middle-aged, made the journey to relive their youth at the same Shizuoka Prefecture venue. The show opened with the artists performing together, something they had never done before.

• NTV has announced that it won’t be showing any more Yomiuri Giants games live this season. With the team well out of the pennant race and audience ratings continuing their slump, the network reached the agreement with the team. The games will only be viewable on satellite and cable channels.

• NTV announcer Funakoshi Masashi (44) did not appear in his regular slot on the network’s early-morning “Zoom In! Saturday” following his recent “sekuhara” (sexual harrassment) case. The network said he has been punished but they have yet to decide when he can return to work.

For theater director Ninagawa Yukio (70), the role of Joan of Arc was made just for Matsu Takako (29), an actress he has wanted to work with again for many years. He has cast Matsu as the star of his latest production, “Hibari” (The Lark), in which she will play the 15th century heroine. The play was written by French playwright Jean Anouilh in 1953. Ninagawa and Matsu first worked together in 1995, when he cast the high school girl as Ophelia in his version of “Hamlet”. Three years later, with Sanada Hiroyuki playing the Danish prince, they took the production to London. It helped cement Ninogawa’s reputation as one of the world’s leading Shakespeare interpreters. Over the last nine years, he has tried several times to come up with a suitable project for his favorite actress, but she has been constantly busy, including several theater runs alongside her father, Matsumoto Koshiro in “The Man From La Mancha”, and a wide range of TV dramas. “Matsu-san is one of the very few Japanese actresses who can perform at the top level of international theater,” he said. “This play and the role of Joan of Arc could have been written just for her.” Hibari is scheduled to open at the Bunkamura Theater Cocoon next February.

Fans of the late great actor Matsuda Yusaku can finally get a glimpse of how he landed his final movie role in Ridley Scott’s “Black Rain” (1989). Paramount Home Entertainment Japan announced this week that they will launch a remastered version of the movie on DVD on November 2, with only the Japan version including footage of Matsuda’s audition. The DVD also includes interviews with Uchida Yuya, Ono Miyuki and Guts Ishimatsu about their memories of Matsuda and the making of the movie. The classic “U.S. cops versus Japanese yakuza” flick was largely set in Osaka and starred Michael Douglas and Takakura Ken, as well as a young Andy Garcia. But Matsuda stole the show, with his role as the psychotic yakuza, Sato. But just a day after the movie had its Japan Premiere, Matsuda died of cancer at the age of 39, and Black Rain remains as his biggest legacy outside his homeland.

• The movie sequel “Death Note, The Last Name” will open in theaters at the same time in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, a first for an Asian movie. Since its release in June, “Death Note” has been a huge hit across East Asia, pulling in ¥2.8 billion at home and over ¥200 million in Hong Kong, a record for a Japanese movie. It is also set to open in South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. The schedule for the sequel, as well as its world premiere in Hong Kong on October 28, were announced at a “geurilla” PR event in Tokyo yesterday. Star Fujiwara Tatsuya (24) drew screams from about 700 fans gathered in front of Shinjuku station. The event also featured a huge statue of Ryuk, the Death God, whose character is voiced by kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (34). Nakamura’s recent drunk driving incident is just one of several casting a shadow over the project. The movie is based on a hugely popular manga illustrated by Obata Takeshi, who was arrested in June for possessing an army knife in his car. And cinematographer Takase Hiroshi died on September 7 from a stroke at the age of 50.

Hawaiian-born Japanese singer melody (24) has landed a role in the new version of EA’s best-selling street racing game “Need For Speed: Carbon”. Having only made her breakthrough with last year’s hit “Realize”, she will be receiving huge exposure through a game franchise that already has sales of over 38 million in 75 countries worldwide. The fourth release in the series is due to go on sale in November, and in Japan in December. Melody is one of the “electro” artists that are included in the game’s soundtrack to accompany the so-called Japanese Tuner Cars, but will also have a voice role. meanwhile, the Exotic Cars rev to the tunes of artists like hip hop star Pharell and Roots Manuva from the UK’s “grime” scene. And Muscle Cars, needless to say, perform best when the music is loud and heavy, from bands like Eagles of Death Metal and Wolfmother.

• The 19th Tokyo International Film Festival is without a head judge. Academy Award and Palme D’Or-winning French director Claude Lelouch (68) has pulled out just a month before the festival is due to open, citing a schedule overrun on his latest movie project. Festival chairman Kadokawa Tsuguhiko (63) announced yesterday that about 95% of the event’s lineup has been finalized, but the news of Lelouch’s withdrawal drew the most media attention. The Tokyo Fest has been gradually building up its reputation as one of the top dozen or so events of its kind in the world. So the news comes as a big blow, though other major events have overcome such difficulties. Hollywood actress Jodie Foster withdrew as head judge of the Cannes Festival in 2001, also due to a conflict with her filming schedule.

• Madonna (48) paid a visit to the Louis Vuitton store in Tokyo’s swish Roppongi Hills yesterday. The store is holding an exhibition of photos and video featuring the Queen of Pop, who finishes her worldwide Confessions Tour this week in the capital. She was with Steven Klein, the photographer who created the opening video sequence for her current live show, and smiled and waved for the 300 or so fans who had gathered to get a glimpse. She stayed for about thirty minutes and even bought herself a pair of sunglasses and a black leather jacket. Also visiting the exhibition yesterday were local musicians Aikawa Nanase and rapper Verbal. Madonna’s final shows are at Tokyo Dome tomorrow and Friday, while the exhibition will run until October 2.

Popular Korean Talento Yoon Sona (30) got married to entrepreneur Shin Jae Hyung (36) in Seoul at the weekend. The couple invited over 1,000 guests to the lavish ceremony and reception at the ShinRa, one of the city’s top hotels. Many of Yoon’s friends and fellow celebrities were invited from Japan. The couple are off to the Maldives at the weekend for a weeklong honeymoon, after which they will settle down in Seoul, where Shin runs businesses connected with the movie industry and restaurants. Yoon plans to continue working in Japan and will shuttle back and forth.

No comment! That was the response from celebrities at three different PR events over the weekend. Appearing at a publicity event for an upcoming NHK drama series, actress Sakai Miki (photo, 28) refused to confirm or deny rumors that her romance with New York Yankees star Matsui Hideki (32) is back on again. First reported as a couple in 2004, in June they were said to have made up after an earlier split. Neither has spoken to the media about it since. Ditzy talento Ogura Yuko (22) was once again well shielded by her management staff from questions about her rumored romance with comedian Hamaguchi Masaru (34). Reporters were not allowed to ask questions and were kept out of the area where she met with fans. When news of the relationship first broke at the end of August, her staff abruptly ended a press conference as soon as it came up. And staff running a photo book launch by actor Koide Keisuke (22) were equally touchy when the questions started about his recently revealed relationship with actress Saeko (19). Of course, all this “protection” serves a double purpose in that it also helps create juicier news stories and generate a bit of extra publicity.

• Fuji TV are to release a DVD compilation of the spring drama series “Top Caster”, but minus one entire episode. The drama, which starred Amami Yuki and Yada Akiko, told the story of a newscaster who made a different scoop in each of the 11 episodes. The problem was with episode 3, which featured a character who closely resembled popular fortune teller Hosoki Kazuko (68) and was exposed as a fake. The best-selling author complained and the network later apologized.

• Madonna (48) is back for her first Japan tour in 13 years. She played to 60,000 fans at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka on Saturday and Sunday. Her two shows at Tokyo Dome on Wednesday and Thursday will bring an end to this, the last leg of her Confessions Tour, which has made the Queen of Pop over ¥15 billion.