The Red Hot Chili Peppers have suddenly cancelled their Japan dome tour. Due to start at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka today and move to Tokyo Dome on March 22-23, the sold-out tour was called off on Saturday. The reason given was that vocalist Anthony Kiedis (44) has come down with bronchitis. Disappointed fans will have to wait to hear from promoters Smash about ticket refunds and any rescheduling of dates. For now they say they are aiming to reschedule the shows for the autumn. Kiedis has been told to take 10 days rest, which would mean the band’s tour of Australia should go ahead as planned. The 9-date tour is due to start in Adelaide on April 7.
• The Cannes golden boy and the Oscar nominee are to make their anime debuts. Actor Yagira Yuya (16) and actress Kikuchi Rinko (26) will provide their voice talents for the anime omnibus feature “Genius Party”. The pair will play the young couple at the center of a segment called “Baby Blue”, directed by Watanabe Shinichiro. The movie is scheduled to open here in July, and will be shown at the Japan Festival in New York next February. Yagira became the youngest ever winner of the best actor award at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2004 for his breakthrough role in “Nobody Knows”. While Kikuchi’s role in “Babel” earned her a nomination for this year’s best supporting actress Oscar.
• Actress and singer Koizumi Kyoko (41) made her first concert appearance in three years on Friday. She performed three songs at an environmental event in Tokyo at the request of Kobayashi Takeshi, who produced her first million selling hit. And Koizumi is to make her radio comeback after 19 years. “Kyon-Kyon”, as she is know to fans, will host the Nippon Housou show “All Night Nippon” for one night only on March 26. She was the first-ever idol singer to host the show, which she did for two and a half years during the peak of her popularity in 1986-88. Marking her 25th anniversary in showbiz, this week she will also release a greatest hits album “K25 – Koizumi Kyoko All Time Best”.