Some big names kicked off very different but all eagerly-awaited concert tours this week. Heavy metal pioneers Judas Priest launched their ninth Japan tour in Nagoya last night. They performed a 17-song set for the 2,000 fans, mixing hits with tracks from their first concept album, “Nostradamus.” They have two shows in Osaka, one in Yokohama, then the Nippon Budokan before finishing at the Tokyo International Forum on October 1. Cyndi Lauper (photo, 55), who started her “Bring Ya to the Brink” world tour in Osaka on Tuesday, checked the Nippon Budokan off her list last night and she’ll be in Nagoya tonight and back to Ebisu Garden Hall in Tokyo on Saturday. Meanwhile, the first SMAP (profile) tour in two years is on a whole new scale for them. Their tour started at Tokyo Dome last night and they will be the first Japanese artists to play six nights at the 55,000-seat venue. Then they’ll use about one hundred 11- and 20-ton trucks to move the elaborate stage show to the other four domes across the country. Last night, youngest member Katori Shingo (31) injured his right knee in a fall on stage. He suffered contusion and internal bleeding that will take two weeks to heal, but he promised to be on stage again tonight.
• Talento Adachi Yuri (51) unveiled the results of her 2-month, ¥6-million anti-aging regime yesterday. She spent the money on procedures such as breast enlargement and liposuction. Clearly happy with the results, she plans to publish “beauty Smile,” a book a nude photos. She’s also scheduled to have her first movie starring role in a project provisionally titled “Mebius” that is due to be shown at the Hamburg Film Festival next year. The mother of actress Adachi Yumi (27), she answered a question about media reports of trouble in her daughter’s marriage to comedian Itoda Jun (35) with the wry comment, “Separation? I suppose it could happen.”
• Comedians Bakusho Mondai made a donation of ¥10 million to their hometown of Osaka yesterday. The duo of Ota Hikari (43) and Tanaka Yuji (43), together with Ota’s wife and the manager of their Titan management agency Ota Mitsuyo (44), made the donation to Osaka governor Hashimoto Toru (39). A family lawyer, Hashimoto was represented by Titan when he became a TV celebrity and was a regular guest on the “Sunday Japon” variety show hosted by the comedians.
• X Japan leader Yoshiki yesterday launched a jewelry range inspired by his “world view.” Wearing a ¥1.2-million red and green diamond necklace at the event in Tokyo, he said, “I never really liked jewelry. It got in the way when I was playing the piano.” But he says he was converted when he saw the Yoshiki Jewelry lineup. Also on display were a piano and a drum set made of crystal and costing ¥20 million apiece. The 25-product range goes on sale at Takashimaya department stores nationwide from October 1.