Monthly Archives: November 2009

GReeeeN vocalist Hide has angrily denied media reports that the J-pop group are splitting up. It was reported this week that the upcoming release of a greatest hits album would be the group’s last and that the four members would focus on being full-time dentists. That sounds absurd except for the fact that all four were studying dentistry at university when they met. They completed their studies but also debuted with Universal Music in 2007, and their lives took a wildly different turn. With their catchy tunes and clever marketing the group have achieved world record level sales. They saw solid sales of their major-label debut album, and their second and third albums were million sellers. In July, their single “Kiseki” was recognized by Guinness World Records as the best-selling digital downloaded single of all time, and . But the members’ faces are never seen. On his blog yesterday, Hide (29) explained that this is because they are now practicing dentists and they want to keep that and their pop success separate. Addressing the latest rumor, he said “The media have created smoke where there is no fire, with the aim of taking your money. It stinks. Everyone, don’t worry, we are not breaking up.”

• Joining the million-selling club is the first greatest hits album from young singer-songwriter Ayaka (21). Over the last month and a half “Ayaka’s History 2006-2009” has stayed at or near the top of the Oricon charts. She is the first solo artist to break the million barrier since Amuro Namie last year. The only groups to do it this year are GReeeeN (see above) and Arashi with “All the Best!” Ayaka, who married actor Mizushima Hiro (25) in February, is currently taking a break from music to undergo treatment for Graves’ disease.

One of the most popular samurai dramas of them all is to get the Hollywood treatment. It was announced yesterday that the Warner Brothers studio is to make a movie related to the Chushingura story with acclaimed actor Yakusho Koji (53, profile) in the lead role. The project will be directed by Sugita Shigemichi (66), who is best known for the long-running Fuji TV drama series “Kita no Kuni Kara” (From the Northern Country). Chushingura is a famous tale of samurai vengeance, a story that has been told in countless ways in kabuki, bunraku, stage plays, films, novels, manga, TV shows and other media.

There are gaps in the historical records of the events which took place at the beginning of the 18th century. This has left room for many fictionalized accounts of how the forty-seven ronin (masterless samurai) undertook a mission to avenge the death of their master, the daimyo (territorial lord) Asano Naganori, who was ordered to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) after pulling his sword on a protocol official, Kira Kozukenosuke. The ronin accomplished their mission, turned paxil in and were also ordered to commit seppuku. Because the revenge attack took place on a December night, the story is as much part of the year-end calendar as A Christmas Carol is in the west.

Though names such as Asano, Kira, and ronin leader Oishi Kuranosuke are familiar to all Japanese, Yakusho, perhaps best known overseas for his role in “Babel,” and Sato Koichi will play the roles of two lesser known men. Seo Magozaemon was a retainer to Oishi and escaped the night before the mission, while Terasaka Kichiemon disappeared the after the attack and, as a common foot soldier rather than a samurai, is considered by many not to be included with the ronin. The new movie is based on a novel about the two men’s reunion 16 years later, which was also the basis for an NHK drama special in 2004.

Actor Oshio Manabu (31) received the latest drug-related court verdict at the Tokyo District Court today. Prosecutors had emphasized the fact that Oshio’s drug use at a Tokyo apartment on August 2 was not an isolated incident, and that he had been evasive and misleading in his statements to police. Under questioning, he admitted to using MDMA (ecstasy) for at least the last couple of years and while in the U.S. in March and July of this year. Judge Iguchi Osamu gave Oshio an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for the maximum five years, somewhat harsher than is usual for a first time offense. He said, “The plaintiff has said he will not take drugs again and the court feels it is fitting that he receive one more chance at rehabilitation in society.”

The actor is still not out of the woods yet, however. Police are still investigating Oshio’s involvement in the death of Tanaka Kaori (30). The former Ginza hostess was found naked on a bed in the same Roppongi Hills apartment with the same drug in her system. Police believe she was alive for about 30 minutes after the drugs started having an adverse affect on her. But rather than call for an ambulance or the police at the time, Oshio called his manager before moving to another apartment in the building. The authorities were not called to the scene until about three hours after Tanaka’s death.

Today’s hearing drew about 1200 members of the public looking to get one of the 21 seats in the courtroom’s public gallery. They did not include any members of Tanaka’s family.

The newly crowned Miss International Queen is from Japan and is proud as punch. Oh yes, he is. The last night of the annual pageant, held since 2005 in the Thai resort of Pattaya, saw 18 contestants from such countries as Thailand, China, the Philippines and the U.S. But for the first time the title went to a Japanese, in the form of popular talento Haruna Ai. One of the country’s many “new half” transsexual personalities, Haruna was in shape to enter the contest after undergoing a radical diet program for a variety show earlier this year. And although the pageant’s website gives the eligiblity age range as 18-36, an exception was presumably made for Haruna, who is 37. A successful business owner as well as a bubbly TV natural, Haruna leaped to fame in 2007 with a tongue-in-cheek impersonation of popular pop idol Matsuura Aya.

In addition to the winner’s trophy and tiara, Haruna receives cash prizes totaling $10,000 and gifts from sponsors. Haruna and fellow Japanese Tukishima Beni also won prizes the night before when they took the top and runner-up spots at a talent contest. The weeklong event is produced and organized by Tiffany’s Show Pattaya, the world’s largest transvestite/transgender cabaret show and supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.