Monthly Archives: February 2011

It was a good night at the Grammys for Japanese artists. Matsumoto “Tak” Takahiro (49, photo left), guitarist with the hugely successful rock band B’z, won an award for his collaboration with jazz fusion guitarist Larry Carlton (62, photo center). The duo won the Best Pop Instrumental Album award for “Take Your Pick.” A recent Daily Yomiuri reveiew said the album’s 12 tracks “effortlessly straddle multiple genres including jazz, blues, rock and pop, and though occasionally redolent of jazz fusion from the 1970s and ’80s, the material still rings with a fresh and contemporary zest.”

On the award win, Matsumoto commented, “I had never told anyone until now, but the Grammys was one of my dreams and a big goal.” B’z are the biggest-selling Japanese music act, having sold over 44 million albums in the past 23 years. In 2007 they became the first Japanese act to be inducted into Hollywood’s Rockwalk.

Meanwhile, a couple of lesser known Japanese artists were recognized for their keyboard skills. Classical pianist Uchida Mitsuko (62) got the nod for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra for a recording of piano concertos by Mozart with the Cleveland Orchestra. In a statement she said, “Receiving this award gives me special joy as I have worked with them for a long time.” And the Best Contemporary Jazz Album award went to the Stanley Clarke Band, which includes jazz pianist Uehara Hiromi (31, photo right). She commented, “As a member, I am very honored to have received the Grammy award.”
Related stories:
B’z Matsumoto Gets 9 Grammy Nods (Dec. 3, 2010)
B’z Inducted into Hollywood Rock Walk (Nov. 20, 2007)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, today’s issue of the weekly magazine “Friday” reports that SMAP member Inagaki Goro (37) has romance in his life. He and ‘former talento‘ Okayasu Mariko (25) are said to have been dating for about two years and Okayasu has been spotted spending time at his Tokyo apartment. Okayasu, who was with one of the major talent agencies (which also represents top talento Ueto Aya) until the end of last year, is said to be aiming to restart her career and the publicity of being involved with Inagaki will certainly do no harm.

It’s the first report of a love interest for Inagaki since he and actress Kanno Miho (33) ended their long relationship at the end of 2008. The pair had started dating after they appeared together in a TV drama series, and as they were seen repeatedly in public and traveling overseas, there was talk of marriage. But the weekly magazines reported several times on Inagaki’s affairs during that almost decade-long relationship.

As well as being part of Japan’s most popular and successful “boy band” Inagaki makes regular acting appearances, such as in last year’s acclaimed samurai flick “13-nin no Shikaku” (13 Assassins). Okayasu was a participant in the inaugural Internet Beauty Contest in 2006 but has remained very much a minor celebrity.

It seems that talento Komukai Minako (25) hasn’t shaken off her drug habit. It was reported yesterday that police currently have a warrant out for her arrest and have been seeking her whereabouts since the beginning of the year. She is still serving a suspended sentence for an earlier drug conviction, and is said to possibly be living in the Chinese territory of Macao. The warrant, for receiving “kakuseizai” (stimulant drugs), is the latest development in an ongoing police investigation into a Japanese-Iranian drug ring that was exposed last autumn. Police have arrested about 10 dealers and more than 20 of their customers. One of the arrested dealers gave police Komukai’s name during questioning.

Komukai was arrested in January 2009 and given an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for possession of kakuseizai. She has since been trying to get her career back on track but her work has been restricted to strip shows and soft porn projects. According to an associate, she started putting on weight after appearing in the S&M movie “Hana to Hebi 3,” released last August. In October she appeared at the Asakusa Rock-za strip club in Tokyo, the same venue that gave her the first break after her arrest, but was considered too overweight to continue.
Related stories:
Court Orders Idol to Keep Clothes On (Jun. 3, 2009)
The Fall of the Bikini Model (Jan. 26, 2009)

Celebrities also fall victim to drug abuse, and would need addiction rehabilitation just like regular people.

It comes as no surprise to hear that the marriage of rock star Tamaki Koji (52) and Aota Noriko (43) is a tempestuous affair. The Anzen Chitai vocalist and the former C.C. Girls pinup idol drew a large crowd of passersby when they had a huge argument on the street during their recent trip to Guam, according to today’s issue of the “Shukan Josei” magazine. The couple, together with several work colleagues, were on vacation in mid-January when the incident happened. Locals and other tourists stopped to take photos when they realized that it was celebrities doing the very public shouting. The magazine reported that they are living separately, but management for the couple denied that. They said that Aota has spent time staying with friends, adding that it is simply to give space for Tamaki and his bandmates to work a lot from their home.

Tamaki and Aota are both outspoken personalities and neither of them match the Japanese stereotype of being shy about expressing their emotions. They were both divorcees when they tied the knot last July, and Tamaki in particular is known for his many and complicated romantic involvements.
Related stories:
Tamaki, Aota Tie the Knot (Jul. 19, 2010)

The world of sumo faces perhaps its greatest ever crisis after last week’s revelations of bout fixing in the sport. The exposure of a series of text messages sent between more than a dozen top level rikishi (wrestlers) was followed by public admissions by two of them and a coach. Though such “yaocho” (bout fixing) rumors and accusations have circulated for years, this time the evidence is out in the open and cannot be ignored. As a result, the Japan Sumo Association announced yesterday that next month’s “haru basho” (spring tournament), one of six major events held every other month during the year, would be called off and the sport will be in a state of suspension until thorough investigations are carried out. It is the first cancellation of a basho in the post-war period other than one occasion in 1946 when structural repairs were required at the official venue.

The sport has its roots in the traditional religion of shinto and is officially a government affiliate with preferential tax treatment, so membership of the sumo world brings with it the expectation of high moral standards. But that image has been greatly damaged by a series of major scandals over the last few years. 2007 saw the hazing death of a 17-year-old trainee and the arrest of his “oyakata” (stablemaster); in 2008, drug use led to the expulsion of two Russian rikishi and the resignation of the JSA chief; Mongolian Yokozuna (grand champion) Asashoryu quit the sport while at the top of his game in 2010 after accusations of a drunken assault; gambling by rikishi on baseball games led to the expulsion of two top rikishi last summer, and it was police investigation of that gambling that led to the latest scandal.

Celebrities big and small turned out at shrines and other venues across the country to throw beans. The “mamemaki” (bean throwing) ceremony is the central part of the annual Setsubun festival that marks the spring equinox in the traditional Japanese calendar. One of the common traditions is to throw dried soybeans at “oni” or demons to drive out bad fortune (“oni wa soto!”) and invite in good luck for the year ahead (“fuku wa uchi!”). Though it isn’t a national holiday, big crowds turn out every year to see celebrities perform the mamemaki ceremony.

Among yesterday’s events were: actress Ueno Juri (24) and Chiba Prefectural governor Morita Kensaku were at the Narita-san Shinshoji temple, east of Tokyo. Ueno is the star of this year’s taiga historical drama series on NHK; enka veteran Kitajima Saburo (74, photo center, profile) and members of the “Kitajima Family” were at the on Takao-san Yakuoin temple in the western suburbs of Tokyo. Kitajima, who is celebrating 50 years in showbiz, also performed his new single; and kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro (64) was at the Misonoza theater in Nagoya, where he will start his final series of appearances from tomorrow. He no doubt wants to put memories of last year behind him, with his health problems and his son, kabuki star Ichikawa Ebizo, caught up in an assault case scandal.

Members of the rock band Kuroyume recorded an NHK radio show yesterday in which they apologized to fans disappointed by their all-too-brief comeback concert last weekend. Vocalist Kiyoharu (42, left) and bassist Hitoki (38, right) spoke about the January 29 “secret live” show in Shinjuku, which was called off before the band had even finished one chorus of their first song. The band’s first show since their “last concert” in 2009 attracted a crowd of 5,000 people and the anger of Tokyo metropolitan police. The band had planned to perform seven songs but were pulled off stage after about a minute. “We didn’t get to explain to the fans so we want to do that over the radio,” said Kiyoharu. The NHK show will be broadcast on February 8 and Kuroyume are scheduled to perform the “XXXX The Fake Star” show at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium on February 26.

February 9 marks the 20th anniversary of Kuroyume’s debut in 1991, and the band will release “Misery,” their first single in 13 years. Other than last year’s revival show, the band have been on an extended break since 1999. Kiyoharu did four years (1999-2003) as the vocalist of the band SADS, putting out a handful of albums.

The numerical date of February 2nd can be referred to as “fu-fu” in Japanese, which also means a married couple. And as yesterday was an auspicious “taian” day on the traditional Japanese calendar, it was a particularly good day to get married. But still, management for actor Hosokawa Shigeki (39, photo left) and former Shape Up Girl Mise Mamiko (41, photo center) took the media totally by surprise when they announced that the pair had tied the knot yesterday. They registered their marriage at a Tokyo municipal office and Mise announced the news yesterday evening on her blog.

The two are said to have been friends for about 15 years and met when Hosokawa was working mainly as a model. His break as an actor came in 2005 when he landed the starring role as the “Kamen Rider Hibiki” action hero. In addition to his acting, Hosokawa is known for his interest in home appliances, and his new bride is said to share that hobby. Romance blossomed between them about a year ago and Hosokawa proposed last autumn. The Shape Up Girls were a group of four shapely pin-up models who worked the variety show circuit, usually wearing bikinis, in the mid-1990s.

Also getting hitched yesterday was talento Horikoshi Nori (photo right), for whom the occasion was even more auspicious as it was her 29th birthday. She met with reporters at the offices of her Hori Pro management agency and showed them a hand-drawn caricature of her 41-year-old husband, an esthetic dentist. The couple plan to hold a wedding ceremony in the summer. Horikoshi is perhaps best known for her terrible cooking on the show “Ai no Apron” a few years ago.

Southern All Stars vocalist Kuwata Keisuke (54, profile) delighted fans with a surprise live performance yesterday. The hugely popular singer, who spent much of last year battling esophageal cancer, appeared at an event for 800 fans at the Zepp Fukuoka live house to promote his upcoming album “Musicman.” The audience had been expecting just a “shichokai” (listening party), a sneak preview of the new album, but as the intro played to the single “Ashita Harerukana” a spotlight revealed Kuwata walking on stage. He went on to do a powerful 30-minute set that convinced the audience that he has made a full recovery. Though he performed by satellite on the NHK “Kohaku Uta Gassen” concert on New Year’s Eve, this was his first time to sing in front of fans since he made a guest appearance at a solo show by his wife, Hara Yuko (54), last July.

In addition to the live performance, fans got to hear the the whole 70-minute, 17-track album. They also got the first look at videos for the songs “Soreike Baby!” and “Gekko no Seijatachi (Mister Moonlight).” Promoters Amuse said that there would be a total of seven similar events across the country, but refused to say whether Kuwata would be appearing again. “Musicman” is his first solo album in nine years and is sure to be one of the year’s biggest hits. It was originally scheduled for an October 2010 release, but now goes on sale February 23.

Talking about his hospitalization and surgery last year, Kuwata told fans, “Your origami cranes and lucky talismans gave me a real boost. I’m here today thanks to your prayers and warm words of support. Thank you so much!”

Korean pop artists continue to do well on the Japanese charts. The hugely popular Tohoshinki (known overseas as TVXQ) was reduced from five members to just two (Yoon Ho, 24 and Chan Min, 22) during a troubled year in 2010, but the duo have seen their “debut” single shoot straight to the top of the Oricon weekly chart. “Why? (Keep Your Head Down)” sold more than 230,000 copies in its first week, making it the second best release week for a foreign artist. The only single to have done better was “Break Out,” released in early January 2010 by the original Tohoshinki lineup. The group now has a total of nine No.1’s, also a record for a foreign artist.

The single release was timed to coincide with two concerts by several acts from the SM Entertainment stable of K-pop artists in Tokyo last week. For local fans, the “SMTown Live” shows were the first chance to see their Korean idols in just over a year. But Tohoshinki will be back soon, appearing at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture on February 8 to promote their new single.

Meanwhile, at No.2 on the Oricon singles chart is AKB48 member Sakano Yuri (19), whose solo debut “Dear J” has sold 163,000 copies. On top of the album charts is “Supergood, Superbad,” the solo debut from NEWS member Yamashita Tomohisa (25). The Johnny’s Jimusho aidoru has been building a solo career overseas and last weekend launched his first tour of Asia with two shows in Hong Kong.

Japanese-Korean Ikemen Collaboration

Yesterday saw the launch of a new collaboration between young Japanese singer-actors and a Korean dance-vocal unit. D★Date is a pop offshoot of the D-Boys group of Japanese “ikemen” (handsome) actors, while Choshinsei is a six-member K-pop boy band also known by their translated name of Supernova. The two groups will face off at a special live performance at Universal Studios Japan on March 21 and recording projects are in the works. Media reports say the groups just “hit it off” when they met by chance at a Tokyo record company last month, but there’s little doubt that the collaboration is manufactured. D★Date debuted in December, with the single “Ato 3cm no Mirai” entering the Oricon chart at No.7, and are scheduled to release a follow up single in the spring. Member Seto Koji (22) is currently appearing in this year’s NHK taiga historical drama series “Go.”

Kara Coming to Tokyo This Week
Another K-pop act that have grabbed a lot of headlines recently, though for mixed reasons, are coming back to Japan. The five-member female unit Kara are said to be arriving in Tokyo on February 3 and will be in town for about a week to film the TV Tokyo drama “Urakara.” The group only recently announced that they would be getting back to work with the original lineup, after contractual disputes had them on the verge of breaking up at the end of last year, so filming of the mini-series has been considerably delayed. The episode scheduled to be aired on February 4 will be replaced by a digest of the first three episodes.