Mon, February 25, 2008 (5:20pm EST)
The five-member comedy group The Plan 9 will shrink to four at the end of this month. Tsukasa Suzuki has announced that he is leaving the group, due to differences of opinion with the other members.
On his blog, Suzuki wrote that he is aiming to continue working alone as a comedian, stage director, and writer.
On his blog, Suzuki wrote that he is aiming to continue working alone as a comedian, stage director, and writer.
Mon, February 25, 2008 (5:08pm EST)
47-year-old director Koichiro Yamashita was recently arrested in the Ukyo ward of Kyoto.
Late on Friday night, Yamashita was at a Circle K convenience store, where a 28-year-old male employee was arguing with another customer. Angered by the part-timer's attitude, Yamashita shouted at him and hit him on the head with his fist. The worker reportedly suffered no injuries.
Yamashita, who was drunk at the time of the incident, denied the allegations during questioning.
Yamashita was director for the "Kyoto Meikyu Annai" drama series and assistant director for the 2006 film "YAMATO."
Late on Friday night, Yamashita was at a Circle K convenience store, where a 28-year-old male employee was arguing with another customer. Angered by the part-timer's attitude, Yamashita shouted at him and hit him on the head with his fist. The worker reportedly suffered no injuries.
Yamashita, who was drunk at the time of the incident, denied the allegations during questioning.
Yamashita was director for the "Kyoto Meikyu Annai" drama series and assistant director for the 2006 film "YAMATO."
Mon, February 25, 2008 (4:51pm EST)
Announcer Rie Ito, a caster on TV Asahi's "Yajiuma Plus," gave birth to her first child on Saturday. The boy, reportedly named Atsuki, was introduced on screen during Monday's broadcast of the show.
Ito got married in 2006 and announced her pregnancy last September.
Ito got married in 2006 and announced her pregnancy last September.
Mon, February 25, 2008 (4:50pm EST)
25-year-old idol and "railroad otaku" Masumi Toyooka is retiring from show business at the end of March. She made the announcement on Monday at an event commemorating the 110th anniversary of the Keikyu railroad company.
Toyooka entered show business in 1999 as a member of the group P-chicks, but has been a solo idol since the unit disbanded. She got married last November and revealed on Monday that she is now in her fifth month of pregnancy.
The idol cited motherhood as her reason for retiring and expressed excitement about her new family. She commented that she wants to have two or three children, and she hopes to raise them as railroad fanatics.
Toyooka entered show business in 1999 as a member of the group P-chicks, but has been a solo idol since the unit disbanded. She got married last November and revealed on Monday that she is now in her fifth month of pregnancy.
The idol cited motherhood as her reason for retiring and expressed excitement about her new family. She commented that she wants to have two or three children, and she hopes to raise them as railroad fanatics.
Mon, February 25, 2008 (4:49pm EST)
NTV is producing a drama adaptation of Shota Kikuchi's "Osen" manga series, which currently runs in Kodansha's magazine Evening.
The drama will feature rising actress Yu Aoi in the lead role. Aoi has starred in several movies and currently stars in the WOWOW series "Yu Aoi x Yottsu no Uso: Camouflage," but this will be her first lead in a television drama on a major network.
Aoi plays Sen Handa, the "okami" (proprietress) of a long-standing restaurant in one of the lower parts of Tokyo. Though she is normally airheaded and loves to drink, she has an impressive mastery of a wide range skills, from cooking to ceramics to calligraphy. While the drama follows various events surrounding the restaurant, one of the series' highlights is its illustration of Japanese food and culture.
Filming starts at the end of March. The show begins in April, airing on Tuesdays at 10:00pm.
The drama will feature rising actress Yu Aoi in the lead role. Aoi has starred in several movies and currently stars in the WOWOW series "Yu Aoi x Yottsu no Uso: Camouflage," but this will be her first lead in a television drama on a major network.
Aoi plays Sen Handa, the "okami" (proprietress) of a long-standing restaurant in one of the lower parts of Tokyo. Though she is normally airheaded and loves to drink, she has an impressive mastery of a wide range skills, from cooking to ceramics to calligraphy. While the drama follows various events surrounding the restaurant, one of the series' highlights is its illustration of Japanese food and culture.
Filming starts at the end of March. The show begins in April, airing on Tuesdays at 10:00pm.
Mon, February 25, 2008 (1:33am EST)
Management agency Amuse is establishing a new company called AZEAL. Within the first three years, the company aims to sign three music artists who have the potential for nationwide tours that will attract hundreds of thousands of fans.
The first artist signed to the firm is 23-year-old singer Emi Tawata. Originally from Okinawa, she was a member of her school marching band. After finishing high school, Tawata went to Canada for language studies, and she became a singer for a street jazz band while she was there.
After returning to Japan, Tawata started composing and songwriting. In 2006, she began performing in Okinawa and last year released a single titled "Negai no Sora," which achieved #1 on Okinawa's indie charts.
Tawata will make her major label debut (on a newly-formed label named techesko) with a mini-album called "Infinity," which includes "Negai no Sora" and a reggae cover of Fumido's "Yura Yura." The album goes on sale April 23.
The first artist signed to the firm is 23-year-old singer Emi Tawata. Originally from Okinawa, she was a member of her school marching band. After finishing high school, Tawata went to Canada for language studies, and she became a singer for a street jazz band while she was there.
After returning to Japan, Tawata started composing and songwriting. In 2006, she began performing in Okinawa and last year released a single titled "Negai no Sora," which achieved #1 on Okinawa's indie charts.
Tawata will make her major label debut (on a newly-formed label named techesko) with a mini-album called "Infinity," which includes "Negai no Sora" and a reggae cover of Fumido's "Yura Yura." The album goes on sale April 23.
