On Tuesday, hip-hop group TERIYAKI BOYZ announced during a radio show that they will be performing in Hong Kong next month. They will share the stage with N.E.R.D. and Kanye West at the HITEC Star Hall in Kowloon Bay on April 10.

TERIYAKI BOYZ, N.E.R.D., and Kanye West are also scheduled to appear together at an April 5 event at Makuhari Messe.

Actor Bae Yong Joon is reportedly playing the lead voice in the anime version of the popular 2002 Korean drama "Winter Sonata," in which he co-starred with Choi Ji Woo.

The anime was recently confirmed, with a press event scheduled for March 28. The project is apparently a collaborative production between Japanese and Korean studios, and news reports suggest that it is a single work rather than a series. In addition to a television broadcast, there are plans for theater screenings.

More details will be revealed at the press conference on the 28th.

The next step in the comeback of former NEWS member Hiroki Uchi is his first regular drama series role in almost three years. He will appear in NTV's "Osen," which stars actress Yu Aoi as the "okami" of a long-standing Tokyo restaurant. Uchi will play Yoshio Ezaki, a young and confident chef who comes to work at the restaurant.

In 2005, Uchi was suspended for underage drinking. He was subsequently removed from NEWS and demoted to trainee status within Johnny's Jimusho, but he finally returned to television work with the "Isshun no Kaze ni Nare" drama mini-series that aired in February.

"Osen" premieres on April 22.

The six-girl ska group ORESKABAND is set to become the first Japanese artist to play the entire Warped Tour. The 2008 tour will visit 46 cities in North America from June 20 to August 17.

ORESKABAND participated in last year's Warped Tour, playing in 7 cities on the West Coast. Their most recent U.S. performance was this past Saturday at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas.

Presale tickets for Warped Tour 2008 went on sale last Friday.

Last summer's "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" drama series is returning for a one-episode special. Starring Maki Horikita, Shun Oguri, and Toma Ikuta, the show was very popular, especially among female viewers. It averaged 17.3% ratings, with the final episode reaching 21.0%.

According to Fuji TV, the special will take place half a year after the series' end. With Osaka Gakuen getting ready for an upcoming Valentine's Day event, Sano (Oguri) and Nakatsu (Ikuta) reflect on the final week of their last summer vacation, which falls into the timeline of the original series between episodes 7 and 8. The special also includes a graduation scene and addresses the relationship between Mizuki (Horikita) and Sano.

Filming begins on Wednesday, but no broadcast date has been specified yet.

Veteran voice actor Toru Furuya, who is best known for the role of Amuro Ray in "Mobile Suit Gundam," is releasing his first mini-album next week. The album is called "HEROES ~to my treasure~" and is meant as a tribute to the classic characters he has played. Aside from Amuro Ray, Furuya's work includes Pegasus Seiya ("Saint Seiya") and Yamcha ("Dragonball").

One of the 7 songs on the album is titled "Lala no Yasokyoku: Nocturne," with lyrics written by "Gundam" director Yoshiyuki Tomino and composition by "Gundam" fan Gackt.

"HEROES" officially goes on sale March 26.

On April 15, the Tokyo Disney Resort will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Tatsuya Ishii and Satomi Takasugi have been tapped to provide the theme song for the occasion, titled "Mahou no Kagi ~ The Dream Goes On." It will be released as a single the following day.

The son of actor Shinji Yamashita has passed away, it was learned on Monday.

38-year-old Tatsuya Moribe, a former actor, was found dead in his Tokyo apartment on Monday last week, hung by his necktie. According to the autopsy, the cause of death was confirmed to be a heart attack, and his death was estimated to be on March 8. Due to the presence of a farewell note found in his room, authorities are treating the matter as a suicide.

Moribe is the child of Yamashita's wife from her previous marriage.

Ulfuls vocalist Tortoise Matsumoto will release a single titled "Namida wo Todokete" this June. Though he has previously released a solo cover album, this is his first original song as a solo artist.

"Namida wo Todokete" has also been chosen as the theme song for the upcoming drama series "Hokaben," which stars Aya Ueto. The drama premieres on April 16.

Oricon surveyed 900 people, asking them which female celebrity they would want to go on an adventure with. Idol Shoko Nakagawa was the most popular choice by both men and women, as well as by those in their teens and 20s.

#2 was talento Becky, followed by a tie at #3 between Chinatsu Wakatsuki and Kumi Koda. Yui Aragaki ranked 5th.

While the women's top 5 list was almost exactly the same as the overall rankings, the men's list included Aki Hoshino, Ai Otsuka, and Masami Nagasawa.

Actress Sei Ashina has been chosen as the new poster model for Parco's swimsuit campaign. The posters will be unveiled in Parco stores nationwide on the 21st. That same day marks the opening of her first stage play, "Amatsukaze," which stars Arashi's Satoshi Ohno.