Mon, March 9, 2009 (12:41am EDT)
Actor Takahiro Ito, the younger brother of "Densha Otoko" star Atsushi Ito, has passed away, it was learned on Sunday. He was only 21 years old.
Ito was found dead in a parked car near Lake Sagami in the Kanagawa prefecture. Police are currently investigating the death as a suicide.
The actor regularly updated his official blog, but his last post was on February 22. In that entry, he included a photo of him having fun with friends at a high school reunion, and he also mentioned that he was preparing for filming a television drama this month.
Ito entered show business as a child actor back in 1993. His most recent roles included the movie "Yougisha x no Kenshin" and the dramas "Galileo" and "Nodame Cantabile."
Ito was found dead in a parked car near Lake Sagami in the Kanagawa prefecture. Police are currently investigating the death as a suicide.
The actor regularly updated his official blog, but his last post was on February 22. In that entry, he included a photo of him having fun with friends at a high school reunion, and he also mentioned that he was preparing for filming a television drama this month.
Ito entered show business as a child actor back in 1993. His most recent roles included the movie "Yougisha x no Kenshin" and the dramas "Galileo" and "Nodame Cantabile."
Mon, March 9, 2009 (12:39am EDT)
Johnny's Jimusho has announced that the Johnny's Jr. group Kis-My-Ft2 will be the main cast of this year's "PLAYZONE" musical. This is an impressive achievement for the 7-member unit, as they have not yet released a major label CD.
The older Johnny's group Shonentai were the leads of "PLAYZONE" since 1986, but last year was their final time in charge of the show.
The main leads for this year's show will be Kis-My-Ft2 members Hiromitsu Kitayama, Taisuke Fujigaya, and Yuta Tamamori. The supporting cast includes the group's other members, as well as former NEWS/Kanjani8 member Hiroki Uchi. Shonentai's Kazukiyo Nishikiori is writing and directing the show. Performances have been scheduled at Tokyo's Aoyama Theatre from July 11 to August 9 and at Osaka's Umeda Arts Theater from August 21 to 26.
The older Johnny's group Shonentai were the leads of "PLAYZONE" since 1986, but last year was their final time in charge of the show.
The main leads for this year's show will be Kis-My-Ft2 members Hiromitsu Kitayama, Taisuke Fujigaya, and Yuta Tamamori. The supporting cast includes the group's other members, as well as former NEWS/Kanjani8 member Hiroki Uchi. Shonentai's Kazukiyo Nishikiori is writing and directing the show. Performances have been scheduled at Tokyo's Aoyama Theatre from July 11 to August 9 and at Osaka's Umeda Arts Theater from August 21 to 26.
