Fri, May 22, 2009 (7:53pm EDT)
In the May 22nd issue of FRIDAY, a photo was released of talento Yukina Kinoshita (21) and comedian Toshifumi Fujimoto (38) on a date together. Fujimoto is one half of the duo FUJIWARA.
According to the magazine, the two were seen snuggling close together at a convenient store while shopping for stuff like yakisoba and bottled water.
The two are both regulars on Fuji TV's "Quiz! Hexagon II" television program. Rumors of romance have surfaced before, but at a PR event on May 12, Kinoshita just said that they were close friends. Her agency has simply stated, "She's an adult, so we'll leave her personal matters to herself."
According to the magazine, the two were seen snuggling close together at a convenient store while shopping for stuff like yakisoba and bottled water.
The two are both regulars on Fuji TV's "Quiz! Hexagon II" television program. Rumors of romance have surfaced before, but at a PR event on May 12, Kinoshita just said that they were close friends. Her agency has simply stated, "She's an adult, so we'll leave her personal matters to herself."
Fri, May 22, 2009 (5:16pm EDT)
The trial of lyricist Ryoji Sonoda (33) opened and closed on Friday. Charged with the use of stimulants, Sonoda admitted to the crime and received an 18-month sentence, suspended for three years.
Sonoda, who has written for SMAP, BoA, TVXQ, and many others, was found guilty of using a small amount of stimulants in a hotel room on April 22. Sonoda testified that he had purchased 38,000 yen worth of the drug from a man he met through the internet. He also admitted that he had been using the drugs since about a year and a half ago.
Sonoda, who has written for SMAP, BoA, TVXQ, and many others, was found guilty of using a small amount of stimulants in a hotel room on April 22. Sonoda testified that he had purchased 38,000 yen worth of the drug from a man he met through the internet. He also admitted that he had been using the drugs since about a year and a half ago.
Fri, May 22, 2009 (4:21am EDT)
Police are currently investigating a publicity event held last month by pop star Ayumi Hamasaki. She made surprise appearances in Shibuya to promote the release of her new book and new album, and it appears that her manager did not obtain the necessary permit for the event. Now, the case seems to be headed to the prosecutor's office.
The PR event happened on April 7, at the front of the 109 building in Shibuya. Roughly 8,000 people gathered to see Hamasaki, resulting in temporarily blocked roads. Before her appearance at 109, she also paid unexpected visits to a few major record shops, going from store to store by car while some fans followed her on foot.
Even though the events officially took place in stores, police determined that the scope of the event required a permit for the use of the roads. Because a permit was never obtained, authorities revealed on Thursday that they plan to send the matter to the prosecutor's office in order to further question the manager and Hamasaki herself.
Singer Hiromi Go, attending his own event in Tokyo on Thursday, offered a sympathetic comment about the case. Ten years ago, he was similarly prosecuted for holding an unannounced performance in Shibuya.
The PR event happened on April 7, at the front of the 109 building in Shibuya. Roughly 8,000 people gathered to see Hamasaki, resulting in temporarily blocked roads. Before her appearance at 109, she also paid unexpected visits to a few major record shops, going from store to store by car while some fans followed her on foot.
Even though the events officially took place in stores, police determined that the scope of the event required a permit for the use of the roads. Because a permit was never obtained, authorities revealed on Thursday that they plan to send the matter to the prosecutor's office in order to further question the manager and Hamasaki herself.
Singer Hiromi Go, attending his own event in Tokyo on Thursday, offered a sympathetic comment about the case. Ten years ago, he was similarly prosecuted for holding an unannounced performance in Shibuya.
Fri, May 22, 2009 (2:41am EDT)
Hikaru Utada's second English album, "This Is The One," finally hit U.S. stores last week. Already doing well in Japan, the album also proved successful in America, achieving #69 on the Billboard album charts. This makes her just the 7th artist from Japan to enter the chart's top 100.
The last Japanese artist to break the top 100 was in 1986, when rock band Loudness ranked #64 with "Lightning Strikes." The first was Kyu Sakamoto in 1963, followed by Isao Tomita, Tsutomu Yamashita, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Yoko Ono, and finally Loudness.
"This Is The One" was released on March 14 in Japan and debuted at #3 there and ranked 1st on the foreign albums chart for multiple weeks.
The last Japanese artist to break the top 100 was in 1986, when rock band Loudness ranked #64 with "Lightning Strikes." The first was Kyu Sakamoto in 1963, followed by Isao Tomita, Tsutomu Yamashita, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Yoko Ono, and finally Loudness.
"This Is The One" was released on March 14 in Japan and debuted at #3 there and ranked 1st on the foreign albums chart for multiple weeks.
Fri, May 22, 2009 (1:49am EDT)
NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita has the lead role in Fuji TV's upcoming Monday night drama series, tentatively titled "Buzzer Beat ~Gakeppuchi no Hero~." His female lead this time is actress Keiko Kitagawa, who graduated from Meiji University's School of Commerce one year after he did.
The love story has Yamashita playing a salaryman who belongs to his company's basketball team. Despite his appearance, he is completely weak under pressure when it comes to work and romance. Although he has a girlfriend (Saki Aibu), he falls in love with a spirited and cheerful woman who is unable to be straightforward (Kitagawa).
Shihori Kanjiya plays Kitagawa's friend, while Hideaki Ito serves as Yamashita's rival in love. Junpei Mizobata, Nobuaki Kaneko, Miki Maya, and Masaru Nagai are also part of the supporting cast.
Yamashita's only experience with basketball so far is in classes at school, so he is undergoing special training for two weeks. "Buzzer Beat" premieres in July.
The love story has Yamashita playing a salaryman who belongs to his company's basketball team. Despite his appearance, he is completely weak under pressure when it comes to work and romance. Although he has a girlfriend (Saki Aibu), he falls in love with a spirited and cheerful woman who is unable to be straightforward (Kitagawa).
Shihori Kanjiya plays Kitagawa's friend, while Hideaki Ito serves as Yamashita's rival in love. Junpei Mizobata, Nobuaki Kaneko, Miki Maya, and Masaru Nagai are also part of the supporting cast.
Yamashita's only experience with basketball so far is in classes at school, so he is undergoing special training for two weeks. "Buzzer Beat" premieres in July.
