Mon, October 19, 2009 (12:04pm EDT)
The 26th annual Best Jeanist awards were presented on Sunday. For the fourth consecutive year, KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi and singer Kumi Koda were voted #1 in the public selection category.
More than 70,000 votes were counted between October of last year and this past August. Kamenashi won another clear victory with almost 26,000 votes, while Arashi's Masaki Aiba came in second with about 8,500 votes. Koda, on the other hand, received 7,000 votes to beat aiko (5,500 votes).
This gives both Koda and Kamenashi a chance to win their fifth awards next year, which will place them in the "hall of fame" and remove them from future ballots. So far, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Ayumi Hamasaki have been put in the hall of fame.
For the committee selection awards, the winners were Miyuki Hatoyama (the wife of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama), DAIGO, and the group SPEED. In the international category, which was established last year, Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan received the award.
More than 70,000 votes were counted between October of last year and this past August. Kamenashi won another clear victory with almost 26,000 votes, while Arashi's Masaki Aiba came in second with about 8,500 votes. Koda, on the other hand, received 7,000 votes to beat aiko (5,500 votes).
This gives both Koda and Kamenashi a chance to win their fifth awards next year, which will place them in the "hall of fame" and remove them from future ballots. So far, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Ayumi Hamasaki have been put in the hall of fame.
For the committee selection awards, the winners were Miyuki Hatoyama (the wife of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama), DAIGO, and the group SPEED. In the international category, which was established last year, Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan received the award.
Mon, October 19, 2009 (2:56am EDT)
Shoji Mori, the main vocalist and leader of the singing group Los Primos, died of heart failure on Sunday afternoon at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 70.
Mori previously suffered a heart attack in January 2007 and had to undergo surgery. He was periodically examined after that, but with his health showing no improvement, he was scheduled to be admitted to a hospital on October 19. But two days before that, on Saturday, he collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital. By the time his bandmates arrived, he Mori had lost consciousness. He passed away the next day.
Formed in 1961, Los Primos became one of the top kayokyoku groups during the 1960s. Mori joined the group in 1965, and the following year they released their debut single "Love You Tokyo" (originally sold as a double A-side with "Namida to Tomo ni"). The song became a major hit, and when Oricon started publishing its sales charts, "Love You Tokyo" was the very first #1.
The group is still active to this day, and they even managed to go ahead with a scheduled dinner show in Saitama on Sunday, borrowing Masato Sanjo (66) of Tokyo Romantica as a replacement vocalist.
Mori previously suffered a heart attack in January 2007 and had to undergo surgery. He was periodically examined after that, but with his health showing no improvement, he was scheduled to be admitted to a hospital on October 19. But two days before that, on Saturday, he collapsed at home and was rushed to the hospital. By the time his bandmates arrived, he Mori had lost consciousness. He passed away the next day.
Formed in 1961, Los Primos became one of the top kayokyoku groups during the 1960s. Mori joined the group in 1965, and the following year they released their debut single "Love You Tokyo" (originally sold as a double A-side with "Namida to Tomo ni"). The song became a major hit, and when Oricon started publishing its sales charts, "Love You Tokyo" was the very first #1.
The group is still active to this day, and they even managed to go ahead with a scheduled dinner show in Saitama on Sunday, borrowing Masato Sanjo (66) of Tokyo Romantica as a replacement vocalist.
Mon, October 19, 2009 (2:12am EDT)
On Sunday, gravure idols Natsume Sano (24) and Keito Kawasaki (18) each declared that they are changing their careers.
Sano said that her upcoming DVD in December will be her last gravure work. Starting next year, she plans to focus on becoming a theater actress. She appeared in her first two plays earlier this year and discovered that acting is something she truly wants to do.
Kawasaki, on the other hand, wrote on her blog that she will be ending her gravure career on January 22, her 19th birthday. She has already arranged to quit from her management agency and her blog is expected to be shut down. Although she has not yet determined her plans for the immediate future, Kawasaki said that she will still continue towards her goal of becoming a mangaka.
Sano said that her upcoming DVD in December will be her last gravure work. Starting next year, she plans to focus on becoming a theater actress. She appeared in her first two plays earlier this year and discovered that acting is something she truly wants to do.
Kawasaki, on the other hand, wrote on her blog that she will be ending her gravure career on January 22, her 19th birthday. She has already arranged to quit from her management agency and her blog is expected to be shut down. Although she has not yet determined her plans for the immediate future, Kawasaki said that she will still continue towards her goal of becoming a mangaka.
Mon, October 19, 2009 (1:47am EDT)
The final competition of the 34th Horipro Talent Scout Caravan was held in Roppongi on Sunday. Chosen from 11 finalists, the Grand Prix winner this year was 15-year-old Ruriko Kojima.
Kojima, a first-year high school student from the Chiba prefecture, aims to become a singer. She stated that Kyoko Fukada, Tomomi Itano, and Tatsuya Fujiwara are among the celebrities she admires.
The young winner was presented her tiara by Ikue Sakakibara (50), who won the 1st Horipro Talent Scout Caravan in 1976. Sakakibara also served as a judge in the competition.
The total number of applicants this year was just under 34,000, a slight drop from last year's contest.
Kojima, a first-year high school student from the Chiba prefecture, aims to become a singer. She stated that Kyoko Fukada, Tomomi Itano, and Tatsuya Fujiwara are among the celebrities she admires.
The young winner was presented her tiara by Ikue Sakakibara (50), who won the 1st Horipro Talent Scout Caravan in 1976. Sakakibara also served as a judge in the competition.
The total number of applicants this year was just under 34,000, a slight drop from last year's contest.
Mon, October 19, 2009 (1:26am EDT)
Publisher Shogakukan announced on Monday that the monthly gravure magazine Sabra is being discontinued after the March 2010 issue, which goes on sale in January. Like all magazines in general, Sabra has been affected by the weak economy and the necessity for the publishing industry to shift towards digital.
Sabra was launched in May 2000 and became very popular among readers, but its circulation has fallen in recent years. According to data from the Japan Magazine Publishers Association, Sabra's average circulation between October 2007 and September 2008 was around 100,000 copies. The JMPA website indicates that the number has fallen to about 84,000 for the second quarter of 2009.
Sabra was launched in May 2000 and became very popular among readers, but its circulation has fallen in recent years. According to data from the Japan Magazine Publishers Association, Sabra's average circulation between October 2007 and September 2008 was around 100,000 copies. The JMPA website indicates that the number has fallen to about 84,000 for the second quarter of 2009.
Mon, October 19, 2009 (1:01am EDT)
Newspapers are reporting that fashion model Rinka (36) is getting married. It is said that her wedding will be held next spring, though the date and location are still to be determined.
Rinka's partner is a man in his 30s working for a construction-related firm. The two have been dating for the past eight years, though they broke up and got back together multiple times. In October 2007, Rinka wrote in her blog that they had ended their relationship, but that was clearly only temporary.
Appearing on shows such as "London Hearts," Rinka has often been portrayed as a "makeinu" ("loser"), a term referring to single women over 30. A couple years ago, Rinka had declared that she would get married in March 2010, and that prediction now seems to be coming true.
Rinka's partner is a man in his 30s working for a construction-related firm. The two have been dating for the past eight years, though they broke up and got back together multiple times. In October 2007, Rinka wrote in her blog that they had ended their relationship, but that was clearly only temporary.
Appearing on shows such as "London Hearts," Rinka has often been portrayed as a "makeinu" ("loser"), a term referring to single women over 30. A couple years ago, Rinka had declared that she would get married in March 2010, and that prediction now seems to be coming true.
