Kyary Pamyu Pamyu to sing theme song for Japanese release of 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

TOKYO — Japanese pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, 20, has been chosen by director J.J. Abrams to provide the theme song for the Japanese release of his new film, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” which opens in Japan on Aug 23.

The song, “Into Darkness,” was produced by Japanese music producer Yasutaka Nakata, 33, and the director himself (Abrams has experience producing music for the American TV show “Lost”). He said he chose Kyary Pamyu Pamyu because she perfectly fits the song’s image, Sankei Shimbun reported.

The singer, known for her cute fashion style, completed a successful tour across America, Europe and Asia earlier this year.

To promote “Star Trek Into Darkness” internationally, Abrams did similar collaborations with musicians from six countries to produce a different theme song for each version. Nakata said: “It was like exploring an unknown world. As a musician, it was a great experience.”

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Seiko Matsuda releases new album

TOKYO — Pop singer Seiko Matsuda on Wednesday released her newest album, “A Girl in the Wonder Land.” The 10-track album includes her new single “Lulu!!” and a “Making of” video.

To mark the album’s release, Matsuda, 51, will begin a nationwide 8-concert tour on June 9 at Saitama Super Arena, finishing in Fukuoka on July 13. Tickets range from 8,900 yen to 22,000 yen.

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Fujiwara receives Nikkei Social Initiative Award

TOKYO — Celebrity Norika Fujiwara, 41, this week received a special award at the Nikkei Social Initiative Awards ceremony held by the Nikkei newspaper.



This award is given to an individual or group who contribute to society. As the PR ambassador for the Japanese Red Cross Society, Fujiwara has been involved in charity activities such as building schools in developing countries. The award was given to Fujiwara for her ongoing contribution to society, Nikkan Sports reported.

“I am very spoiled to be loved by many people,” Fujiwara said.

Although reporters asked about her relationship with a TV program director, Fujiwara dodged the issue and said she hopes to get married again one day.

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'Moe' madness: Gov't realizes selling power of cute 2D girls

TOKYO — “Moe” promotion is in right now. Anything can be “moe-fied,” and a cute persona can help sell anything from regular rice to smelly natto. Recently companies, schools, railways and even government offices have all been getting in on the act. You just can’t get away from it.



The Japanese Companies & Municipal Corporations Moe Characters series video that was recently uploaded to Nico Nico Video is pretty awesome. We started watching from the latest video, which is part 7. If you watch parts 5 and 6 and then watch the newest part 7, you can get a look at all the characters introduced in the series so far. The extra-long part 7 video is 25 minutes long; it’s practically a documentary. I truly admire the creator’s obsession. I mean, dedication.

Part 7 starts with an introduction of “moe” characters shown in the first 4 videos. First up is Hinomoto Ui-chan who was created around 2002 as the character for Tokyo Polytechnic University’s animation department. Then keep watching for a whole array of cute characters. Take, for example, “High School Girl Kimchee.” With her legs drawn up, her gravity-defying skirt somehow clings to her legs, keeping her modestly but flirtily covered, you just can’t resist picking up a pack of kimchee if she’s on the packaging.

Then there’s “Minase & Hina’s Inaniwa Udon.” The idea is that the soup is the characters’ left-over bath water. Mmm, what a delicious image. Definitely makes me want to try it.

And it’s not just companies using “moe” marketing: the government has also been harnessing this power for its own purposes. One of our favorites was Oita Prefecture’s ambitious plan to anthropomorphize every municipality in the region into an irresistible moe character. There’s a girl there to suit everyone. One big happy harem.

Source: NetLab

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Taiwanese weather girl idol group to take Japan’s national weather forecasting license exam

TOKYO — From their humble beginnings on Taiwan’s video series “Weather Girls,” a seven-girl idol group by the same name that specializes in bringing you the week’s weather, have been building a solid fan base in their new home of Japan.

Though a variety of theme months and a constantly improving grasp of the Japanese language, these girls have steadily shown that they are willing to work hard for their place in the spotlight. However, the next step is a doozy.

It has come to light that all seven girls (one for each day of the week) are studying hard to take the extremely strict national weather forecaster exam next year. The test, which was established in 1994, reportedly has a 5% pass rate. However, if the girls succeed they will become full-fledged weather forecasters.

The group will take the biannual exam in January of 2014 which gives them eight months of cramming. Luckily, the girls have finished up their first album (title pending) set to be released on July 3, including their well-received single “Weather Forecast of Love” and nine other studio recordings including their upcoming second single “Love’s Love ♥ Sunshine.”

Every month they are holding study sessions with fans where licensed weather forecasters give lectures on the science of meteorology.

From its inception in 1994 only 8,843 people have passed including entertainers like Yoshizumi Ishihara, Masayoshi Okumura, and Taro Yabe. However, these people have the advantage of being native Japanese speakers. Even professional speakers like Yomiuri broadcaster Anna Kobayashi had tried twice and failed both times.

“Along with my regular work, it was just too difficult and I gave up,” said Kobayashi. “Weather announcers on TV usually just convey the information given to them, this doesn’t help to pass the test. You need to understand the movement of the clouds and wind as well as how the entire earth undergoes changes from time to time. You get the feeling that the people who take this test also love the weather all the time. Passing is not an easy task.”

The test is open to everyone regardless of age, nationality, or education and covers both practical and theoretical problems. The test and its difficulty were established with the purpose of maintaining the highest level of weather forecasting, because in the event of a disaster accurate weather reporting can mean the difference between life and death.

Source: Sankei News

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Kyoko Hasegawa receives Best Mother Award 2013

TOKYO — Actress Kyoko Hasegawa, 35, who has a 4-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter, is the recipient of the Best Mother Award 2013 in the Entertainment category.

The annual award was started six years ago by the NPO Nihon Mothers Association, which initiates various activities and events across the nation to support moms.

Winners are voted on through the Internet, mobile phones, surveys and events such as Mother Festa.

Sunday is Mother’s Day.

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Mona Nakanishi makes her return to showbiz - for 3rd time

TOKYO — Mona Nakanishi (formerly Yamamoto), who retired from show business for the second time in 2011, marked a return to the entertainment world this week at the opening event of her new smartphone project “Tellme! Mona’s consultation tour,” in which she chats on her smartphone with users on any topic through Saturday.

In the past, Nakanishi, 37, was forced to retire after two illicit love affairs came to light. “This is my third comeback,” she said with self-deprecating humor at Wednesday night’s event.

“I want to take on new challenges while balancing my time with my family,” she said.

Nakanishi, who is the daughter of a Norwegian father and a Japanese mother, married her husband, the president of a real estate investment company, in 2010.

Nakanishi’s troubles began in September 2006, when she was accused of having an affair with married DPJ bigwig Goshi Hosono and was forced to step down from her position on TBS’s “NEWS23” program, a job which she had only held for five days.

She was fired again in 2008 from her position as an anchor for Fuji TV after news broke of her affair with Yomiuri Giants player Tomohiro Nioka, who was married at the time. The alleged tryst took place on the eve of her comeback from the first scandal.

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Actress Lisa Goto trades legacy of sports drink commercials for career in porn

TOKYO — It can be so difficult watching ones children grow into full-fledged adults. The same feeling can apply to our beloved child actors at times. We always want to remember them from when they were tiny and adorable, even as they mature.

Lisa Goto got an early start in the entertainment industry, modeling for gravure photos at the age of 14 and going on to feature in a popular Pocari Sweat sports drink commercial soon after. She was know by many as “a girl with the beauty of innocence.” In that way, she developed a significant number of fans and went on to do a number of other commercials, TV drama series, and movies, and throughout it all, she maintained that image of purity.

But now, after having left the entertainment industry for a number of years, she’s back and with a brand new sales pitch. It’s time to say goodbye to the sweet and innocent grade-schooler that people grew to love and make way for the straight-talking porn actress here to take her place.

Thanks to good-old Wikipedia, we have a pretty good understanding of Goto’s background and how it took a sudden turn for the risque. Her career in acting was never exactly a steady one, as she retired temporarily in 2002, only to be drawn back into the limelight in 2004. In late 2009 she quit the industry once more, when she married her boyfriend, with whom she’d been living for three years. It should probably be noted that to be unmarried and living with a person of the opposite sex is still not common within Japan, and for celebrities to date at all is often not allowed by their contracts. Still, Goto did make a brief appearance on Fuji Television’s “Super News” the following year, where she admitted to getting a great deal of plastic surgery: liposuction on her abdomen and legs, breast implants, and the removal of blemishes from her face.

Now, barely two years following her marriage and second retirement from work as an actress, Goto has announced that she is divorcing her husband for the sake of reentering the entertainment field as a porn actress. Perhaps the literal image change that came with her plastic surgery should have served as some sort of indicator that a greater change had taken place inside of her, but nevertheless the news of her turn to the adult video industry as shocked many. She is no longer the young and innocent girl we once knew; that purity has been sullied.

Many people commenting on the news of Goto’s move to join the adult film industry have shown varying levels of disappointment, saying things such as “She sure has changed,” and “To think I used to be her fan…” Others seem less than surprised and are calling it the start of a new trend. “When all those famous girls from AKB48 find that they can’t return to the life of a normal person, their paths will turn out just the same,” says one cynical commenter. Of course, not everyone is so down about the news, and many anticipate long, loving nights with Goto on their screens.

Goto’s first adult video is scheduled for release this summer, in mid-June.

Source: Tokyo Sports

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