Utada comments for first time on mother's apparent suicide

TOKYO — Singer Hikaru Utada on Monday commented for the first time on her mother’s apparent suicide last week.

In a statement posted on her official website, Utada, 30, said: “I am proud to be the daughter of my mother. I have nothing but gratitude for everything she did for me.”

Utada’s mother, Keiko Fuji, a former well-known enka singer, apparently jumped to her death from a 13th-floor apartment in Tokyo last Thursday. According to police, Fuji, 62, wearing a T-shirt and short pants, was found lying on the grounds of her apartment building in Shinjuku Ward at around 7 a.m. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. Police said Fuji lived in the apartment with a male friend in his 30s who was asleep at the time of the incident. Her slippers were found near the railing on the balcony, police said, but that no suicide note was found.

Utada said her mother had been suffering from mental illness for many years. “She is finally freed from her agony but ... the way she ended her life was beyond sad. I am suffering from a sense of remorse,” Utada said.

Utada also described her mother as “impulsive like a child but with an innocent charm that attracted everyone’s attention.”

Although Fuji faced many dark periods in her life, Utada said she only remembers her mother laughing.

Utada’s comments drew enormous interest from the public. As of 3 p.m., Utada’s website could not be accessed due to heavy traffic.

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Ryoko Yonekura to provide voice of Princess Diana in new film

TOKYO — Actress Ryoko Yonekura, 38, will be the voice of Diana, Princess of Wales, in the Japanese-language version of the British film “Diana,” according to distributor GAGA.

The film deals with the last two years in the life of Princess Diana who died in a car crash in Paris on Aug 31, 1997. Naomi Watts plays the title role.

“The image of Yonekura matched Diana’s elegance and charisma,” GAGA said in a statement, explaining why they chose Yonekura.

“I want to put all my passion into my voice since I respect the way Diana lived as a mother and as a princess,” Yonekura said.

It will be Yonekura’s second time to be a voice actress, after “The Avengers,” which was released last year.

“Diana” will be released on Oct 18.

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Maki Horikita plays pilot in new drama

TOKYO — Actress Maki Horikita, 24, will play the main character in Fuji TV’s new drama “Miss Pilot,” which starts in October in the 9 p.m. prime time slot on Tuesdays.

Female pilots are still rare in Japan (only 20 out of 2,500 pilots at ANA are women). “Miss Pilot” depicts the struggles that female pilots are facing everyday, Horikita said.

“Miss Pilot” will be Horikita’s second time to play the lead in TV series since NHK’s morning drama “Ume-chan Sensei” last year, which had an average viewer rating of 20.7%. It was the first time in 9 years for the average rating of a morning TV drama to exceed 20%.

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Tsubasa Masuwaka gives make-up lecture in France

TOKYO — Model Tsubasa Masuwaka, 27, was Japan’s “make-up ambassador” at the Japan Expo 2013 in Paris this week.

Masuwaka gave a lecture to young French women on applying eye make-up. The lecture was presented by Cozy Honpo, which promotes Masuwaka’s make-up brand “Dolly Wink.” Masuwaka demonstrated how to apply “tsukematsuge” (fake eyelashes).

Sankei Sports reported that there were over 1,200 French women in the audience and they were all impressed by Masuwaka’s make-up skills such as making “natural droopy eyes.”

Masuwaka also participated in a product promotion booth and posed for commemorative photos. Some girls burst into tears out of excitement at seeing Masuwaka, Sankei reported.

“This is my second time visiting France. I’ve always loved France. When I first participated in the Japan Expo, I remember I was amazed by French girls’ simple yet sophisticated fashion sense,” she said. “They know how to turn their fashion style on and off for each occasion.”

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Model Moe Oshikiri to publish new book

TOKYO — Model Moe Oshikiri, 33, announced on her blog this week that she will publish a new book.

The blog entry begins with the title: “I have an announcement.” Oshikiri writes that on Aug 7, she will publish her new book titled “Asakiyumemishi,” a fictional work about an unpopular model who pursues her dream.

“I believe that pursuing one’s dreams is a wonderful thing but the journey can be very hard,” she wrote, adding that many of her own experiences overlap with the main character in her book. “I wanted to write about the struggle of a girl who is sincere,” Oshikiri writes on her blog.

Oshikiri says she started writing because the editor of the fashion magazine she regularly appears in, AneCan, recommended that she do so. “I don’t have any writing skills, so I struggled. But for about a year and a half, I focused on my feelings and got the job done.”

Oshikiri released her first book in 2009. Titled “Moderu Shikkaku” or “No Longer a Model,” it tells of how her first modeling agency went bankrupt, and she ended up working day jobs, such as putting strawberries on cakes, and how she suffered from a spinal injury in 2005 after being dumped by a wave in Hawaii.

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Has Japan’s K-pop bubble burst? Weakening yen hits major Korean record label hard

TOKYO — It wasn’t so long ago that everywhere you looked in Japan, there were ads for Korean pop groups, cosmetics and health drinks. More people than ever were snapping up Korean language textbooks and, despite territorial squabbles and a few extreme-right noise makers, Japan was positively leaping on anything prefixed by the letter ‘K’.

Recent reports, however, suggest that all is not well in the K-pop music camp in Japan, with major Korean record label and talent agency S.M. Entertainment reporting losses of more than 70% compared to the same period last year. Has the K-pop bubble finally burst in Japan?

Despite boasting sales amounting to some $44 million in the first quarter of 2012, Japan’s Livedoor News reported last week that S.M. Entertainment’s profits fell by more than 70% during the same period this year, prompting industry analysts to wonder whether it’s finally game over for Korean pop idols in Japan.

The K-pop train may not be running at quite the speed it once did, but the real cause of S.M. Entertainment’s sudden dip in financial fortunes may not be Japanese fans’ indifference to their neighbors’ music so much as the fact that their money is worth less than it used to be abroad.

“No matter how you look at it, the cheap yen is very likely the major factor here,” said the editor of a Japan-based Korean entertainment magazine. “According to Korean financial analysts, some 70% of S.M.’s profits come from overseas, with Japan making up close to 50% of that. It’s only natural that, having relied on the [previously] strong yen so much, the company should take a hit now.”

Thanks in part to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s recent ‘Abenomics‘ financial footwork, the cost of the yen has fallen significantly for the first time in years, making life a little easier for Japanese companies trading outside of their homeland, but neighboring countries are feeling the strain as a result.

An S.M. Entertainment spokesperson responded to fears that the Japanese K-pop industry was in trouble, saying that the company had indeed posted much lower profits than in previous years, but stressed that the second financial quarter is set to be far more lucrative, with big names like Girls’ Generation and boy-band SHINee both going on tour and performing at a number of venues in Japan during the summer. Even so, with the yen far cheaper than it was last year, you can be sure that S.M., and many other Korean companies that rely on their Japanese fan base, will be left fondly remembering the days when their Japanese customers’ yen was worth much more back home.

Source: Livedoor News

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Christel Takigawa appointed 'Cool Tokyo' Ambassador for Olympic bid

TOKYO — The Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid committee on Monday announced the appointment of international television personality Christel Takigawa as “Cool Tokyo” Ambassador.

Takigawa will take a lead role in “promoting the dynamic and vibrant culture in the heart of one of the world’s most exciting cities,” the committee said in a statement. She will play a key role at the 2020 Candidate Cities Briefing for IOC Members in Lausanne, Switzerland, on July 3.

Takigawa said: “I am extremely honored to be appointed as Tokyo 2020’s ‘Cool Tokyo’ Ambassador. Japan has increasingly attracted attention from the world as a cool destination in recent years, and with the bid race entering into its final and crucial three-month span, I believe right now is the time to show everyone how cool Tokyo really is. I look forward to making a passionate presentation on Tokyo’s attractions to IOC members at the upcoming 2020 candidate cities briefing.”

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and president of the bid committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), said: “A key reason we enjoy a strong bid is that we have drawn on the wisdom of many people from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, which is why we are particularly thrilled Christel Takigawa is part of our team. Christel perfectly symbolises the global character of Tokyo.”

Takigawa, who is fluent in Japanese and French and also speaks English, has many years of experience as a presenter on Japanese television. A huge sport enthusiast, her involvement with Tokyo’s drive to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games began with an appearance in a promotional video for the Tokyo 2016 campaign.

She is also a recipient of France’s prestigious “L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” for her introduction of French culture to Japan.

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Satomi Ishihara 'looking forward' to getting married one day

TOKYO — Actress Satomi Ishihara, 26, says she is looking forward to the day she gets married but admitted there is no one special in her life yet.

Ishihara made the comments this week at an event called “with’s Wedding Academy” held by fashion magazine “with.” The event was held to give single women romantic tips on everything ranging from how to pick the right guy to what kind of wedding dress suits a woman’s personality.

Asked what sort of a wedding reception she would like to have, Ishihara said, “I don’t want it to be too luxurious. I just want to invite my family and friends and have a small ‘homemade’ wedding,” TV Asahi reported.

She added that after she gets married, she would like to keep working, so she hopes to have an understanding partner.

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Eriko Sato appears in sexy photo book for first time in 10 years

TOKYO — Actress Eriko Sato, 31, is showing off her curves in a photo book for the first time in 10 years.

“Satoeri,” as she is popularly known by the tabloids, appears in a bikini in the photo book titled “es Eriko Sato Collection.”

“I’ve heard my bikini shots are very popular among middle-aged men,” Sato said at an event to launch the book in Shinjuku on Sunday. “Perhaps, it’s because I hit the age where they could imagine me as their mistress.”

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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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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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NMB48 song tops Oricon chart

NMB48's new single "Junjo U-19"

The newest song by NMB48, a sister group of AKB48, has risen to the No. 1 spot in Oricon’s rankings for Feb 20. “Junjo U-19” is the third single in a row from NMB48 to occupy the No. 1 spot.

The group is based in Namba, Osaka. Members of the group said that it is like a dream.

The No. 1 ranked album is L’Arc~en~Ciel’s “BUTTERFLY.” The group hasn’t held the No. 1 spot since late 2007.

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Aya Ueto gets a 'sister' for Aoki ads

Aya Ueo, right, and Ayame GorikiAOKI

TOKYO — Actress Aya Ueto, 26, is happy to have a “sister” for the new ad campaign for clothing brand Aoki.

Ueo and Ayame Goriki, 19, who belongs to Ueto’s agency, will be appearing in the new TV commercial campaign, wearing suits.

“A lot of people have told me that Ayame looks like me,” Ueto said. “It’s like I’m looking at me a long time ago.” Goriki gushed: “I’m so happy that I look like Ueto. I feel like we are sisters.”

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Chinatsu Wakatsuki announces she's 5 months pregnant and married

Chinatsu Wakatsuki

TOKYO —

Model and “tarento” Chinatsu Wakatsuki, 27, is pregnant and married.

Wakatsuki said on her blog this week that she has married an older man, described as a company employee, and that she is five months pregnant.

She said she had submitted marriage registration papers to her ward office in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Wakatsuki said she intends to keep working after she gives birth.

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Ayumi Hamasaki to divorce husband of 1 year

Ayumi HamasakiIMAGE.NET

TOKYO —

Pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki, 33, has announced through her official fan club that she is to divorce Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz, 31. The couple who were wed in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day of 2011, are to file for a divorce after a year of marriage.

Hamasaki told fans that she had initiated the split, explaining that she felt unable to keep the promise she made to Schwarz, who lives in Los Angeles, that the pair would live together in America. “Since the Tohoku disaster, I have had the feeling that I don’t want to be apart from Japan,” she wrote. “As a result I have been spending more and more days away from him.”

“We spoke about this and we thought we could maintain our relationship by traveling to see each other, but at some point, physical distance becomes emotional distance,” she explained. “When I thought about our future, I realized I couldn’t see myself returning to the state of mind I was in when I agreed to live in America.”

It is reported that Hamasaki will file for divorce through a lawyer in the United States.

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