Welcome to Nihon News.

News from every single side of Japan.

Welcome to Nihon News.

News from every single side of Japan.

Welcome to Nihon News.

News from every single side of Japan.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

L'Arc-en-Ciel Announce Next WORLD TOUR! Locations Open to Vote For!


On May 27th, L'Arc-en-Ciel have been holding their final performance of their most recent world tour at Kokuritsu Kyougijou as an additional concert and at the end of the concert they have already announced their plans for a next World Tour!

Despite not having announced any time frames or locations, L'Arc-en-Ciel will have their fans vote for the rout of their tour.

On June 1st, votes will open the race for your city, so make sure to check out the official homepage and vote for the place you want to see L'Arc-en-Ciel live! Details will be announced soon, so don't miss this chance.


Also, please look forward to the report on L'Arc's tour final, coming up on MJP soon!

Source : musicJAPANplus

Monday, May 28, 2012

AKB48 turn into ‘Veggie Rangers’ for new Kagome CM


AKB48 has turned into ‘Veggie Rangers’ in the new CM for Kagome’s vegetable juice, “Yasai Ichinichi Kore Ippon“.

In previous CMs for Kagome, AKB48 showed cute expressions as the ‘Vegetable Sisters’. The new CM features 30 members in cool vegetable outfits, which were designed by Naito Yasuhiro, the creator of popular manga, ‘Toraigun‘.

The CM starts when the members of AKB48 find an office lady (played by Maeda Atsuko) about to eat a hot dog and fried chicken for lunch. The girls immediately transform into ‘Veggie Rangers’, and hand Maeda the drink, saving her from an unbalanced diet.

Fans can watch their favorite idols transform into vegetables; like Oshima Yuko as the spinach, Takahashi Minami as the tomato, and Kashiwagi Yuki as the pumpkin. And for some reason, Sashihara Rino makes an appearance as the vegetable robot.

AKB48’s new CM for Kagome’s “Yasai Ichinichi Kore Ippon” will broadcast nationwide starting June 9th.

Check out the CM below!


Source : Tokyohive

SKE48 holds a handshake event for 8,000 fans at Pacifico Yokohama


On May 27th, SKE48 held a handshake event for the commemoration of the release of their single, “Ai Shite Love Ru!”, at Pacifico Yokohama.

Matsui Rena, who placed 7th in the preliminary results of AKB48’s 4th General Election published on the 23rd, commented on this feat with, “I was really surprised. Since this result was beyond my expectations, I want to do my best to not fail other people’s expectations of me,” and showed her determination at this venue. In addition, 17 members of SKE48 were in the ranking of this preliminary result. Matsui added, “It shows that during this past year, SKE48 has become more exposed. I think we are progressing more as a group and I am really happy about this result.”

At the event, SKE48 performed six songs including “Ai Shite Love Ru!” in front of 8,000 fans.

Source : Tokyohive

Stereopony unveils covers + tracklists + PVs for “Stand by Me”


After concluding their first U.S. mini tour last month, female band Stereopony will be releasing their eleventh single, “Stand by Me“.

The single is the ending song to anime “Eureka Seven Ao” and will be released on May 30th. The coupling song “Ohkami” is produced by Arai Hiroki.

Limited edition will include a music video of “Stand by Me” on DVD. The first press regular edition features a digipak packaging with an illustration of the anime.

You can check those out and the PVs for “Stand by Me” and “Okami” below!

-

Limited Edition

< CD >
1. stand by me
2. Ohkami
3. stand by me -Instrumental-
4. Ohkami -Instrumental-

< DVD >
1. Ohkami -music video

-

Regular Edition

< CD >
1. stand by me
2. Ohkami
3. stand by me -Instrumental-
4. Ohkami -Instrumental-

-

First Press Regular Edition -limited pressing-

< CD >
1. stand by me
2. Ohkami
3. stand by me -Instrumental-
4. Ohkami -Instrumental-
5. stand by me -Anime ver-

-

< ’stand by me’ >


< ‘Okami’ >


Source : Tokyohive

L’Arc~en~Ciel releases live MV for English version of “CHASE”


On May 27th, Space Shower TV released L’Arc~en~Ciel’s live music vide for the English version of “CHASE“.

This music video has been created with the English rendition of “CHASE” from the live recording album ‘World’s Best Selection‘ (now on sale), and the live video at Madison Square Garden and also off shots in NY.

‘World’s Best Selection’ has live recording songs, those which selected by fan’s vote through L’Arc~en~Ciel’s official facebook. Also, this is the first CD for them to release their singles “XXX” and “CHASE” in English.

Check out the music video below!



Source : Tokyohive

Mochida Kaori reveals “Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi” PV


In April, it was announced that lead singer Mochida Kaori of pop group Every Little Thing finally went solo for the first time in two years.

She announced that she would be releasing two consecutive singles. The first was a double A-side, “Megumi / Kanashii Toki mo Ureshii Toki mo“, which released earlier this month on the 9th. The second will be “Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi“, slated to be released on June 6th.

The upcoming single “Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi” is the theme song to NTV’s drama series ‘Cleopatra na Onnatachi‘. This is Mochida’s first time writing a song for a TV drama. The coupling song “tokyo hotaru” was the theme song to the the event ‘TOKYO HOTARU’ during Golden Week.

You can see the music video as well as the covers and tracks below.

-

Limited Edition
< CD >
1. Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi
2. tokyo hotaru

< DVD >
1. Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi -music video-

Regular Edition
< CD >
1. Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi
2. tokyo hotaru

-

‘Utsukushiki Uruwashiki Hibi’ PV


Source : Tokyohive

Friday, May 25, 2012

C-ute’s Yajima Maimi gives fans a peek at her new solo DVD


C-ute’s leader Yajima Maimi has just revealed a preview for her upcoming solo DVD, “a foggy doll“!

The preview is a six minute, thirty second-long video of Yajima dancing in slow motion to C-ute’s song “Kiss Me Aishiteru“, showing of her graceful charms and stunning beauty all in one. Her solo DVD is now available for pre-sale at e-LineUP.

Check out the preview below!


Source : Tokyohive

AKB48 members reveals their face without makeup


On July 17th, a video that features AKB48 members Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko, Itano Tomomi, and Minegishi Minami without makeup was unveiled on “AKB48 Nisshi” on the group’s official website. Additionally, on Oshima’s official blog, a photo of Miyazawa Sae without makeup was uploaded, along with the announcement of the video.

On the following day on July 18th, Oshima revealed a boyish photo of Miyazawa with no makeup. She also wrote, “It’s been a while, but AKB48 Nisshi on AKB48’s official website has been updated. All members that appear on it have no makeup on. Please, check it out.” The video was confirmed by AKB48’s official blog, and exposes Oshima, Minegishi, Itano, and Maeda’s innocent faces.

Each of the members say a few words with a lot of energy, but shows a hint of shyness in their smiles. The video displays a different side of the girls in a sense of affinity that is overflowing with charm.



Source : Tokyohive

Which female celebrities are getting paid the most per CM?


TV commercials are one of the best ‘popularity barometers’ for celebrities in Japan. However, it’s not just the amount of CM contracts nor the amount of exposure that differentiates a CM Queen (or king) from a ‘normal’ female celebrity, it’s the fee they get paid per CM.

Tabloid ‘Shukan Post‘ once again managed to obtain the top secret list that showed how much celebrities are getting paid per CM contract. Naturally, you have to have a certain degree of popularity and an almost flawless image in order to get corporations to invest that much money into the celebrity to represent their brand.

One female celebrity that plowed through the top ranking by increasing her fee more than threefold is none other than child actress Ashida Mana. Last year she ‘only’ received an estimated fee of 20,000,000 Yen ($250,720 USD) per CM, but as of right now she’s already commanding 65,000,000 Yen ($814,840 USD) per CM.

Industry insiders explained that companies are willing to pay her that much, because they can use her to appeal to the two big target groups of children and their mothers. Moreover they won’t have to be concerned about her getting involved in some kind of scandal for many more years to come. Her incredible professionalism that even awes veteran actresses in their forties is the icing on the cake.

Other young talents that at least doubled their CM fees compared to last year are Takei Emi, Gouriki Ayame, and Kutsuna Shiori. Takei improved from 18,000,000 Yen ($225,648 USD) to 38,000,000 Yen ($476,368 USD), Gouriki from 12,000,000 Yen ($150,432 USD) to 24,000,000 Yen ($300,864 USD), and Kutsuna from 10,000,000 Yen ($125,360 USD) to 24,000,000 Yen ($300,864 USD). With this they are the representatives of the up-and-coming actresses in Japan right now.

The two AKB48 members Oshima Yuko (+20,000,000 Yen) and Maeda Atsuko (+20,000,000 Yen) also climbed up the ranking.

However, even well-established CM image celebrities managed to negotiate higher fees thanks to a successful and scandal-free year, including Ueto Aya (+17,000,000 Yen), Anne (+10,000,000 Yen),Ishihara Satomi (+5,000,000 Yen), Sasaki Nozomi (+5,000,000 Yen), and others.

In Ueto’s case it’s somewhat surprising that the whole love and marriage rumors with EXILE’s HIROdidn’t decrease her estimated fee.

Of course, when there are women who climb up the ranking, there’s also have women that lost some market value compared to last year. Ayase Haruka surprisingly is among the latter with a drop of 7,000,000 Yen from 65,000,000 Yen ($814,840 USD) down to 58,000,000 Yen ($727,088 USD), despite her clean slate.

The biggest loser by a wide margin seems to be Miyazaki Aoi who fell from a great second position with 67,000,000 Yen ($839,912 USD) down to an ordinary level of 37,000,000 Yen ($463,832 USD). According to an advertisement firm, this drop is directly related to all the Twitter drama that has been going on with her ex-husband Takaoka Sosuke.

At first, the divorce was actually expected to boost her market value, but then he publicly accused her of adultery, which damaged her pure and innocent image. “However, people still respect her and her acting skills, so she shouldn’t fall down any lower than that,” they said.

You can check out the top ten below, but always remember to take these numbers with a grain of salt.

-

Which female celebrities are getting paid the most per CM in 2012?

01 – 75,000,000 Yen / (940,200 USD) – Yoshinaga Sayuri (last year: 100,000,000 Yen)
02 – 65,000,000 Yen / (814,840 USD) – Ashida Mana (last year: 20,000,000 Yen)
03 – 62,000,000 Yen / (777,232 USD) – Ueto Aya (last year: 45,000,000 Yen)
04 – 58,000,000 Yen / (727,088 USD) – Ayase Haruka (last year: 65,000,000 Yen)
05 – 50,000,000 Yen / (626,800 USD) – Kanno Miho (last year: 50,000,000 Yen)
06 – 45,000,000 Yen / (564,120 USD) – Oshima Yuko (last year: 25,000,000 Yen)
06 – 45,000,000 Yen / (564,120 USD) – Takeuchi Yuko (last year: 45,000,000 Yen)
07 – 44,000,000 Yen / (551,584 USD) – Maeda Atsuko (last year: 24,000,000 Yen)
08 – 43,000,000 Yen / (539,048 USD) – Matsushima Nanako (last year: 30,000,000 Yen)
09 – 42,000,000 Yen / (526,512 USD) – Takashima Aya (last year: -)
09 – 42,000,000 Yen / (526,512 USD) – Dan Rei (last year: 42,000,000 Yen)
10 – 40,000,000 Yen / (501,440 USD) – Ishihara Satomi (last year: 35,000,000 Yen)

(Conversion rate: 1 USD = 79.7703 Yen)

Source : Tokyohive

13-year-old model Hashizume Ai quickly gaining popularity


With cherubic qualities and youthful beauty, the thirteen-year-old model Hashizume Ai has been rapidly gaining popularity.

A second-year- middle school student from Sendai, Miyagi, Hashizume stands at 172 cm and is referred to as the ‘9-headed body model’ for her ideal proportions.

The young model debuted in September of last year as an exclusive model for girl’s fashion magazine ‘Seventeen‘. In regards to modeling, she had once remarked, “Wearing make-up and changing into clothes allowed me to see different versions of myself.”

The secret to Hashizume’s height is supposedly her love for milk. According to one report, she happily shared, “The other day my knee hurt, so I went to the hospital and they told me, ‘These are growing pains and you are still growing.’” In March, she made her first fashion show appearance at ‘The First Tokyo Runway‘, and revealed, “I was nervous, so the moment it ended, for the first time in my life, it felt as if my hip had fallen out.”

Citing the popular manga ‘Slam Dunk‘ as an influence, Hashizume currently plays basketball as a member of her middle school basketball club. She smiled and shared, “I hate losing, so on the court, I play forcefully.” She stated, “I am also studying English so that I can become an international model.”

Source : Tokyohive

Track lists for L’Arc~en~Ciel’s upcoming tribute album and live DVD revealed


Previously, we reported that L’Arc~en~Ciel would be releasing their tribute album “L’Arc-en-Ciel TRIBUTE” and live best DVD, “LIVE TWENITY“ on June 13th. Now, the track lists have been revealed!

For this album, various overseas artists will be covering L’Arc~en~Ciel’s hit songs. These artists includeBOYZ II MEN, Clémentine, Daniel Power, Eric Martin, JOHN 5, Maxi Priest, Orianthi, TLC, Vince Neil, ZEBRAHEAD, and Michael Monroe.

Additionally, it was revealed that POLYSICS, SID, Hemenway, and TOTALFAT, who all belong toKi/oon Music, will be singing the bonus tracks.

Meanwhile, L’Arc~en~Ciel’s live best DVD will contain 20 live clips of the band’s concert from ‘1997 REINCARNATION‘ to their most recent ‘20th L’Anniversary TOUR‘.

Check out the track lists below!

===

<L’Arc-en-Ciel TRIBUTE>

01. Vince Neil / Blurry Eyes
02. Orianthi / NEO UNIVERSE
03. TLC / RAINBOW ( Niji)
04. Eric Martin, JOHN 5 / HONEY
05. ZEBRAHEAD / READY STEADY GO
06. BOYZ II MEN / snow drop
07. Maxi Priest / Vivid Colors
08. Michael Monroe / HEAVEN’S DRIVE
09. Daniel Powter / STAY AWAY
10. Clémentine / flower
Bonus Tracks:
11. POLYSICS / SEVENTH HEAVEN
12. SID / Shout at the Devil
13. Hemenway / Caress of Venus
14. TOTALFAT / Driver’s High

<LIVE TWENITY>

01. Niji (1997 REINCARNATION, Dec.23,1997 Tokyo Dome)
02. Kasou (Tour’98 Heart ni Hi wo Tsukero!, Oct.21,1998 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyougijou Daiichi Taiikukan)
03. Caress of Venus (1999 GRAND CROSS TOUR, Aug.22,1999 Tokyo Big Sight Parking Lot Special Stage)
04. NEO UNIVERSE (RESET>>LIVE*000, Dec.31,1999-Jan.1,2000 Tokyo Big Sight East Hall)
05. HONEY (CLUB CIRCUIT 2000 REALIVE, Oct.27,2000 Zepp Osaka)
06. HEAVEN’S DRIVE (TOUR 2000 REAL, Dec.6,2000 Tokyo Dome)
07. Driver’s High (Shibuya Seven days 2003, Jul.6,2003 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyougijou Daiichi Taiikukan)
08. REVELATION(SMILE TOUR 2004, Jun.12,2004 Osaka-jo Hall)
09. READY STEADY GO (LIVE IN U.S.A., Jul.31,2004 1st Mariner Arena)
10. TRUST (AWAKE TOUR 2005, Aug.31,2005 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyougijou Daiichi Taiikukan)
11. Jojoushi (ASIALIVE 2005, Sep.25,2005 Tokyo Dome)
12. the Fourth Avenue Cafe (15th L’Anniversary LIVE, Nov.26,2006 Tokyo Dome)
13. Natsu no Yuutsu [time to say good-bye] (Are you ready? 2007 Mata Heart ni Hi wo Tsukero!, Aug.26,2007 Fujikyu Highland Conifer Forest)
14. Killing Me (Are you ready? 2007 Mata Heart ni Hi wo Tsukero!, Aug.30,2007 Okinawa Convention Center Gekijou)
15. MY HEART DRAWS A DREAM (TOUR 2007~2008 THEATER OF KISS, Feb.10,2008 Kokuritsu Yoyogi Kyougijou Daiichi Taiikukan)
16. Anata (TOUR 2008 L’7 ~Trans ASIA via PARIS~, May.9,2008 LE ZENITH)
17. forbidden lover (TOUR 2008 L’7 ~Trans ASIA via PARIS~, Jun.1,2008 Tokyo Dome)
18. Blurry Eyes (20th L’Anniversary LIVE, May.28,2011 Ajinomoto Stadium)
19. GOOD LUCK MY WAY (20th L’Anniversary LIVE, May.29,2011 Ajinomoto Stadium)
20. X X X (20th L’Anniversary TOUR, Dec.4,2011 Kyocera Dome Osaka)

Source : Tokyohive

Amuro Namie to hold Dome tour + title & track list for upcoming album


Amuro Namie has announced that she will be holding a nationwide 5-Dome tour!

The name of the tour is ‘namie amuro 5dai Dome TOUR 2012 ~20th Anniversary Best~‘. Amuro will hold concerts at Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome, Kyocera Dome Osaka, Sapporo Dome, Nagoya Dome, and Tokyo Dome in November and December. This will be her first Dome tour in 15 years; her last dome tour occurred back in 1997.

A portion of the set list will be decided by vote from the fans. The poll is now open on Amuro’s 20th anniversary special website. Fans can vote for their favorite songs, and 20 songs with the most votes will be chosen for the set list.

Additionally, Amuro has revealed that the title of her upcoming album will be “Uncontrolled“! She will also hold her anniversary event, ‘namie amuro 20th ANNIVERSARY LIVE in OKINAWA‘, on September 16th.

Check out the tour dates and track list below!

===

<namie amuro 5dai Dome TOUR 2012 ~20th Anniversary Best~>

Saturday, November 24th – Fukuoka Yahoo! JAPAN Dome (Fukuoka)
Saturday, December 1st – Kyocera Dome Osaka (Osaka)
Sunday, December 2nd – Kyocera Dome Osaka (Osaka)
Saturday, December 8th – Sapporo Dome (Hokkaido)
Saturday, December 15th – Nagoya Dome (Aichi)
Thursday, December 20th – Tokyo Dome (Tokyo)
Friday, December 21st – Tokyo Dome (Tokyo)

-

<Uncontrolled>

CD:
ONLY YOU (New Song)
Hot Girls (New Song)
In The Spotlight (TOKYO) (New Song)
Let’s Go (New Song)
Go Round
YEAH-OH
Sit! Stay! Wait! Down!
Love Story
NAKED
Fight Together
Tempest
Break It
Get Myself Back

DVD: (CD+DVD Version Only)
ONLY YOU (Music Video)
Hot Girls(Music Video)
In The Spotlight(Tokyo) (Music Video)
Let’s Go (Music Video)
Go Round (Music Video)
YEAH-OH (Music Video)
Love Story (Music Video)
NAKED (Music Video)
Tempest (Music Video)
Break It (Music Video)
Get Myself Back (Music Video)

Source : Tokyohive

Oricon’s comic charts for the week of May 28th revealed


Oricon has revealed their comic charts for the week of May 28th!

Check out the results below to see if any of your favorites made it into the top 5!

1. “Kimi ni Todoke”, Volume 16 – Shiina Karuho : (315,709)



2. “Mahou Sensei Negima”, Volume 38 – Akamatsu Ken : (149,907)



3. “ONE PIECE”, Volume 66 – Oda Eiichiro : (131,725)



4. “Otoyome Gatari”, Volume 4 – Mori Kaoru : (120,558)



5. “Ace of Diamond”, Volume 31 – Terajima Yuji : (114,108)



Check out the full ranking here.

Source : Tokyohive

Crystal Kay releases teaser for “Forever”


Crystal Kay has revealed a teaser video for her upcoming single, “Forever“!

This marks Crystal’s 3rd single after transferring to Universal Music Japan’s Delicious Deli Records. It’s scheduled for release on June 6th and has already been picked up as the opening theme for theTBS music program ‘CDTV‘ in June.

“Forever” can also be found in Crystal’s upcoming album, “VIVID“, slated for release on June 27th.

Check out the teaser below!


Source : Tokyohive

Short version for Arashi’s PV “Your Eyes” unveiled!



A short version of Arashi’s PV for “Your Eyes” has now been unveiled!

This one-minute preview features a simple, black and white theme to match with the song’s motif – light and dark.

As reported earlier, this will be the group’s 39th single, and is scheduled to be released on June 6th.

Check out the short PV below!



Source : Tokyohive

AKB48 opens international fan contest for 4th General Election!


AKB48 has opened up a contest to all fans of AKB48, giving fans the chance to win a trip to watch the official AKB48 4th General Election in Tokyo!

By leaving a message for their oshimen (favorite member) on the “AKB48 Grand Prix Search for the #1 Fan” page on Google+, some lucky fans of AKB48 will have a chance to be sent to the AKB48 General Election as an official AKB48 General Election reporter and will also receive a thank-you video message from their favorite member of AKB48. The page is available in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Bahasa so that international fans can participate, but make sure to send in your message before the international deadline of May 28th for your chance to win.

Visit the website here to leave your oshimen a message!

Source : Tokyohive

AKB48 reveals dates for Tokyo Dome concert + Maeda Atsuko’s graduation


The dates for AKB48’s Tokyo Dome concert and Maeda Atsuko’s graduation have finally been revealed!

AKB48 will hold their first Tokyo Dome concert on August 24th, 25th, and 26th. This was announced byTakahashi Minami through AKB48’s official YouTube channel.

In the video, Takahashi holds an interview with Yomiuri Shimbun chairman and executive directorWatanabe Tsuneo. While they talk about “dreams”, chairman Watanabe reveals that the group will be holding a 3-day live at Tokyo Dome. In response, Takahashi shows a surprised expression saying, “I’m sorry, I just found out now!”

As previously reported, Maeda Atsuko will be graduating after the group’s concerts at Tokyo Dome, August 27th. Takahashi commented, “People may be thinking that this is the turning point for AKB48, or that this is our last stop. But once we reach the goal line, Tokyo Dome, we want to change that into the start line, and have people watch us grow from there.”

Ticket details will be revealed at a later date.

Check out the announcement video below!



Source : Tokyohive

Thursday, May 17, 2012

SCANDAL MAMI's New Squier Guitar


Squier by Fender / Jazzmaster (feat. Strat assembly) "MAMI MODEL"

March 28, 2012, was unveiled at the Nippon Budokan live in Japan Title Match SCANDAL vs BUDOKAN, first original model fully by MAMI. The body of the jazz master, but with a specification of irregular groups and three single-coil circuit in Stratford. Selector switch is made to place close to the Jazzmaster. 1 volume 1 tone control. The bridge and tremolo unit of  Jazzmaster thing as you can see. The sound of high and low jack was emphasized, and the sound varies considerably in the PU selector. Fit the song and like to emphasize the treble. They are arranged parallely to the rear bridge PU is reminiscent of the specifications of the Jaguar.

Appears from that used in the "Pride" at Budokan, it seems created as an alternative to Jazzmaster. Yuuya (Name of one of MAMI's guitar) concealing a shadow from 2011, with songs that require a single coil sound. Since MAMI started using the Jazzmaster, this might the next Yuuya.

The highlights paint its kinda strange. The distance may seem to be (dirty) like random splatts, but actually that was the motif of meteor. MAMI said that meteor shower is an awesome rain such as aragonite. And "I wanted to put the smoothness of the body in a lighter color," says her. CG artwork has made geometric points and lines are tangled in random. Gives a surprise as well as paint circle of the previous work. Suddenly, she was reminded of the initial model of Imai Hisashi's BUCK-TICK. An avant-garde invention has been finished with something sharp.

Fender products made in Japan, there are some crossbreed models, such as Jag-Stang and Jagmaster. MAMI's new guitar was combined between Jazzmaster and Stratocaster, will it be called Jazzcaster? It may say.

Apart from such us single PU and simple controller etc, is it will be the same type? The difference between tremolo bridge, there are slightly closer to "child model" was recently released from the same manufacturer.

Squier / FSR Jagmaster™ NOKO

Source : JPOPizu

Saturday, May 5, 2012

SCANDAL on Cyber DAM Express


A rock band SCANDAL was on Cyber DAM Express last month. They did some interview and games about song which they love to sing in WANNASING! section.

See more scan photos on JPOPizu.

SCANDAL Announces New Single "Taiyou Scandalous"


Four-member band, SCANDAL, have announced on their official website that they'll be releasing a new single this July 11th. Their 13th single is titled "Taiyou Scandalous" (Scandalous Sun); the said single will be produced by NAOTO of Orange Range. NAOTO commented that he wanted the song to be as exciting as possible; a perfect summer song to lift everyone's spirits.

"Taiyou Scandalous" will be available in limited [A&B] and regular edition. Each edition will also contained an additional track, but titles is yet to be determined.

"Taiyou Scandalous" will be released on July 11th.

Edition :

"Taiyou Scandalous" Limited Edition A. ESCL-3924 1,020 yen
  1. Taiyou Scandalous (Tentative)
  2. Undecided title by the Special Unit (HARUNA × RINA)
  3. Taiyou Scandalous (Instrumental)
"Taiyou Scandalous" Limited Edition B. ESCL-3925 1,020 yen
  1. Taiyou Scandalous (Tentative)
  2. Undecided title by the Special Unit (MAMI × TOMOMI)
  3. Taiyou Scandalous (Instrumental)
"Taiyou Scandalous" Regular Edition. ESCL-3926 1,020 yen
  1. Taiyou Scandalous (Tentative)
  2. Welcome Home (Tentative)
  3. Taiyou Scandalous (Instrumental)
BUY! via CDJapan : Limited Edition A | Limited Edition B | Regular

Source : JpopAsia, su2009

Friday, May 4, 2012

Johnny’s Jimusho to produce a Chinese idol group



On May 3rd, it was reported that the entertainment company Johnny’s Jimusho will produce a Chinese idol group. The president of the company, Johnny Kitagawa announced the news and his plans to debut the new group in November at Hey! Say! JUMP’s stage play, ‘JOHNNY’S World‘, at the Empire Theater in Tokyo.

Kitagawa commented “I want to produce a local Chinese idol group, and I also want to hold an audition in China. I haven’t decided how many members will be in the group, but I’m thinking the members’ age range will be around junior high school age.”

Meanwhile, on this day, Hey! Say! JUMP kicked off their Asia tour at the Yokohama Arena. Fans from China, the U.S., and 13 other countries visited to attend the concert.

Stay tuned for more information!

Source : Tokyohive

Monday, April 30, 2012

PV Preview of SKE48’s new single “Ai Shite Love Ru” revealed


As we previously reported, SKE48 will release their 9th single “Ai Shite Love Ru!” on May 16th, but ahead of its release they’ve revealed a preview of the PV!

According to reports, Akimoto Yasushi had originally named the single “Ai Love Shiteru!”, but SKE48’s member Matsui Rena suggested him to change it to “Ai Shite Love Ru!”, which he immediately agreed to.

Check out the preview below!


Source : Tokyohive

New unit from AKB48 ‘NO NAME’ to make their debut


It has been revealed a new unit from AKB48 called NO NAME will be making their debut! They will be providing the theme songs for AKB48’s animation ‘AKB0048‘ (scheduled to start airing April 29th). NO NAME includes Watanabe Mayu and the voice actresses of ‘AKB0048′, for a total of nine members.

New unit will sing the opening song “Kibou ni Tsuite” and ending song “Yume ha Nandomo Umare Kawaru” (both of the release dates have not yet been decided). It will be the first time in a year, sinceDiVA, that a new unit from AKB48 will be making their debut.

The opening song, “Kibou ni Tsuite”, has the theme “Future・Universe・stars”, and includes the message,“Let’s head forward toward a dream”, in the lyrics. Meanwhile the ending song, “Yume ha Nandomo Umare Kawaru”, is a ballad produced by Akimoto Yasushi, who also produced the opening song.

On April 29th at 10:30 pm, to commemorate the airing of ‘AKB0048′, the pre-screening of episode 1 and 2, in addition to a talk event will be held at Shinjuku wald9 in Tokyo. Watanabe Mayu, Nakaya Sayaka, Sato Amina, Ishida Haruka, director of the animation Kawamori Shoji, and popular voice actress Kanda Akemi, Noto Mamiko, and Shiraishi Ryoko will be making an appearance.

<NO NAME>
[AKB48 team B]
Watanabe Mayu
Sato Amina
Ishida Haruka
Sato Sumire
[AKB48 team A]
Nakaya Sayaka
[AKB48 team 4]
Iwata Karen
[SKE48 team S]
Yagami Kumi
[SKE48 team KII]
Hata Sawako
[NMB48 team M]
Mita Mao

 
 
 



Source : Tokyohive

Listen to the radio rips for Arashi’s “Face Down” and “Hitori Ja Naisa”!


On April 27th, Johnny’s Entertainment group Arashi’s new single, “Face Down” (PV preview here), and its coupling song, “Hitori Ja Naisa”, was played for the first time on the airwaves to the ears of the listeners!

“Face Down”, also the theme song for drama “Kagi no Kakatta Heya”, is a fast-tempo, upbeat song with elements of rap and dubstep in the mix. On the contrary, “Hitori Ja Naisa” is a beautiful, mid-tempo featuring a short piano segment at the end.

Listen to the radio rips below!



Sasagawa Miwa releases her first mini album in 5 years


It’s been five years since she’s released anything, but singer/songwriter Sasagawa Miwa will be releasing a new mini album this summer through avex, under their Cutting Edge label. Titled, “Orokana Negai“, the mini album will be released on June 27th and have six tracks.

The songstress debuted 10 years ago and at the age of 29, she wants to express the feelings of painful, yet beautiful love of women her generation.

Right now Sasagawa is living in Niigata where she has been composing the songs in peacefulness. With Sasagawa’s high singing voice, the arrangement for the songs are being done by Yamamoto Ryuuji and Miyakawa Dan, and instrumentals are by Sano Yasuo, Watanabe Hitoshi, Murata Youichi, and Tokuzawa Seigen, making this one great indie album.

< ‘Orokana Negai’ >



Check out her recording sessions below!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Drama Prime Time Report – April 16th~April 19th



Drama Prime Time Report – April 16th~April 19th

Seven new dramas aired their first episodes between Monday and Thursday, including the much-anticipated Monday drama of Fuji TV.

The fifth season of the Monday drama ‘Hancho‘ (TBS) seems to be off to a nice season with an improvement of 2.3% between the first and second episode. Fuji TV can say the same about their Monday drama ‘Kagi no Kakatta Heya‘, starring Arashi’s Ohno Satoshi, Toda Erika, and Sato Koichi. The first episode, that follows Ohno as a ‘lock and key’ otaku, attracted 18.9% viewers, which is the highest start for a Monday drama since ‘Tsuki no Koibito’ in the spring season of 2010.

On Tuesday, Fuji TV continued with the premiers and aired the first episode of ‘Legal High‘ starringSakai Masato and Aragaki Yui. However, with a rating of only 12.2%, the lawyer comedy belongs to the less appealing, mediocre dramas of that time slot. It better not drop much lower than that or it will become one of this season’s bigger disappointments for the network.

Meanwhile, ‘37-sai de Ishani Natta Boku‘ (Fuji TV) only lost 0.1% compared to last week. The peculiar late-night drama ‘Kodomo Keisatsu‘ (TBS) starring child actor Suzuki Fuku also premiered that night and recorded a rating of 2.3%.

Drama fans can finally turn on the TV on Wednesday again. TV Asahi and NTV both aired the first episode of their new Wednesday dramas, but neither really achieved an outstanding result. The detective drama ‘Answer‘ (TV Asahi) starring Mizuki Alisa started with 11.9%, while ‘Cleopatra na Onnatachi‘ (NTV) – the drama about cosmetic surgery starring Sato Ryuta – started with 9.9%. Both time slots have seen much better ratings already and there wasn’t that much unusual competition from the other networks. The ratings for the second episodes tend to be much lower than for the first episode, but those two shows need an opposite development.

Kanjani8’s Nishikido Ryo said hello again on Thursday with the start of ‘Papadol!‘ (TBS). An initial rating of 11.6% is good, but it’s not exactly a drama that makes you anticipate its next episode. Will it be able to stay at this level?. Meanwhile, ‘Kaeru no Oujo-sama‘ rose above the 10% mark with its second episode, which must have resulted in a collective sigh of relief at Fuji TV. Now it only has to stay that way or rise even further.

Midnight drama ‘Taburakashi‘ (NTV) lost another 1.1% and is now down to 2.2%.

(Screencaps might contain spoilers!)

04/16 – Monday

morning slot
?? – 08:00-08:15 – 18.0% Umechan Sensei


8:00 pm slot
 01 –  19:00-21:48 – 13.6%   Otameshika! SP
 02 –  20:00-20:54 – 12.5%   Hancho 5 (02)
 03 –  19:56-20:54 – 09.9%   Sekai Maru Mie! TV Tokusobu SP
 04 –  20:00-20:54 – 06.7%   HEY!HEY!HEY! MUSIC CHAMP SP



9:00 pm slot
 01 –  21:00-22:09 – 18.3%   Kagi no Kakatta Heya (01) // START
 02 –  19:00-21:48 – 13.6%   Otameshika! SP
 03 –  21:00-22:48 – 11.6%   Ippunkan no Fukaii Hanashi SP
 ?? –  21:00-22:54 – ??.?%   Totsugawa Keibu 47


late-night slot ?? –  26:04-26:34 – ??.?%   Soup Curry (01) // START


Info:
> ‘Hancho 5‘
Cast: Sasaki Kuranosuke, Higa Manami, Ozawa Yukiyoshi, Fukushi Seiji, and more


> ‘Kagi no Kakatta Heya‘
Cast: Ohno Satoshi, Toda Erika, Sato Koichi, and more


> ‘Soup Curry‘
Cast: Morisaki Hiroyuki, Yasuda Ken, Totsugi Shigeyuki, Oizumi Yo, and more


Caps:
Hancho 5


Kagi no Kakatta Heya



04/17 – Tuesday


morning slot
 ?? –  08:00-08:15 – 19.4%   Umechan Sensei


9:00 pm slot
 01 –  19:00-21:48 – 14.1%   London Hearts SP
 02 –  21:00-22:09 – 12.2%   Legal High (01) // START
 03 –  21:00-22:48 – 08.8%   Chosaigen! Mystery SP (new)


10:00 pm slot
 01 –  21:54-23:10 – 15.1%   Hodo Station
 02 –  22:15-23:09 – 13.1%   37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku (02)
 03 –  21:00-22:48 – 08.8%   Chosaigen! Mystery SP (new)
 04 –  22:00-22:50 – 04.4%   Kaitakushatachi (03)



late-night slot
 ?? –  24:55-25:25 – 02.3%   Kodomo Keisatsu (01) // START


Info:
> ‘Legal High ‘
Cast: Sakai Masato, Aragaki Yui, Namase Katsuhisa, Koike Eiko, and more


> ‘37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ‘
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Mizukawa Asami, Mimura, Yaotome Hikaru, and more


> ‘Kaitakushatachi ‘ (already aired on NHK BS Premium)
Cast: Mitsushima Hikari, Ishida Takuya, Ayano Go, Yamashita Rio, and more


> ‘Kodomo Keisatsu ‘
Cast: Suzuki Fuku, Katsuji Ryo, Marius Yo, Honda Miyu, and more


Caps:
Legal High


Kodomo Keisatsu



04/18 – Wednesday


morning slot
 ?? –  08:00-08:15 – 16.7%   Umechan Sensei


9:00 pm slot
 01 –  21:00-21:54 – 16.0%   The! Sekai Gyoten News
 02 –  21:00-21:54 – 11.6%   Honma Dekka!? TV
 03 –  21:00-21:54 – 11.4%   Answer (01) // START

10:00 pm slot
 01 –  21:54-23:10 – 13.5%   Hodo Station
 02 –  22:00-22:54 – 12.9%   Picaru no Teiri
 03 –  22:00-23:09 – 09.9%   Cleopatra na Onnatachi (01) // START


Info:
> ‘Answer‘
Cast: Mizuki Alisa, Tanabe Seiichi, Igarashi Shunji, Tachibana Keita, and more


> ‘Cleopatra na Onnatachi‘
Cast: Sato Ryuta, Inamori Izumi, Yo Kimiko, Kitano Kii, and more


Caps:
Answer


Cleopatra na Onnatachi



04/19 – Thursday


morning slot
 ?? –  08:00-08:15 – 19.7%   Umechan Sensei


8:00 pm * No ‘Shin Omiyasan’ due to figure skating!
 01 –  19:14-21:54 – 14.6%   ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating
 02 –  19:57-20:54 – 13.2%   Kiseki Taiken! Unbelievable
 03 –  19:00-20:54 – 11.3%   Mina no Amekan SP (new)


9:00 pm
 01 –  19:14-21:54 – 14.6%   ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating
 02 –  21:00-21:54 – 13.2%   Tunnels no Minasan no Okage Deshita
 03 –  21:00-22:06 – 11.6%   Papadol! (01) // START
 04 –  21:00-22:48 – 11.4%   Docchi no Ryori Show (revival)



10:00 pm
 01 –  21:54-23:10 – 15.9%   Hodo Station
 02 –  22:00-22:54 – 10.7%   Kaeru no Oujo-sama (02)
 03 –  21:00-22:48 – 11.4%   Docchi no Ryori Show (revival)
 04 –  22:00-22:50 – 04.6%   Tempest (02)


midnight slot
 ?? –  23:58-24:38 – 02.2%   Taburakashi (03)


Info:
> ‘Shin Omiyasan 9‘
Cast: Watase Tsunehiko, Kyono Kotomi, Toda Keiko, Washio Machiko, and more


> ‘Papadol!‘
Cast: Nishikido Ryo, Yuuka, Kawashima Umika, Takahata Atsuko, and more


> ‘Kaeru no Oujou-sama‘
Cast: Amami Yuki, Ishida Yuriko, Oshima Yuko, Oshima Yoko, and more


> ‘Tempest‘ (already aired on NHK BS Premium)
Cast: Nakama Yukie, Tanihara Shosuke, Tsukamoto Takashi, Takaoka Saki, and more


> ‘Taburakashi‘
Cast: Tanimura Mitsuki, Yamamoto Koji, Danta Yasunori, Shirahane Yuri, and more


Caps:
Papadol!


Kaeru no Oujou-sama




NHK, TBS and TV Tokyo usually don’t disclose the ratings for their shows on a regular basis, therefore they won’t be included in the list below. Certain dramas or drama specials that aired on those channels and might lack ratings are still included with a ??.?% rating. This doesn’t mean that the ratings were too low to recorded.

Improvements and declines will be illustrated with the use of several icons. The colors and the numbers indicate how much the ratings have changed.

An orange color means almost no change, while a red color means the ratings dropped, and a green color means the ratings improved.

===
Drama Overview (Spring 2012):

Previous: [Spring 2011] [Summer 2011] [Fall 2011] / [Winter 2012]

Title
Hancho 5
_
_
Kagi no
Kakatta Heya
_
Hokago wa
Mystery to Tomoni
_
Legal High
_
_
37-sai de Isha
ni Natta Boku
_
Kaitakushatachi
_
_
Kodomo Keisatsu
_
_
Answer
_
_
Cleopatra na
Onnatachi
_
Shin Omiyasan 9
_
_
W no Higeki
_
_
Papadol!
_
_
Kaeru no
Oujo-sama
_
Tempest
_
_
Taburakashi
_
_
Mou Ichido
Kimi ni, Propose
_
Toshi Densetsu
no Onna
_
Mikeneko Holmes
no Suiri
_
Mirai Nikki
_
_
Shiritsu
Bakaleya Koko
_
ATARU
_
_
Kazoku no Uta
_
_
Kurohyo 2
_
_
——————————
Taira no
Kiyomori
_
_
——————————
_
Umechan Sensei
(highest % per week)
_

(00) 00.0% – (00) 00.0% – (00) 00.0% – (00) 00.0% – (00) 00.0% – (00) 00.0%
(01) 10.2% – (02) 12.5%
_
#
(01) 18.3%
_
#
Start: April 23rd
_
#
(01) 12.2%
_
#
(01) 13.2% – (02) 13.1%
_
#
(01) 04.3% – (02) 03.1% – (03) 04.4%
_
#
(01) 02.3%
_
#
(01) 11.4%
_
#
(01) 09.9%
_
#
(01) 14.1%
_
#
Start: April 26th
_
#
(01) 11.6%
_
#
(01) 09.0% – (02) 01.7%
_
#
(01) 05.9% – (02) 04.6%
_
#
(01) 05.0% – (02) 03.3% – (03) 02.2%
_
#
Start: April 20th
_
#
(01) 10.3%
_
#
(01) 15.9%
_
#
Start: April 21st
_
#
(01) 03.3%
_
#
(01) 19.9%
_
#
(01) 06.1%
_
#
(01) 01.5% – (02) 01.0%
_
#
————————————————————————————————————-
(01) 17.3% – (02) 17.8% – (03) 17.2% – (04) 17.5% – (05) 16.0% – (06) 13.3%
(07) 14.4% – (08) 15.0% – (09) 13.4% – (10) 14.7% – (11) 13.2% – (12) 12.6%
(13) 11.3% – (14) 13.7% – (15) 12.7%
#
————————————————————————————————————-
#
(W01) 20.5% – (W02) 20.9%
_
#

===
Average Ratings (Spring 2012):

19.90% – ATARU
18.30% – Kagi no Kakatta Heya
15.90% – Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri
-
14.67% – Taira no Kiyomori [taiga drama]
14.10% – Shin Omiyasan 9
13.15% – 37-sai de Ishani Natta Boku (-0.05)
12.20% – Legal High
11.60% – Papadol!
11.40% – Answer
11.35% – Hancho 5 (+1.15)
10.30% – Toshi Densetsu no Onna [11:00 pm drama]
-
09.90% – Cleopatra na Onnatachi
09.85% – Kaeru no Oujo-sama (+0.85)
06.10% – Kazoku no Uta
05.25% – Tempest (-0.65)
-
03.93% – Kaitakushatachi (+0.23)
03.50% – Taburakashi [midnight drama] (-0.65)
03.30% – Shiritsu Bakaleya Koko [late-night drama]
02.30% – Kodomo Keisatsu[late-night drama]
01.25% – Kurohyo 2 [late-night drama]

(The average ratings are based on the episode ratings listed above. There can be differences between the calculated averages and the official announcements at the end of each season.)

Source : Tokyohive