http://www.japan-zone.com/news/ Keep up to date with all the news and developments in Japanese show business. 2008-08-08T08:32:26+09:00 http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2008/08/08/20th_century_boys_play_with_robots.shtml
The serious PR has started for the movie adaptation of "20-Seiki Shonen" (20th Century Boys). A post-production event was held last night at the Roppongi Hills complex in central Tokyo for the first of the three movie installments, which opens in theaters on August 30. As we reported back in February, the movie has a star-studded cast, and they were all called out for yesterday's event. But stealing the show was a 9m high...
]]> tokyoguy 2008-08-08T08:32:26+09:00 http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2008/08/07/red_cliff_to_open_tiff.shtml
John Woo's spectacular Chinese epic "Red Cliff" is to open this year's 21st Tokyo International Film Festival on October 18. The production is the biggest movie ever made in Asia, with a budget estimated at ¥8 billion ($80 million), though it was beset by more than a few casting problems. It has already recouped much of that, appearing in theaters across Asia in early July and setting a new opening-day box office record in China. "Red Cliff" is based on a one of the most famous battles in Chinese history, in which a million soldiers...
]]> tokyoguy 2008-08-07T08:33:23+09:00 http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2008/08/06/diaz_kutcher_fraser_yeoh_in_tokyo.shtml
The Hollywood stars in Tokyo this week include Cameron Diaz (35) and Ashton Kutcher (30), in town to promote the romantic comedy "What Happens in Vegas." The pair were at the Imperial Hotel yesterday for the movie's Japan premiere press event. The story revolves around a drunken decision to get hitched in Las Vegas, and Diaz said she's only ever had one drink-induced blackout - it came when she was...
]]> tokyoguy 2008-08-06T07:32:59+09:00 http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2008/08/05/hey_say_jump_top_charts.shtml
It's no surprise to see that young Johnny's Jimusho idol group Hey! Say! Jump are on top of the latest Billboard Japan singles chart with their third release, "Your Seed/Bouken Rider." The single has been used in the local tie-up with the hit Dreamworks animated feature "Kung Fu Panda." And it was announced this week that four of the group's 10 members are to share the top of the bill on a...
]]> tokyoguy 2008-08-05T07:47:12+09:00 http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2008/08/04/tensai_bakabon_osomatsukun_creator_dies.shtml
Popular mangaka Akatsuka Fujio died of pneumonia on Saturday afternoon. He was 72. The creator of such famous manga as "Tensai Bakabon" and "Osomatsu-kun," Akatsuka was considered the pioneer of the so-called "nonsense gag manga." Born in Manchuria to a soldier and a former geisha, he reurned to Japan after WWII. Influenced by Tezuka Osamu's manga "Lost World," he decided to move to Tokyo to take up the profession. From 1962 he wrote manga for the "Shonen Sunday" magazine and had his first major success with...
]]> tokyoguy 2008-08-04T09:51:12+09:00 http://www.japan-zone.com/news/2008/08/01/aoki_yuko_to_quit_tbs.shtml
Popular TV announcer Aoki Yuko (26) has decided to quit the TBS network before she gets into trouble again. A regular on six programs, including the popular "Sunday Japon," Aoki has already handed in her resignation ahead of a scandalous magazine story expected to appear next week. Sources say the network is trying to dissuade her from resigning. Aoki is scheduled to sing during the half-time show at tonight's baseball All-Star game, and will no doubt be grilled by the media. The Keio University graduate joined TBS in 2005, but within a year she had got herself into trouble. She was caught having an affair with a 32-year-old married director on the "Sunday Japon" show, and he was kicked off the show. In May, she revealed that she was dating a director on the "Akashiya-san Channel" show. The assumption is that she's been caught having an affair again. And the timing is bad, given the hundreds of complaints from Fuji TV viewers as announcer Watanabe Kazuhiro (32) continues to appear following the revelation of an affair.
]]> tokyoguy 2008-08-01T07:46:48+09:00