Tokiwa Takako thanks Michael Jackson

(Source: Sanspo) The conference for Tokiwa Takako's upcoming movie, Hikidashi no Love Letter (Listen to my Heart) was held today in Tokyo. Actress Yachigusa Kaoru and actor Hayashi Kento were also present.

In this movie, Tokiwa Takako plays a radio show host and the movie is about people who want to tell some things and express themselves but find themselves unable to do so, thus resorting to writing letters to the radio. Tokiwa also admitted that there were many times in her life when she wanted to communicate some important things to some people in her life, but found herself unable to do so and so turned to writing letters instead.

When the stars were supposed to write Tanzakus (short poems) for the upcoming Tanabata festival (festival of the weaver), Tokiwa wrote one to Michael Jackson, thanking him for the dream he has given her.

Tamaki Hiroshi's Midsummer in Orion released today

(Source: Sanspo and Soompi) Tamaki Hiroshi (29), Kitagawa Keiko (22) and other actors of Mannatsu no Orion (Midsummer in Orion) attended the premiere of the World War II naval epic in Tokyo yesterday, 12 May 2009.

The movie is directed by Tetsuo Shinohara and is based on the book "Raigeki Shindo Juukyuu-ten-go" by Tsukasa Ikegami and is set near Okinawa during WWII. The macro-plotline focuses on a battle between a Japanese submarine and an American destroyer, whilst micro-plotlines involves personal relationships amongst the characters.

Below is the trailer for the movie, enjoy!

Crows Zero 2 Released Today in Japan!

(Source: Mainichi and Crows Zero 2) Oguri Shun, Miura Haruma and Yamada Takayuki attended the official opening of Crows Zero 2 in Tokyo today. Since this movie finishes the series, director Takashi Miike gave "graduation certificates" to the cast (since the actors play high school boys in the movie). Oguri Shun expressed his happiness that he was able to 'graduate' because he never thought it was possible.

New addition to the cast Miura Haruma expressed his happiness too at being able to be part of such a wonderful and cool movie. The new sequel runs for 133 minutes and is a sequel to the Crows Zero, which was released in 2007.

Tsukamoto Takashi in Yesterdays

(Source: Sanspo) You can click on the picture above to go to the movie's official website! Anyway, one of my favourite actors, Tsukamoto Takashi stars in this movie called Yesterday. It opened on Saturday, and the movie cast had its official press conference yesterday in Tokyo.

The caption in the movie poster above says, "Today, tomorrow, and the day after, inside me, there's only you." (literal translation sounds very crass)

More pictures below, and I wonder what the cocktail is! Green Dolphin? Okay my cocktail knowledge kinda sucks. Happy Monday people, took time off an essay to blog this hur hur hur.

Tsumabuki Satoshi thinks it'd be nice to be a teacher

(Source: Sanspo) Tsumabuki Satoshi (27) attended the official press conference for his movie, "Buta Ga Ita Kyoushitsu" (The classroom where there was a pig) on 1st November in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

He acts as a teacher and at the conference was surprised by his students in the movie with a card expressing their gratitude. He said, "When we were shooting I was really pissed off once when the kids were playing with their food, but after that these kids still wrote a card to thank me....It must be great to be a teacher!"

Koizumi Kyoko in Tokyo Sonata

(Source: Sanspo) Koizumi Kyoko (42) attended the official press conference in Osaka for her new movie, Tokyo Sonata, yesterday 22nd August 2008. She stars along side Teruyuki Kagawa (42) for the first time and both play a couple in failed marriage.

Koizumi remarked that the experience of playing a wife in a marriage that was going to the docks was "fun". Reporters then further asked the secret of keeping a marriage together. Koizumi, who had been divorced previously (before getting together with Kamenashi Kazuya (22), my all-time favourite couple) replied in a slightly awkward and bittersweet tone, "Are you really asking me that?"

Yo peeps im off for one week, be back next thursday. Not my fault, some school shit. Meanwhile... I'm going to make an announcement on the next post.

Miyazaki Aoi in Yami No Kodomo Tachi

(Source: Sanspo) Good morning sunshine the earth says hello! Blahblah. Anyway, actors Eguchi Yosuke (40) and Miyazaki Aoi (22) graced the stage of the premiere of Yami No Kodomo Tachi, the official site of which can be found here.

Miyazaki Aoi plays Otowa Keiko, an NGO volunteer rescuing trafficked children. Miyazaki commented that they had fun interacting with the Thai kids during filming; they would draw, she would teach them Japanese and in return they would teach her Thai.

The highlight of the article however centred upon Miyazaki's comment that when she goes back to her home (in Thailand), it's the bugs in her house that go "Okaeri!" (the way Japanese greet people who have come back home), which made everybody present laugh.

Aoi Yuu in 1,000,000 Yen Girl

(Source: Sanspo) Aoi Yuu (22) attended the premiere of her new movie, 1,000,000 Yen Girl (or Hyakumanen to Nigamushi Onna) on 19th July 2008 in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The official website for the movie can be reached here.

Aoi Yuu's smile rocks. Anyway, last day in Tokyo today. Going to Harajuku to look at cosplay or something (cos it's Sunday) and then shopping! (As you may have already known), this is like a school trip and some of the guys drank till they dropped last night. Thus, I have to leave you now to make sure they are awake and ready for the Japanese students who will be showing us around today! Yay!

Ayase Haruka in Ichi

(Source: Mainichi) Ayase Haruka (23) stars in the female-version of Zatoichi, "Ichi" as a blind fighter-woman. The official press conference for the completion of the movie was held yesterday, 15th July 2008, in downtown Tokyo. This project was Ayase's first experience acting in a period drama, and she commented that she enjoyed all the killing and fighting scenes, for which she had trained very hard for. The director also praised her reflexes and psycho-motor skills.

The movie will be released on 25th October 2008. The official site for the movie can be accessed here.

I think she looks terribly like Akanishi Jin here -- remember this post?

Aoi Yuu is popular in Korea

(Source: Sanspo) Aoi Yuu attended the completion event of the film Tokyo! in Korea yesterday! Also present was famous Korean director Bong Joon Ho, who had previous directed The Host, and who directed a segment of this film. He joked that although Aoi Yuu had come to Korea to do post-production dubbing for the film, she had so many supporters and fans that it inevitably affected their schedule of the day. (confession: awkward translation :p )

Nevertheless, i like her blue shoes! They look a bit strange but I like!

Fujiwara Tetsuya gets embarrassed by girls in bikinis

(Source: Sanspo) Fujiwara Tetsuya (26) attended the completion ceremony of his movie, Chameleon (to be released on the 5th of July) alongside Mizukawa Asami in Shinjuku yesterday, 30th June 2008.

Although he acts as a guy seeking for revenge after his buddy gets killed in the movie, the actor was visibly embarrassed to be surrounded by bikini-clad women on the stage and turned red in the face. "I couldn't see...I only accidentally saw." he mumbled, when reporters asked him what he thought of the girls around him. (so cute!)

Fujiwara also commented afterwards that he would like to try a bigger range of roles and step onto different paths.

Ueto Aya enchanted by Akanishi Jin's sexy voice

(Source: Sanspo, Xinhuanet and JustJared) Akanishi Jin (23) of popular group KAT-TUN and Ueto Aya attended the Speed Racer press conference on 30th June 2008 in downtown Tokyo; the movie is to be released on the 5th of July, this saturday.

Akanishi did the Japanese voice-over for lead actor Emile Hirsch's (23) role, who was also present at the conference. "He is kakkoii, and exactly what Speed is. I'm very happy that he did (the voice over) naturally." Akanishi Jin appeared to get along well with Hirsch and also conversed fluently in English with him.

Ueto Aya, who did the part of Akanishi's/Hirsch's lover in the show commented that Akanishi's sexy voice and acting skills were very enjoyable. A slightly flushed Akanishi responded that it was very kind of Ueto to make such a comment.

Notice, NO pictures of Akanishi! Why is Johnny Kitagawa so .... anal? =(

The photo of Emile Hirsch above is from Xinhuanet; Sanspo only had photos of Ueto Aya.

The photos below are from a separate promotional event held on the 29th.

Last Friends to hit the Big Screen

(Source: Entame) Osaka Sports reported that the decision to make a movie-version of popular J-Dorama "Last Friends" has been made! The dorama's themes are concerned with modern-day social problems like child abuse, domestic violence and homosexuality, and started out with a viewer's rating of 13.9% (for the first episode) and peaked at 20.7% in the second-last episode last week, pulling ahead of KimuTaku's CHANGE. (The last episode airs tonight.)

Related personnel commented that "nobody had thought that Last Friends would be able to rake in higher viewer's ratings than KimuTaku's CHANGE. Although the 19th (of June) was meant to be the last episode, we suddenly had a phone call asking us to add on a special episode/version of Last Friends, in the way that KimuTaku's HERO was made into a movie."

Apparently plans for the movie are already underway. Following in the steps of "Journey to the West" and "HERO", it's been said that the transition from the small-screen to the big-screen has rarely seen failure.