October 28th, 2011

mad

AKB48’s Shinoda Mariko’s CM for “MORE”



On October 27th, AKB48’s Shinoda Mariko was featured in a CM for fashion magazine “MORE” as their model.

In her 15-second commercial, Shinoda gets ready for the winter by donning a thick jacket and a mini-fur tote; the tote will be enclosed as a bonus present in the magazine’s December issue. She also asks the audience to pick up her magazine, “MARIKO MAGAZINE”, for which she became the exclusive editor-in-chief.



source, video
ami

X-Japan graces Korea; a press conference in Korea

Heavy metal band X Japan has gone through many painful experiences including the deaths of two former members but its rock ‘n roll spirit will survive, said the group’s leader, drummer and pianist Yoshiki Hayashi.

The act has been on a world tour in 2011 and the first leg of its Asia tour will be Seoul on Friday at the Olympic Park
Gymnasium. It is the first time that the band is coming for a concert in Korea, after the cancellation of the Korea tour which had been scheduled for March 2009.

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Source: TheKoreaHerald, Yoshiki Twitter
Their live in Korea is going to be awesome!!! I hope Seo Taiji will appear as a guest star in X-Japan's concert
"I'm interested in Seo Taiji and if given the chance, I would relish the chance to work with him in a future project if both of our schedules permit," he [Yoshiki] said in an email interview with The Korea Herald."

NINKI ratings for the week of 1/11~7/11/2011

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Albums chart will probably look a lot better next week with YUI around. Go YUI! Also rooting for Shiina and Saito-san! XD

Source 1, 2
IchigOhchan 1

Sketch of Mujo: Tsunami film shown at N.Y.C. festival


Moving forward: Director Koichi Omiya receives a
donation to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund at the first Dialogue of
Cultures International Film Festival in New York on Sunday.

New York — A documentary film depicting the plight of March 11 survivors along the Tohoku coast has made its North American debut.

Prior to the screening of "Mujo Sobyo" ("The Sketch of Mujo") at the first Dialogue of Cultures International Film Festival on Sunday, the event organizers handed a $10,000 check to director Koichi Omiya as a donation to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.
"On behalf of all the people in the affected areas, we appreciate being a part of this festival," Omiya told the audience.

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Source 1, Source 2

Seems interesting :) Also, check out source 2 if you want to learn more about the director. It seems that he had made other interesting documentaries before.

 

 







IchigOhchan 1

The story behind Wasabi-Smoke Alarm



By JUN HONGO
Staff writer

Genius, as Thomas Edison put it, may be 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, but inventing the groundbreaking wasabi-scented smoke detector also involved respiration, and literally a lot of lost sleep, the winners of this year's Ig Nobel Prize in chemistry revealed Wednesday in Tokyo.

"We've always wanted to contribute to the well-being of human lives through our research," Hideki Tanemura, one of the directors of Tokyo-based Seems Inc., said during a news conference at the Japan National Press Center.

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Source

I think if own a house one day, I would like to install one of these. Just in case my sleep is too deep :P



MatsuYuyaMegane

Murakami's '1Q84' makes big splash in Big Apple

   

NEW YORK — An English translation of the Haruki Murakami novel "1Q84" hit New York bookstore shelves Tuesday, two years after the best-seller was released in Japanese, with some shops holding events to celebrate the arrival and opening their doors at midnight for enthusiastic fans.

At an event Monday evening at Three Lives & Company in Greenwich Village, about 70 people lined up to be the first to buy the book, according to store manager Toby Cox.

Meanwhile, the Word bookstore over in Brooklyn held a "read-a-thon" where fans were encouraged to share their favorite passages from past Murakami books while counting down to the release at midnight.

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Source
Synopsis from wiki here

Makes me wanna pick up my reading habit again. I miss spending time with a good book :) other than work-related books lol

mad

AKB48’s Kashiwagi Yuki chosen as the face of Kagoshima prefecture!

On October 28th, it was revealed that AKB48 member and Kagoshima-native Kashiwagi Yuki was chosen for the prefecture’s image CM titled, “Honmono. Kagoshima Prefecture”. In this advertisement, she will be dressed in a traditional clothing style while bringing attention to various sightseeing spots and products in Kagoshima to the viewers.

Kashiwagi, who is surrounded in a beautiful environment from this prefecture, will appear in this CM with Lidth’s Jay on her shoulders, a blue bird that is the official bird of Kagoshima. As she goes around various tourist attractions such as the beaches of Yakushima and Amami Islands, she will also be featured while eating a gourmet shabu-shabu in a beautiful porcelain bowl.

The end of this CM will close with Kashiwagi stating their slogan, “Honmono. Kagoshima Prefecture”, with a beautiful symbolic cherry blossom tree in the background.

This CM will begin airing on November 1st in areas of Kantou, Kansai, and Chubu region of Japan.

source
IchigOhchan 1

'Week of Taste' helps kids hone sense



Internationally renowned Japanese and French chefs gave a lesson Monday on basic tastes to elementary school students in Tokyo, as part of the "Week of Taste" events modeled after a campaign in France to enhance children's sense of taste and pass traditional food culture onto younger generations.

Kiyomi Mikuni, owner-chef of French restaurant Hotel de Mikuni in Tokyo, and Christian Le Squer of three-Michelin-starred restaurant Ledoyen in Paris explained to 25 third-graders at a Tokyo elementary school about five basic tastes, of bitterness, saltiness, sourness, sweetness and "umami" flavor, a characteristic of Japanese food.

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Source 1, Source 2

Posting this makes me hungry *gobbling my fruit salad*
 

Winter 2012 Dramas – Rumors

Hancho Season 5
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Mondays, January 2012
Station: TBS
Cast: Sasaki Kuranosuke, Nakamura Shunsuke

TBA
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Mondays, January 2012
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Ikuta Toma

TBA
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, January 2012
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Mukai Osamu

TBA
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Thursdays, January 2012
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Amami Yuki

Rinjo Season 3
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Fridays, January 2012
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Uchino Masaaki

TBA
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Fridays, January 2012
Station: TBS
Cast: Aragaki Yui

TBA
Date: From 11.00 p.m., Fridays, January 2012
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Shida Mirai

Saito-san 2012
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, January 2012
Station: NTV
Cast: Mizuki Arisa

Source: jdramas

IchigOhchan 1

The only D.M you ever need in life ^^




Earlier this month, R&B artist Daichi Miura annonced at his Tokyo Dome City Hall live that he’ll releasing his second album on November 30th.

Titled, “D.M.“, the album is meant to be a “Direct Message” to the listener’s body and soul, all conveyed through the power of “Dance and Music”. It will come in two versions and contains 12 tracks. The album will include his last three singles, “The Answer“, “Lullaby“, and “Turn Off The Light“, as well as all-new songs. The limited edition will come with a DVD and a slip cover, and as an added bonus, the first press will come with an alternate PV called “The Answer -DANCE EDITION-”.

If you order the album from the Vision Factory Shop, you will get a 2012 calender poster (size A3). Meanwhile, avex’s mu-mo shop will give away a 2010 postcard calender.
Check the covers and tracklists below!

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Source

ASKDYEGGBSFYL:AOSIFHGFSHEBF  ^0^ I want the DVD! Why am I in many awesome fandom but not enough awesome cash? lol




cupcakes

Matsuda Shota and Kuroda Eimi reported to be dating


Weekly tabloid magazine "FRIDAY" has reported that actor Matsuda Shota (26) and model Kuroda Eimi (23) are currently in a relationship.

The gossip rag included a recent photo of the two at a bar in Nishiazabu, Tokyo. "FRIDAY" reports that Matsuda and Kuroda, along with two other companions, took the taxi to Matsuda's home, where he and Kuroda are shown going into his room. The two are said to be living in close proximity to one another, and supposedly, Kuroda visits his house once or twice a week.

Kuroda was also said to have attended Matsuda's mother's birthday party with him on the 8th.

When contacted for a statement, Matsuda’s agency stated, "We have heard that she [Kuroda] is just one of his good friends." On the other hand, Kuroda's agency revealed, "The person-in-charge for her is absent for today, so we haven’t heard about any details of this."

Source: Tokyohive
sexy honey

Ken's play is making headlines



V6 member Miyake Ken's new play "Lovely Baby" began on the evening of the 28th and caused a minor stir in the media for the kiss and love scenes between Miyake and his male co-star Sugawara Eiji. Although Miyake commented that it was his first time doing such a scene, he was not particularly uncomfortable since the scenes depict the play's theme of a universal love story.

"Lovely Baby" will continue its run until the 13th November at the Tokyo Globe Theater. Afterward performances will be held in Osaka from the 17th of November to the 20th.

source

that second picture melts my heart.