Archive for 'Movie' Category

Japan Anime Festival in Shanghai

“Japan Anime Festival” was hosted jointly by the Japanese and Chinese governments Nov.23(Beijing) and 25(Shanghai)-29 in Beijing and Shanghai China.http://www.anifes.com.cn/anifes/index.jsp?lan=jp

The event was a part of a series of  cross cultural  collaboration events of Japan and China which started in this June with Japanese movies introduced to China and Chinese movies and anime introduced to Japan in this October.

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Takeru Sato’s “Rurouni Kenshin’finished filming

The live-action movie for “Rurouni Kenshin“ finished filming on November 21, and fans of the manga series got a first look at ‘Kenshin’ himself, played by actor Takeru Sato (佐藤健）.

(C)和月伸宏／集英社　(C)2012「るろうに剣心」製作委員会

Filming for the movie began back in August, and the shoot was held in Kyoto, Shiga, Tottori, Okayama, Hyogo, and Osaka with a total of 1,200 extras.

“Rurouni Kenshin” is one of Japan’s more famous manga which comics (totaling to 28 volumes) have published over 50 million copies. Read the rest of this entry »

DAIGO to star in “Ultraman Saga” movie with Takeshi Tsuruno and Taiyo Sugiura

Popular singer and talento DAIGO ,33, has been announced as the star of the next “Ultraman” film. This will be his first time starring in a movie, and also his first time playing a hero in special effects work.

DAIGO

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Coldplay Does “Uchu Kyodai” Film Theme

The British rock band Coldplay is contributing the song “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall” as the theme song for the live-action film adaptation of Uchu Kyodai ((宇宙兄弟 Space Brothers) manga. Coldplay Uchu Kyodai is a Japanese manga series by Chuya Koyama (小山宙哉) which won the award for best general manga at the 56th Shogakukan Manga Awards and the Kodansha Manga Award. br> Uchu Kyodai manga Read the rest of this entry »

The 24th TIFF TOKYO held

The 24th TIFF TOKYO  (Tokyo International Film Festival)was held Oct.23-30  at TOHO CINEMAS and Cinemart Roppongi in Roppongi Tokyo.http://2011.tiff-jp.net/en/

Both foreign and Japanese movies and related staras and staffers were invited.”Untouchable” from France won the Sakura Grand Prix and Award for  Best Actor.

AKB48 CAFE & SHOP AKIHABARA open,and the second “out of Japan” sister group of AKB48, “TPE48″ is launching

A new and the second “AKB48 CAFE & SHOP” opened just in front of  Akihabara station Tokyo on Sep. 29th. http://akb48cafeshops.com/wp/akihabara/

At the cafe consists of four sections, namely “Theater”,”Cafe”,”Private room”,and “Shop”.  At “Theater”, you can enjoy buffet style meals with movies of AKB’s concerts on a large screen. At “Cafe”, you can enjoy special dishes created by AKB’s members ,which are to change from month to month. And “Private Room” whose capacity is 16 people is equipped with DVDs of AKB.  In addition, at “Shop” you can buy original items related to AKB.

Sometimes AKB’ members make “surprise” visits to the Cafe& Shop, which  makes customers amazingly happy.

And here is another new information concerning AKB48 project. On this Oct. 1st,  AKB’s management announced it is going to launch a project of a new sister group of AKB48. The new group is “TPE48″,  which is to be based in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.  Further details of the project will be noticed to public at the end of this year, and the new group is expected to start theatrical performances around the summer in 2012.

TPE48 is to be the second sister group of AKB48 out of Japan, following JKT48 which I wrote about here before.http://www.tenkai-japan.com/2011/09/12/jkt48-project-launched/

EVANGELION STORE opening in Harajuku

“NEON GENESIS EVANGELION”, one of the most popular anime work series both in Japan and the world, is going to open its first “real ” or “physical” store of related items, “EVANGELION STORE” in Harajuku Tokyo on this Nov.23rd. http://www.evastore.jp/real/index.html

So far, that store chain has widely and successfully developed popular items and goods related to the anime work and prosperous as an online store chain. http://www.evastore.jp/pc/

The name of the new real store is “EVANGELION STORE TOKYO-01 ” , jointly operated by GroundWorks (http://gworks.biz/) and MOVIC (http://www.movic.jp/index.html), both of which operate the online store chain as well.

The location of the new store (1-8-23, Jingumae, Shibuya-ku,Tokyo) is in the quite popular and well-known area of  cosplay and subcultural fashions as well as a traditional Japanese culture where Meiji Shrine, one of the most popular Shinto shrines is located.  The area is popular the young and old or even foreign tourists with interesting harmonized atmosphere of  old and new aspects of Japanese culture.

This first real Evangelion Store is to be two-storied, whose first floor is featured with apparel an fashion sorts, and second floor is of  various kinds of Eva’s items expected to meet  requirements of  both ordinary fans and great lovers of the anime work series. The first floor also includes an event hall where various events of Eva series are to be hosted, such as some special events to promote the new anime movie “Evangelion new theatrical version:Q” which is planned to released in autumn 2012.

The management say they intend to enhance  more firsthand communications with fans and expect the fans to view and touch the items to feel the attractions more intensively. The store plans to host special presale events of related items  occasionally.

 

Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki, Fukushima partially reopen with admission fee 50% discount

“Spa Resort Hawaiians”, a popular spa resort in Iwaki City in Fukushima Pref. reopened on this Oct 1st for the first time in 200 days, since the huge earthquake and tsunami disaster in Tohoku on March 11th. http://www.hawaiians.co.jp/english/index3.html

This time the resort partially reopened with ,such as the four spa facilities including a huge open-air bath and a part of accommodation facility.  The main facility called “Water Park” and a new hotel under construction are scheduled to be open in the next January.

Just before the opening time 10:00am, there were more than 200 people standing in line to wait for the reopening.  And a special reopening ceremony was hosted by the operation company  Joban Kosan Co.,Ltd..  At the ceremony, the famous hula team of this resort, Hula Girls of 28 members  performed a special hula show.

The team leader Maluhia Yukari said, “Now we finally have this day because  you have always given us warm encouragements and supports. “

 

And the president Kazuhiko Saito made a speech saying, “We would keep exerting every effort co-operating with local communities to make our resort more pleasant than it was before the earthquake disaster. Before the disaster we used to served 380,000  overnight guests and  1.5 million one-day visitors a year. We aim to regain the same level number of visitors before the disaster in three years, primarily implementing endeavors to dispel damages caused by harmful rumers. ”

Yu Aoi, a popular young female actor who played a main character of a movie “Hula Girl”(/フラガール) (http://blog.excite.co.jp/hula-girl/) that described the back story of this resort in 2006, and  Shizuyo Yamazaki , a popular  vaudevillian who played a part in the movie as well , attended the ceremony.  Aoi said,”Though I am not from Fukushima, still I feel as if this place were my real home. I really would like to come up with what I can do and carry them out to help peoeple here.”, while Yamazaki said,”I am very happy for every one here gives us such a warm welcome.”. 

 

 

The admission fee of the resort is half- priced during the partial operation period as follows;

Adult(a junior high school student or older) : ￥1500  (normally:￥3150), Child (an elementary school pupil):￥800(normally: ￥2000), and   Infant ( a 3-year-old or older and younger than a Child  kid):￥500 (normally:￥1400), and there are some other discount rates for groups and the disabled.

Upon the grand opening scheduled in the next January, the fee prices are to be resumed to the normal ones.

Originally, the resort was founded in order to reinvigorate the area which once had been prosperous with mining industry and had become deteriorated after the total closure of the mines. The project of the spa resort was dramatically successful and led that area to  flourishing again. That historical back story and success were described in the above mentined movie. Therefore, people hope the resort “again” will work as a messiah  to save the area or whole of Fukushima which is now suffering from the radiation problem and other aftermaths of the disaster. I do hope that will work to bring good rebuilding and prosperity again soon as well.

 

Japanese teens of “Himizu” movie awarded at Venice Film Festival

Japanese actor Shota Sometani(染谷将太) and actress Fumi Nikaido(二階堂ふみ) pose for photos during a press conference. They won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor and actress at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in Italy the previous day for their performances in the movie “Himizu.”

Shota Sometani (L), Fumi Nikaido

“Himizu” is based on a manga by Minoru Furuya first published about 10 years ago.

The original manga is the grim story of a middle-school boy. After hearing a speech at school, he contemplates his role in life. After being abandoned by his parents and left in control of their small boat rental shop, he decides to live his life as normal as possible and to be become a good person.

Himizu manga

“Himizu”movie was supposed to be a straight adaptation of the manga comic book by the same name, but was largely re-written in the wake of the disaster, director Sion Sono (園子温) said.

Sion Sono

“It was supposed to be a light romance. When I began to rewrite the script they begged me not to write an apocalyptic film but I couldn’t stop,”he said.

“When you go to Fukushima you find a lot of family relationships struggling, families forced to live apart because of the disaster. The families of the film exist in reality, especially among the lower classes,” he added.

Live-Action Usagi Drop’s School Play Scene Streamed

Kadokawa Shoten’s MovieWalker site began streaming a new 102-second scene from the live-action Usagi Drop (うさぎドロップ/Bunny Drop) film on its YouTube channel on Sunday.

Usagi Drop Movie

Sabu directed lead actor Ken’ichi Matsuyama (松山ケンイチ) and lead actress Mana Ashida (芦田愛菜) in this film which opened in Japan on Saturday.

Usagi Drop Movie

Usagi Drop is a Japanese manga series by Yumi Unita (宇仁田ゆみ）. It was serialized in the monthly magazine Feel Young from October 2005 to April 2011.

Usagi Drop Manga

In Yumi Unita’s original “human drama” manga, 30-year-old bachelor Daikichi (Matsuyama) discovers a little girl named Rin (Ashida) in his grandfather’s garden while at his grandfather’s funeral. Rin is the unwanted 6-year-old child of Daikichi’s grandfather, and Daikichi decides to take her in when no one in the family accepts the responsibility.

Usagi Drop Anime

An anime adaptation by Production I.G began airing in Japan from July 8, 2011.

Usagi Drop Movie

The streaming scene is from the later half of the film, in which Rin dances in a school play of Kamakiri Ohji (The Praying Mantis Prince) as Daikichi looks on. (The part of the prince in the play is played by Rin’s friend Koki ― who is played in real life by Ruiki Sato　（佐藤 瑠生亮）.)

Kyoko Fukada keeps her cheating on-screen

Actress Kyoko Fukada　（深田恭子）, 28, takes on a juicy role in her next film, “Yoake no Machi De” (In the City of Dawn).

Poster of Yoake no Machi De Movie

The movie, based on the novel by Keigo Higashino （東野圭吾）and directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu　（若松節朗）, costars Goro Kishitan　（岸谷五朗）i, 46, and Tae Kimura（木村多江）, 40. Fukada plays an office worker who starts a torrid affair with a much older businessman (Kishitani). The businessman’s wife (Kimura) slowly starts to realize what’s going on.

Kyoko Fukada

At a news conference to promote the film, Fukada said she believes in the sanctity of marriage and found her character’s behavior quite sad. “I’ll keep my cheating on-screen, when I get married,” she said.

“Yoake no Machi De” will be released nationwide on Oct 8.

Perfume to make movie debut dancing with Moriyama Mirai in Moteki

Electropop trio Perfume are making their first movie appearance in the upcoming film “Moteki.” Their roles will not involves any spoken lines, as they will play themselves during a grand dance scene set to their song “Baby Cruising Love.”

“Moteki” was a drama that aired last year, adapted from Kubo Mitsuro’s manga about a man who suddenly finds himself popular with the women around him. The movie version, which was announced in March, is an original story with the same theme. Moriyama Mirai again plays the main character Fujimoto Yukiyo, this time as a writer for a news website.

In the drama version, Yukiyo danced along to “Baby Cruising Love,” and it was decided that a similar scene would be included in the movie. However, the movie’s musical scene will have Yukiyo dancing with the members of Perfume, backed up by a crowd of 50 dancers and cheerleaders.

MOTEKI Movie
“Moteki” opens in theaters on September 23 and also features Nagasawa Masami, Aso Kumiko, Naka Riisa, and Maki Yoko. It has also been previously announced that various other artists will be making appearances as themselves, including Ziyoou-Vachi, Zainichi Funk, TOKYO No.1 SOUL SET, N’Shukugawa BOYS, and Pierre Taki.

Ko Shibasaki makes Hollywood debut as Keanu Reeves’ lover in ’47 Ronin’ movie

Popular Japanese actress and singer Ko Shibasaki(柴咲コウ）,29, will make her Hollywood debut in Carl Erik Rinsch’s movie “47 Ronin,” starring Keanu Reeves.

The story of the 47 Ronin is one of the most celebrated in the history of the samurai. This was perhaps all the more so because it occurred at a time when the samurai class was struggling to maintain a sense of itself – warriors with no war, a social class without a function.

This movie, loosely based on actual events, revolves around a group of samurai who plot vengeance on the man who forced their master into suicide and turned them into ronin (literally “masterless samurai”). Reeves will play the role of Kai, a half-Japanese ronin seeking his revenge and falling in love with an older samurai’s daughter, Mika (Shibasaki).

Shibasaki was selected for Mika’s role in a secret audition in Tokyo last November. “Ko has a unique femininity, which we can’t find easily in the West. She has Audrey Hepburn’s elegance and there’s no doubt that she’ll become an internationally accredited superstar,” said director Rinsch at a press conference in London.

Shibasaki was discovered at the age of 14 by an agent and has worked in numerous television shows, movies and commercials.

She became famous outside Japan for her role in the controversial 2000 film, Battle Royale, where she portrayed the cold-hearted and ruthless Mitsuko Souma; her acting career took off with this movie and also raised her international profile particularly in East Asia. Shibasaki also won acclaim for her role in 2001 film, Go, which earned her several awards, among which the Best Supporting Actress Award of Japanese Academy, the Hōchi Movie Award, the Kinema Junpō Award.

Mirei Kiritani to sing theme songs for her movies Ranhansha and Snowflake

Mirei Kiritani (桐谷 美玲),21, will be in charge of the theme songs for the double feature film “Ranhansha / Snowflake,”Kiritani, born Dec.16 1989, is a Japanese fashion model and actress. . This will be her singing debut, and she will perform the songs live for the first time on February 27 at the Girls Festival 2011 event at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall.

Directed by Taniguchi Masaaki, the two films star Kiritani in separate roles. In “Ranhansha,” she plays a talented young poet in high school who has never known true love. In “Snowflake,” she plays a junior college student who encounters a young man resembling her dead childhood friend.

“Ranhansha / Snowflake” is scheduled to open in theaters this summer.

Arisa Sato, Mirei Kiritani, Emi Takei – Seventeen magazine

Celtic Woman to sing a theme song for Princess Toyotomi movie

Irish female vocal group Celtic Woman has agreed to provide the theme song for the Princess Toyotomi(プリンセス トヨトミ) movie.

Princess Toyotomi is a Japanese movie directed by Masayuki Suzuki and based on a Naoki Prize-nominated novel by Manabu Makime. It will be released by Toho in Japan on May 28, 2011.

Celtic Woman accepted the offer to sing the movie’s theme song, a tune titled “Princess Toyotomi ~ Eien no Kizuna” that was composed by the renowned Sahashi Toshihiko. This is the group’s first time involved with a film soundtrack.

Formed in Ireland in 2004, the Celtic Woman ensemble have sold several million copies of their albums worldwide since their debut and performed multiple international tours. Their most recent album, “Celtic Woman: Lullaby,” was released on February 15.

The film, which was first announced in April 2010, stars Shinichi Tsutsumi (堤真一）backed by a supporting cast of Ayase Haruka （綾瀬はるか）, Masaki Okada （岡田将生）, and Kiichi Nakai （中井貴一）.

The movie is based on the “Princess Toyotomi” novel by author Makime Manabu (“Kamogawa Horumo,” “Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi”). The story revolves around a group of bureaucrats in the national Board of Audit who discover a national secret involving Osaka and the Toyotomi clan that has been hidden for the past 400 years.

Princess Toyotomi (2011) Teaser Trailer