Archive for 'Movie' Category

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

34th Japan Academy Prize: Tetsuya Nakashima’s Kokuhaku won Picture of the Year

The awards ceremony for the 34th Japan Academy Prize was held on Feb.18. The winners of the Excellence awards were already announced in December, but the focus this time were the “Best” awards, which were unknown until now. Sang-il Lee’s “Akunin”(悪人） won the most awards (5), but Tetsuya Nakashima’s “Kokuhaku”(告白, Confessions) was close behind with 4 awards, including the title of Best Picture.Takashi Miike’s “13 Assassins” also won four awards, all in technical categories.

Kokuhaku is a 2010 Japanese drama film directed by Tetsuya Nakashima.

Yuko Moriguchi (Takako Matsu), a junior high teacher, announces she will resign. She reveals that her daughter, Manami, was killed by two pupils in her class, whom she dubs “Student A” and “Student B”. Her disclosure of their behavior soon reveals their identities. She admits injecting her dead husband’s HIV contaminated blood into the milk cartons that the murderers have just drunk from. The rest of the movie describes the aftermath of this event in a series of first-person narratives from the two students, Moriguchi, and others…

The winners of the 34th Japan Academy Prize were:

* Picture of the Year: Kokuhaku (Tetsuya Nakashima)
* Animation of the Year: Karigurashi no Arrietty (Hiromasa Yonebayashi)
* Director of the Year: Tetsuya Nakashima (Kokuhaku)
* Screenplay of the Year: Tetsuya Nakashima (Kokuhaku)
* Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Satoshi Tsumabuki (Akunin)
* Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Eri Fukatsu (Akunin)
* Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Akira Emoto (Akunin)
* Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Kirin Kiki (Akunin)
* Outstanding Achievement in Music: Joe Hisaishi (Akunin)
* Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Nobuyasu Kita (13 Assassins)
* Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction: Yoshiya Watanabe (13 Assassins)
* Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction: Yuji Hayashida (13 Assassins)
* Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording: Jun Nakamura (13 Assassins)
* Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing: Yoshiyuki Koike (Kokuhaku)
* Outstanding Foreign Language Film: Avatar (James Cameron)

As always, there is no “Best” award in the Rookie of the Year category. The six recipients (previously announced) were:

* Mana Ashida (Ghost: Mou Ichido Dakishimetai)
* Momoka Ono (Kinako: Minarai Keisatsuken no Monogatari)
* Riisa Naka (Zebraman: Zebra City no Gyakushu, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo)
* Kento Nagayama (Soft Boy)
* Shohei Miura (THE LAST MESSAGE: Umizaru)
* Takahiro Miura (RAILWAYS)

Sadako 3D – New Horror Movie

Kadokawa Pictures announced its upcoming lineup at an event held at the company’s newly opening theater in Yurakucho, Tokyo. Out of the newly revealed movies, one that garnered a lot of attention is the the tentatively titled “Sadako 3D,” featuring the famous character from the “Ring” horror series.

“Ring” is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki, which draws from the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Otaka as members of a divorced family. The film was later remade in the United States as The Ring (2002).

Sadako, identified by her long black hair covering her face, has become an iconic character in the Japanese horror genre. Koji Suzuki, the author of the original “Ring” novel series, indicated that the new 3D film will include a scene of Sadako coming out of a television set, similar to the original.

Two teenagers, Masami (Hitomi Sato) and Tomoko (Yuko Takeuchi) talk about a videotape recorded by a boy in Izu which is fabled to bear a curse that kills the viewer seven days after watching. Tomoko then reveals that a week ago, she and three of her friends watched a weird tape and received a call after watching it. Unnervingly similar to the storied videotape, Masami realizes that Tomoko was fated to die. After some unsettling moments, Tomoko is killed by an unseen force with Masami having the horror of watching.

Tomohisa Yamashita’s Ashita no Joe movie to open in France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei

Actor Tomohisa Yamashita (山下智久）,25, and other cast members participated in a stage greeting for the movie “Ashita no Joe” at the Toho Cinemas in Roppongi Hills.

Ashita no Joe, alos known as Tomorrow’s Joe, is a critically acclaimed boxing manga created by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba in 1968. A live movie adaptation stars popular actor Tomohisa Yamashita as Yabuki Joe and Yusuke Iseya as Rikishi. The movie is

During the event, distributor Toho announced that the film will be opening in 9 different regions overseas, including France, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Brunei.

The Taiwan release date has been set for March 18, while the others have not yet been decided. It appears likely that they will be scheduled sometime during March, when Yamashita will already be traveling around Asia for the rest of his solo tour.

Ashita no Joe Movie Trailer

Tomohisa Yamashita X Ashita no Joe

Kyoko Fukada stars in Keigo Higashino’s “Yoake no Machi de” movie

Kadokawa Pictures announced plans to distribute a film titled “Yoake no Machi de,” based on a novel by Keigo Higashino.
The movie will be directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu (“Shizumanu Taiyo,” “Whiteout”), featuring Goro Kishitani (岸谷五朗）,46, and Kyoko Fukada (深田恭子）,28, in the lead roles.

Set in Yokohama, the story revolves around a boss named Watabe (Kishitani) and one of his subordinates named Nakanishi (Fukada). The two have a chance encounter at a batting center, leading to an affair. However, Watabe soon learns that Nakanishi is suspected of murder. Her father’s mistress was killed 15 years earlier, and the case is nearing its statute of limitations.

Filming is under way and is scheduled to finish in mid-March. Theatrical release is planned for fall 2011.

Fukada won the award for Best Actress at the Yokohama Film Festival for Kamikaze Girls.

Rina Takeda plays ninja in KUNOICHI

Action actress Rina Takeda (武田梨奈）,19, has been given her third starring movie role, playing a female ninja in a film titled “KUNOICHI.”

Takeda is a Japanese idol and black belt in Ryukyu Shorin-ryu Karate. She was born on June 15, 1991 in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Takeda was first inspired to get into karate at the age of 10 when she witnessed her father get eliminated from a tournament and became determined to avenge his defeat.In 2005, she auditioned to become a 7th generation member of the J-pop group Morning Musume, but was eventually beat out by now-graduated member Koharu Kusumi. However, her participation eventually led to her being scouted as an action trainee by Stardust Promotion.

In “KUNOICHI,” Takeda plays a ninja who rescues women who have been taken captive. The film is directed by Seiji Chiba, known for wrks such as “Sengoku: Iga no Ran” and “Nukenin.” The action director is Kensuke Sonomura, who coordinated the action scenes in “GANTZ” and other films such as Noboru Iguchi’s “Machine Girl.”

“KUNOICHI” will begin its theatrical run on March 19.

In 2008, she caught the attention of “Shaolin Shoujo” producer Fuyuhiko Nishi, leading him to cast her in his directorial debut, “High Kick Girl!” She also starred in the similar movie “KG: Karate Girl” .

Shunsuke Kazama’s “Maebashi Visual Rockers” movie

Director Gitan Otsuru’s new film “Maebashi Visual Rockers” that Johnny’s Jr. member Shunsuke Kazama (風間俊介）,27, as the star, has been revealed. The movie is a coming-of-age story about four young men playing in a visual-kei band in a rural town, with dreams of someday turning pro. Kazama plays the lead vocalist of the band, and the other members will be played by Masaya Kikawada (黄川田将也）,30, Takao Sugiura (杉浦太陽）,27, and Ray Fujita (藤田玲）,22,.

The movie will first be screened in an Ikebukuro theater in Tokyo starting March 12, followed by other theaters throughout the country on April 9.

Visual-kei band heidi. will appear in the film as themselves, and they are also performing the film’s theme song, “Gekkou Showtime.”

15-year-old pianist Aimi Kobayashi makes acting debut in film Sleep (Nemuri Yusurika)

15-year-old pianist Aimi Kobayashi (小林愛実) is making her acting debut in a film called “Sleep (Nemuri Yusurika) by director Katsumi Sakaguchi. The film is scheduled to open in Japan this November, but it will first be screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam that is currently running from January 26 to February 6.

The movie is being shown in the festival’s Spectrum section.

Kobayashi, who plays the difficult role of the young daughter Natsume, was chosen for the part by Sakaguchi because it required a piano performance scene.

Kobayashi is a classical pianist born on September 23, 1995. As a pianist, she became the youngest winner of the International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia in 2004, when she was 9 years old. She has performed with various orchestras, and last year she released her debut album under EMI Music’s classical division. This April, she will hold a recital at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York, under the direction of conductor Seiji Ozawa.

Aimi Kobayashi Piano Chopin Nocturne No.20 in C sharp minor