Mukai Osamu & Kuninaka Ryoko get married on 28 Dec

Mukai Osamu and Kuninaka Ryoko registered their marriage on 28 December as announced by their agencies on 30 Dec. In Mukai's handwritten statement, he expressed his wish to become a better actor after finding his life partner and hopes that everyone will continue supporting him. As for Kuninaka, she wrote in her statement that she will continue working as an actress and expressed her gratitude towards everyone for their support for far. There are no plans for a press conference nor wedding. Mukai and Kuninaka met on the set of "Hungry!" in 2012 which led to them dating soon after the drama wrapped up.

Source: Sponichi

Mizushima Hiro & Ayaka expecting their first child

Mizushima Hiro and Ayaka are expecting their first child, as announced by their agency on 26 December. The couple who got married in February 2009, released a joint statement saying that as Ayaka was suffering from Graves' disease (Basedow Krankheit), they had to monitor her condition very closely especially after she resumed her singing career in December 2011. Their efforts at containing the condition finally paid off when her doctor gave them the all-clear at the end of last year after her key statistics were said to be stable. As such, the couple then started to talk about family planning because without a stable condition, Ayaka would be prone to a miscarriage or premature delivery if she became pregnant. She is currently four months' pregnant. The couple expressed their wishes that their child will grow well and come to the world safely and asked for the warm support of everyone around them.

Source: Sponichi 1 / Sponichi 2

Higashide Masahiro & An get married on New Year's Day

Higashide Masahiro and An announced their plan to get married on New Year's Day through a joint statement on 28 December. In the statement, the couple expressed their wish to become better actors and adults who can make a positive contribution to society after their marriage. They also asked for the support and advice of everyone around them. Their wedding is scheduled to be held before early spring. In addition, both actors' agencies also released a joint statement expressing their joy and support for the couple.

Higashide and An got to know each other and started dating after working on the NHK morning drama "Gochisousan". News of their romance first broke in January 2014 when An was spotted spending the New Year holidays at Higashide's hometown in Saitama.

The couple submitted their marriage application in the early hours of 1 Jan 2015 at a town office in Saitama Prefecture. According to insiders, both of them were not working on New Year's Eve thus they spent the day at Higashide's home in Saitama before submitting the marriage application together.

Source: Sponichi / Sanspo

Yonekura Ryoko announces her marriage on 26 December

Yonekura Ryoko announced on 26 December through a fax statement released by her agency that she got married on the same day to her entrepreneur husband who is two years younger than her and a former employee of Recruit. The couple were previously caught on dates in August 2012 and December 2013. Just one day before the marriage registration, "Shukan Bunshun" published an article about Yonekura cohabiting with her boyfriend which her agency had admitted that she was seeing someone but denied that they lived together and there were no marriage plans. Yonekura is currently not pregnant and will continue working as an actress. There are no plans for a wedding nor press conference about her marriage.

In her handwritten statement, Yonekura said that during their courtship, she was attracted by her husband's honesty and warm personality and respected him as a very important partner in her life. 2014 is a very memorable year for her in terms of her career and private life (her drama had the highest ratings of the year and getting married) and she is filled with gratitude as she approaches the new year to come. As her husband is a non-celebrity, she feels that she should protect his privacy thus will not reveal any of his personal details.

Source: Sponichi 1 / Sponichi 2 / Sponichi 3

Nishijima Hidetoshi gets married on 22 December

Nishijima Hidetoshi registered his marriage on 22 December as confirmed by his agency on Christmas Eve. He had announced his impending marriage on 19 November.

Nishijima met his 27-year-old wife through a mutual friend and they dated for three years before getting married. The couple was first caught by the tabloids in April 2014 when she was seen at Nishijima's apartment. Nishijima's wife used to be an employee at an automobile manufacturer's showroom and is said to resemble actress Koyuki.

Nishijima is currently in the midst of filming for his new drama "Ryusei Wagon" which he co-stars with Kagawa Teruyuki that will begin its run from 18 January at 9pm on Sundays. The wedding is expected to be held on a later date depending on Nishijima's filming schedule and will likely involve family members only.

Source: Sponichi

Nakashima Mika gets married on Christmas Day

Singer Nakashima Mika and national team volleyball player Shimizu Kunihiro got married on Christmas Day as announced on the latter's Twitter page on the same day. In the statement, Shimizu said that they would be supporting each other to build a happy family together and called for the support of everyone.

The couple were first reported to be dating in March 2013 by Sponichi. Nakashima who is a volleyball fan, was introduced to Shimizu by a mutual friend after watching a league match and they started dating soon after from the summer of 2011. The couple will be staying in a condominium apartment outside of Osaka after their marriage.

On the same day, Nakashima also released a handwritten statement through her agency where she mentioned that she had been dating Shimizu for three years before they got married. She pledged to be a supportive wife to Shimizu and asked for everyone's warm support.

Source: Sponichi

Hirosue Ryoko to join the cast of TBS Winter 2014 drama "Ouroboros ~ Kono ai koso, seigi"

Hirosue Ryoko will be taking on the role of Kashiwaba Yuiko in the upcoming TBS Winter 2014 drama "Ouroboros ~ Kono ai koso, seigi" starring Ikuta Toma and Oguri Shun which begins its run from 16 Jan at 10pm on Fridays. Kashiwaba was a staff member of  child welfare facility Mahoroba Gakuen who had taken care of Ryuzaki Ikuo (Ikuta) and Danno Tatsuya (Oguri Shun) when they were staying there during their childhood days. However, she ended up being killed by an unknown individual thus leading to Ryuzaki and Danno trying to find her killer and take revenge.

Co-stars in this drama include Ueno Juri, Yoshida Yo, Muro Tsuyoshi, Takeda Kumiko, Takito Kenichi, Yoshida Kotaro and Nakamura Hashinosuke.

Source: Sponichi

Matsuura Aya & Tachibana Keita welcome the arrival of their first daughter

Matsuura Aya and w-inds member Tachibana Keita welcomed the arrival of their first daughter as announced through a joint statement released by their agencies on Christmas Eve. The couple who got married in August last year after a 12-year courtship, announced the pregnancy in September this year but did not reveal the birth date of their daughter nor her weight at birth for privacy reasons. In the joint statement, they expressed their joy about the arrival of their bundle of joy despite having to struggle with the busy days of parenthood.

Source: Sponichi

Ayase Haruka & Matsuzaka Toori dating?

Ayase Haruka and Matsuzaka Toori are said to be in a relationship, according to a report on Nikkansports on 31 December. The two of them who are three years apart in age, worked together in the movie "Bannou Kanteishi Q - Mona Lisa no Hitomi - " which was shown in cinemas last May. The filming of the movie took place in autumn 2013 at Paris after Ayase had finished her Taiga drama "Yae no Sakura" and it was said that they were already on rather good terms during that period. Later on, when they met again to do the promotion for the movie between April and May last year, they reportedly became closer and started dating soon after.

Matsuzaka was at the Nikkansports Movie Awards ceremony held on 28 December to present the Best Newcomer Award to Higashide Masahiro who was due to marry An on 1 Jan when he was asked by co-presenter Ishihara Yujiro's wife Makiko about his marriage plans. Matsuzaka was stunned for a brief moment and later commented that as his peers get married one by one, he hopes to get married at his own pace and said that there are no immediate plans to get married yet.

Source: Nikkansports

Abe Natsumi & Yamazaki Ikuzaburo are dating?

Former Morning Musume member Abe Natsumi and stage actor Yamazaki Ikuzaburo are said to be in a serious relationship, as reported on 31 December. The two of them met in 2011 while working on the musical "Arashigaoka" starring Kawamura Ryuichi which featured the three of them in a love triangle. After the musical ended, insiders revealed that the couple started dating and had been seen attending each other's concerts and stage plays.

Abe was one of the first Morning Musume generation members in 1997 and left the group in Jan 2004 to go solo. On the other hand, Yamazaki made his debut in a musical in 2007 and moved to a major talent agency in 2014 which enabled him to take up roles in more well-known productions such as "Elizabeth".

Source: Yomiuri Hochi

Thanksgiving event of movie "Ao Ha Ride"

The Thanksgiving event of movie "Ao Ha Ride" was held at Shinjuku Wald 9 on 22 December which was attended by the leads Honda Tsubasa and Higashide Masahiro. The movie which is based on the manga by Sakisaka Io, opened in 295 cinemas on 13 December and achieved total ticket sales of JPY 600m up to 21 December. In response to the good news, Honda expressed her gratitude to all those who had come to watch the movie and hoped that they had enjoyed it well enough to watch it multiple times during the winter vacation. As for Higashide, he commented that they had put in a lot of effort in making this movie and was grateful for the support.

During the event, Arimura Kasumi who is the female lead for another Sakisaka adaptation movie "Strobe Edge", also made a guest appearance while the male lead Fukushi Sota couldn't make it thus a video message of him was shown instead. "Strobe Edge" will be shown in cinemas from 14 March.

Source: Sponichi

Kikuchi Rinko & Sometani Shota announce their marriage on New Year's Day

Kikuchi Rinko and Sometani Shota announced on New Year's Day through a joint statement published on Sometani's official website that they had registered their marriage. In the statement, the couple who are 11 years apart in age, pledged to support each other, continue to work hard in their acting careers and build a happy family. They ended the statement by asking for the warm support of everyone around them.

Kikuchi and Sometani got to know each other through mutual friends at the beginning of last year and started dating soon. Their relationship was first reported in November when some tabloids published photos of them kissing on the streets and staying together in the same apartment.

Source: Nikkansports / Modelpress

Nagai Masaru & Nakagoshi Noriko get married on 30 Dec

Nagai Masaru and Nakagoshi Noriko registered their marriage on 30 December as announced on their agencies' websites on 31 December. The couple first met on the set of TV Asahi's Winter 2010 drama "Salaryman Kintaro 2" and started dating in spring of the same year. Nagai proposed to Nakagoshi in the winter of 2013 and revealed to the media that they had already informed their families and agencies of their marriage plans. There are no plans for a wedding yet.

In her statement, Nakagoshi mentioned that they had gone through a period long enough for them to know each other well and called it a miracle for her to meet someone she could depend on as a partner. She also said that they would try their best to overcome any difficulties and build a happy family.

As for Nagai, he commented that they had been together for five years and he was glad that they could finally embark on this journey as husband and wife. He pledged to be more considerate of his wife in future and build a wonderful family.

Source: Yomiuri Hochi / Daily Sports

Happy New Year! あけましておめでとうございます！

The time has come again when we usher in a new year! First of all, a very happy new year to all readers of this blog and best wishes for the year ahead. Thank you very much for your support in 2014 and hope that you'll continue to visit this blog in 2015.

I was away in the later part of December in Japan so that explains my brief break from the blog. I will be catching up on the flurry of news during this period including marriage announcements from Higashide Masahiro & An and Yonekura Ryoko. Do stay tuned for these updates coming your way soon!

Besides these, I will prepare some posts related to my trip where I visited some places of interest especially to drama lovers. There will also be reviews of two Japanese movies I watched while I was there.

The new Winter 2015 drama season is also coming our way very soon with some titles which I personally find rather interesting (at least on paper). In the meantime, I'll try to finish up some of the pending reviews from the earlier seasons so do keep a lookout for these as well.

Till the next update, take care and enjoy the New Year holiday!

Preview of "Masshiro" - Winter 2015

Title: Masshiro まっしろ
Official website: here
Official Twitter page: here
O.A. Start Date: 13 Jan 2015
Timeslot: Tuesdays 10pm
Broadcast by: TBS
Cast: Horikita Maki, Yagira Yuya, Shida Mirai, Takanashi Rin, Nanao, MEGUMI, Takeuchi Miyako, Nisho Mari, Nobukawa Seijun, Watanabe Mai, Shumoto Erika, Ito Mamiko, Mikami Kensei, Tsuda Eisuke, Mashima Hidekazu, Ishiguro Ken, Mizuno Miki, Kimura Tae

Preview of "Wagaya" (drama SP)

Title: Wagaya わが家 (My Family)
Official website here
O.A. Date: 4 Jan 2014, 9pm
Broadcast by: TBS / MBS
Theme song: Home ni te by Takahata Mitsuki feat. KOBUDO
Cast: Mukai Osamu, Nagazuka Kyozo, Tanaka Yuko, Murakawa Eri, Ichikawa Mikako, Kitaro, Kusamura Reiko, Hamada Mari

Preview of "Ouroboros" - Winter 2015

Title: Ouroboros ウロボロス
Official website: here
Official Facebook page: here
Official Twitter page: here
O.A. Start Date: 16 Jan 2015
Timeslot: Fridays 10pm
Original work by: Kanzaki Yuya
Cast: Ikuta Toma, Oguri Shun, Ueno Juri, Yoshida Yo, Muro Tsuyoshi, Seino Nana, Takeda Kumiko, Mitsuishi Ken, Takito Kenichi, Yoshida Kotaro, Nakamura Hashinosuke

Preview of "Zeni no Sensou" - Winter 2015

Title: Zeni no Sensou 銭の戦争 (Money Wars)
Official website: here
Official Facebook page: here
Official Twitter page: here
O.A. Start Date: 6 Jan 2015
Timeslot; Tuesdays 10pm (9pm for the first OA)
Broadcast by: FujiTV / Kansai TV
Original work by: Park In Gwon
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Oshima Yuko, Kimura Fumino, Takada Sho, Tamamori Yuta, Tsugawa Masahiko, Judy Ong, Osugi Ren, Watabe Atsuro

Preview of "Orient Kyuukou Satsujin Jiken" (drama SP)

Title: Orient Kyuukou Satsujin Jiken オリエント急行殺人事件 (Murder On the Orient Express)
Official website: here
O.A. Dates: 11th and 12th Jan 2015, 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Original novel by: Agatha Christie
Scriptwriter: Mitani Koki
Cast: Nomura Manzai, Matsushima Nanako, Ninomiya Kazunari, An, Tamaki Hiroshi, Sawamura Ikki, Kichise Michiko, Ishimaru Kanji, Ikematsu Sosuke, Kuroki Haru, Yagi Akiko, Aoki Sayaka, Fujimoto Takahiro, Fuji Sumiko, Takahashi Katsumi, Sasano Takashi, Kobayashi Takashi, Kusabue Mitsuko, Nishida Toshiyuki, Sato Koichi

Preview of "Taishi Kakka no Ryorinin" (drama SP)

Title: Taishi Kakka no Ryorinin 大使閣下の料理人 (The Ambassador's Chef)
Official website: here
Official Twitter: here
O.A. Date: 3 Jan 2015, 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Original manga by: Nishimura Mitsuru & Kawasumi Hiroshi
Cast: Sakurai Sho, Gouriki Ayame, Okura Koji, Kato Shigeaki (NEWS), Takenaka Naoto, Otani Naoko, Hirosue Ryoko, Nishida Toshiyuki

Top 10 bestselling DVDs of 2014 (Oricon)

Figures in brackets indicate the number of units sold:

1) ARASHI Arafes'13 NATIONAL STADIUM 2013 - Arashi (711,139)

2) ARASHI Live Tour 2013 "LOVE" - Arashi (629,042)

3) KANJANI 8 LIVE TOUR JUKE BOX - Kanjani 8 (298,824)

4) SNOW DOME no Yakusoku IN TOKYO DOME 2013.11.16 - Kis-My-Ft2 (206,801)

5) Sandaime J Soul Brothers LIVE TOUR 2014 "BLUE IMPACT" - Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE (206,245)

6) namie amuro FEEL tour 2013 - Amuro Namie (167,997)

7) B'z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2013 ENDLESS SUMMER - XXV BEST - B'z (159,826)

8) Tohoshinki LIVE TOUR 2014 TREE - Tohoshinki (136,297)

9) Mr.Children [ (an imitation) blood orange] Tour - Mr.Children (133,387)

10) EXILE LIVE TOUR 2013 "EXILE PRIDE" 9.27 FINAL - EXILE (121,292)

Source: Oricon

Top 10 bestselling CD albums of 2014 (Oricon)

Figures in brackets indicate the number of units sold:

1) Tsugi no Ashiato - AKB48 (1,041,355)

2) Frozen OST - Various Artists (980,383)

3) THE DIGITALIAN - Arashi (784,933)

4) Ballada - Amuro Namie (431,356)

5) Sekai no chuushin wa Osaka ya ~ Nanba Jichiku ~ - NMB48 (397,661)

6) THE BEST/BLUE IMPACT - Sandaime J Soul Brothers from EXILE TRIBE (347,363)

7) HUMAN - Fukuyama Masaharu (344,036)

8) EXILE TRIBE REVOLUTION - EXILE TRIBE (333,998)

9) Kanjani-ism - Kanjani 8 (327,752)

10) HIT! HIT! HIT! - Kis-My-Ft2 (293,309)

Source: Oricon

Top 10 bestselling CD singles of 2014 (Oricon)

Figures in brackets indicate the number of units sold:

1) Labrador Retriever - AKB48 (1,786,825)

2) Kibou teki Refrain - AKB48 (1,156,706)

3) Mae shika mukanee - AKB 48 (1,153,906)

4) Suzukake no Ki no Michi de 'Kimi no Hohoemi o Yume ni Miru' to Itte Shimattara Bokutachi no Kankei wa Dō Kawatte Shimau no ka, Bokunari ni Nannichi ka Kangaeta Ue de no Yaya Kihazukashii Ketsuron no Yō na Mono - AKB48 (1,086,491)

5) Kokoro no Placard - AKB48 (1,058,059)

6) GUTS! - Arashi (604,654)

7) Bittersweet - Arashi (591,847)

8) Nandome no Aozora ka? - Nogizaka 46 (578,174)

9) THE REVOLUTION - EXILE TRIBE (573,268)

10) Kizuitara Kataomoi by Nogizaka 46 (546,832)

Source: Oricon

Top 5 bestselling artistes in 2014 (Oricon)

Figures in brackets indicate the total sales of CDs and DVDs accumulated in 2014:

1) Arashi (JPY 13,823,000,000)

2) AKB48 (JPY 13,075,000,000)

3) Kanjani 8 (JPY 5,862,000,000)

4) Kis-My-Ft2 (JPY 5,258,000,000)

5) Tohoshinki (JPY 3,691,000,000)

Source: Oricon

Preview of "Marumaru Tsuma" - Winter 2015

Title: Marumaru Tsuma
Official website: here
Official Twitter page: here
O.A. Start Date: 14 Jan 2015
Broadcast by: NTV
Timeslot: Wednesdays 10pm
Cast: Shibasaki Kou, Kuroki Hitomi, Shirota Yu, Renbutsu Misako, Okunuki Kaoru, Watanabe Makiko, Iwamoto Tayo, Hiraizumi Sei, Higashiyama Noriyuki

Top 10 actors who have made a breakthrough in 2014 (Oricon)

1) Fukushi Sota

2) Nishijima Hidetoshi

3) Sakai Masato

4) Higashide Masahiro

5) Ayano Go

6) Ikematsu Sosuke

7) Saito Takumi

8) Takito Kenichi

9) Yamazaki Kento

10) Kataoka Ainosuke

Source: Oricon

Uchida Asahi announces his impending marriage to a civil servant

Uchida Asahi will be getting married to a civil servant 7 years younger than him early next year, as announced by his agency on 8 December. The couple reportedly met at Moscow, Russia, in July 2012 when Uchida was there for the filming of a programme and his girlfriend was on a tour with her mother. Soon after they returned to Japan, they started their long-distance relationship as Uchida was based in Tokyo and his girlfriend was based in Mie Prefecture. Nonetheless, the couple would meet up for holidays within Japan or go for dates at museums. It was said that Uchida proposed to her in October last year and their wedding will be held in spring next year.

Source: Sponichi

Top 10 actresses who have made a breakthrough in 2014 (Oricon)

1) Arimura Kasumi

2) An

3) Nounen Rena

4) Ishihara Satomi

5) Nikaido Fumi

6) Yoshitaka Yuriko

7) Matsu Takako / Takahata Mitsuki

9) Ayase Haruka / Takei Emi

Source: Oricon

Aibu Saki to star in new WOWOW drama "Garasu no Ashi"

Aibu Saki will be starring in the new WOWOW drama "Garasu no Ashi" (The Glass Reed) which is due to be shown from 21 February in the Saturdays 10pm timeslot. In this drama adapted from Naoki Award winner Sakuragi Shino's same-titled novel set in Kushiro, Hokkaido, Aibu  will take on the role of Setsuko, a woman who had been raised by an abusive mother and later marries her mother's lover. However, even after getting married, Setsuko is involved with another man and eventually kills her mother and other people.

Filming begins around the 20th of this month.

As Aibu has been taking on baddie roles of late which had gained her quite a bit of attention, she said that she is fine with the intimate scenes but finds it difficult to imagine having to kill her mother like what Setsuko does. In addition, she finds the idea of having an extramarital affair unacceptable so these are the emotional hurdles she has to overcome while playing her character.

Source: Sanspo

Romaji lyrics of "Fall" by Makihara Noriyuki (Theme song of "Kyouwa Kaisha Yasumimasu")

Title: Fall
Artiste: Makihara Noriyuki
Lyrics & Melody: Makihara Noriyuki

itsu demo kimatta koto wo
hitori de tantan to konasu
hito ga karamanai bun dake
mondai mo okoranai kedo
kinou to kyou ga shirazu ni
ire kawatteta toshitemo
kizukenai you na hibi wo
rekishi to yobezu nayandeta

sonna toki kimi ga arawarete
kocchi e oide to te wo nobasu
sono te ni isshun fureta dakede
sekai ga chigatte mieta

hontou wa konna taimingu
matteta no kamo shirenai
mita koto mo nai sekai e
dare ka to ochiru sono toki wo
koi no hitotsu mo shiranai de
issho wo owaru nante iyada!
kokoro no sakebu koe ni mimi wo
fusagu te wo dokereba
IT'S TIME TO FALL!

kizutsuketari kizutsuitari
gaman shitari kojiretari
hito ga karameba mondai mo
okottari mo suru keredo

dare ka to iru koto deshika
mienai mono ga aru nara
sono aite wa kimi shika inai
nigitta te wo hanasanai

hontou wa konna taimingu
matteta no kamo shirenai
mita koto mo nai sekai e
dare ka to ochiru sono toki wo
mada nemuru kao wo minagara
kaisha ni ireta hajimete no
zuru yasumi no denwa kara
kimi to ochite iku
IT'S TIME TO FALL!

zaiakukan nomi komu hodo no
setsunasa de tsuita uso ga
zettai kawaranai to omotteta
kono jibun wo kaete iku

hontou wa konna taimingu
matteta no kamo shirenai
mita koto mo nai sekai e
dare ka to ochiru sono toki wo
koi mo shirazu owaru nante
iyada! iyada! iyada! iyada!
kokoro no sakebu koe ni mimi wo
fusagu te wo dokereba
3.2.1 FALL!

Hirose Suzu & Kamiki Ryunosuke to star in NTV Winter 2015 drama "Gakkou no Kaidan"

Hirose Suzu and Kamiki Ryunosuke will be starring in the NTV Winter 2015 drama "Gakkou no Kaidan" which is due to begin its run from 10 Jan in the Saturdays 9pm timeslot. Hirose plays the role of an ordinary girl who is forced to become the president of the student council and accidentally meets a speech writer (Kamiki) known as the Magician. Although she doesn't know much about him or whether he is an ally or foe, she develops skills of making good speeches through her interaction with him. Co-stars include Namase Katsuhisa, Asano Atsuko and Sugisaki Hana.

Source: Sanspo

Takasugi Mahiro to play Nakatani Miki's son in FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Ghost Writer"

Takasugi Mahiro will be playing Nakatani Miki's son in the upcoming FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Ghost Writer". The two of them had worked in the movie "Kawaki" previously but did not have any scenes together. This time, Takasugi plays Daiki, the son of Risa (Nakatani) who is in senior high school and creating lots of problems for his mother due to his rebellious attitude especially after news of his existence is revealed to the public.

Nakatani commented that she is looking forward to having Takasugi play her son in the drama especially since she had found his performance in "Kawaki" very memorable when he had to change quickly from a gentle expression to one that was menacing. As for Takasugi, he expressed his eagerness to learn from his co-stars who are all more experienced than him.

Source: Sanspo

Okada Junichi & Eikura Nana to reunite in new movie "Toshokan Sensou - THE LAST MISSION - "

V6's Okada Junichi and Eikura Nana will reunite in the new movie "Toshokan Sensou - THE LAST MISSION -" which will be shown in cinemas next October. This film will be the sequel of "Toshokan Sensou" which was screened in April last year and the cast will be largely the same including Okada, Eikura and Fukushi Sota. Filming is due to begin in the middle of this month but physical training already begun two months ago where the cast members would gather once a week to be trained by a former Self Defense Forces member.

Source: Sanspo

Ashida Mana to play the president of a company in NHK drama SP "Rugged!"

The press conference for NHK BS drama SP "Rugged!" was held on 5 Dec which was attended by the cast members Ashida Mana, Iwaki Koichi, Ishida Ayumi, Kurosawa Toshio, Ono Takehiko and Maeda Gin. The drama SP which will be shown on 21st and 28th February at 7.30pm, features Ashida as a 10-year-old girl Noa who has to take over her father's company after he passed away while trying to get back JPY 300m from a fraud group which had cheated him. Thanks to the help of a group of elderly men, Noa manages to tap into their skills and experience to fight against the bad people around her.

This is Ashida's first leading role in a NHK role and she commented that it is a very interesting experience to play the president of a factory but it's something unlikely to happen in reality. However, she is very happy about taking on this challenging role and hoped that she won't be a burden to her co-stars who are more than 50 years older than her.

Source: Sponichi

Further cast announcements for FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Date ~ Koi to wa donna mono kashira ~"

Further cast announcements for the FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Date ~ Koi to wa donna mono kashira ~" were made on 5 Dec. Kuninaka Ryoko will play the role of Shimada Kaori, a former delinquent who is a carefree person that shows a lot of concern towards anyone. As she had played mostly good characters in the past, Kuninaka expressed her surprise when she got the offer and viewed it as a new challenge for her in the new year. As Kuninaka and Mukai Osamu are expected to get married in December, this drama will be her first after her marriage. Hey! Say! Jump! member Nakajima Yuto will play Washio Yutaka, a kendo expert who works at a sporting goods manufacturer and hates to go around the bush. Kaori's brother Sotaro will be played by Matsuo Satoru.

As for the role Yabushita Yoriko's (An) mother, this will be taken on by Wakui Emi while her father will be played by Matsushige Yutaka. As for Taniguchi Takumi's (Hasegawa Hiroki) mother, this will be played by Fubuki Jun.

Source: Sponichi

Sato Takeru to star in new TBS Spring 2015 drama "Tenno no Ryoriban"

Sato Takeru will be playing a chef for the first time in the upcoming TBS 60th anniversary drama "Tenno no Ryoriban" (The Emperor's Cook) to be shown from April next year in the Spring 2015 season. He will play the role of Akiyama Tokuzo who was the head chef in the Imperial Household Department during the Taisho and Showa eras. In order to prepare for the role, Sato cut his hair by 20cm and remarked that he had never cut his hair so short since his junior high days when he was in the baseball team. He also started taking cooking lessons since August this year and practiced cutting vegetables such as onions and potatoes at home.

Akiyama came to Tokyo from his hometown at the age of 16 in order to realise his dream of being a chef. After working at a top-class hotel in Paris, he became the head chef at the young age of 26 for the royal family. Kuroki Haru will play the wife of Akiyama while Kobayashi Kaoru will play his teacher.

Source: Sponichi

The 27th Nikkansports Movie Awards / Ishihara Yujiro Award (2014)

Best Movie: Eien no Zero

Best Director: Yamazaki Takashi (Eien no Zero / STAND BY ME Doraemon)

Best Leading Actor: Okada Junichi (Eien no Zero / Higurashi no Ki)

Best Leading Actress: Miyazawa Rie (Kami no Tsuki)

Best Supporting Actor: Ikematsu Sosuke (Umi wo Kanjiru toki / Kami no Tsuki / Bokutachi no Kazoku)

Best Supporting Actress: Hirosue Ryoko (Omoi Nokoshi)

Best Newcomer: Nounen Rena (Hot Road)

Best Foreign Film: Frozen

Ishihara Yujiro Award: Rurouni Kenshin

Ishihara Yujiro Newcomer: Higashide Masahiro (Kiseijuu / CROWS EXPLODE)

Ishihara Yujiro Special Contribution Award: Hashimoto Seizo

Special Award: Takakura Ken

Source: Nikkansports

Romaji lyrics of "Silly" by Ieiri Leo (Theme Song of "N no tame ni")

Title: Silly
Artiste: Ieiri Leo
Lyrics: Ieiri Leo
Melody: Nishio Yoshihiko

muzukashii koto ga oosugiru ai
kyou mo kawarazu furi tsuzuiteiru ame ga
toiki no sukima de namae wo yobare
aenai hi no kodoku kaki kesarerunda
Rainy day oh Rainy day
kishimu hadou ni nomarete

Oh It's so silly
nani ka wo motome tashikame takute kyou wo ikiteru
Oh It's so silly
damaseru no nara genjitsu nante hitsuyo janai
nogarerarenai kanashimi ni Oh It's so silly

tsuyogari kakushita namida no ato ni
kizukanai soburi hada wo kasaneru yoru wa
asai nemuri kuri kaeshi nagara mo
tonari no omomi wo tashikamete irunda
Rainy day oh Rainy day
otona ni narikire nakute

Oh It's so silly
sukui wo motome mitasaretakute kyou wo ikiteru
Oh It's so silly
yurusareru nara kono ai dake wo dakishimetai
nogarerarenai itami demo Oh It's so silly

imi no nai nani mo nai ashita wa
mitenai wakaranai furi de
nigedashiteru So Silly
furueru tsumi no nai sore wo ushinaeba ii
yugamu kimochi wa anata ga hoshii

Oh It's so silly
nani ka wo motome tashikame takute kyou wo ikiteru
Oh It's so silly
damaseru no nara genjitsu nante hitsuyo janai
nogarerarenai kanashimi ni
kizu mo ima dewa itoshikute
Oh It's so silly

Preview of "Sayonara Watashi" (NHK)

Title: Sayonara Watashi さよなら私 (Goodbye to me)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 14 Oct 2014
Timeslot: Tuesdays 10pm
Total number of episodes: 9
Broadcast by: NHK
Theme Song: Onaji Samishisa by Hirai Ken
Cast: Nagasaku Hiromi, Ishida Yuriko, Fujiki Naohito, Sato Hitomi, Tanimura Mitsuki, Lily, Omi Toshinori

Preview of "Shokuzai no Sonata" (WOWOW)

Title: Shokuzai no Sonata 贖罪の奏鳴曲 (The Sonata of Atonement)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 24 Jan 2014
Timeslot: Saturdays 10pm
Broadcast by: WOWOW
Total number of episodes: 4
Original novel by: Nakayama Shichiri
Cast: Mikami Hiroshi, Sometani Shota, Toyota Maho, Shiraishi Shunya, Nomaguchi Toru, Yamashita Yorie, Horibe Keisuke, Nakahara Takeo, Lily Frankie

Preview of "Kiri no Hata" (drama SP)

Title: Kiri no Hata 霧の旗 (The Flag of Mist)
Official website: here
O.A. Date: 7 Dec 2014, 9pm
Broadcast by: TV Asahi
Cast: Horikita Maki, Takahashi Katsumi, Kimura Yoshino, Furuhata Niino, Fukuda Seiji, Tanimura Mitsuki, Denden, Watanabe Ikkei, Hashizume Isao, Shiina Kippei

Preview of "Sakamichi no Ie" (drama SP)

Title: Sakamichi no Ie 坂道の家 (The House on the Slope)
Official website: here
O.A. Date: 6 Dec 2014, 9pm
Broadcast by: TV Asahi
Cast: Ono Machiko, Emoto Akira, Ozawa Yukiyoshi, Watanabe Eri, Fueki Yuko, Marie, Shofukutei Tsuruko, Kazuki Saya

Preview of "Kageriyuku Natsu" (WOWOW)

Title: Kageriyuku Natsu 翳りゆく夏 (The Darkening Summer)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 18 Jan 2015
Timeslot: Sundays 10pm
Broadcast by: WOWOW
Total number of episodes: 5
Original novel by: Akai Mihiro
Cast: Watabe Atsuro, Tokito Saburo, Kadowaki Mugi, Suda Masaki, Iwamatsu Ryo, Takito Kenichi, Aoi Wakana, Iwamoto Masuyo, Toda Masahiro, Shimada Kyusaku, Hasegawa Tomoharu, Maeda Atsuko, Moriguchi Yoko, Tsuruta Mayu, Kiba Katsumi, Nakada Yoshiko, Sato Bsaku, Itaya Yuka, Hashizume Isao

Nakatani Miki & Mizukawa Asami to work together in FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Ghost Writer"

Nakatani Miki will be taking on the leading role in a drama series for the first time in 13 years when she appears in the upcoming FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Ghost Writer" due to begin its run from Jan in the Tuesdays 9pm timeslot. Her last drama where she had a leading role was in the 2002 FujiTV drama "Koi suru Top Lady".

This time, Nakatani will play the role of a popular writer Risa who is facing writer's block and asks her assistant Yuki (Mizukawa Asami) who dreams of being a novelist one day, to be her ghost writer in order to get over the crisis. While feeling troubled over how she has to lie to maintain her status as a popular writer, she also has to deal with the challenge from Yuki who also has talent and is capable of making it on her own.

The storyline is very similar to the ghost writer scandal which happened in February this year when Samuragochi Mamoru, a composer who had been said to be fully deaf, was caught for having a "ghost writer" for the past 18 years as some of his works were composed by a contemporary musician and teacher Niigaki Takashi but released in Samuragochi's name. When asked about this resemblance, the production crew acknowledged that it had used the scandal as a reference but stressed that the theme of people having to pretend to be someone who they aren't in reality and the pain of going through that was something which everyone could identify with. Besides, they wanted to highlight the topic of making mistakes which are irreversible that would be of interest to the viewers who would want to find out what happens to Risa and Yuki in the end.

Nakatani and Mizukawa last worked together 14 years ago in the TV Asahi drama "R-17". Co-stars include Miura Shohei, Nanao and Tanaka Tetsushi.

Source: Sanspo

First-day-screening of new movie "Kiseijuu"

The first-day-screening event of new movie "Kiseijuu" was held on 29 Nov which was attended by the cast members Sometani Shota, Fukatsu Eri, Higashide Masahiro, Hashimoto Ai, Yo Kimiko and the director Yamazaki Takashi. The movie is a science-fiction story about how parasites invade the brains of human beings and control their bodies in a bid to take over the human race. Sometani plays a student whose right hand is invaded by a parasite named Migi and has to fight against the parasites which are invading people's minds very rapidly. During the five-month filming period, he could only imagine that there was indeed a parasite named Migi on his right hand so it was a tough and lonely battle he had to undertake. As for Fukatsu who plays a senior high school student invaded by a parasite and has her face split open in this movie, she remarked that she will look even more horrendous in the second movie.

The finale of this movie titled "Kiseijuu Kanketsuhen" will be released in cinemas from 25 April next year.

Source: Sponichi / Sanspo

Nikaido Fumi & Arai Hirofumi reported to have broken up

Nikaido Fumi and Arai Hirofumi are said to have gone their separate ways, as reported on 27 Nov. The couple who are 16 years apart in age, met on the set of the movie "Himizu" which was released in Jan 2012 and soon started dating. In March last year, they were first romantically linked to each other and were caught by the tabloids on a yakiniku date in June the same year. However, according to insiders, the couple decided to go their separate ways after being together for two and a half years because of their differing views towards marriage. As Arai is going to be 36 next Jan, he was said to have the intention to marry Nikaido and had introduced her to his parents. On the other hand, Nikaido made it to Keio University this year after taking the entrance exams as a repeat student and is very busy with her acting career these days thus had no intention to get married yet.

Source: Nikkansports

An and Hasegawa Hiroki to co-star in new FujiTV Winter 2015 Gekku "Date ~ Koi to wa donna mono kashira ~"

An will be taking on her first leading role in the a FujiTV Gekku when she appears in the new Winter 2015 drama "Date ~ Koi to wa donna mono kashira ~ " (Date ~ What kind of thing is love?) alongside Hasegawa Hiroki which begins its run from 19 Jan at 9pm on Mondays. The drama is set in Yokohama and will be a bittersweet romantic comedy.

An plays the role of Yabushita Yoriko, a 29-year-old economics expert who holds a Masters degree from University of Tokyo and works in the field of macroeconomics research. She is rigid and refuses to pander to others. As she aims to get married by 30, she registers at a marriage agency in order to find a partner. On the other hand, Hasegawa plays a jobless man named Taniguchi Takumi who depends on his mother for a living while being absorbed in the world of literature, arts, music and entertainment. He regards himself as a high-class nomad and decides to register at the same marriage agency as Yoriko in order to find a rich woman who he can depend on for a living if his mother is no longer around. The two of them who are said to be unable to love and unsuitable for love get paired up together and through a number of dates, become closer to each other while viewing the topic of marriage as a mere contract rather than the union of two people who are in love with each other.

Source: Sponichi

Mizobata Junpei & Katase Nana cohabiting?

Mizobata Junpei and Katase Nana are said to be cohabiting, according to the 28 Nov issue of FRIDAY. The two had been first romantically linked in July last year and said to be in a serious relationship in August this year. However, Mizobata denied the reports and said that Katase was just a respected senior of his and they are just good friends. On the other hand, Katase did not deny the reports when she appeared at an event soon after the report was published.

In the latest report by FRIDAY, the couple were said to have started living together in the same apartment a few months ago and were photographed to have been entering and leaving the apartment block. With regard to this new report, both artistes' agencies claimed that they were just good friends.

Source: Nikkansports

Tamaki Hiroshi to star in FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Zannen na Otto"

Tamaki Hiroshi will be starring in the new FujiTV Winter 2015 drama "Zannen na Otto" (The Disappointing Husband) due to begin its run from 14 Jan in the Wednesdays 10pm timeslot. He plays the role of a man working at a housing company who looks like the perfect husband because of his looks, character and abilities and is on good terms with his wife played by Kurashina Kana who adores and respects him a lot. However, with the birth of their first child, her character goes through a total change where she starts to find fault with him about things which used to be bearable to her and becomes so hysterical that he starts to see her as a "monster wife". He cannot find a reason as to why she is behaving like this and becomes "downgraded" to a disappointing husband in her eyes.

Tamaki commented that although he has a favourable image of marriage personally, to play such a role at this point of his life is considered as a good learning experience for him. He also hopes to make this character believable and for everyone to be able to identify with through watching the drama. On the other hand, Kurashina who is also single, said that it is a first experience for her to play a wife and mother so she is looking forward to acting in this drama.

Other co-stars include Kishitani Goro who plays Tamaki's superior, Otsuka Nene who plays his wife as well as EXILE's Kuroki Keiji, Hayashi Kento, Takahashi Maryjun and Asada Miyoko.

Source: Sponichi

DAIGO & Kitagawa Keiko acknowledge that they are dating

DAIGO and Kitagawa Keiko have been dating since spring this year, as reported on 27 Nov. According to insiders, the two of them first met in 2011 when DAIGO was the guest in the first episode of the TBS drama "LADY" starring Kitagawa. However, they only became closer after appearing in the same variety show in Jan this year and started dating from March after going on meals with their mutual friend Kanjiya Shihori. It was said that Kitagawa was sighted at DAIGO's concert and fanclub events on 26 July, 15 Sep and 19 Oct despite her busy schedule. As they had been seen wearing couple rings on their right hands, rumours had been circulating among fans about their relationship.

Source: Sponichi / Sanspo