It’s been reported that “Take Your Pick” which was released worldwide under the name of “Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto” in September 2010, has been nominated for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” of “The 53rd Grammy Award.” This collaboration between American guitarist, Larry Carlton and B’z guitarist, Matsumoto Takahiro was made through Larry’s offer to Matsumoto, and even though it is a guitar instrumental album, it was No.2 on Oricon weekly album chart.
The awarding ceremony for “The 53rd Grammy Award” will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 13th, and it will be live broadcasted on WOWOW on the 14th at 9:00 a.m in Japan.
Previously, tokyohive reported that Miura Haruma and Toda Erika will star in the next “Getsu9″ drama titled, “Taisetsunakoto wa subete Kimi ga Oshietekureta“, and today, it’s been revealed that AKB48 member, Shinoda Mariko will also make an appearance in the upcoming drama. Shinoda (Miura’s ex-girlfriend) will play the classmate of the Miura and Toda couple during college and after graduating, becomes a wedding planner, living with Toda.
This will be first time for Shinoda to make an appearance in a “Getsu9″ drama.
Five girls’ unit 9nine held a release event for their new single “Cross Over” on December 1st. Performing their popular ‘propeller dance’ in front of 1,000-member audience, many of their more avid fans started to cry at seeing their idols live.
One of the members, Kawashima Umika, reflected, “I’m happy too, because we don’t have many chances to meet our fans. Today was a fun day for us to be able to communicate with the fans.”
The members said that their next goal is to perform on music shows, since they have yet to appear on one with their current unit.
The highly anticipated movie “Space Battleship Yamato“, starring Kimura Takuya, opened in Japan today, and distributor TOHO announced that it won’t cast the anchor there just yet.
The opening date of the movie alone is already something special, because in Japan new movies usually open on Saturdays. However, December 1st is considered the “Day of the Movie”, and so they were able to make an exception and release it before the weekend.
Kimura was in very high spirits at the stage greeting today, as he said, “I hope that many people will board the Yamato.”
At the stage greeting, TOHO also announced that distributors from France, Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong have already acquired the rights to distribute the movie in their countries. In addition, they revealed that they have received offers from American distributors as well.
Kimura appealed to the future international moviegoers with the words: “I want to tell them, ‘Please enjoy this science fiction movie made in Japan,’ and show them that the Yamato is a big enough ship for everyone.”
At the end of the greeting, TOHO openly challenged the current No.1 at the box office, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I”. They declared, “We aim to break the 8 billion Yen (95 million USD) mark and pass Harry Potter by the end of the year.”
Kimura’s biggest box office success to date was “HERO” in 2007, which brought in a total revenue of approximately 8.6 billion Yen (102 million USD).
Shoujo Jidai (SNSD) will release their Korean mini album, “Hoot“, in Japan on December 22, 2010, right before Christmas.
The album will be kept in its original Korean language format, but the Japanese Limited Edition albums will include six bonux tracks and a DVD with the “Hoot” music video. So instead of five tracks, the CD will have a total of eleven.
The mini album will come in four initial pressings:
Regular Edition will be the original Korean version and cost ¥1,714 ($20.24 USD).
Regular Edition-First Press will include the eleven tracks and bonus DVD of the “Hoot” PV, and this version is priced at ¥2,381 ($28.11 USD).
Limited Edition-First Press will include the eleven tracks, a DVD that will have footage from their live performance at Ariake Coliseum on August 25th, and the “Hoot” PV. Added bonuses include the original Korean photo book, sticker, and a photo card (1 of 18). The price for this gem is ¥3,800 ($44.86 USD).
Limited Edition is set at ¥3,048 ($35.99 USD), and will include the eleven tracks, DVD with “Hoot” PV, the original Korean photo book, sticker, and photo card (1 of 18).
“HOOT” Track List 1. HOOT 2. Mistake 3. My Best Friend 4. Wake Up 5. Snowy Wish
Bonus Tracks 6. Gee 7. Genie 8. Oh! 9. Run Devil Run 10. SHOW! SHOW! SHOW! 11. Be Happy
DVD 12. HOOT (Music Video)
Bonus 13. Premium Show Case Live in Ariake Coliseum (2010.08.25)
Special unit from actors’ group D-BOYS, D☆DATE, held a press conference at Akasaka BLITZ for the release of their debut single, “Ato 1cm no Mirai” on December 1st. D☆DATE is a 5 member group which consists of 4 members from D-BOYS, (Seto Koji, Igarashi Shunji, Araki Hirofumi, Nakamura Yuichi) and Horii Arata, who was chosen through an audition process among 30,000 applicants.
The members said that their next goal is to hold a live concert at Nippon Budokan and Yoyogi Gymnasium, and also to sing a theme song for the movie they star in.
Check out the PV of their debut single “Ato 1cm no Mirai” which was just released on December 1st HERE! (Thank you ‘SetoKojiFan’ for the tip!)
“Daiichi Kosho” (Karaoke System Company) has announced the results for the “2010 Yearly Karaoke Request Ranking TOP 20.” The survey period was during January ~ November 2010, and the results are from the Karaoke system “DAM series.” Check out the results below!
(by song) 1. “Mata Kimi ni Koi Shiteru” – Sakamoto Fuyumi 2. “Kiseki” – GReeeeN 3. “Syunkasyuutou” – Hilcrhyme 4. “Hanamizuki” – Hitoto Yo 5. “Butterfly” – Kimura Kaela 6. “Zankoku na Tenshi no Thesis” – Takahashi Yoko 7. “Futatsu no Kuchibiru” – EXILE 8. “Love Forever” – Kato Miliyah×Shimizu Shota 9. “Ai no Uta” – Koda Kumi 10. “Chiisana Koi no Uta” – MONGOL 800 11. “366 nichi” – HY 12. “Ai no mama de…” – Akimoto Junko 13. “YELL” – Ikimonogakari 14. “Motto…” – Nishino Kana 15. “Mikazuki” – Ayak 16. “Story” – AI 17. “Amagigoe” – Ishikawa Sayuri 18. “Junrenka” – Shonan no Kaze 19. “Lovers Again” – EXILE 20. “Ti Amo” – EXILE
Details regarding Ayumi Hamasaki’s new album, “Love songs“, have recently been announced!
The singer’s second album of 2010 and 12th album overall will be released in three versions, as previously mentioned. It will include the singles “MOON/blossom“, “crossroad“, and “L (Virgin Road/Sweet Season/Last angel)“, for a total of 15 tracks. A bonus track will also be included, with the ‘First Press edition’ containing a live version of “SEVEN DAYS WAR“. The normal edition of the album will only include a studio version of the song.
The album is scheduled for release on December 22nd. The new 3 PVs have also already been shot, according to updates through the singer’s Twitter account.
Check out the covers and tracklist for the new album below!
CD 1. Love song - NTV “Sukkiri!!” December Theme Song 2. crossroad 3. MOON 4. sending mail 5. Last angel 6. insomnia 7. Like a doll 8. Aria 9. blossom 10. Thank U 11. Sweet Season 12. overture 13. do it again 14. November 15. Virgin Road [bonus track] 16. SEVEN DAYS WAR (Live at Yoyogi on Oct.11.2010)
DVD 1. MOON (video clip) 2. blossom (video clip -director’s cut-) 3. crossroad (video clip) 4. Sweet Season (video clip) 5. Virgin Road (video clip) 6. Last angel (video clip) 7. Love song (video clip) 8. do it again (video clip) 9. MOON (making clip) 10. crossroad (making clip) 11. Sweet Season (making clip) 12. Virgin Road (making clip) 13. Last angel & Love song (making clip #1) 14. Last angel & Love song (making clip #2) 15. do it again (making clip)
Hip-hop unit Alpha released their new digital single “Boy Meats Girl feat. HALCALI & RYO (from Ketsumeshi)” on December 1st, and also revealed the music video for the track.
The video features the three members of Alpha in the role of ‘herbivore’ men – a term used for men who aren’t as interested in girls and are more passive. All the members are shown with vegetables and donning the masks of horses to show their ‘herbivore’ nature.
The girls in the video take on the part of the carnivores and are shown wearing lion heads and being very outgoing. HALCALI joins in on the chorus and shows off a dance that they choreographed just for the video.
The single’s physical release date has yet to be announced, so the only way to purchase the track is through Chaku-Uta.
Bold actress Naka Riisa (21) uploaded some behind-the-scenes snapshots from her photoshoot for the fashion magazine “Zipper” through her blog today.
She once again proved her incredible versatility by showing three completely different images.
In the first image she introduced her make-up artist Nobu-chan whom she strikingly described as a “gyaru-o“, the male counterpart of a “gyaru“. Naka herself was wearing a flashy outfit comprised of vivid blue and pink colors.
A few hours later, she uploaded pictures of herself with famous photographer Ninagawa Mika, who was responsible for the shooting. Naka surprised her fans with a voluminous blond wig, fake freckles, and an adorable red lolita dress that made her look like a doll.
For the third update, she equipped herself with a machine pistol and showed fans her ‘femme fatal’ look through her dark hair, heavy make-up, fishnet stockings and a short pink dress that left little to the imagination.
At the end of her most recent entry she wrote: “Kya~~ It was so much fun!”
Her fans liked the colorful updates as well, writing comments like: “I love the funky Naka”, “Like a fairy-tale, so pretty~” and “You look exactly like Fujiko Mine from Lupin III!”
Avex and Samantha Thavasa will be collaborating for a special event, called “X’mas Special Girls Night 2010“, at the Tokyo LIQUIDROOM ebisu on December 15th.
The event was made to showcase a compilation of songs that were created for use in Samantha Thavasa fashion magazine CM’s. For the lineup of the event they will feature CM song producer AILI as well as her collaborations with artists May J, Sowelu, and Fujii Lena. There will even be a special guest in the form of m-flo member VERBAL who will show up to perform his collaboration with AILI, “Memories Again,” for the first time.
“X’mas Special Girls Night” is being done by invitation only. To get a ticket to the event fans must send in a postcard that is given out with 15000 yen purchases from Samantha Thavasa. Deadline for sending in the postcards is December 5th when 250 lucky people will be chosen to attend the event.
We reported previously that pop singer Kuroki Meisa was going to challenge flamenco dance for an NHK special, “Kuroki Meisa Spain Flamenco ~Tamashii no Odori to Deau Tabi~.” Recently, the singer has released a video of her taking flamenco dance lessons with the famous dancer, Antonio El Pipa.
Her lessons were all taught to her in Spanish through the help of a Japanese translator. The video shows Meisa working in a Spanish dance studio perfecting the moves with her instructor. Although she has had previous dance experience, this was her first time dancing in the flamenco style. Despite that fact, she obviously caught on very quickly, even mimicking Antonio’s intense passion for the dance.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit on November 30, 2010 in New York. Originally from Mahopac, New York, the 12-ton, 74-foot Norway Spruce is adorned with 30,000 environmentally friendly LED lights on more than five miles of electrical wire, and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit on November 30, 2010 in New York. Originally from Mahopac, New York, the 12-ton, 74-foot Norway Spruce is adorned with 30,000 environmentally friendly LED lights on more than five miles of electrical wire, and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit on November 30, 2010 in New York. Originally from Mahopac, New York, the 12-ton, 74-foot Norway Spruce is adorned with 30,000 environmentally friendly LED lights on more than five miles of electrical wire, and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: People stand near the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree after the annual lighting ceremony November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: People stand in 30 Rockefeller Plaza looking at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree after it is illuminated at the annual lighting ceremony November 30, 2010 in New York City.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is lit on November 30, 2010 in New York. Originally from Mahopac, New York, the 12-ton, 74-foot Norway Spruce is adorned with 30,000 environmentally friendly LED lights on more than five miles of electrical wire, and topped with a Swarovski crystal star.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: Singer Jessica Simpson performs on stage at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: Boyz II Men perform on stage at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: The 74-foot Norway Spruce dressed with 30,000 energy efficient led lights before they are turned on, is on display at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: Singer Sheryl Crow performs on stage at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: Singer Josh Groban performs on stage at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
Australian singer Kylie Minogue waits to perform at the 78th annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in New York November 30, 2010.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: Singer Sheryl Crow performs on stage at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: The 74-foot Norway Spruce dressed with 30,000 energy efficient led lights is on display at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: The 74-foot Norway Spruce dressed with 30,00 energy efficient led lights is on display at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: The 74-foot Norway Spruce dressed with 30,000 energy efficient led lights is on display at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 30: The 74-foot Norway Spruce dressed with 30,00 energy efficient led lights is on display at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center on November 30, 2010 in New York City.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
Sandara Park releases an angelic CF for “Nikon”
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Nikon Imaging Korea has just released a jaw-dropping commercial with 2NE1‘s
Sandara Park.
The idol shed her quirky style and emerged as a gorgeous woman w...
It’s been reported that “Take Your Pick” which was released worldwide under the name of “Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto” in September 2010, has been nominated for “Best Pop Instrumental Album” of “The 53rd Grammy Award.” This collaboration between American guitarist, Larry Carlton and B’z guitarist, Matsumoto Takahiro was made through Larry’s offer to Matsumoto, and even though it is a guitar instrumental album, it was No.2 on Oricon weekly album chart. 
The awarding ceremony for “The 53rd Grammy Award” will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 13th, and it will be live broadcasted on WOWOW on the 14th at 9:00 a.m in Japan.
Five girls’ unit 9nine held a release event for their new single “Cross Over” on December 1st. Performing their popular ‘propeller dance’ in front of 1,000-member audience, many of their more avid fans started to cry at seeing their idols live.
The members said that their next goal is to perform on music shows, since they have yet to appear on one with their current unit.
Special unit from actors’ group D-BOYS, D☆DATE, held a press conference at Akasaka BLITZ for the release of their debut single, “Ato 1cm no Mirai” on December 1st. D☆DATE is a 5 member group which consists of 4 members from D-BOYS, (Seto Koji, Igarashi Shunji, Araki Hirofumi, Nakamura Yuichi) and Horii Arata, who was chosen through an audition process among 30,000 applicants. 
The members said that their next goal is to hold a live concert at Nippon Budokan and Yoyogi Gymnasium, and also to sing a theme song for the movie they star in.
Bold actress Naka Riisa (21) uploaded some behind-the-scenes snapshots from her photoshoot for the fashion magazine “Zipper” through her blog today.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010. 
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
A group of Miss Asia contestants gather to pose for photographers at an ancient park in Hefei, east China's Anhui province on November 30, 2010. The Miss Asia pageant is an annual beauty pageant organized since 1985 by Asia Television (ATV), a TV station in Hong Kong, and will stage its pageant final on December 5, 2010.
