On August 21st, the final audition for AKB48’s rival group, Nogizaka46, was held at the SME Nogizaka Building.
Out of 38,934 applicants, 56 girls made it to the final audition. After a practical examination and interview, 36 girls were chosen as starting members with an average age of 16.3. Akimoto explained, “I considered the balance of the group.” Out of the 36 members, there was a surprise selection of 16 temporary senbatsu members.
The 36 members of Nogizaka46 are: Akimoto Manatsu (18), Asou Ririko (16), Andou Mikumo (18), Ikuta Erika (14), Ikoma Rina (15), Ichiki Rena (15), Ito Nene (15), Ito Marika (15), Inoue Sayuri (16), Iwase Yumiko (21), Eto Misa (18), Kashiwa Yukina (17), Kawai Hina (13), Kawamura Mahiro (16), Saito Asuka (13), Saito Chiharu (14), Saito Yuuri (18), Sakurai Reika (17), Shiraishi Mai (19), Takayama Kazumi (17), Nakada Kana (17), Nakamoto Himeka (15), Nagashima Seira (17), Nishino Nanase (17), Hashimoto Nanami (18), Hatanaka Seira (15), Higuchi Hina (13), Fukagawa Mai (20), Hoshino Minami (13), Matsumura Sayuri (19), Miyazawa Seira (18), Yamato Rina (16), Yamamoto Honoka (13), Yoshimoto Ayaka (15), Wakatsuki Yumi (17), and Wada Maaya (13).
Meanwhile the 16 temporary senbatsu members are: Akimoto Manatsu, Ikuta Erika, Ikoma Rina, Ichiki Rena, Sakurai Reika, Shiraishi Mai, Takayama Kazumi, Nakada Kana, Hashimoto Nanami, Hatanaka Seira, Hoshino Minami, Matsumura Sayuri, Miyazawa Seira, Yamato Rina, Yoshimoto Ayaka, and Wada Maaya.
Akimoto says Ikuta Erika from Tokyo has the same presence as Maeda Atsuko before she made her debut six years ago. Meanwhile, Osaka native Matsumura Sayuri declared, “I love movies and anime. I definitely won’t lose to Mayuyu-san (Watanabe Mayu) who share the same interest as me.”
Regarding Yoshimoto Ayaka from Kumamoto, Akimoto commented, “She is unpredictable and she seems to have room for growth.” Yoshimoto shared her joy saying, “My rival is Itano Tomomi-san. Right now, I can only say that I’m happy.”
“If their positions are decided from the beginning, they will have a better sense of awareness,” Akimoto said, explaining the selection of the senbatsu members. He aims for the Nogizaka46 to become a group “without their own theatre“, unlike AKB48, who are “idols that fans can go and meet“.
The new senbatsu members will be announced at the end of the first half of their periodic performances. During the second half, the chosen members will take their new positions. Akimoto stated, “It’s like holding AKB48’s yearly election everyday. They will become a group that will reflect upon the fans’ voices.”
Nogizaki46 are already scheduled to appear on a variety show that will start in October. They also plan to release a CD and hold a nationwide performance before the year ends. Akimoto declared, “They will do things that AKB48 cannot do“.
On the August 21st, SDN48 held an event at Yomiuri Land for their third single, “MIN MIN MIN”.
The members wore sexy outfits and performed seven songs including “Everyday, Kachuusha (SDN48 Ver.)”. The last song was “Kodoku na Runner”, which all 39 members performed enthusiastically. Despite the light rain, 2,500 fans showed up at the event to watch them perform.
When asked about AKB48’s official rivals Nogizaka46, Serina (26) answered, “We’ve been around for two years and that keeps adding up. So, they shouldn’t be able to pass us. We don’t want to lose to them.”
SDN48’s youngest member Fukuda Akane (21) thanked their fans, “Today is a precious day since all 39 of us could gather. Hearing our fans’ cheers throughout the songs was amazing. I’m grateful to be part of the SDN group”.
SDN48 is in charge of the “sexy” concept among the AKB48 groups and their latest single is currently being used in a CM for the adult beverage “Minmin Daha”.
The girls of KARA have been chosen as the faces for the Japanese campaign of a popular Korean vinegar drink called ‘Honcho‘. On August 19th, they appeared at an event to reveal details about their new commercial.
KARA, who are said to be fans of this drink, will portray the concept of ‘Beautiful Body Show‘, in which they emphasize their killer figure. Together they say, “Drink ‘Honcho’ and have a nice body. Everybody, let’s become pretty together!”
The new commercial, titled “Beautiful Body“, will have the KARA members moving in such a way that they show off their beautiful body lines. While they’re known for being quite cute, KARA will be showing off a mature sexiness that they’ve yet to show their fans.
During the event, they also introduced fun tips of enjoying their drink in different ways. One recipe recommended adding the ‘Honcho’ drink to soda. Goo Hara commented, “It’s perfect for summer. It’s good for when it’s hot as well as for dieting.”
The PV for idol group SUPER☆GiRLS‘ new single, “Joshiryoku←Paradise“, has been uploaded onto avex’s official YouTube channel!
The music video follows a story of 12 girls who attend “Sekai Joshiryoku Kaigi (World ‘Girls Power’ Meeting)“, and they’re outfitted in 12 different ways. SUPER☆GiRLS’ individual cosplaying and aggressive dance scenes are said to be the highlights of the video.
Additionally, on September 28th, SUPER☆GiRLS will release their first live DVD, “First Concert ~Chouzetsu Shoujo ga Tomannai!~“. This DVD will feature the concert that was held at SHIBUYA-AX on December 21st of last year.
“Joshiryoku←Paradise” is set to be released on October 5th.
EXILE has finally revealed a short PV to their Great Tohoku Earthquake charity song, “Rising Sun”. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Red Cross of Japan. A message from ATSUSHI can be heard in the lyrics, encouraging people to never give up hope and to keep progressing towards the light.
This track will give courage and warm the hearts of anyone who listens to it.
On August 15th, Arashi’s Sakurai Sho (29) attended a pre-screening for his new movie, “Kamisama no Karute” and invited 130 nurses as special guests. At this event, he also talked to Nohara Shigeaki (99), the board chairman of St. Luke’s International Hospital, a general hospital located in Tokyo.
Sakurai, who played a doctor in this movie, stated, “I have come to understand that there is a deep bond between the doctor and the patient.” Responding to Sakurai’s insight, Nohara said, “Your acting was splendid,” and gave his stamp of approval.
Actress Mori Mitsuko, who is an acquaintance of both Sakurai and Nohara’s, gave sunflowers as a surprise present. In the language of flowers, a sunflower carries the meaning of “getting along”.
Furthermore, it was announced that on September 9th at 6:55 PM, NHK will broadcast a special program called, “Sakurai Sho no ‘Ima Soko ni Iru Hitobito’ ‘Inochi no Genba’“(The People Who are Here Now ‘The Scene of Life’), which will show Sakurai’s close report on the medical scene.
“Kamisama no Karute” will be released in theaters on August 27th.
On August 13th, AKB48 sub-unit DiVA celebrated the release of their newest single “Cry” by holding a live event at Ai Chikyuu Haku Memorial Park.
August 13th was also member Miyazawa Sae’s birthday, and so despite the intense heat, 2,300 fans gathered for this special event.
While the four members were on standby for their next number, “Namida Surprise” started to play instead. The other three members – Akimoto Sayaka, Umeda Ayaka and Masuda Yuka – collaborated with their huge fanbase to surprise Miyazawa by celebrating her birthday together.
Touched, Miyazawa thanked everyone and said, “This is the first time in my life that this many people have celebrated my birthday. I’m so thankful for all the fans who cheer on DiVA and myself, even when people should put the utmost attention on themselves on such a hot day like today.”
After the live, the girls greeted their fans off by stamping an item of their fans’ choice. This portion of the live was called ‘Osukina mono ni Stamp Pon!!‘ (We’ll stamp whatever you like, PON!), and the stamps they pressed were personally designed by the members themselves. DiVA will be holding another event like this on August 20th at Chiba Makuhari Messe and on September 17th at Senri Serushii in Osaka.
Girl group Rainbow are preparing to debut into the J-Pop industry with their hit track, “A“. On August 16th, they revealed the tracklist info and covers for their debut single through their official Japanese website.
“A” will come in three editions: Version ‘A’, Version ‘B’, and Version ‘C’. Version ‘A’ will come with a CD and DVD, while version ‘B’ will include a special photobook. Meanwhile, version ‘C’ will feature a bonus track not found in either ‘A’ or ‘B’.
Rainbow will release their Japanese single on September 14th. In the meantime, check out the track lists and covers below!
+ Version A + [Purchase here]
Track list:
CD
01．A
02．Gossip Girl (“ゴシップガール “)
03．A (Instrumental）
DVD
01. A (Music Clip）
02. Belly Dance Lesson
03. A (Dance Shot Ver.）
04. A (Making-of Music Clip）
+ Version B + [Purchase here]
CD
01．A
02．Gossip Girl (“ゴシップガール “)
03．A (Instrumental）
**Plus a 32-page photobook
+ Version C + [Purchase here]
CD
01．A
02．Gossip Girl (“ゴシップガール “)
03．A (Instrumental）
04. A (Original Version) **Bonus Track**
2PM are causing a sensation in Japan thanks to their sexy ‘tie dance’ for their new song, “I’m Your Man“.
While fans got a good glimpse of it in 2PM’s original MV for the song, this newly-released dance version will definitely allow fans to grab a better look at this hot choreography.
Rock band LUNA SEA will be holding a charity concert titled, “A Promise to The Brave“, on October 22nd at Saitama Super Arena. On August 14th, general admission tickets went on sale and it’s been revealed that the concert sold out in just five minutes!
Last year, LUNA SEA reunited and attracted 200,000 people to their first world tour. The tickets for the charity concert is expected to be a premium, as this is only activity the band has planned at the moment.
All proceeds from the concert and their latest song, “PROMISE“, will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross.
On August 14th, legendary rock band X JAPAN made an appearance at the ‘SUMMER SONIC 2011‘ rock festival, where they played a 70-minute live on the MARINE STAGE at QVC Marine Field in Chiba.
X JAPAN held a press conference prior to the concert and expressed their thoughts on the live. Although the band performed at ‘SUMMER SONIC 2011′ in Osaka the day before, the members showed no signs of weariness.
YOSHIKI (drums, piano) kicked off the press conference bysaying, “It’s been over 20 years since the band formed, and I never thought we would be appearing at an international event like this today. I am deeply moved.” Then ToshI (vocal) expressed his thoughts on the Osaka performance with, “It’s been awhile since we performed as X JAPAN in Kansai, so it was very good.” Additionally, YOSHIKI presented a silent prayer for deceased members HIDE (guitar) and TAIJI (bass), as well as for the lives lost in the Great Tohoku Earthquake.
When asked, “Hasn’t it been awhile since you held a live in Chiba?“, YOSHIKI replied, “This is Chiba!“, with a surprised look. The conference proceeded with a peaceful atmosphere as PATA (guitar) and ToshI shared nostalgic stories of the past.
YOSHIKI voiced his thoughts on the live with, “I want to revive yesterday’s reflections,” and “When we perform overseas, we’re away so we feel at ease, but in Japan, we get nervous. However, I want to face the battle.”
At the end of the conference, the band announced that they would be holding an Asia tour this fall. They also explained that their new album is making good progress, saying, “99.5% of it is done. We are planning to release it by the end of the year.”
Immediately after the press conference, X JAPAN went to their stage, and sang a total of seven songs, including their newest, “JADE“, along with their classic hits, “ENDLESS RAIN“ and “Rusty Nail“.
ToshI kicked off the live by yelling, “I wanted to see you, Summer Sonic! Everyone, fire yourselves up til the very end!“; a big display of flames and fireworks boosted everyone’s spirits as they burst above the stage. Before the band sang “Kurenai“, SUGIZO (guitar, violin) and YOSHIKI performed a splendid duet on violin and piano, fascinating their fans.
During the MC portions, ToshI stated, “Everyone, thank you. It’s been awhile since we returned to Japan, but as I thought, it’s great.” YOSHIKI also commented, “Japan is hot. Really hot… I am very honored to be a part of this wonderful event. Thank you to all those who came. I really appreciate it.” He continued, “I know that HIDE and TAIJI are here with us today.”
Additionally, YOSHIKI asked the audience to have a moment of silence for the lives lost in the Great Tohoku Earthquake. He stated, “There are many problems left behind for both us and the country, but we have to overcome it with spirit,” and shouted, “Show your spirit!”
The second half of their performance started with the peaceful hit, “ENDLESS RAIN“. Then ToshI yelled, “Show us your seriousness!” and heated up the crowd with “Born to be free“, which was accompanied by an enthusiastic display of laser beams and flames.
The last song was “X“. The intro started as ToshI shouted, “Show us your Japanese spirit!“, and the crowd broke out into loud cheers. HEATH (bass), PATA, and SUGIZO gathered to the middle of the stage, and gave fans a wild burst of their profound playing.
During the song, ToshI called out, “We are…?”, and the fans screamed in unison, “X!” At the end, X JAPAN shook the stage with a grand ‘X Jump’, concluding their first appearance in ‘SUMMER SONIC’ with a grand flourish.
Take a look at the full setlist and the Asia tour dates below!
01. JADE
02. Rusty Nail
03. Kurenai
04. ENDLESS RAIN
05. Born to be free
06. I.V.
07. X
X JAPAN Asia Tour
October 28th – Olympic Park Gymnastics Stadium in Seoul, Korea
October 30th – Shanghai Grand Stage in Shanghai, China
November 2nd – Beijing Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, China
November 4th – Asia World-Expo in Hong Kong, China
November 6th – TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
November 8th – Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand
Also, check out photos from the press conference and ‘SUMMER SONIC 2011′!
On August 14th, Mizukawa Asami participated in her first runway show for “Katsura Yumi’s Talk & Fashion Show“!
Famed bridal fashion designer Katsura Yumi saw Mizukawa’s performance on NHK’s taiga drama, “Gou“, and immediately wanted her to wear her dresses.
The actress wore a total of three different dresses and couldn’t stop smiling. She commented, “It’s my dream (to get married someday). Since I’m a woman, it makes me happy to wear such dresses. I couldn’t hold back my imagination during the show.”
Mizukawa is rumored to be in a relationship with actor Koide Keisuke, which prompted reporters to ask her about who would stand next to her as her future groom. To their disappointment, Mizukawa didn’t end up telling them anything useful.
Meanwhile, Katsura was asked whether she would design the wedding dress for Mizukawa’s wedding, to which she replied, “I already prepared five different designs.” Mizukawa was delighted and said, “I’m looking forward to wearing them.”
On Sunday, popular pop rock band SCANDAL celebrated the release of their third album ‘BABY ACTION‘ with another free mini concert.
This time they had approximately 3,000 fans grooving to their music right outside the Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens shopping center in Yokohama.
A heat wave is currently making its way across the nation and leader HARUNA worried about their fans, “Is everyone doing okay?” she asked at one point. Luckily, sufficient fans and bottles of water had been prepared, to ensure that noone suffered from heatstroke.
The four girls performed two songs, including, the very fitting, “Taiyo to Kimi ga Egaku Story“, which roughly translates to ‘The Story Drawn by You and the Sun’.
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...
On August 21st, the final audition for AKB48’s rival group, Nogizaka46, was held at the SME Nogizaka Building.
Meanwhile the 16 temporary senbatsu members are: Akimoto Manatsu, Ikuta Erika, Ikoma Rina, Ichiki Rena, Sakurai Reika, Shiraishi Mai, Takayama Kazumi, Nakada Kana, Hashimoto Nanami, Hatanaka Seira, Hoshino Minami, Matsumura Sayuri, Miyazawa Seira, Yamato Rina, Yoshimoto Ayaka, and Wada Maaya.
The girls of KARA have been chosen as the faces for the Japanese campaign of a popular Korean vinegar drink called ‘Honcho‘. On August 19th, they appeared at an event to reveal details about their new commercial.
The new commercial, titled “Beautiful Body“, will have the KARA members moving in such a way that they show off their beautiful body lines. While they’re known for being quite cute, KARA will be showing off a mature sexiness that they’ve yet to show their fans.
The PV for idol group SUPER☆GiRLS‘ new single, “Joshiryoku←Paradise“, has been uploaded onto avex’s official YouTube channel!
EXILE has finally revealed a short PV to their Great Tohoku Earthquake charity song, “Rising Sun”. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Red Cross of Japan. A message from ATSUSHI can be heard in the lyrics, encouraging people to never give up hope and to keep progressing towards the light.
On August 13th, AKB48 sub-unit DiVA celebrated the release of their newest single “Cry” by holding a live event at Ai Chikyuu Haku Memorial Park.
Touched, Miyazawa thanked everyone and said, “This is the first time in my life that this many people have celebrated my birthday. I’m so thankful for all the fans who cheer on DiVA and myself, even when people should put the utmost attention on themselves on such a hot day like today.”
Girl group Rainbow are preparing to debut into the J-Pop industry with their hit track, “A“. On August 16th, they revealed the tracklist info and covers for their debut single through their official Japanese website.
+ Version A + [Purchase here]
+ Version B + [Purchase here]
On August 14th, legendary rock band X JAPAN made an appearance at the ‘SUMMER SONIC 2011‘ rock festival, where they played a 70-minute live on the MARINE STAGE at QVC Marine Field in Chiba.
Immediately after the press conference, X JAPAN went to their stage, and sang a total of seven songs, including their newest, “JADE“, along with their classic hits, “ENDLESS RAIN“ and “Rusty Nail“.
The second half of their performance started with the peaceful hit, “ENDLESS RAIN“. Then ToshI yelled, “Show us your seriousness!” and heated up the crowd with “Born to be free“, which was accompanied by an enthusiastic display of laser beams and flames.
On August 14th, Mizukawa Asami participated in her first runway show for “Katsura Yumi’s Talk & Fashion Show“!
Mizukawa is rumored to be in a relationship with actor Koide Keisuke, which prompted reporters to ask her about who would stand next to her as her future groom. To their disappointment, Mizukawa didn’t end up telling them anything useful.
