Tamaki Hiroshi's unforgettable Christmas present

Q. Any memorable Christmas present?
A. When I was in 4th grade in elementary school, a fast food place opened for the first time in my hometown. For Christmas that year, I bought chicken that cost 210 yen apiece as a present for my family. I saved money from my monthly allowance of 500 yen and bought enough for my family of four.

Source

The alleged Maotsujun couple ring.

This surfaced sometime back but I had time to look it up a little more today.

Might be similar rings. Looks like a ring from the Boucheron Bridal Collection.

There is a Japanese Boucheron website as well, and it costs  ¥143,850 (US$1466). In its description - 明るい輝きで永遠の愛を祝福するリングです。 Akarui kagayaki de eien no ai o shukufuku suru ringu desu. A ring that celebrates eternal love with its radiance.

Maybe Shukan Josei had this in mind when they allegedly had the scoop of a super popular idol getting married.

By the way, the first episode of Hana Yori Dango aired 8 years ago today, 21st October 2005  ( •ᴗ•)

Matsumoto Jun spotted at Inoue Mao's stage play 'Miwa'.

Shukan Josei (which will probably sponsor their marriage when the time comes) reports that Matsumoto Jun attended the opening day of 'Miwa', a stage play which Inoue Mao is in. The play opened on 4th October at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre.

He was wearing a black hat, glasses and a cardigan, seated in the section reserved for officials and staff members. Next to him was actor Kasahara Hideyuki.

A little about Kasahara Hideyuki. Kasahara is Oguri Shun's junior in talent agency Tristone Entertainment. Matsujun and Kasahara grew closer after co-starring in 2010 drama 'Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku'. Before that, they had actually at times met at Oguri's home but Matsujun had no idea that he was an actor until they were cast together. Kasahara has been close friends with Mao since she was in junior high. They have co-starred in dramas Juui Dolittle & Tokkan and the movie Shazai no Ousama. It seems he often gets teased by Mao during filming. Looking up recent entries in his blog, a staff member posted a photo of him and Mao on 7th October but it's probably a shot from the time of Shazai no Ousama as there's no mention of 'Miwa' at all.

Shukan Josei went on to say that after the performance, Matsujun went backstage to meet with the actors including Eita, who he co-starred with in 'Lucky Seven'. On seeing Mao, Matsujun said "Here are the cakes," and handed over a paper bag with enough for the 40 or so staff members and actors. Mao said,"Yeah, thanks" and proceeded to give them out. The article highlighted how familiar they are together, like they are a married couple already. And that's about it.

Mizushima Hiro Asics A77 CM

CM   Making

And here is the cover of the hotly anticipated Shukan Josei!

...   ʅ(´◔౪◔)ʃ
There's no mention anywhere of the word 'marriage'. The only mention of Arashi is how the 5 trees in Hokkaido where they filmed their JAL CM has become a tourist attraction.

   

And in the fuller table of contents, still zilch, nada, zero.
A week of nervous anticipation and nothing... or maybe the almighty Johnny got the entire thing scrubbed clean after all.

Maotsujun outed by a blog post?

On the 12th of August, Kagaya Mari, a fashion consultant and Vice President of Ralph Lauren Japan Marketing & Communication PR posted an entry in her blog titled 'Oguri Residence'. Here's a translation.

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August 12, 2013
Oguri Residence (or Oguri Family?)
Theme: Celebrity

The wife, Yu-chan
No matter how many times I meet her, her looks and personality are super cute~
I love her

And then the husband Shun-kun
Such a lovely husband
Rather than calling him cool, I'd say he's handsome!
He gives off this feeling of manliness

I was also introduced to the mother and elder sister
We had a great time~

Above all, the two of them were so lovey-dovey
it even made me happy

In addition, I was introduced to Inoue Mao-chan and Matsujun-kun... the two of them are such lovely people, it made me really happy

Yu-chan, Shun-kun, thank you
Let's meet again!

LOVE MARI

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

The blog post has since been deleted although you might still find a cache of it here. The tweet she posted about the entry is still up on her Twitter account.

This is a snapshot of the cached blog entry.

The post is also being circulated on Twitter.

Narimiya Hiroki for BODYWILD 2013 Autumn/Winter Collection

Narimiya Hiroki has been chosen to model for Gunze's BODYWILD 2013 Autumn/Winter collection. The key concept for this collection is 'Beautiful Body, Wild Heart'. This is Narimiya's second stint as their model, his first in 2008. This also marks the first time that BODYWILD is using a former image character in their campaign again.

Yamamoto Yusuke to appear in Sonar Pocket's music video

Yamamoto Yusuke will star in Sonar Pocket's music video for their new song 'Senkou Hanabi ~8 Gatsu no Yakusoku~'. The single will be released on 14th August.

Comment from Yusuke
"I love Sonar Pocket's songs so I am honoured to be able to work with them. As an actor, I was a little lost to do a shoot without lines but I wanted it to turn out great so I did my best. I hope that not only SonaSapo (nickname for their fans) but also many people will enjoy the beautiful song this summer."

Mizobata Junpei caught on a date with Katase Nana

Katase Nana (31) and Mizobata Junpei (24) have been caught on an izakaya date by 'Josei Seven'. The tabloid published a few shots of them together in the 8th August issue out today.

The popular pub they were in serves casual fare and has a cosy atmosphere. It is frequented by regular customers. "Most of the customers know each other so everyone was having a good time drinking but the two of them only had eyes for each other. And when they talked, they whispered to each other. Both of them were good lookers so everyone was wondering who they were," remarked a regular customer. The two of them split the bill after their meal and left in Katase's car, with her driving.

Katase and Mizobata got to know each other while filming for the drama '35-sai no Koukousei'. A staff member recalled their relationship during filming.

"Katase-san is the refreshing older-sister type. She got along well with Mizobata-kun who has an older sister. Katase-san loves soccer and the outdoors and lately has been into barbecuing too. Mizobata-kun has been heard saying how cool she was, being so active."

This is actually not the first time Josei Seven has caught them together. In mid-June, they were seen shopping together at Don Quijote. About 10 days later, they were caught again shopping at Isetan.

"I noticed a tall and beautiful woman and realized it was Katase-san. She was peering into the changing room and talking to someone. I was surprised to see it was Mizobata-kun!" said an onlooker.

Contacted for comment, Mizobata's talent agency Ever Green Entertainment stated,"She is one of the actors he works with in the drama, and they have a good senpai-kouhai relationship. He sought her out for advice regarding work."

Katase's agency, Ken-On stated,"We were told that he is one of her close friends."

Katase had also been spotted before on an izakaya date with KAT-TUN's Nakamaru Yuichi.

Source 1|2

Title and jacket covers for Yoshino Hiroyuki's debut mini album

Seiyuu Yoshino Hiroyuki's debut mini album, titled 'Get Set' will be released on 28th August.

Deluxe First Press Limited Edition ¥3,300
Includes DVD with music clip, making of and trailer.
Message card. (Message and photographs are different from regular edition)

Regular Edition ¥2,100
First press includes a message card.

Japan Trip Winter 2011Day 7: Beppu Ropeway and Lake Kinrinko

Day 7: 18 December 2011

Beppu Day Pass (Bus): ¥1600
Take the bus from JR Beppu Station, West Exit, Terminal 1.
Stop at Mt Tsurumi Ropeway (22 mins).

Be there early to avoid tour buses. No queue!

Take note of the bus schedule

Japan Trip Winter 2011Day 6: The Hell Tour

Day 6: 17 December 2011

Beppu One Way Ticket (Bus): ¥900
Beppu Jigoku Meguri (Tickets to 8 'Hells'): ¥2000

Hot springs everywhere in Beppu, even water that's going down the drain is steaming!

That's hot~

That's hotter!

Japan Trip Winter 2011 Day 5: Beppu

Day 5: 16 December 2011

We reserved seats (shinkansen and express trains) for the rest of our trip at Kumamoto Station.
Off to Beppu!

Shinkansen Sakura: Kumamoto → Kokura (JR Pass, 61 min)
Limited Express Sonic: Kokura → Beppu (JR Pass, 69 min)

Check-in: Hotel AILE

This was one of the bigger hotel rooms - there was a sofa, and I could open up my luggage, and still had space to walk around it.

View from our room

Tabe Mikako dating Ooku co-star Kubota Masataka

In the Friday issue out today, actor Kubota Masataka was spotted driving Tabe Mikako's car to her apartment in late May. Tabe was seen alighting the car with her dog, Appo-kun and the couple kept their distance as they entered her apartment, where he spent the night.

The couple were seen again the next morning at around 8:30am, when she saw him off from the back door of the apartment.

The young actors, both 24, acted in TBS drama 'Ooku~Tanjou~' which aired in October last year. They had some love scenes together. According to the article, Tabe was impressed by Kubota's acting abilities. Net reactions have so far been favourable with comments like,

"They look good together."
"Their face sort of look like each other, so I think they suit each other."
"He's that kid who can really act. He played a lunatic in Joker. Both of them are good actors."
"Oh, Tabe-chan got herself a boyfriend. Congratulations!"
"Lately there's hardly any news of refreshing couples like this. We have Gakky dating that one, shotgun marriages, DV couples getting married, Yaguchi cheating, just things like that."
"They're a young couple, but they somehow look composed."
"I'll tolerate it since it's Kubota-kun. Maybe I'll even cheer them on."
"Sakai and Kanno got married from Ooku also, maybe it's the atmosphere from the filming."

In the past, Tabe has made known her desire to get married while in her 20s. Kubota on the other hand, is said to be a late bloomer who falls in love at first sight easily but have difficulty in approaching girls. So far, variety programs and talk shows have avoided reporting their romance so there is a possibility that Tabe's agency is against the relationship.


Source 1|2

Update March 2014
The couple is still dating. According to the April 3rd issue of Josei Seven, there have been numerous sightings of the couple together at a supermarket near Tabe's apartment.

Update May 2015
The May 26 issue of Flash reports that they are still together. They were spotted leaving an izakaya, going to a nearby convenience store then heading to Kubota's apartment.

Update 2019
Kubota Masataka and Mizukawa Asami registered their marriage on Sep 21 after dating for 2 years. They started dating after costarring in 'Bokutachi ga Yarimashita' in 2017. 

Tabe Mikako announced her marriage to photographer Kumada Takaki on Oct 1. They met on location 3 years ago.

Fujiwara Tatsuya to marry within the year

Actor Fujiwara Tatsuya (31) held a press conference this afternoon in a hotel to announce his upcoming marriage. His bride-to-be is a 34-year-old non-celebrity he has been dating for 9 years. They were introduced by mutual friends in 2004. "This is our 10th year together, so I thought it might be a good juncture in our relationship," he said, when asked about how he came to this decision. They have already been living together for about 7 years.

"I am holding this press conference to formally inform my fans and staff of this occasion," he began nervously. Asked about what she is like, he replied," She is kind and has always been by my side. She has supported me through all my worries. I am deeply grateful to her." Asked if she resembles any celebrity, he jokingly said,"I don't think there's anyone in particular she looks like but if you're talking about small animals, I'd say she looks like a meerkat... I think I'm going to get scolded for saying this." He also praised her cooking abilities and revealed that she calls him 'Tatsu'.

Fujiwara also said that his married friends, Oguri Shun and Nakamura Kankuro encouraged him to settle down. The couple plans to register their marriage within the year. Asked about having children, Fujiwara replied,"We'll let nature take its course."

Source

Yamapi, Karina and Toda Erika in love triangle for Getsu 9 drama 'Summer Nude'

Yamashita Tomohisa will take on the lead role in Fuji TV's Monday 9pm slot again this July with 'Summer Nude'. It has been 3 years since 'Code Blue' and this also marks his 4th lead role in a Getsu 9 drama (Proposal Daisakusen, Buzzer Beat, Code Blue Season 2). Karina and Toda Erika play his love interests in this love triangle.

28-year-old Mikuriya Asahi (Yamashita) runs a small photography studio in a seaside town. He once harboured dreams of being a famous photographer but now spends his days taking photos of the town's weddings and school events. One day, he runs into Chiyohara Natsuki (Karina), a chef working in a famous Italian restaurant in Tokyo. She was getting dumped by the man she was about to marry and Mikuriya catches the moment with his camera. She later ends up working at a beach house run by one of Mikuriya's senpai. Despite the bad start, Mikuriya and Chiyohara soon bond over their similar circumstances as he had also been left by his girlfriend. Toda Erika plays Mikuriya's kouhai, Taniyama Hanae, a close friend since their high school days. She had always been in love with him but he could not forget the girlfriend who had left him without giving him any reason. With Chiyohara now in the picture, what would she do?

The actress playing the role of Mikuriya's ex-girlfriend will be announced at a later date. Filming is expected to begin in early June at a seaside location where the cast will spend extended overnight stays during the duration of filming.

Update 12th June:

 Nagasawa Masami will play the part of the ex-girlfriend.

Source

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu GU 'Short Pants @ Singapore' CM

Mizobata Junpei TBC CM

TBC announced Mizobata Junpei as its new image character as of 1st May.

CM   Making

Seiyuu Yoshino Hiroyuki to debut as a singer

Seiyuu Yoshino Hiroyuki will make his debut as a recording artiste  under record label 'Kiramune' this summer. Yoshino, also known as Yocchin to his fans, started voice acting in 1996. He is no stranger to singing but only in character before this. With him on board, Kiramune has expanded the roster of voice actors under its label. Also under Kiramune are Kamiya Hiroshi, Irino Miyu, Okamoto Nobuhiko, Kakihara Tetsuya, Namikawa Daisuke, KAmiYU (Kamiya Hiroshi & Irino Miyu), CONNECT (Iwata Mitsuo & Suzumura Kenichi) and Trignal (Eguchi Takuya, Kimura Ryouhei & Yonaga Tsubasa).

Yoshino's comment below.

********************

Someone who doesn't know about music is getting started in it.
Music beginner. First year music student. Music freshman.

Through the work I have done to this day,
little by little, my interest in music grew.

Will I be able to show myself when I'm not playing a character?
What can I express through music?
What can I convey to everyone?

I am grateful to Kiramune which has lend me its strength so I can start on my music.

Thank you very much.
Sing. I will sing.
I am inexperienced but I look forward to it.

It's not a joke that I'm releasing a CD.
It's coming out.
It's a mystery how it will turn out but
it will be out.
With enthusiasm

Yoshino Hiroyuki

********************

 

Source 1|2

Hamakaze to make special limited-time stop at Takeda Station

The Limited Express Hamakaze will make a stop at Takeda Station until the end of June to encourage visitors to the Takeda Castle Ruins, one of Japan's 100 famous castles. To commemorate this, JR-West has also designed a nameplate for the Limited Express Hamakaze. The nameplate features the Takeda Castle Ruins, which is located behind the station, 353.7m above sea level. To celebrate the event, a brief ceremony will take place on 27th April at Takeda Station which will include greetings from the mayor of Asago and congratulatory messages from Osaka and Himeji Castle.

The Hamakaze will stop at Takeda Station on weekends and public holidays from 27th April to 30th June. To facilitate visitors to the 'Castle in the Sky', there is also a tie-up with Zentan Bus which will run 8 round-trip 'Tenkuu Bus' (Sky Bus) shuttles from Takeda Station to the Takeda Castle Ruins on the days the Hamakaze stops at Takeda Station. A 10-min ride from Takeda Station to Yamajiro no Sato, (rest area with shops and restaurants) costs 200 yen, a 20-min ride to the ruins 250 yen. A round trip costs 500 yen.

Dates the Hamakaze will make a stop at Takeda Station
April 27, 28, 29
May 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
June 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30

Hamakaze 1 from Osaka Station departs at 09:38, arrives at Takeda Station at 11:43 and stops at terminal Hamasaka Station at 13:08

Hamakaze 4 from Hamasaka Station departs at 13:30, arrives at Takeda Station at 15:04 and stops at terminal Osaka Station at 17:05

Hamakaze 6 from Kasumi Station departs at 16:51, arrives at Takeda at 18:01 and stops at terminal Osaka Station at 20:05

Tenkuu Bus
Takeda Station
09:45, 10:40, 11:55, 12:40, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00

Yamajiro no Sato
09:55, 10:50, 12:05, 12:50, 14:10, 15:10, 16:10, 17:10

Takeda Castle Ruins
10:05, 11:00, 12:15, 13:00, 14:20, 15:20, 16:20, 17:20

Back to Takeda Station
10:20, 11:15, 12:30, 13:15, 14:35, 15:35, 16:35, 17:35

JR West Press Release 1|2

✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀

Took that first photo myself after hoofing it up what felt like a vertical 800m. I'd say skip the bus, and climb up to all the better feel the rewards of your exertion :)