Jun Komori makes televised apology for lying to fans about auction sites

TOKYO — Disgraced fashion model Jun Komori, 27, appeared on TBS television on Sunday and tearfully apologized for accepting payments from shady auction sites in exchange for lying about successful transactions.

The sites, such as Penny Auction, which were subsequently alleged to have carried out unethical practices such as artificially inflating prices by placing bids from fictional customers, were also tainted in the scandal.

Komori, one of several public figures involved in the widely-reported incident, apologized online and subsequently closed down her blog. Sports Nippon reported Monday that on TV, Komori made a tearful apology for her actions in what some commentators saw as an attempt to secure her position in the showbiz world.

When asked what she thought of the reports that her career in the public eye had been jeopardized by the incident, Komori replied that she believed deleting her blog had been a sign of contrition, but that she later realized it had not been sufficient.

In response to the broadcast, cosmetic surgeon-turned TV “talent” Ayako Nishikawa, 41, said, “I don’t understand how she has the nerve to appear on TV and I don’t want to see her face.”

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Tomomi Itano announces she is 'graduating' from AKB48

TOKYO — First generation member of all-girl group AKB48, Tomomi Itano, announced on Friday night that she plans to “graduate” from the group within the year.

Itano, 21, made the announcement at the premiere of the AKB48 documentary “Documentary of AKB48 No Flower Without Rain.” Appearing on stage with several other AKB48 members, Itano said: “I know this is a sudden announcement but I have decided to graduate from AKB48.”

She went on to say, “The exact timing hasn’t been decided yet, but an announcement will be made soon. I’d like to spend my remaining time with AKB48 having fun with my fellow first generation members.”

Nikkan Sports reported that Itano, who joined the group when it waa founded in 2005, had originally planned to wait until the group’s spring concert to announce her departure, but let it slip in an interview as part of the documentary in which she was asked when she plans to graduate.

Besides her AKB48 actvities, Itano was Japan’s TV commercial queen in 2012, appearing in ads for 21 different companies.

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Actress Masami Nagasawa wins beauty award

TOKYO — Actress Masami Nagasawa, 25, won an award for “unrivaled physical beauty” at the VoCE “2012 The Best Beauty of the Year” awards ceremony this week. The annual awards ceremony is organized by women’s magazine VoCE.

Upon receiving her award, Nagasawa told attendees the secret to her success was bathing in “nihonshu,” or Japanese rice wine. “That tip was imparted to me by a girl who started in this business before me and I put it into practice,” she said, according to Nikkan Sports. “When I was younger, there were times when I couldn’t always maintain a good skin care routine, so now I’m doing my best to look after my skin.”

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AKB48 singer Yuko Oshima launches new Wonda canned coffee ad campaign

TOKYO — AKB48 singer Yuko Oshima is appearing in the first of a new series of TV commercials for Asahi Soft Drinks’ Wonda Coffee Morning Shot series. AKB48 singers have been doing ads for Wonda for the past three years.



In the new commercial, which began airing on Wednesday, Oshima, 24, plays an office lady who chats with a colleague outside the elevator at their office before starting work. They discuss how drinking the canned coffee will give them energy to get through the day. The new series of ads will use the office environment for its setting with different AKB48 singers alternating in each ad.

Last year, about 90 members of the mega-popular group appeared the Wonda Coffee Morning Shot commercials.

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Model Masuwaka files for divorce from actor Umeda

TOKYO — Model Tsubasa Masuwaka, 27, announced on her blog on Monday that she and actor Naoki Umeda, 30, have filed for divorce. Rumors of an impending divorce had been swirling for most of last year, after they started living apart in November of 2011.



The couple married on Christmas Day 2007 and have a 4-year-old son.

Writing on her blog, Masuwaka said she and Umeda discussed their marriage in great detail and decided it would be best to go their separate ways. She apologized to fans for making such a serious announcement on her blog and thanked them for their support.

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AKB48 pair Itano, Shinoda appear in most TV commercials in 2012

TOKYO — AKB48 members Tomomi Itano, 21, and Mariko Shinoda, 26, appeared in more commercials endorsing products this year than any other celebrity.



According to Nihon Monitor, Japan’s oldest broadcast monitoring company, both women promoted products for 20 companies each in 2012. Of the 13 “top ranking” members of AKB48, nine appeared in Nihon Monitor’s list.

Last year’s No. 1, AKB48 member Yuko Oshima, 24, appeared in ads for 19 different companies this year. Minami Takahashi, 21, also of AKB48, advertised for 18 companies, while Team B member Haruna Kojima, 24, and HKT48 member Rino Sashihara, 20, each hawked products for 16 companies.

Although AKB48 members dominated the top 10, faces from Oscar Promotion Co were also ubiquitous this year. Actress Aya Ueto, 27, recommended products from 17 companies, while actress, model and singer Emi Takei was used in ads for 14 different companies.

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Japan Star Ayumi Hamasaki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ayumi Hamasaki (浜崎 あゆみ Hamasaki Ayumi?, also 濱崎 歩; born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese recording artist, lyricist, model, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia.[2][3] Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to pursue a career in entertainment. In 1998, under the tutelage of Avex CEO Max Matsuura, she released a string of modestly selling singles that concluded with her 1999 debut album A Song for ××.

The album debuted atop the Oricon charts and stayed there for four weeks, establishing her popularity in Japan.[fn 1] Hamasaki's constantly changing image and tight control over her artistry has helped her popularity extend across Asia; music and fashion trends she has started have spread to countries such as China, Singapore, and Southeast Asia. She has appeared in or lent her songs to many advertisements and television commercials.

Though she originally supported the exploitation of her popularity for commercial purposes, she later reconsidered and eventually opposed her status as an Avex "product".[4] Since her 1998 debut with the single "Poker Face",[fn 1] Hamasaki has sold over 50 million records in Japan, making her the best selling solo singer in Japanese history as well as one of the country's most successful songwriters, ranking her among the best-selling singers in the country.[5]

As a female singer, Hamasaki holds several domestic records for her singles, such as the most number-one hits overall by a female artist, the most consecutive number-one hits by a solo artist,[6] the highest sales, and the most million-sellers.[7][fn 2] Since 1999, Hamasaki has had at least one single each year topping the charts (except 2011, which she released a mini-album, Five, without any singles).[8]

Hamasaki is the first female singer to have eight studio albums since her debut to top the Oricon and the first artist to have a number-one album for 13 consecutive years since her debut.[9][10] On August 2012, Hamasaki became both the highest selling solo artist of all time in Japan and the best selling Japanese female artist in history, with sales of more than 50 million records to her name in the country alone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayumi_Hamasaki

Hamasaki dating one of her dancers

TOKYO — Singer Ayumi Hamasaki is dating one of her dancers. Hamasaki, 34, made the announcement Wednesday night on her fan club website.

The lucky man is Maro Uchiyama, 28. “We are in a serious relationship,” Hamasaki wrote. “Of course, my motto is still ‘work is work, private is private.’ I will keep performing my best.” On his blog, Uchiyama said: “This might sound selfish but I want to continue being in a relationship with Ayu.”

Uchiyama has been Hamasaki’s dancer since 2007.

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Anne Watanabe to star in NHK's new morning drama

TOKYO — Anne Watanabe, 26, has been selected as the main character in NHK’s new morning TV drama series, “Gochisosan,” which will air from next fall.

The story depicts the life of a gourmet who marries into a family in Osaka and how she lives through the turbulent Taisho and Showa eras.

The script is written by Yoshiko Morishita who has written many popular TV dramas such as TBS’s “JIN.”

“I am very honored to be given this role,” said Watanabe, whose father is accliamed actor Ken Watanabe. “It will be a long shoot, but together, with the great crew and my fellow cast members, I will be able to get through it.”

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'Doctor ' Yonekura enjoys first public bathhouse experience

TOKYO — Actress Ryoko Yonekura had her first public bathhouse experience while filming TV Asahi’s new drama “Doctor X ~Gekai Daimon Michiko~,” which starts airing Thursday night from 9 p.m.

The drama revolves around the unusual lifestyle of a charismatic freelance surgeon, Michiko Daimon, played by Yonekura, who works at multiple hospitals. Michiko is not your average doctor, oozing sex appeal and wearing miniskirts under her white coat. Under a special contract, which allows Michiko to leave her work at 5 p.m., she enjoys her “after 5” life by dancing at clubs, playing Mahjong, and going to hot springs and public bathhouses.

During filming, Yonekura, 37, visited a public bathhouse in Tokyo for the first time in her life. She said she enjoyed soaking in the bath against a huge wall painting of Mount Fuji, TV Asahi reported.

When it comes to Yonekura’s own “after 5” life, she said she is not unlike her character. “I do love going out and drinking sake, but I go to the gym to keep in shape. I also do exercises while listening to the radio.”

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Anna Tsuchiya wins 'Fur of the Year' award

TOKYO — Model and singer Anna Tsuchiya, 28, is the winner of “The 8th FUR OF THE YEAR” award, which is given by the Japan Fur Association to the celebrity whose image best matches fur.

The association said Tsuchiya was chosen because of her “open-minded personality and frank fashion sense.” Tsuchiya was also given an opportunity to design an original fur coat.

At the award ceremony this week, Tsuchiya showed her mink coat designed by both herself and her husband, stylist Yamato Kikuchi. “I focused on quality. My husband knows what I like, so we completed the designing pretty quickly,” she said. “It was his idea to put a wire in the collar so that it’s easy to change the shape according to different hairstyles.”

Past winners of the Fur of the Year award include Aya Ueto, Meisa Kuroki, Maki Tamaru and Miki Mizuno.

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Saitama Super Arena to host 15th Tokyo Girls Collection on Oct 13

TOKYO — The 15th Tokyo Girls Collection 2011/12 Autumn/Winter will be held at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday Oct 13. The wildly popular biannual collection, which lasts about six hours, draws well over 20,000 young women as well as many foreign media, looking to see the latest “kawaii” (cute) fashions worn by Japanese models and celebrities.

 The theme for the October show is “Tokyo Classic,” mixing trendy styles with nostalgic and modern themes.

Models scheduled to participate include Anna Tsuchiya, Yu Yamada, Karina, Elena, Karina, Reina Triendl, Maki Nishiyama, Rina Fujii, Angelica Michibata, Maomi Yuki, Anna Nose, Emiri, Suzanne, Ellie Toyota, Nozomi Sasaki, as well as new mothers Yukina Kinoshita and Aki Hoshino. Kyarypamyupamyu and Sonar Pocket will perform as well.

 Popular comedian duo “Hiromi・Fukami,” who have been chosen as official supporters, will liven the event for the younger female attendees, who are of their same generation. The day’s program also includes live performances by artists, charity auctions and collaborative shows.

 Platinum tickets and gold reserved seats are already sold out but there are still a few reserved and non-reserved seats left.

 External Link: http://girlswalker.com/tgc/12aw/whats_en/

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Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's world tour to start in February

TOKYO — Model-singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, 19, announced this week that her world concert tour will start in February. She made the announcement during her first concert before 9,000 fans at the Budokan in Tokyo.

The colorful Kyary will kick off her global tour in Belgium (Feb 8), then France (Feb 10), before playing in 20 different venues in over 10 countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

Since she made her singing debut last August, Kyary has been on top of hit charts abroad as well as receiving great exposure on YouTube. Promoters said her latest single, “Fashion Monster,” has been distributed to 63 countries, selling well on iTunes in Finland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.S. and Canada.

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Aki Hoshino, jockey boyfriend announce wedding

TOKYO —
“Talent” Aki Hoshino, 34, and her boyfriend, jockey Kosei Miura, 21, shocked the press with a sudden wedding announcement on Sunday. Media outlets first learned of the marriage when Miura announced it on his blog on Sunday night. The entry was titled “A message to my supporters” and explained that the couple registered their official marriage documents that same day.

The entry also detailed other aspects of the couple’s relationship, explaining that they met through a work acquaintance of Hoshino’s and have been dating seriously for about two and a half years.

“Even though Aki is busy with work, she supports me in what I do. She’s very important to me,” Miura wrote. He assured fans he will continue to race, and also pledged to care for Hoshino as best he could.

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Hamasaki declares the 8th of each month 'Ayu Day'

TOKYO — Pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki, 33, is declaring the 8th of each month “Ayu Day.” Starting from November, she will release new songs on the 8th day of each month until next April, which marks the 15th anniversary of her showbiz debut.

 For Nov 8, Hamasaki is planning to release a deluxe mini album, “LOVE,” which includes 12 new songs, such as “Song 4 u,” “Melody” and “Missing.”

 “I am planning to release many new songs, as well as to launch more projects. This is how I thank my fans and their unflagging support,” Hamasaki said on her blog. “Please look forward to it.”

 On Aug 28, Hamasaki finished a nationwide tour titled “HOTEL Love songs.” She gave 28 performances in 12 cities.

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Maki Horikita, Arashi chosen as hosts of 'Kohaku Uta Gassen'

TOKYO — Public broadcaster NHK on Tuesday announced that actress Maki Horikita and all-male pop band Arashi will host the 63rd “Kohaku Uta Gassen” (Red and White Song Contest) on New Year’s Eve.

The announcement of the hosts was made a bit earlier than usual this year. The line-up of guests for the popular program will be unveiled in early December.

Arashi will be hosting the gala show for the third consecutive year, while Horikita, 24, will be making her debut, taking over from Mao Inoue. She has been starring this year in NHK’s popular drama, “Ume-chan sensei.”

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Swimsuit campaign girl

REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Swimsuit maker San-ai’s spokesmodel for 2010 Nanao, left, receives a tiara from 2009 spokesmodel Satoko Miyata during her unveiling event in Tokyo on Tuesday.

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Japanese model uses her half-naked body to tweet to fans

TOKYO —
There are many ways for an entertainer to show love to their fans: musicians might invite someone from the crowd onstage during a performance, actors might show up unannounced during events and be totally awesome.

When Japanese gravure idol Mao Harada reached 1,000 followers on Twitter, she decided to pay tribute to her growing fan base by “tweeting” to them using her half-naked body.

Now that’s meta.

Harada announced the “Haratter” (Harada + Twitter) project on her blog last Thursday, promising fans that she’ll wear a bikini and tweet to them using her body if she gains over 1,000 followers.

Her goal was soon reached and she wasted no time in carrying out her promise, uploading photos of herself in a cute blue polka dot bikini with tweets decorating her body and “Haratter” written in Twitter-like font vertically along her chest.

It’s common for gravure idols to interact with their fans through blogs and Twitter, but Harada is surely the first to use her body to communicate with them.

Harada is still trying to make a name for herself, so be sure to follow her at @Harada_Mao and send a tweet of support if you’d like to see more of her. Who knows, maybe you can get her to write a bit of English on her body as well?

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Aya Ueto, HIRO announce marriage

TOKYO — Actress Aya Ueto, 27, and HIRO, the 43-year-old leader of the band Exile, registered their marriage on Friday, Ueto’s birthday, their management agencies announced Saturday.

Ueto and HIRO, whose real name is Hiroyuki Igarashi, have been dating since last year. Tabloids first reported back in January that wedding plans were in the air but their management agencies denied it.

A spokesman for Ueto’s agency said a date for a wedding ceremony and reception have not yet been finalized, Sankei Shimbun reported.

Speaking about his new wife who has been in show business for 15 years, HIRO said in a statement to media: “She dedicated her youth to her career and continues to work hard. I learn a lot from her. I respect her way of thinking and her way of life. I wanted, from the bottom of my heart, to make her happy.”

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AKB48 give smart look to men's suit maker in ad campaign

TOKYO — Popular all-girl AKB48 can even hawk men’s suits—they are appearing as the image characters for Haruyama Shoji’s commercials for “Otokomae Suits.”

In the commercial, six members of AKB48—Yuko Oshima, Yuki Kashiwagi, Haruna Kojima, Mariko Shinoda, Minami Takahashi and Mayu Watanabe—perform a stylish dance with mannequin-looking professional dancers.

To promote the brand’s message of “Always Looking Smart,” AKB’s 28th single, “UZA,” which is known for its complex choreography, was used as background music.

Unlike the AKB members, the professional dancers had to endure some hardships, such as covering up their faces so they would look like mannequins. They have all collaborated with famous artists before.

The commercial will be aired in November.

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