Learn Kame's diet secrets! Losing 5 kilos from Dream Boys musical

KAT-TUN members Kamenashi Kazuya, Nakamaru Yuichi and Tanaka Koki starred as the leads in JE's ongoing (3 to 25 Sept) Dream Boys musical and it seems that the rigourous training caused Kamenashi to lose five kilos - from 64kg to 59.2kg.

The musical featured the normal song and dance as well as "flying" and "boxing". Kamenashi managed to perform 15 high-speed turns without any mistake. In an interview later, he said that it was, honestly, something he was most scared of. He has been the lead in the musical since 2004, with Nakamaru pairing up with him in 2007 and 2008.

This year's musical was to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Imperial Garden Theater, where the musical is held. It also marks the end of the long-running Dream Boys musical. (Azashi)

Honestly though, it looks like he put on weight to me.... And I don't think he was ever that heavy anyway! And the things these singers have to do is..... !!!

Short video on the concert + interview. Skip to 1:00 to hear them attempting to speak Chinese! Link here or watch below.

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Oguri Shun and Yamada Yu to get married, had dinner with each others' families (rumour)

It seems that actor Oguri Shun (28) and actress/model Yamada Yuu (27) are finally getting married after three years of dating! Apparently, Oguri Shun was caught cheating on Yuu last year, which resulted in them moving to seperate homes and almost caused them to breakup.

Last month, Shun and Yuu had a traditional sushi dinner with their families, which many feel confirms that they are going to get married soon. In addition, on that day, Yuu made a particularly cheerful post on her blog, where she mentioned that she was happy because she found some beautiful flowers on a walk. Of course, many think that it's a bit... unusual for her to be so cheerful about such a small matter. (Entame, Josei Seven, blog entry)

Yamada Ryosuke's CM

Watch Yamada Ryosuke's first solo CM for a Lotte product (gyugyu-to?!) at this link:

http://yurichinendaisuki.tumblr.com/post/6591199938

Definitely worth watching! :D

Being a happy sociable teenager is taking it's toll on my wallet. In my days of being an anti-social kid during the holidays, I could hole myself up at home 5/7 days of the week-long holidays and splurge it all on the one or two days that I went out. It's only Wednesday and I've been doing something everyday.

Monday was my orientation group coming over to my house. There was really nothing to do so we ended up borrowing a mahjong set from the house at the corner. And I learnt how to play mahjong! And I actually like it very, very much. I love my orientation group for frightening me so much during my first few days in college. I was  alarmed at how quickly they managed to make my level of English deteriorate (and I just had to check how to spell that word) with their relentless mixing of Chinese, English and Hokkien (in order of frequency used). But I learnt that being cheena is fun too and anyway my class is a History class and therefore speaks better English. 

Tuesday was meeting up with secondary school friends. I now use friends instead of the old "friends" because they are now, truly, my friends. I feel much more comfortable with them then I ever did in secondary school. Spent lots of dough on karaoke singing and fries. $4.20 for fries and cheese but it was so good!

I really do declare myself a star at saving money. I went to a thrift shop with the intention of buying new clothes/shoes/bags at dirt cheap prices, but ended up walking away with a ridiculously thick knit cardigan which I will probably not wear for the next ten months. Picture below:

It still has the price tag on it and the price tag says River Island UK size 14 UK£34.99 and I bought if for S$18 which makes me feel really smart and good at saving money. ^^ I actually intended to get clothes that I would actually wear, but I didn't have much time and most of the nice clothes were taken by two fashion designer-ish  dudes. It was quite obvious that they were getting the clothes for some sort of event because they had a trolley full of clothes from the thrift store. And also because they were two rather flamboyantly-dressed men in the ladies section. So there I was, grabbing onto my woolly cardigan thing lest they snatch it for me should I put it down for a second, looking around for anything else good when the lady at the counter started yelling, "Closing already, anyone who wants to buy anything, better hurry." Which is how I ended up with this woolly thing. I still haven't decided if I regret buying it yet. And all this happened today, which I'd intended as a hole-myself-up-at-home day.

Tomorrow, I have extra Chinese lesson, which I'm looking forward to. Chinese lesson is a big waste of my life and prevents me from going home three hours earlier on some days but I still love/hate it.

I agreed to go to a friend's party on Saturday, which means I should get her a present. I told her I wouldn't be getting her one, but I still feel kind of guilty. And I signed up for a CIP thing on Sunday which is at Marina Bay. That'd be great if not for the fact that I stay at Yio Chu Kang. When I mentioned in my 2011 resolutions that I'd be more sociable, I mentally told myself that I'd meet up with people even if they were meeting up at the other end of the train line. (though my post says the exact opposite) But Marina Barrage is still too... far. And what's worst is that I thought Marina Barrage wasn't that far when I signed up.

The earthquake/ tsunami/ nuclear disaster in Japan. I didn't really want to mention this becuase I think everyone's read/ seen/ heard more than enough about it. I know people are going to get angry over this but I don't really get why people are all about donating money to Japan. Japan's rich... I think (based on my rather shallow knowledge of current affairs) I just hope the authorities use the money (their own/ donations) properly. The nuclear radioactivity thing's the worst of all that's happened so far and it seems like most Japanese are trying to get away. Either far away or out of the country entirely. Some Tokyoites my parents know have already come to Singapore to get away from the radiation. And my mum is going all berserk about how we can't go to Japan for the next three years and wondering if she should buy iodine pills. Singapore will never be able to build a nuclear plant becuase we don't have a 30km radius to evacuate out of. If I were Malaysia I'd build a nuclear plant in JB.

Anyway, life goes on.

Johnny's all safe from earthquake-tsunami

NEWS/Tegomass
Everyone's safe. Yamashita Tomohisa got into a car accident, but was unscathed.


KAT-TUN
Everyone's safe but Ueda Tatsuya's house got damaged.


Hey Say Jump/NYC
All members are safe, but Yuto is in hospital for minor injury. Hikaru Yaotome's house in Sendai was entirely wiped out by the tsunami. Chinen Yuri's house is also rumoured to be damaged.

V6, SMAP, Arashi, Kanjani8 and others
All are safe but Morita Go's house is said to be damaged.

Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi in "Rebound", Mizushima Hiro movie rumour

Rumour: Mizushima Hiro might be acting in an overseas movie soon! Overseas as in... Not Japan. Apparently the reason for this is because it'll be very complicated if he acts in a Japanese movie. (does it make sense to you?!) (Azashi)

There's an interesting new drama called "Rebound" about Nobuko (played by Aibu Saki), the daughter of a tonkatsu shop owner who grew up on tonkatsu and cake. As a result, she weighed 60 kilograms by the time she graduated from elementary school, and at age 20 she weighed 85 kilograms. In order to turn her life around, she quits eating cake and sheds 37 kilograms, leading to her current career as the editor of a fashion magazine. When she goes to interview the "sweet prince," a fashionable pastry chef played by Hayami Mokomichi, she winds up breaking her ban on cake and begins "rebounding" from her diet. She soon finds herself having to decide between her currently slim lifestyle and a delicious romance with the handsome patissier. Aibu Saki and Hayami Mokomichi were co-stars in Zettai Kareshi. And they should really invite Mizushima Hiro for a guest appearance. (Tokyograph)

I have school from seven plus in the morning and reach home at six... Which probably explains the lack of updates. JC life is tiring but fun, and I think I'll enjoy it since it's only two years. I guess no matter how great your secondary school is, you're bound to get sick of it after four/five/six(?!) years.

Arashi in Asahi Shimbum. They were portrayed as characters from a drama that each of them has starred in before.

Yamashita Tomohisa from NEWS drinking with his friends. I took the effort to combine them all into one picture even though it doesn't really look that much like him.

Also, you need to watch this video whether or not you're a fan of Mizushima Hiro/ Sato Takeru/ Mei-Chan. WATCH IT.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Sawajiri Erika in final stages of divorce, wants to continue as an actress

Actress and singer Sawajiri Erika (24) was in Tokyo yesterday for an event held by her sponsors, Tanako Yuri Beauty Clinic. There, she announced that she was in the final stages of divorce with her husband,  Takashira Tsuyoshi (46), whom she had married in January 2009. Apparently, they had been settling their affairs through talks in the past three months.

She cried and said that although she does not have any projects on at the moment, she wishes to continue working as an actress/singer again in Japan. (Sanspo)

Sato Takeru's blog - photobook "NOUVELLES" is out

-------------------Photobook is out---------------------

posted on 23 January 2011, 20:39

To everyone who came to the high five event for the relaease of my photobook today, thank you very much.

I received a lot of power from your smiles and felt very warm.

I will do my best again tomorrow. Once again, thank you very much.

If you have not seen the photobook yet, please take a look as there are lots of good photos.

I had a happy time today.

Now, at 21:00, the second episode of winter drama Fuyu no Sakura is airing. ☆ (original)

--------------------------------

Additional info: The photobook is titled "NOUVELLES" and is Sato's third photobook. A high five event was held in Shinjuku, Tokyo on the 21st to celebrate.

From Shirota Yuu's blog - translation FAIL

I was bored so I decided to attempt translating Japanese celebs' blogs, and I'm starting with Shirota Yuu. Here goes.

-------------------Everyone, nice meeting you for the first time-----------------

posted on 21 January 2011, 23:56

Everyone, nice meeting you for the first time (初めまして, hajimemashite)


Actually, it's been decided that I will have a new manager. My manager has changed from Tsuchi-san(?) to K.


I look forward to working with him/her. (どうぞ宜しくお願いいたします dozo yorishiku onegai ta shimasu)


Today, I had an interview/photoshoot with the magazine "with".


**Okay, I really don't understand this next bit. It seems like he'll be working with "with" for another two years, or has already worked with them for two years, or something along that line. UGH.**


"with" is released on the 28th of each month, so please buy it! (original)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Akanishi working on US album

Akanishi Jin (26) kicked off his Japan tour on Friday with the first of three concerts at the Saitama Super Arena. On the same day, it was revealed at a press conference that he is releasing a solo single in Japan this March, and he plans to release his debut U.S. album this summer. 

Akanishi's single "Eternal," scheduled for March 2, will be his first release since signing a global contract with Warner Music Japan. The single's B-side will be his song "Murasaki." 

Currently, the singer is working on his debut U.S. album. He is reportedly aiming to release it on July 4, which is his birthday and is Independence Day in the United States. It is said that he is mainly self-producing the album, but he plans to get participation from some big-name artists in the American R&B and hip-hop scene. It is also said that Akanishi may release a single in the U.S. before the album. 

Akanishi was in the U.S. from January 2 to January 10 of this year to do some production on the album. 

Currently, his artist name is expected to remain as "Jin Akanishi," but there is a possibility that it may be modified for the American market. 

There are plans for a U.S. tour after the album's release, followed by a tour in various Asian countries. (Tokyograph)


I was going to go out and it started raining. What is this.

Arrested - manager of club Akanishi Troop visits

The manager of a bar Akanishi Troop frequents has been arrested for blackmail. Akanishi Jin, Yamashita Tomohisa, Nishikido Ryo and some of their other friends often drink at a popular club called "alife", which is situated at the Nishi-Azabu district. However, reports by Nikkan Gendai claim that the manager of that bar, along with a few other employees, have been arrested. And in case you're wondering how this is really related to Jin, Yamapi and Ryo, it's not.

The club is known to be popular with celebrities. The supposed "blackmail" involves some female university students and reportedly took place in September last year. (Azashi)

This rumour is 1. weird, 2. completely unrelated to Akanishi Troop and 3. doesn't seem true at all.

92 million yen for wrongly jailed man

A Japanese court on Thursday awarded $1.1 million (S$1.4 million), the maximum possible compensation, to a 64-year-old man who spent 17 years in jail after being wrongly convicted of a child's murder.

The district court in Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, awarded 92 million yen (S$1.4 million) to Sugaya Toshikazu for his suffering and to cover his legal costs in the case, a court official said.

Sugaya, who was sentenced to a life term in 1993, was cleared of his conviction after a genetic test re-ordered in 2008 found the DNA evidence against him to be flawed.

The compensation of 12,500 yen per day in jail is the highest amount allowed under Japanese law in such a case, the official said. (The Straits Times)

Ayase Haruka and Fukada Kyoko to star in "Himitsu no Akko-chan" movie

Actress Ayase Haruka (25) will be starring in a live-action version of "Himitsu no Akko-chan" as the main character, Akko. Fukuda Kyoko (28) also has a leading role in the movie, where she plays Akko's nemesis.

"Himitsu no Akko-chan" is a popular manga and anime. The original manga was published in the 1960s and the original anime ran from 1969 to 1970. The anime has been remade several times since then, twice on TV and twice as an anime film.

It is understood that the live version starring Ayase and Fukuda will be released in December 2011. (Entame)

Ohno Satoshi and Koda Misono often meet up in Roppongi

According to Tokyo Sports, Arashi leader Ohno Satoshi (30) has been meeting up with singer-songwriter Koda Misono (26) often in Roppongi area of Tokyo. Koda Misono is the younger sister of singer Koda Kumi. The article states that the two started meeting up with each other towards the end of last year. It is still unclear if the two are dating. Koda Misono has appeared in some of Arashi's variety shows, like VS Arashi and Himitsu no Arashi-chan. (Entame)

SMAP and Taylor Swift sing "Mine" and "You Belong With Me"

Happened to chance upon this at aramatheydidnt! I'm not a big fan of Taylor Swift or SMAP, but it's entertaining enough. :)

KAT-TUN doing well without Akanishi Jin

When Akanishi Jin (26) left KAT-TUN earlier this year, some fans voiced concerns about whether the band would be able to do as well without him. It now seems that their fears are unfounded as KAT-TUN has landed a new CM contract with Suzuki.

KAT-TUN will be promoting the new Suzuki Solio, a compact 5-seater car. It will be released on 24 December 2010. Apparently, the advertisers were looking for a "popular idol group that has character".

From year 2002 to 2007, KAT-TUN appeared in many CMs. The companies they advertised for included NTT Sky DoCoMo and Lotte. However, Akanishi then left to study English in America, so their CM activities became rather limited.

Well, this is a good step for KAT-TUN, and since Jin seems to be doing well in America, it seems that the dcision for Jin to leave KT was the right one after all.

The article also mentions that Tanaka Koki (25) held a rather early year-end party at a shabu-shabu restaurant? (Azashi)

Arashi outperforms everyone again! (Oricon 2010)

Oricon has compiled total sales data for the top artists of 2010, counting singles, albums, and DVDs. This year's top artist was Arashi, with more than 17.16 billion yen worth of sales. In fact, Arashi ranks as the #1 artist in seven different categories: Total gross sales for an artist; Total gross single sales for an artist; Copies sold for an album; Gross sales for an album; Copies sold for a music DVD; Gross sales for a music DVD; Total gross music DVD sales for an artist.

Arashi easily outdid their numbers from 2009, when they were also the #1 selling artist at 14.46 billion yen. (Tokyograph)

I couldn't help but grin while reading this article.

AKB48 and (awesome) Arashi dominate top 10 of Oricon 2010 Rankings (Singles)

Oricon is beginning to release its cumulative sales data for 2010. So far, it has announced the Top 50 in singles and albums, as well as the Top 5 in total sales. As predicted, the singles rankings were dominated by Arashi and AKB48, who together held all of the Top 10 spots.

This is the first time in the ranking's history that the Top 10 has been occupied by just two artists. Before this, the record was five artists in the Top 10, which happened in 1989.

AKB48 had the top 2 singles with "Beginner" and "Heavy Rotation." They are only the third female artist to hold the top 2 singles of the year, a feat previously accomplished by Princess Princess in 1989 and Pink Lady in 1978.

Arashi, who had the top 2 singles in 2008 and the top 3 singles in 2009, settled for taking 6 of the top 10 spots this year.

Top 50 Singles:

1. Beginner - AKB48 - 954,283
2. Heavy Rotation - AKB48 - 713,275
3. Troublemaker - Arashi - 698,542
4. Monster - Arashi - 696,022
5. Ponytail to Chouchou - AKB48 - 659,959
6. Hatenai Sora - Arashi - 656,343
7. Love Rainbow - Arashi - 620,057
8. Chance no Junban - AKB48 - 596,769
9. Dear Snow - Arashi - 591,207
10. To be free - Arashi - 516,142

(Tokyograph)

Akanishi and Warner Music Group, video

Akanishi Jin (26) returned to Japan from the US on the 9th of December. On the same day, it was announced that he had signed a recording deal with Warner Music Group, one of the four biggest recording companies in the world.

In a recent interview by カミカミ(?), Akanishi said that he aims on doing his best regardless of what country he performs in. He also talked about how he hopes to do well in America and expand his career.

He is the first solo Japanese artist to be signed on to Warner Group on a global basis.

Skip to 2:18 and 3:27 to hear his English!

(Entame)