A few months ago, it was reported that SPEED’s Imai Eriko was entering politics by running for a seat in the National Diet’s House of Councillors. On Sunday, she won! She ran in the election as a proportional-representation candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party (she’s pictured above with the party’s leader / current prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was re-elected Sunday).

Eriko decided to run for the Upper House based on her experience raising a son with a hearing disability. “I would like to work on issues related to the welfare of children, such as child poverty,” she told supporters at her campaign office in Tokyo.

TBS recently announced the first bits of information about this year’s edition of its annual midyear music show, Ongaku no Hi. This year’s show will start on July 16 at 2 PM JST and end at 5 AM JST the following day. Nakai Masahiro of SMAP will be hosting for the sixth year in a row. He’ll share hosting duties with TBS announcer Azumi Shinichiro. The theme of this year’s show is “connect.”

Ongaku no Hi started in 2011 after the events of The Great East Japan Earthquake. Due to the recent earthquakes in Kumamoto Prefecture, the show will have special features on that prefecture as well, along with the usual ones on Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures, which were affected in 2011.

The first set of acts were announced as well, and it includes the likes of AAA, Kis-My-Ft2, Crystal Kay, [Alexandros], AKB48, and many more! Check out the full list below!

We’re back with this week’s edition of Oricon Flashback. This is where we look back on what topped Oricon this week 5, 10, 15, and 20 years ago. Think of it as a way to reminisce and learn about the past of Japanese music.

This week’s guests were NEWS and Ken Hirai.

NEWS – Koi wo Shiranai Kimi e

Ken Hirai – Mahoutte Itte Ii Kana?

The summer season is in full effect, with artists releasing songs to set the mood. This time it’s Nogizaka46‘s turn with ‘Hadashi de Summer’. At the start of the PV the girls seemed to have developed the summer blues with all the free time they have. But an old fashion road trip is just the cure, as they travel from town to forest to beach. Come take a look at their summer adventure and details of the single.

What can you get when you mix two talented (and undoubtedly very charming) young actors of the moment with the aesthetics of Shiseido Maquillage, magical vision of an acclaimed movie/CM director and add a song of a popular, moody rock musician? See for yourself, as the short movie “Sakasama ni Furu Yuki” (lit: The Snow Falling Backwards”) from the Shiseido brand promotional campaign “Snow Beauty 2016” starring Fumi Nikaido and Masataka Kubota is now available for viewing. Don’t miss to check it out after the jump!

This week’s guest was Ken Hirai.

Ken Hirai – Mahoutte Itte Ii Kana? / Plus One

Tricot‘s vocalist/guitar player, Ikkyu Nakajima yesterday published a new music video, for a solo track “sweet sweat sweets”, which many have already started comparing to early era Shiina Ringo. Read further for more info and to watch the MV.