Mary Fujishima, honorary chairman of Johnny & Associates and sister of company founder Johnny Kitagawa, has died at the age of 93. The company announced that she died in a Tokyo hospital on August 14 of pneumonia.

This week’s guests were BLUE ENCOUNT, Thelma Aoyama, and Aisho Nakajima.

BLUE ENCOUNT – Bakemono

Thelma Aoyama – Yours Forever feat. Aisho Nakajima

This week’s guests were SixTONES, Yamazaki Ikusaburo, 3ji no Heroine, WANIMA, AI, Daichi Miura, JO1, Novelbright, Ryuji Imaichi, Kis-My-Ft2, Ohmori Motoki, and Takehara Pistol.

SixTONES – Mascara

Yamazaki Ikusaburo – Boku no Heroine ni Natte Kuremasen ka? feat. 3ji no Heroine

WANIMA – Hanarete Ite mo

AI – IN THE MIDDLE feat. Daichi Miura

JO1 – REAL

Novelbright – Life Squall

Ryuji Imaichi – FUTURE LOVERS

Daichi Miura – Didn’t Know

Kis-My-Ft2 – Luv Bias / Everybody Go / WANNA BEEEE!!! / Kimi to no Kiseki / A10TION

Ohmori Motoki – Midnight

Takehara Pistol – Koyoi mo Karoujite Utai Kiru

This week’s guests were adieu, SixTONES, Hiromi Go, and Sky Peace.

adieu – Narratage / Dahlia

SixTONES – Mascara

Hiromi Go – 100 GO! Kai no Kakushinhan

Sky Peace – Kyou made Ikita Anata e

This week’s guest was Awesome City Club.

Awesome City Club – Natsu no Gogo wa Cobalt / Aliens (Kirinji cover)

Hey, Arama Japan! It’s Friday, so it’s Open Post time! Feel free to chat with your fellow readers about whatever you like! Enjoy!

On August 13, AI will release a new digital single, “IN THE MIDDLE.” The song is a collaboration with Daichi Miura. This song marks the first time that the friends have collaborated. The UTA-produced song is described as one for our current times, an era when nobody is sure what to trust.

The music video for “IN THE MIDDLE” has now been released. It was an emotional one for AI, who said it was the first time music video that made her cry. Check it out below, along with a behind the scenes video about the making of the music video and special talk between AI and Daichi!

One of Japan’s primary broadcasting networks TV Asahi is currently under heavy fire from critics and the public after some staff defied government orders and held a drinking party. The party was held to mark the end of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on August 8th. This party was in direct defiance to orders from Tokyo’s Metropolitan government, and rules set by the company themselves.

Furthermore, Tokyo is currently under another state of emergency due to the pandemic. The party consisted of around 10 people who were all working on the Tokyo Olympics, and took place at a popular karaoke establishment PASELA RESORTS in Shibuya. They may have been able to get away with it, but in the morning of August 9th one of the party goers accidentally fell from a 2nd floor window. The police received a call at 4 AM saying that they had seen someone fall from the window.