Hello AramaJapan readers! We’re starting a new feature, reporting on the weekly box office ranking in Japan this week. You can take a look at this to see the current movie trends in Japan as well as look into what foreign films hits or miss the domestic market. The weekly box office ranking in Japan records the weekend admission and ticket sales. New movies mostly open on a Saturday (sometimes Fridays).
New movies opening last weekend are Solomon’s Perjury 2 and Birdman. Check out the box office ranking below.
Today, YUI revealed some important updates about her personal life on her band FLOWER FLOWER’s official blog. She is is now married and pregnant. YUI’s new husband is a non-celebrity man. It was not revealed when she married or how far into her pregnancy she is. Her FLOWER FLOWER bandmates are being considerate of her health at this time. She is vowing to take care of herself both mentally and physically, seeing as how she is still dealing with her panic disorder. She hopes that fans wish her the best during this period. She also hopes that they take care of themselves during this season of varying temperatures and weather. We here at at Arama Japan wish YUI the best on this joyous occasion!
A few weeks ago, iTunes Japan released its picks for this year’s edition of “New Artist Spotlight.” One of the acts selected was Young Juvenile Youth. The duo is composed of singer-songwriter Yuki and producer JEMAPUR. They formed Young Juvenile Youth in 2012. They’ve had a few small indie releases since then. They’ve been gaining buzz, catching the attention of people such as Tadanobu Asano. The duo is now about to release their debut mini album, “Animation.” “Animation” will be released on iTunes on April 27, with a physical release to follow on June 3.
Today, Young Juvenile Youth released the music video for their mini album’s title track. The video for “Animation” is a trippy affair full of digital manipulation of Yuki’s head. It matches the song’s minimal beats and soft vocals well. The music video was directed by Kosai Sekine, who gained a lot of attention last year when he directed the music video for Mr.Children’s “Ashioto ~Be Strong.”
Check out the video along with the cover and tracklist for “Animation” after the jump!
On June 10, Naoto Inti Raymi will release his first best album, “THE BEST!” This album marks the 5th anniversary of his major label debut as Naoto Inti Raymi (he originally debuted in 2001 as Naoto and then became Naoto Inti Raymi in 2005, releasing a few indie releases until he went major again in 2010). This release will come in 3 editions: CD only, CD+DVD, and a CD+DVD fanclub edition. The DVD on the CD+DVD edition will have all of his music videos. The DVD on the fanclub edition will have footage from his Yokohama Arena concert from this past January. This edition will also house his newly written autobiography and a commemorative towel. Check out the covers and tracklist for “THE BEST!” after the jump!
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Tomomi Kahala’s debut in the music industry. She debuted on the scene on September 8, 1995, with the single “Keep yourself alive.” To celebrate this anniversary, Tomomi has several releases lined up. A few weeks ago, it was reported that she would be releasing a new single in May, her first in 9 years. Now, she’s announced that she will be releasing 2 best albums on June 24. The albums are called “ALL TIME SINGLES BEST” and “ALL TIME BEST SELECTION.”
“ALL TIME SINGLES BEST” is a 2 CD set that covers Tomomi’s singles from debut til now. It will also include a new song, titled “Long way to go.” The limited edition of the album comes with a DVD that contains many of Tomomi’s music videos.
“ALL TIME BEST SELECTION” will contain non-single songs that fans have selected. Songs can be chosen on a special website through April 26. This album too will have a new song, titled “never give up!!” The limited edition of this album will also come with a DVD. It will feature footage from a concert Tomomi did last October.
Check out the covers and tracklists for these best albums after the jump!
On April 29, Shishido Kavka will release her new digital single “Don’t be love.” This will be her first release since transferring to Avex. “Don’t be love” features Saito Kazuyoshi on guitar and vocals. The song is the theme for the new Fuji TV medical drama “Ishitachi no Renai Jijou”, which started on April 9.
Today, Kavka released the short music video for the song. It’s a black and white clip that features her and Kazuyoshi performing together. Check out the video, its making, and a new artist photo after the jump!
On May 27, cero will release their 3rd album, “Obscure Ride.” This will be the band’s first album since 2012’s “My Lost City.” “Obscure Ride” will include the singles “Orphans” and “Yousari”, as well as a reworked version of the single “Yellow Magus.” The album will come in 2 editions: a CD only edition and a CD+DVD edition. The DVD in the CD+DVD version will include footage from their 2 night “Wayang Paradise” shows in Tokyo from last December.
The “wayang” theme is continued in the cover art for “Obscure Ride.” “Wayang” is a type of Indonesian theater where puppets called wayangs are used to created large shadows. These shadows can be seen on the “Obscure Ride” cover.
cero has released a short film ahead of the album’s release. In the clip, the band can be seen at the “Wayang Paradise” shows as well as making their new album. Check it out after the jump along with the album’s cover and tracklist.
On the single side, ST☆RISH topped the chart with “Maji LOVE Revolutions”, with its CD only version (the only version of the single) selling 30,691 copies. However, the best selling single this week was NyaaKB with Tsuchinoko Panda with “Idol wa Unyanya no Ken.” Between its 3 editions, “Idol wa Unyanya no Ken” sold 31,498 copies, making it the best selling single this week.
On the album side, Masaharu Fukuyama took the top spot with “Tamashii Riku”, with its CD+DVD Limited Edition selling 94,109 copies. Between its 2 editions, “Tamashii Riku” sold 109,773 copies, making it the best selling album this week.
