On August 6, Koda Kumi will be releasing her 57th single, the summer single Hotel. We now have a radio rip of the new song for you to check out after the jump!
Elegant entrepreneur Erika Sawajiri, who recently wrapped up filming for her upcoming movie Shinjuku Swan, will be featured in the August issue of MAQUIA magazine. After an extended hiatus, the actress-slash-mogul recently kickstarted a full scale comeback with 2012’s Helter Skelter followed by the serial drama First Class in April of this year. During the interview she reveals what she’s been focusing on in her downtime as she dishes on life lessons, love, and self acceptance. At one point she proudly proclaims, “Myself? Yes, I love myself. It’s definitely necessary for all women to love themselves.” Check out the issue for the full story!
MAXIMUM THE HORMONE has recently announced their participation at the Knotfest Festivals. Following this performance, they will also be holding a solo concert in New York.
The concert will take place in the Best Buy Theatre (1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036) on October 27th. Doors will open at 7 PM and the show will start at 8 PM. If you plan to attend, please note that there is an age restriction of 16 years old & over.
Pre-sale tickets may be purchased at axs.com for 30$ (pssst, the password is “OMEKO”).
Public ticket sales will open on July 11th at 12 PM EST, and are priced at 35$.
Magazine distributor Kadokawa Haruki Corporation has announced that the upcoming September issue of BLENDA out August 7th will be the magazine’s last.
Excite reports that former BLENDA model Wei Son recently confessed that she experienced an extreme depression at the end of her final photo shoot. Wei Son entered the scene as a Gyaru model and was eventually chosen as an exclusive model for PopSister. When PopSister fell under in September 2011, she began appearing regularly on BLENDA as the youngest one of its faces in April 2012. Now she feels that she has been abandoned by yet another magazine along with a bunch of other BLENDA exclusive models.
Tons of fashion magazines popular for their Gyaru styles have been dropping like flies such as Ageha and its many sister magazines (though AneAgeha is coming back with a different publisher later this year), Happie Nuts, egg, EDGE STYLE, and a bunch more. Of course there are a number issues that contribute to it, but how could so many beloved magazines completely stop in such a short amount of time?
A few weeks ago, GReeeeN asked their fans over LINE to send them title ideas for their new album. Fans sent in their suggestions and based their titles on the jacket photo, which is pictured above. They received a great number of 722 911 entries in total! After a selection process, the band members chose 20 of their favourite titles and asked fans to vote for which one they liked best.
The grand winner is… ‘Ima kara oyayubi ga kieru tejina shimaaasu‘ (I’m going to do a hand trick where my thumb disappeaaars)!
Each GReeeeN member also chose a title to award individual prizes to:
HIDE Prize: ‘5nen mae yaritai koto ga aru to ii, ie wo tobidashita chichi’ (Dad, who left home 5 years ago and said he had something he wanted to do)
navi Prize: ‘Aratamete Iou… 「help me!」’ (I’ll say it again… “Help Me!”)
92 Prize: ‘HIDE~Basho Dana navi ga Nakya 92 ni Kaere SOH ni Nai’ (What an awful~ place, unless I have a navigator, then it doesn’t look like I can go back to 92)
SOH Prize: ‘Sekai ga Ore ni Kizuiteinai Dake’ (The world just doesn’t notice me)
The winners will have have their names written in the album’s booklet.
The album is set to release on August 6th. The track list and details on the 4 different versions can be found below.
It has been reported world renowned composer and activist Ryuichi Sakamoto (62) has been diagnosed with throat cancer.
In a statement from Sakamoto, who rose to fame in the late 1970s with the pioneering electronic group Yellow Magic Orchestra, he revealed that he was diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer at the end of June of this year and promised fans he will beat it. He continued, “I deeply apologize to my fans and everyone involved in my current projects for having to make this unavoidable decision.”
He is stepping down from all his current activities to deal with this new life development. His management told the press that the composer will “dedicate all his time to treatment” and that there is no time-frame set for his return. The agency declined to offer any further details on the current stage of his cancer.
His daughter Miu revealed on Facebook he will seek treatment in the United States.
Ahead of it’s full release on August 6th, singer-songwriter Marie Ueda has uploaded the promotional video for her major debut single ‘Kare ni Mamotte Hoshii 10 no Koto‘ to her official YouTube channel.
Since moving to Osaka alone at the age of 15, she has released three mini albums, one full album, and a single all independently. She cites her influences as Utada Hikaru, YUKI, Shiina Ringo and Chara.
Every year, the number of Japanese celebrities joining Twitter grows more and more. ARAMA! JAPAN has made a comprehensive list of those celebs and their accounts. In many ways, it has become an invaluable way for fans to connect with their favorite acts. This list will be constantly updated so as to stay relevant with the times. Next on our list is a Japanese celebrity Instagram account.
Check out the list below and if we’ve missed anyone let us know in the comment section.