Sandaime J Soul Brothers’ member Iwata Takanori will be starring in the upcoming film “Kyonen no Fuyu, Kimi to Wakare” (Last Winter We Parted). The movie is based on the best-selling suspense novel of the same name by Nakamura Fuminori and will be directed by Takimoto Tomoyuki. Filming for the movie began last July 2 and will finish until mid – August with a planned release date in Spring, 2018.

Iwata will play the lead character Yakumo Kyosuke, an energetic young reporter who investigates a murder case involving a beautiful blind woman. This is the first time for Iwata to act a suspense genre film.

Another week of updated Jdrama ratings!  Check out the latest chart below.

LDH girl group Flower have released the music video for their song “Taiyou no Elegy”. This release marks the first release since the announcement of E.G Family, of which revealed members Shuuka Fuji, Manami Shigetome and Mio Nakajima to shift their focus from E-Girls to full-time Flower members.

The song “Taiyou no Elegy” is used as the ending theme song to the upcoming anime “Shoukku no Altair“ that began airing on July 7.

“The song expresses an exotic word view…We like its unique atmosphere a lot, and feel like the song flows with the ending of the anime,” the group stated.

Actress Non—the entertainer formerly known as Rena Nounen—has announced that she has started up music label “KAIWA(RE)CORD” and will begin full-fledged music activities this summer, Natalie reports.

Non spoke enthusiastically about this new venture as a musician and label representative, saying, “Someday I’d like to produce everything myself!“

Non will appear as a special guest at the live event “WORLD HAPPINESS 2017” to be held in Tokyo on August 6, performing material set to be released in Fall. Additionally, Non’s official fan club will open on August 6, with details of membership method to be announced on her official site after the opening date.

In July 2016, Nounen changed her stage name to Non following reports of a contract dispute with her management LesPros.

Successful female soloist Shizuka Kudo will release her 30th anniversary commemoration album “Rin” on August 30th with a slew of interesting collaborations, including one from popular utaite and Vocaloid producer Mafumafu.

Preceding the release of her anticipated album—her first original album in 12 years—their song together “Kinki to Tsukiakari” has been uploaded to the utaite’s official YouTube Channel.

Idol group NMB48 member Ririka Suto shook things up with when she revealed her intentions to get married at the 9th annual Senbatsu General Election back in June. Now she has revealed her plan to study in Germany and work towards a doctorate following her impending graduation.

The NMB48 official shop blog shared pictures of 18 selected members with comments on the group’s third album release “Nanba Ai ~Ima, Omokoto~” and their current thoughts, with Suto revealing her plans after she graduates the idol group:

This week, Mr.Children topped the Oricon single chart with their new single “himawari”, selling 121,279 copies in its first week.

Hey! Say! JUMP topped the Oricon album chart their new best album “Hey! Say! JUMP 2007-2017 I/O”, selling 297,141 copies in its first week.

Mr.Children retook the top spot on the Oricon digital album chart with their best album “Mr.Children 1992-2002 Thanksgiving 25”, selling 5,902 copies in its 12th week.