On May 25th 2012, legendary singer and lyricist Chisato Moritaka kicked off her 25th anniversary launching her YouTube channel with a challenge for herself: covering 200 of her songs on YouTube, starting with her 32nd single “SWEET CANDY” released in 1997.

Chisato Moritaka’s YouTube video series “200 Songs Self Cover Project” featured almost every song she released from 1987 to 1999, including album songs, single coupling tracks, and CM songs that she’s never sung before during lives or TV appearances. Each video has new production and features herself standing and singing in front of a green screen.

The “200 Songs Self Cover Project” had no set upload schedule, no rhyme or reason to which songs she covered, the order she posted in, or when she posted it; truly limitless and as free and wavering as her career itself. Additionally, she has continued to upload new video clips, live footage, and commentary videos detailing behind the scene information from throughout the span of her career.

After 5 years, she has finally posted her 200th and final entry to the project: a cover of her song “Oshare Kaze” from 1997 album “PEACHBERRY”.

Singer/songwriter Kenshi Yonezu will be releasing his second single of the year, titled “Peace Sign”, later this month on June 21st.  The lead song is currently serving as the opening theme for the second season of popular anime “Boku no Hero Academia”.

“Peace Sign” will be issued in three different versions:  a Regular CD-Only edition, a “Peace” edition which will include a rubber ring designed by Yonezu and a DVD containing the non-credit version of the anime opening the A-side is used in, and a “Hero” edition which will come packaged with a special “Boku no Hero Academia” trading card that features the show’s protagonist Deku giving the peace sign.  The “Peace” edition will feature a special digipak case, while the “Hero” edition will be sold in a transparent red jewel case.

Ahead of its release date, the music video for the single’s lead song has now been uploaded to Kenshi’s Youtube channel.  The PV was filmed in a documentary style, going so far as to use 8mm film, and is meant to evoke the freedom and dynamism of youth.

You’ll find this MV, as well as the cover and track list for “Peace Sign” right after the cut.

Put a coin in the jukebox, take a seat in Seiko’s Diner and be ready to be served a bop by none other than eternal idol Seiko Matsuda herself. The new pop number “Haruno Kaze Sasowarete -Spring Has Come Again-” is on today’s menu.

At 55 years young, Miss Matsuda delivers a retro look inspired by 50’s Americana (complete with blonde white people as patrons!!). In the video, she serves youthful looks in her baby pink gingham waitress outfit, and who needs a face lift when you’ve got your curled ponytail to keep your face looking SNATCHED?

We have some good news to report! Meisa Kuroki has given birth to her and husband Jin Akanishi’s second child! It’s a boy! This news was revealed via a joint statement that was released by the couple’s management. It is the first son for Meisa and Jin, who already have daughter Theia, who was born in 2012. Both Meisa and her new son healthy.

This week’s guests were Ituski Hiroshi, Carlos Marin, Sakamoto Fuyumi, Hata Motohiro, Fukada Kohei, Hosokawa Takashi, miwa, Chisato Moritaka, Flash Kaneko, and MUSIC CONCERTO.

Weekly gossip magazine Jisin Japan reports in an interview that actor and model Maki Nishiyama is in a legal battle with her agency to get out of a 13-year slave contract that is forcing her into a premature retirement.

“I haven’t received any of my salary since February,” says a tearful Nishiyama in the interview.

“Something strange started to happen,” Nishiyama noted. “Last year, after giving birth to my second child, people from TV and magazine agencies contacted me directly saying, ‘I haven’t been able to get in contact with your office to book you for work.’“

“Even when I’ve made offers to work with Ms. Nishiyama, no one from her management answers the phone. It seems like the office is defunct. I heard that Kotaro Ikeda, the president of [her company] MandB, is in a lot of debt,” claims an advertising agency official.

Actor and singer DEAN FUJIOKA has unveiled the curtain on the video for his latest music effort “Permanent Vacation“, a song his upcoming double A-side “Permanent Vacation / Unchained Melody“.

Titled “Permanent Vacation”, the song was specifically written for Dean and his role in his upcoming film “Kekkon” and is expected to fully encapsulate his character’s devious personality.

The charm-filled video, shot by director HIRO KIMURA, goes beyond traditional studio-shot music video norms with ambitious shots underwater, horseback riding, and outside at both at dusk and dawn.

Talent and model Nicole Fujita has been met with criticism from online commenters following her comments on Sunday’s episode of TBS’ “SUNDAY JAPON“.

The program discussed a bullying problem that occurred in Toride City, Ibaraki Prefecture. They covered a specific story in which a junior high student committed suicide in November 2015 following acts of bullying from a fellow student. In the girl’s diary, found after her death, she reportedly gave the bully’s name and wrote: “I do not want to be bullied anymore.“

Until now, the Toride City Board of Education denied the existence of bullying within the school district, claiming that the situation was “not that serious“. On the 30th of last month, they withdrew their stance and the education chairperson apologized directly to the parents of the student after an investigation prompted by the parents.

Instead of showing compassion for the student who took her own life, Nicole Fujita was more worried about the bully, considering their privacy and how it could affect them in the future.

“They’ll have to deal with it for the rest of their lives,” Fujita commented. “I’m worried that people would go on the internet and find out who did it.“