It’s almost the end of the year and also the time for the annual film awards! The 41st Hochi Film Awards have announced its winners! Miyazawa Rie makes a record by winning her third best actress award following her performances in “Twilight Samurai” (2002) and “Paper Moon” (2014).

Check out the rest of the winners below.

Can you keep making friends over and over again? That is the dilemma faced by Yuki, a boy who wants to become friends with his classmate and desk neighbor Kaori. However, she declines his friendship because she forgets people every new Monday. Even so, Yuki wants to become her friend, and so the two become friends over and over again as the weeks pass.

Kawaguchi Haruna plays Fujimiya Kaori while Yamazaki Kento plays Hase Yuki in the live action film adapatation of “Isshukan Friends” (One Week Friends) .  Check out the full trailer and stills from the movie! The film will open in February 18, 2017.

The trailer also features the film’s theme song “Kanade for Isshukan Friends,” by Sukima Switch. This is a new version of Sukima Switch’s second single “Kanade,” which shipped in 2004. The song features re-recorded instrumentation and vocals.

Ikuta Toma will be challenging the role of of a transgender woman in Ogigami Naoko’s new film titled “Karera ga Honki de Amutoki wa”, (When they knit seriously). Have a look at his take of the character in the full trailer released! Kiritani Kenta will play the role of his lover.

The film focuses on the drama that unfolds in an unconventional family. Rinko (played by Ikuta), a transgender woman, Tomo (Kakihara Rinka), a girl abandoned by her mother, and Makio (Tomo’s uncle and Rinko’s lover).  Film opens February 25, 2017.

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!

Since taking a hiatus from her music career, Yumi Ito announced back in the summer that she would be dropping the ICONIQ name and focus full-time on being an actress.  Yumi was recently selected by the online magazine/app Hair to sponsor a very special contest. Yumi is looking for a new winter hairstyle and wants you to help!

In an interview with Hair right off the bat Yumi’s ICONIQ past is refereed to as “shabby”, despite that ICONIQ is still used in parenthesis behind her name and a large chunk of the interview is spent talking about her ICONIQ persona. Yumi does speak fondly of that era saying that she wasn’t scared to chop it all off, the bald look made her feel stronger and she has no regrets doing it. She’s glad that people still remember and talk about those days.

Today is a turning day in the story of anisong singer nano. After three studio albums, seven singles and almost five years in the professional scene, the singer has fully revealed for the first time her face. That’s not all, as this new chapter in her career will come along her eighth single announced back in September when she revealed her 5th Year Anniversary Project and now titled “MY LIBERATION/PARAISO”, planned for February 1st 2017. Check all the info published about the tracklist, a short preview of “PARAISO”, the Instagram post in which she revealed herself and a personal comment from the artist to her fans about it just after the jump!

This week, Morning Musume. ’16 topped the Oricon single chart with their new single “Sexy Cat no Enzetsu / Mukidashi de Mukiatte / Sou Janai”, selling 97,818 copies in its first week.

RAWIMPS topped the Oricon album chart with their new album “Ningen Kaika”, selling 203,621 copies in its first week.

RADWIMPS also topped the Oricon digital album chart with “Ningen Kaika”, selling 13,673 copies in its first week.

Hello, Arama! Japan readers and welcome to this week’s installment of #1 Song Review! Last week saw Hoshino Gen top Nogizaka46. Gen is back again this week, facing off against a newcomer. Find out what various staff members thought of the songs that topped the physical and digital charts this week and share your thoughts on them too!