Second child for MINMI, Wakadanna

Singer MINMI (35) and Shonannokaze member Wakadanna (34) celebrated the birth of their second child on August 4 in New York. The baby boy was born about ten days ahead of schedule, but he is said to be healthy. MINMI said that the delivery was very easy, taking only 50 minutes from the start of her labor pains. MINMI and Wakadanna got married on November 18, 2007, the same… Read the rest

Kyoko Hasegawa, Kyoko Enami involved in car accidents

Actress Kyoko Hasegawa (32) and Kyoko Enami (67) were both recently in minor car accidents. Hasegawa’s accident happened on Tuesday, while Enami’s happened one day earlier. On the afternoon of August 3, Hasegawa was operating a vehicle in the parking lot of a driver’s license center in Tokyo’s Shinagawa ward. While Hasegawa was waiting behind a car that was entering a parking space, the other car bumped into hers. Neither… Read the rest

Kenichi Matsuyama to star in “Usagi Drop”

The live-action movie adaptation of Yumi Unita’s manga series “Usagi Drop” now has a cast. Kenichi Matsuyama (25) will play the lead role, supported by child actress Mana Ashida (6). SABU will direct. The movie, first announced in June, tells the story of a young and awkward bachelor (Matsuyama) who begins raising a girl (Ashida) after he learns that she is the illegitimate child of his grandfather. This will… Read the rest

Ryoko Yonekura, Masakazu Tamura to lead TV Asahi dramas

TV Asahi has announced two upcoming dramas in its Thursday 9:00pm time slot. Although neither has been given an official title yet, it has been revealed that Ryoko Yonekura (35) will star in the first one this fall, followed by Masakazu Tamura (67) in the winter. Both dramas will share a theme of justice. In the fall, Yonekura will play a national tax investigator who pursues criminals for tax evasion.… Read the rest

Southern All Stars’ Keisuke Kuwata diagnosed with cancer

Management agency Amuse revealed on Wednesday that Southern All Stars vocalist Keisuke Kuwata (54) was recently diagnosed with early-stage esophageal cancer. The discovery has set back the schedule of his upcoming album release and tour, as he will be undergoing medical treatment. Because the cancer was caught early, Kuwata is expected to return to work healthy in a few months after he undergoes surgery and other treatment. As a result,… Read the rest

East Meets West

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie (35) is in Tokyo this week on her latest PR trip. She and her four children flew into Narita Airport on Monday, but dad Brad Pitt (41) was left at home this time. At a press conference held in a central Tokyo hotel yesterday, Jolie said she took the kids to a toy store to pick up some of their favorite Ponyo and Totoro goods.… Read the rest

NTV Announcer Jumps to Death

NTV announcer Yamamoto Masumi was found dead in front of her high-rise apartment building in Sendai early yesterday morning. She was just 34. A suicide note addressed to her family was found and Miyagi Prefecture police are treating the death as such. Yamamoto’s death came as a shock to those who knew her, particularly as she…

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Kara releases Japanese Mister MV

Korean pop group Kara has released the Japanese version music video of their Korean hit song Mister . This article is brought to you by Stareastasia Entertainment News

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Zhang Ziyi as Mulan in 3D

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi will return to the Hollywood silver screen in a 100-million-dollar 3D film Hua Mulan . On top of playing the main character, Zhang will also serve as the producer of the film. The lead actor has been confirmed as pop singer Lee-Hom Wang , who speaks fluent English. The film will start shooting in October, as collaboration with Disney which filmed Mulan as a cartoon… Read the rest

Katsunori Takahashi to lead next year’s "Shinshun Wide Jidaigeki"

Actor Katsunori Takahashi (45) is taking on a new challenge, as he has been given his first lead role in a jidaigeki television drama. He will play the part of Kuroda Yoshitaka (also known as Kuroda Kanbei) in TV Tokyo’s annual “Shinshun Wide Jidaigeki” program at the start of next year. The drama is tentatively titled “Sengoku Shippuden Futari no Gunshi: Hideyoshi ni Tenka wo Eraseta Otokotachi.” It focuses on… Read the rest