Check out the members of Nogizaka46, the official rivals of AKB48!

On August 21st, the final audition for AKB48’s rival group, Nogizaka46, was held at the SME Nogizaka Building. Out of 38,934 applicants, 56 girls made it to the final audition. After a practical examination and interview, 36 girls were chosen as starting members with an average age of 16.3. Akimoto explained, “I considered the balance of the group.” Out of the 36 members, there was a surprise selection of 16 temporary senbatsu members. The 36 members of Nogizaka46 are: Akimoto Manatsu (18), Asou Ririko (16), Andou Mikumo (18), Ikuta Erika (14), Ikoma Rina (15), Ichiki Rena (15), Ito Nene (15), Ito Marika (15), Inoue Sayuri (16), Iwase Yumiko (21), Eto Misa (18), Kashiwa Yukina (17), Kawai Hina (13), Kawamura Mahiro (16), Saito Asuka (13),...

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SDN48 holds an event at Yomiuri Land, says they won’t lose to Nogizaka46!

On the August 21st, SDN48 held an event at Yomiuri Land for their third single, “MIN MIN MIN”. The members wore sexy outfits and performed seven songs including “Everyday, Kachuusha (SDN48 Ver.)”. The last song was “Kodoku na Runner”, which all 39 members performed enthusiastically. Despite the light rain, 2,500 fans showed up at the event to watch them perform. When asked about AKB48’s official rivals Nogizaka46, Serina (26) answered, “We’ve been around for two years and that keeps adding up. So, they shouldn’t be able to pass us. We don’t want to lose to them.” SDN48’s youngest member Fukuda Akane (21) thanked their fans, “Today is a precious day since all 39 of us could gather. Hearing our fans’ cheers throughout the songs was amazing....

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Listen to a radio rip of C-ute’s “Idai na Chikara wo!”

A full radio rip of idol group C-ute’s new song, “Idai na Chikara wo!“, has just been revealed! “Idai na Chikara wo!” is the B-side to their upcoming single, “Sekai Ichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko“, which is scheduled to be released on September 7th. Listen to the fun and cheerful song below! source: tokyohive...

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KARA attends press conference as the face of ‘Honcho’ drink + Full CM

The girls of KARA have been chosen as the faces for the Japanese campaign of a popular Korean vinegar drink called ‘Honcho‘. On August 19th, they appeared at an event to reveal details about their new commercial. KARA, who are said to be fans of this drink, will portray the concept of ‘Beautiful Body Show‘, in which they emphasize their killer figure. Together they say, “Drink ‘Honcho’ and have a nice body. Everybody, let’s become pretty together!” The new commercial, titled “Beautiful Body“, will have the KARA members moving in such a way that they show off their beautiful body lines. While they’re known for being quite cute, KARA will be showing off a mature sexiness that they’ve yet to show their fans. During the event, they also...

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SUPER☆GiRLS unveil PV for “Joshiryoku←Paradise”

The PV for idol group SUPER☆GiRLS‘ new single, “Joshiryoku←Paradise“, has been uploaded onto avex’s official YouTube channel! The music video follows a story of 12 girls who attend “Sekai Joshiryoku Kaigi (World ‘Girls Power’ Meeting)“, and they’re outfitted in 12 different ways. SUPER☆GiRLS’ individual cosplaying and aggressive dance scenes are said to be the highlights of the video. Additionally, on September 28th, SUPER☆GiRLS will release their first live DVD, “First Concert ~Chouzetsu Shoujo ga Tomannai!~“. This DVD will feature the concert that was held at SHIBUYA-AX on December 21st of last year. “Joshiryoku←Paradise” is set to be released on October 5th. Check out the PV below! source: tokyohive...

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Check out the short PV of EXILE’s “Rising Sun”!

EXILE has finally revealed a short PV to their Great Tohoku Earthquake charity song, “Rising Sun”. All proceeds from the song will be donated to the Red Cross of Japan. A message from ATSUSHI can be heard in the lyrics, encouraging people to never give up hope and to keep progressing towards the light. This track will give courage and warm the hearts of anyone who listens to it. Check out the beautiful PV below! source: tokyohive ...

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Sakurai Sho invites 130 nurses to “Kamisama no Karute” pre-screening

On August 15th, Arashi’s Sakurai Sho (29) attended a pre-screening for his new movie, “Kamisama no Karute” and invited 130 nurses as special guests. At this event, he also talked to Nohara Shigeaki (99), the board chairman of St. Luke’s International Hospital, a general hospital located in Tokyo. Sakurai, who played a doctor in this movie, stated, “I have come to understand that there is a deep bond between the doctor and the patient.” Responding to Sakurai’s insight, Nohara said, “Your acting was splendid,” and gave his stamp of approval. Actress Mori Mitsuko, who is an acquaintance of both Sakurai and Nohara’s, gave sunflowers as a surprise present. In the language of flowers, a sunflower carries the meaning of “getting along”. Furthermore,...

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DiVA’s Miyazawa Sae celebrates birthday with live concert

On August 13th, AKB48 sub-unit DiVA celebrated the release of their newest single “Cry” by holding a live event at Ai Chikyuu Haku Memorial Park. August 13th was also member Miyazawa Sae’s birthday, and so despite the intense heat, 2,300 fans gathered for this special event. While the four members were on standby for their next number, “Namida Surprise” started to play instead. The other three members – Akimoto Sayaka, Umeda Ayaka and Masuda Yuka – collaborated with their huge fanbase to surprise Miyazawa by celebrating her birthday together. Touched, Miyazawa thanked everyone and said, “This is the first time in my life that this many people have celebrated my birthday. I’m so thankful for all the fans who cheer on DiVA and myself,...

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Rainbow reveals jacket covers + track list for Japanese single, “A”

Girl group Rainbow are preparing to debut into the J-Pop industry with their hit track, “A“. On August 16th, they revealed the tracklist info and covers for their debut single through their official Japanese website. “A” will come in three editions: Version ‘A’, Version ‘B’, and Version ‘C’. Version ‘A’ will come with a CD and DVD, while version ‘B’ will include a special photobook. Meanwhile, version ‘C’ will feature a bonus track not found in either ‘A’ or ‘B’. Rainbow will release their Japanese single on September 14th. In the meantime, check out the track lists and covers below! + Version A + [Purchase here] Track list: CD 01．A 02．Gossip Girl (“ゴシップガール “) 03．A (Instrumental） DVD 01. A (Music Clip） 02. Belly Dance Lesson 03....

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2PM reveals dance version of “I’m Your Man” MV

2PM are causing a sensation in Japan thanks to their sexy ‘tie dance’ for their new song, “I’m Your Man“. While fans got a good glimpse of it in 2PM’s original MV for the song, this newly-released dance version will definitely allow fans to grab a better look at this hot choreography. Check out 2PM’s alternate music video below! source : allkpop...

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LUNA SEA’s charity concert sells out in five minutes!

Rock band LUNA SEA will be holding a charity concert titled, “A Promise to The Brave“, on October 22nd at Saitama Super Arena. On August 14th, general admission tickets went on sale and it’s been revealed that the concert sold out in just five minutes! Last year, LUNA SEA reunited and attracted 200,000 people to their first world tour. The tickets for the charity concert is expected to be a premium, as this is only activity the band has planned at the moment. All proceeds from the concert and their latest song, “PROMISE“, will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. source: tokyohive...

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X JAPAN puts on a spirited show at ‘SUMMER SONIC’

On August 14th, legendary rock band X JAPAN made an appearance at the ‘SUMMER SONIC 2011‘ rock festival, where they played a 70-minute live on the MARINE STAGE at QVC Marine Field in Chiba. X JAPAN held a press conference prior to the concert and expressed their thoughts on the live. Although the band performed at ‘SUMMER SONIC 2011′ in Osaka the day before, the members showed no signs of weariness. YOSHIKI (drums, piano) kicked off the press conference bysaying, “It’s been over 20 years since the band formed, and I never thought we would be appearing at an international event like this today. I am deeply moved.” Then ToshI (vocal) expressed his thoughts on the Osaka performance with, “It’s been awhile since we performed as X JAPAN in...

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Mizukawa Asami wears a wedding dress for Katsura Yumi’s fashion show

On August 14th, Mizukawa Asami participated in her first runway show for “Katsura Yumi’s Talk & Fashion Show“! Famed bridal fashion designer Katsura Yumi saw Mizukawa’s performance on NHK’s taiga drama, “Gou“, and immediately wanted her to wear her dresses. The actress wore a total of three different dresses and couldn’t stop smiling. She commented, “It’s my dream (to get married someday). Since I’m a woman, it makes me happy to wear such dresses. I couldn’t hold back my imagination during the show.” Mizukawa is rumored to be in a relationship with actor Koide Keisuke, which prompted reporters to ask her about who would stand next to her as her future groom. To their disappointment, Mizukawa didn’t end up telling them anything useful. Meanwhile,...

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SCANDAL’s mini concert under the blazing sun

On Sunday, popular pop rock band SCANDAL celebrated the release of their third album ‘BABY ACTION‘ with another free mini concert. This time they had approximately 3,000 fans grooving to their music right outside the Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens shopping center in Yokohama. A heat wave is currently making its way across the nation and leader HARUNA worried about their fans, “Is everyone doing okay?” she asked at one point. Luckily, sufficient fans and bottles of water had been prepared, to ensure that noone suffered from heatstroke. The four girls performed two songs, including, the very fitting, “Taiyo to Kimi ga Egaku Story“, which roughly translates to ‘The Story Drawn by You and the Sun’. source: tokyohive...

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ZONE releasing members’ new singles at their comeback live

Girl band ZONE has announced that they will be releasing MAIKO and MIYU’s new singles at their August 15th comeback live at Akasaka BLITZ. MIYU will be releasing her first single in three years under her solo name Nagase Miyu. Titled “Lips“, the song presents her approach to R&B and dance music. The single will also include the coupling song, “Crazy“, and the songs’ instrumentals. Meanwhile, MAIKO will be releasing her debut single, “Love Game“, with the band, Jack & Queen. The rock band is made up of MAIKO as the vocalist, Ginji on bass, and Teppei on guitar. The single includes three songs, “Love Game”, “YesorNo“, and “GOOD SHOW“. This single is expected to show MAIKO’s new charms. Both singles will also be available at events...

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Ohashi Nozomi reveals dance video for “Panda no Yume”

Child talento Ohashi Nozomi has uploaded a dance video for her latest song, “Panda no Yume“, onto Pony Canyon’s official YouTube account! Released on July 27th, the song is Ohashi’s second single and is the first official song for Ueno Zoo. On August 14th, Ohashi will perform “Panda no Yume” on NHK’s “MUSIC JAPAN Natsuyasumi Kodomo Special“. She will also sing “Maru-Maru-Mori-Mori” and “Sanbyaku Rokuju Goho no March” with Ashida Mana, Suzuki Fuku, and SMAP’s Katori Shingo. Check out the video below! source: tokyohive ...

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Check out Fairies’ “Road to Debut” Episode 1!

They’re hardly two weeks old, and yet this new girl group has garnered a substantial amount of buzz thanks to the members’ cute looks and charming appeal. The girls of new dance vocal group Fairies wants you to experience their road to stardom with them through a special series of videos! Fairies appeared as cover girls for mobile app “HARAJUKU Girls vol.4“, and now they’re releasing a series of videos for people to watch. In this first episode, the girls are seen walking around before entering the studio where they will take photos for their CD jackets for the first time. Check out the short video below! source: tokyohive...

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Dream Morning Musume’s Kusumi Koharu to make her runway debut in September

Dream Morning Musume member Kusumi Koharu is set to make her runway debut this September! Kusumi will be a guest model at KOBE COLLECTION 2011 AUTUMN/WINTER, which will take place on September 4th in Kobe and September 17th in Tokyo. Unfortunately, Kusumi will only be showing her charms at the event in Kobe. The ‘KOBE COLLECTION 2011 AUTUMN/WINTER’ event is one of the biggest fashion shows in Japan, and will feature a variety of domestic and international brands. source: tokyohive...

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SID reveals title of new single + track list

In July, tokyhive reported that Visual Kei band SID would be releasing a new single this year. At the time, the single was untitled… until now! Their new single is called “Itsuka“, and it’ll be released on September 28th. “Itsuka” will also be the opening theme song to TBS’s “CDTV” music show starting in September. “Itsuka” is the band’s first single in 10 months. It was written by the band’s guitarist, Shinji, while the coupling song “Shuufuu” was written by bassist, Aki. Meanwhile, the third track will be a live version of “NO LDK“. The song is available on their album “dead stock“, which was released in February of this year. There are three versions of the single, in which two will include a DVD. Check out the full track list below! ...

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Arashi takes over the September issue of “with”

Popular group Arashi appeared in the September issue of “with” magazine, providing wonderful eye candy as their way of celebrating the magazine’s 30th anniversary. In their 12-page pictorial, the members of Arashi showed off their personalities in a series of solo shots and group pictures tied together by the red string of fate. The magazine also includes brief appearances by talento Becky and actress Takei Emi. source: tokyohive...

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Check out August 8th’s performances from ‘Coming Soon!!’

This week’s episode of “Coming Soon!!” hosted the ladies of Korean pop group SECRET, who were also the topic of the show’s “Coming Review” corner. Other guest performances included Kis-My-Ft2, SOPHIA, DiVA, NAOTO INTI RAYMI, and Ryosan (Katori Shingo). Check out the performances below: < Secret – “Madonna” > **Performance starts at 0:49 mark** source: tokyohive...

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Voice actors revealed for new ‘HUNTER X HUNTER’ anime

Togashi Yoshihiro’s popular manga series, ‘HUNTER X HUNTER‘, has made its comeback on August 8th’s issue of the weekly ‘Shonen Jump‘! In this issue, the list of voice actors for the upcoming anime series was revealed. The voice cast is different compared to the anime series that aired before. Ise Mariya, voice actress for Cure Lemonade in ‘Yes! Pretty Cure 5‘, will be voicing the role of ‘Killua‘. ‘Kurapika‘ will be played by Sawashiro Miyuki, who was the voice for Lag in ‘Tegami Bachi‘. They have also revealed that ‘Leorio‘ will be voiced by Fujiwara Keiji, and that Namikawa Daisuke will play the role of ‘Hisoka‘. Fujiwara Keiji is best known for playing the character of Nohara Hiroshi in ‘Crayon Shinchan‘ and Namikawa Daisuke voiced the...

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Hey! Say! JUMP apologizes for their member’s smoking scandal

On August 7th, popular idol group Hey! Say! JUMP made an appearance at the Tokyo Dome City Hall for their “SUMMARY 2011” show. Prior to their show, however, the nine members of the group held a press conference to apologize for Morimoto Ryutaro’s recent smoking scandal. Morimoto, whose entertainment activities have been temporarily suspended, was named as ‘Member A‘ in Japanese media reports due to his status as a minor – he is 16 years old. The remaining Hey! Say! JUMP members apologized by saying, “We want to apologize for breaking our fans’ dreams. We are reflecting on what happened deeply“. This is the first time that the remaining nine members of Hey! Say! JUMP made a group appearance in front of the press after the scandal was revealed...

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Which song has lyrics that are too sexy?

Mobile site JOYSOUND recently conducted a poll asking its users what song they thought contained lyrics that are too sexy. Coming in first place is Acid Black Cherry’s “Black Cherry“, thanks to its provocative lyrics expressing a woman’s desires. Voters commented, “When I heard sexy, this was the only song I could think of. Or rather… it’s completely erotic!” and “From a woman’s point of view, I can really sympathize with the lyrics. It’s a very painful song.” Check out the full ranking below! 1. Black Cherry – Acid Black Cherry 2. Eh? Ah Sou – papiyon (Choucho-P) 3. Ima Sugu Hoshii – Sugar Soul / Koda Kumi 4. Quville – flumpool 5. Kuchibiru Kara Romantica – AAA 6. Cutie Honey – Koda Kumi 7. Natsu Koi Natsu Game – An Cafe 8. Mitsuyubi...

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Check out the full audio for C-ute’s “Sekai Ichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko”

Earlier today, we reported on the jacket covers for C-ute’s new single, “Sekai Ichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko“. Now, we’ve got a radio rip of their latest track!“Sekai Ichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko” delivers that bright feel C-ute is known for, but with smoother, more harmonized sound from the girls. Guess they’re growing up fast! Check out the full audio for “Sekai Ichi HAPPY na Onna no Ko” below:source: tokyohive...

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Check out the audio + PV preview for Matsushita Yuya’s “SUPER DRIVE”!

The full audio and PV preview for Matsushita Yuya’s 9th single, “SUPER DRIVE”, has been revealed!This track has an amazing beat that will really want to make you bust out some moves while listening to it. In fact, that’s just what Yuya delivers in his PV, which sees some hot choreography and graphics! Don’t forget to purchase the single on August 24th and check out its coupling tracks: “ROCK WITH YOU (Michael Jackson Cover)”, “Hot Girl!!”, and “Lonely Rain”.source: tokyohive...

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Matsushita Yuya reveals full PV for “Super Drive”

After two quick releases today for his latest single, “Super Drive“, Matsushita Yuya is back with his full PV!As promised in the teaser, “Super Drive” is a bass-thumping track with an aggressive choreography to match. Yuya plays up the part of a heartthrob perfectly, dressed in a sharp suit while being surrounded by the ladies. Check out his super hot PV below!source : tokyohive...

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GIRL NEXT DOOR releases short version of “Dada Para!!”!

It was only a day ago that avex trax released the dance version of “Dada Para!!” by GIRL NEXT DOOR.This short version of the music video is exactly how the group members described the song as “a song that will liven things up.” The music video shows the members partying with friends and having a good time. The song is the group’s next single due out September 7th.Check out the short version of “Dada Para!!” below!source: tokyohive...

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PUFFY to voice act for anime series, “Usagi Drop”

Pop duo PUFFY will be taking up the challenge of voice acting for the first time in five years for the 9th episode of the Fuji TV anime, “Usagi Drop“. This was decided upon after having their song, “SWEET DROPS“, chosen as the theme song for the anime. “Usagi Drop” is a story about an ‘ikumen‘ who raises his grandfather’s illegitimate child. PUFFY will voice after school supervisors who were created in their image by the novelist Unita Yumi.After the recording, PUFFY member Yoshimura Yumi commented, “I was surprised at how everyone’s voice carried through; even the kids do it really well. I was like a borrowed cat (quiet and meek).” Oonuki Ami stated, “Pros are amazing. I was nervous from the pressure.” Ami has three lines and Yumi has six...

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