STC makes it onto Yahoo! Japan

So we found out earlier today (yes earlier) that we made Yahoo! Japan’s Entertainment News section!

We made headlines!

Filed under: Entertainment, J-Pop, Japan, Japanese entertainment, News , akb48, ameba, ameblo, excite japan, japanese blogs, new york anime festival, nyaf, yahoo, yahoo japan

Oricon Charts

Oricon Daily Rankings for the week of Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

Singles:
1 AKB48 – RIVER
2 AAA – Hide-away
3 Cheryl Nom starring May’N  - pink monsoon [Limited | Normal]
4 Ken Hirai – Boku wa kimi ni koi wo suru (Limited Release w/DVD)
5 B’z – MY LONELY TOWN [Limited | Normal]
6 Ui Hirosawa (Madoka Yonezawa) – Lovely Sister LOVE (K-ON! Image song)
7 Nodoka Manabe (Chika Fujito) – Coolly Hotty Tension Hi!! (K-ON! Image song)
8 Kana Nishino – motto…
9 Kiyoshi Hikawa- Tokimeki no Rumba
10 Naotarou Moriyama – Namida [Limited | Normal]

Albums:
1 Aqua Timez – The BEST of Aqua Timez [Limited | Normal]
2 Ayaka – ayaka’s History 2006-2009 [Photobook | Limited | Normal]
3 Yuzu – FURUSATO
4 Backstreet Boys – This Is Us [Limited | Normal]
5 m-flo – MF10-10th Anniversary Best
6 Madonna – Celebration [Limited (2CD)| Normal]
7 the pillows – ooparts [Limited | Normal]
8 KomeKome Club – SUNRICE [Limited A| Limited B | Normal]
9 SEAMO – Best of SEAMO [Limited A | Limited B | Normal]
10 YU-A – You Are My Love [Limited | Normal]

*All Limited Editions come with a DVD.

DVD:
1 Shonannokaze – Kaze Densetsu -Nuretamanma de Icchatte Tour ‘09
2 BREAKERZ – BREAKERZ LIVE 2009 “WISH” in Nippon Budokan
3 Namie Amuro – BEST FICTION TOUR 2008-2009 [DVD | Blu-ray]
4 Tohoshinki – 4th Live Tour 2009 -The Secret Code- Final in Tokyo Dome
5 MADONNA – Celebration
6 Dreams Come True – 20th Anniversary Dreams Come True Concert Tour 2009 “Dori Shitemasu?” [Limited | Normal | Blu-ray]
7 KinKi Kids – KinKi you DVD [Limited | Normal]
8 20th Centery/Coming Century – 20th Century Live Tour 2009 Honey Honey Honey / We are Coming Century Boys Live Tour 2009 [Limited | Normal]
9 Kariyushi 58 – kariyushi TV Sono 1
10 Kanjani8 - Tour 2009 PUZZLE 8 show Document

Filed under: Entertainment, J-Pop, J-Rock, Japan, Japanese entertainment, New Releases , blu-ray, cd, DVD, oricon, oricon charts, oricon ranking, singles

Congratulations to Hitomi Yaida

We want to wish Hitomi Yaida a big congratulations to her first baby girl! Hitomi gave birth and announced it on her official website on 10/28.  When she first held the baby she thought, “Finally! We get to meet!” and a feeling of “we’re finally parents” overwhelmed the singer.

Yaida also received many warm messages from fans on her myspace.

Filed under: Entertainment, Events, J-Pop, J-Rock, Japan, Japanese entertainment, News , hitomi yaida

The Big Bang Theory

Big Bang makes the crack in Japan.

The most promising of these is Big Bang, a domestically successful five-man hip-hop group formed through a Making the Band – style reality show in 2006. A Japanese-language mini-album (With U) enjoyed some success in 2008. Big Bang now hope their debut full-length Japanese-language release — having entered Japan’s charts at No. 3 — will deliver the coup de grace. The good looks of the creators certainly won’t harm the disc’s chances.

While I can argue with the fact that their “Japanese-language mini-album (With U)” isn’t really Japanese-language, at least Big Bang is making waves not just in Korea and Japan but here as well.

If you actually listen to the “With U” mimi-album, its all English with bits of Japanese thrown in. Actually if you listen to both mini-albums that they released in 2008, I wouldn’t say they are Japanese-language albums, more like “Japanese releases”. It’s all their Korean songs sung in English with the exception of maybe two or three. Their Japanese full album was okay. Wish they spent more time on it, but what can you do right?

I’m happy that they are making way, I just hope they don’t get stuck in Japan like DBSK.

Read full article here.

Filed under: Entertainment, Events, J-Pop, Japan, Japanese entertainment, K-Pop, Korea, Korean Entertainment, News, YG entertainment , Big Bang

w-inds. + Ne-Yo = The Truth

Earlier this month we shared the news of w-inds. finally releasing a new single “New World”/”The Truth~saigo no shinjutsu~.”

It has been announced that the special guest artist on the single will be American artist Ne-Yo. He will be a guest artist on the single “The Truth~saigo no shinjitsu.” The song will also be the ending theme song to the Japanese version of “House Season 2″.

Limited Edition A
1. New World *Imai’s version
2. The Truth~saigo no shinjutsu~
3. FIGHTING FOR LOVE
4. New World (Instrumental)
< DVD >
New World PV

Limited Edition B
1. Truth~saigou no shinjutsu~ (with Ne-Yo)
2. New World
3. TRIBUTE
4. Truth~saigou no shinjutsu~ (Instrumental)
< DVD >
Truth~saigou no shinjutsu~ PV

Regular Edition
1. New World
2. Truth~saigou no shinjutsu~
3. FIGHTING FOR LOVE
4. TRIBUTE
extra: 1 of 4 stickers

source: vf

Filed under: Entertainment, J-Pop, Japan, Japanese entertainment, New Releases, News , ne-yo, vision factory, w-inds.

Big Bang wants to hear your voice

Big Bang is back with their third single, “Koe wo kisasete” (Let me hear your voice). The song will be the theme song to new drama “Ohitorisama” that stars Alisa Mizuki and Teppei Koike.

There will be three different versions, of course with different goodies.

This song is very J-Pop; very Christmas-like theme, literally. I do like this song though. TaeYang just has one of those voices that is so ‘easy listening’. Daesung and SeungRi also sound good, but TaeYang sounds the best in this song. GD and TOP sound like themselves. Really can’t say anything because they’re rapping is the i-sound-the-same-not-so-changing rap melody. And according to CDJ, Teddy is one of the composers of this song. Teddy is an awesome producer, no wonder I like this song.

I just wish they would come up with better covers to their albums and singles. Really, are we on a creativity block?

I’m excited are you?

Just a note… this hasn’t even been released and the Limited Edition with goods is sold out at CDJ. I’m sad I really wanted that one.

Regular Edition [CD Only]
Cat#UPCH-5632
1048yen (taxin)
Pre-order: CDJ | Amazon Japan
Track list:
1 Koe wo kikasete
2 ORA Yeah!
3 Koe wo kikasete -Club Remix-

Limited Edition A [CD+DVD]
Cat#UPCH-9532
1714yen (taxin)
Pre-order: CDJ | Amazon Japan
Track list:
1 Koe wo kikasete
2 ORA Yeah!
3 Koe wo kikasete -Acoustic Version-

Limited Edition B [CD+DVD+Goods]
Cat#UPCH-9531
2190yen (taxin)
Pre-order: CDJ | Amazon Japan
Extra: Earphone cord holder (SOL version)
Track list:
1 Koe wo kikasete
2 ORA Yeah!
3 Koe wo kikasete -Acoustic Version-

Filed under: Entertainment, J-Pop, Japan, Japanese entertainment, K-Pop, Korea, Korean Entertainment, New Releases, News, YG entertainment , Big Bang, koe wo kikasete, ohitorisama

A special memorial for Jasmine You

Earlier this year bassist Jasmine You passed away. Now several months later his band, Versailles, will hold a special event for him, “Versailles Presents Jasmine You – Memorial Ceremony-“. This special event will be held at SHIBUYA O-EAST on 1/4/2010.

Other guests to appear are Kaya and Matenrou Opera.

Tickets will officially be on sale to the public on 11/21, but members of Versailles official fanclub “NOBLE” will be able to purchase tickets through their mobile phones on 11/2.

Filed under: Entertainment, Events, J-Rock, Japan, Japanese entertainment, News , jasmine you, kaya, matenrou opera, versailles, visual kei, vk

Yuu Shirota & D-Boys on their 1st nation-wide tour

The ‘ikemen’ of D-Boys will make their first nation-wide tour this coming winter, December 28. Shirota Yuu and D-Boys had an event together for the CD release of “Natsu doko 2009″. Junji Igarashi and 19 other members are alumni’s of this group including Shirota Yuu, where they all interacted with fans in various places.

During a summer event in Akihabara, about 10,000 fans came to the recording of “Natsu doko 2009″. They held a “Thank you show” called “Winter doko 2009″. It was an overwhelming power of midwinter ‘ikemen’.

With members of D-Boys in various dramas and having original radio shows, the tour is expected to draw out many fans.

Finally an update. I know we’ve been slow, but some of us have gotten wind of the nasty virus going around.

Some good news though or not, people will get to see Igarashi and Shirota get their groove on as they will dance on stage during the tour.

source: sanspo

Filed under: Entertainment, Events, J-Pop, Japan, Japanese entertainment, News , d-boys, juunji igarashi, yuu shirota