The story depicts the life of a gourmet who marries into a family in Osaka and how she lives through the turbulent Taisho and Showa eras.

The script is written by Yoshiko Morishita who has written many popular TV dramas such as TBS’s “JIN.”

“I am very honored to be given this role,” said Watanabe, whose father is accliamed actor Ken Watanabe. “It will be a long shoot, but together, with the great crew and my fellow cast members, I will be able to get through it.”

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com

TOKYO — Model and singer Anna Tsuchiya, 28, is the winner of “The 8th FUR OF THE YEAR” award, which is given by the Japan Fur Association to the celebrity whose image best matches fur.

The association said Tsuchiya was chosen because of her “open-minded personality and frank fashion sense.” Tsuchiya was also given an opportunity to design an original fur coat.

At the award ceremony this week, Tsuchiya showed her mink coat designed by both herself and her husband, stylist Yamato Kikuchi. “I focused on quality. My husband knows what I like, so we completed the designing pretty quickly,” she said. “It was his idea to put a wire in the collar so that it’s easy to change the shape according to different hairstyles.”

Past winners of the Fur of the Year award include Aya Ueto, Meisa Kuroki, Maki Tamaru and Miki Mizuno.

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com

TOKYO — Model-singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, 19, announced this week that her world concert tour will start in February. She made the announcement during her first concert before 9,000 fans at the Budokan in Tokyo.

The colorful Kyary will kick off her global tour in Belgium (Feb 8), then France (Feb 10), before playing in 20 different venues in over 10 countries in Europe, North America and Asia.

Since she made her singing debut last August, Kyary has been on top of hit charts abroad as well as receiving great exposure on YouTube. Promoters said her latest single, “Fashion Monster,” has been distributed to 63 countries, selling well on iTunes in Finland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the U.S. and Canada.

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com

TOKYO — Popular all-girl South Korean group Girls’ Generation will release their second album in Japan on Nov 28. Posters showing the girls dressed as flight attendants have been released in Japan for their fans.

Titled “Girls’ Generation: Girls & Peace,” the album features 12 tracks, including the single “Flower Power,” which will be released in advance on Nov 14.

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com

TOKYO — Kumi Koda’s first single since she returned to show business after giving birth in the summer has reached the No. 1 spot on the Oricon chart, having sold more than 55,00 copies since its release on Oct 24.

The single is titled “Go to the Top” and is her 8th song to hit the No. 1 spot on Oricon. The year is ending well for Koda whose last album “JAPON ESQUE”—released in January—also reached the top spot.

“I languished, not knowing what direction I was going to take after life-changing events such as marriage and having a baby,” she said in a statement. “But I decided to come back to the stage and I am thrilled beyond words to be back in the No. 1 spot.”

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com

TOKYO — Actress Ryoko Yonekura had her first public bathhouse experience while filming TV Asahi’s new drama “Doctor X ~Gekai Daimon Michiko~,” which starts airing Thursday night from 9 p.m.

The drama revolves around the unusual lifestyle of a charismatic freelance surgeon, Michiko Daimon, played by Yonekura, who works at multiple hospitals. Michiko is not your average doctor, oozing sex appeal and wearing miniskirts under her white coat. Under a special contract, which allows Michiko to leave her work at 5 p.m., she enjoys her “after 5” life by dancing at clubs, playing Mahjong, and going to hot springs and public bathhouses.

During filming, Yonekura, 37, visited a public bathhouse in Tokyo for the first time in her life. She said she enjoyed soaking in the bath against a huge wall painting of Mount Fuji, TV Asahi reported.

When it comes to Yonekura’s own “after 5” life, she said she is not unlike her character. “I do love going out and drinking sake, but I go to the gym to keep in shape. I also do exercises while listening to the radio.”

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com

TOKYO — Public broadcaster NHK on Tuesday announced that actress Maki Horikita and all-male pop band Arashi will host the 63rd “Kohaku Uta Gassen” (Red and White Song Contest) on New Year’s Eve.

The announcement of the hosts was made a bit earlier than usual this year. The line-up of guests for the popular program will be unveiled in early December.

Arashi will be hosting the gala show for the third consecutive year, while Horikita, 24, will be making her debut, taking over from Mao Inoue. She has been starring this year in NHK’s popular drama, “Ume-chan sensei.”

Japan Today

www.japantoday.com