Keisuke Kuwata, the former leader of rock band the Southern All Stars, continues his recovery from cancer treatment with three successive appearances on "Music Station" (TV Asahi, Fri., 7 p.m.). This week it's appearance number two. On each show he performs one song from his new "three-sided single," which will be released on Aug. 17. It all leads up to his comeback concert in Miyagi Prefecture in September.
Also on the show are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, one of the biggest concert draws in the world, who will be making their second-ever live appearance on "Music Station." They're in Japan to headline the Summer Sonic rock festival. To round things off, retro-rock hit-makers Love Psychedelico will be on hand.
As is widely known, Japan's situation was so desperate in the closing days of World War II that everyone was mobilized to fend off the Americans, even children. "Saigo no Kizuna" ("The Last Ties"; Fuji TV, Sat., 9 p.m.) dramatizes the story of the Tekketsu Kinno Tai (Emperor's Iron-blooded Army), a group of Okinawan junior high and high school boys organized to defend their island.