South Korean boyband BTS donates $1 million to Black Lives Matter
Popular South Korean band BTS donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter (BLM) in support of U.S. protests against police brutality, its music label, Big Hit Entertainment, said Sunday. On Thursday, the seven-member BTS wrote on its Twitter account that they are against racism and ...
Manga artist George Akiyama, known as the author of the "Haguregumo" manga series, died on May 12, major publisher Shogakukan Inc. announced Monday. He was 77. The manga creator, whose real name was Yuji Akiyama, was born in Tokyo and grew up in Ashikaga, Tochigi ...
Former AKB48 star Mayu Watanabe retires from show business, citing health issues
Mayu Watanabe, a former member of the popular Japanese all-girl idol group AKB48, has retired from the entertainment industry due to health reasons, her agency said Monday. Watanabe, 26, has left the agency, saying health issues would make it difficult for her to continue working ...
'Terrace House' season canceled following death of Hana Kimura
Producers at Fuji TV announced on Wednesday evening that its hit reality show “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” has been canceled following the death of one of its young stars, 22-year-old pro wrestler Hana Kimura. A message on the official website read in part “We would ...
Notes uncovered detailing 'Terrace House' star Hana Kimura's suicide
Top politicians in Japan have spoken up about the need to deal with cyberbullying following the death of Hana Kimura, who apparently killed herself after facing hundreds of hateful messages online. Kimura, a 22-year-old pro wrestler and star of the popular reality show “Terrace House,” ...
Pro wrestler and ‘Terrace House’ star Hana Kimura dies at 22
Professional wrestler and current cast member of the Netflix series “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” Hana Kimura was confirmed dead Saturday by World Wonder Wing Stardom, a women’s wrestling league in Japan she was signed to. Kimura was 22. Stardom issued an official announcement on both ...
California to reopen filming, but coronavirus hub Los Angeles is 'weeks behind'
California will unveil plans to reopen its world-famous entertainment industry next week but coronavirus hotspot Los Angeles faces further delays, the state's governor said Wednesday. Film and television productions in California have been shuttered since mid-March due to the pandemic. The majority of the state's 58 ...
Haruki Murakami to DJ 'Stay Home' radio special as coronavirus state of emergency continues
The acclaimed novelist hopes the music will blow away "corona-related blues."
Homemade anime: Studio Ghibli producer offers online lesson on how to draw Totoro
Time on your hands and a love of anime? A producer from Japan's Studio Ghibli is offering an online tutorial for drawing one of its most beloved characters: Totoro. Toshio Suzuki, former president of the Tokyo-based studio, contributed the video to a website intended to ...
No kissing, no extras: How to make TV in the age of the virus
How do you film a soap opera in the age of the coronavirus, when kissing is banned, makeup is scaled back and extras are seen as a danger to everyone’s health? TV producers around the world will be closely watching as "Neighbours” — Australia’s longest-running, ...
John Prine, revered American folk songwriter, dies of coronavirus complications
John Prine, an American folk legend widely considered one of his generation's most influential songwriters, died following complications of coronavirus Tuesday, his publicist said on behalf of his family. He was 73 years old. On April 3 Prine's wife Fiona had posted on social media ...
Ken Shimura’s entertainment legacy spans generations
Entertainer Ken Shimura didn’t belong to any single generation. Following news that the 70-year-old comedian had died on Sunday from pneumonia caused by COVID-19, TV broadcasters on Monday featured both Shimura’s contemporaries and much younger personalities visibly upset over his passing. On social media, fans ...
