Of course you were wondering what happened with the blog, without any update but there is a reason, Up-Front Link is also in Seattle.
Entrance of Sakura-Con
You will see in exclusivity the booth of Berryz Kobo and the banner the members signed for the drawing of HelloStoreUSA booth!!
Members signing the banner at HelloStoreUSA's booth (who will recognize the back of all members?)
Nice result!!
Berryz Kobo's booth, the costume should change, do not worry!
Exact location of Berryz Kobo's booth: Hall 4E, 711
HelloStoreUSA's booth: Hall 4E, 610-612
Do not hesitate to come and let's see who will win the banner and the signed messages of each member ;)
So be sure do buy CD and goodies! A donation box and some other surprises are also there...
It was quite a rainy day on April, 9th. But still, people were waiting for the beginning of the event with umbrellas in Yokohama Yamashita's park. Some were there for many hours under the cold rain.
The public was well balanced, many fans of idols of course but also many parents and their children and also many girls.
This day had to be special and it has really been!
98 artists of Up-Front Group on stage
Genki Aizawa and Junko Shinoda arrived on stage to introduce this event.The mayor of the city Fumiko Hayashi made a nice talk to the public and wished people to come back to the park like they were used to do in the past.
So after the official people, it was the turn of the some talents of Up-Front Group to talk like Takao Horiuchi, Shoko Aida, Chisato Moritaka and of course Tsunku♂.
Takao Horiuchi
Shoko Aida
Chisato Moritaka
Tsunku♂
KAN
KAN, the writer of the song Ai wa Katsu, was the last to talk with a powerful Ganbarou Nippon!! (Let's do our best Japan!!). All the artists sang this nice song followed by the audience, many thousands of people!!
Ganbarou Nippon!!
Then all the artists have been divided in several groups in three areas: Yamashita Park, Chinatown and Motomachi.
Some were saying thank you and checking hands to the people giving money and the other ones were selling charity t-shirts to the people.
Comedian Tokihide Okami from Joujou Gundan
Saki Ogawa from S/mileage
Kaori Iida selling a t-shirt to a young girl
Tsunku♂and Mari Yaguchi asking people to come to buy t-shirts
Mai Satoda and two T-Pistonz members asking people to come and buy t-shirts
Maya Hayashi and Noriko Kato selling t-shirts
Many artists like Mari Yaguchi, Koharu Kusumi, etc. in Chinatown area to thank people for their generosity
Tsunku♂ at the entrance of temple in Chinatown to thank people
Long line of people waiting to give money
Aya Matsuura, KAN, Erina Mano, Takui Nakajima and Yuki Maeda at the Motomachi area
So do not forget you can buy this charity song on iTunes here and Ganbarou Nippon!!!
The official Dream Morning Musume。's website has just open here and there are also many videos of the press conference I talked about some times ago, so enjoy now!!
S/mileage will release their new single Koi ni Booing Buu! on April, 27th. Their Leur YouTube channel has put online the MV of this song, you can see it just under this post.
It will be possible to see some of the charity Ganbarou Nippon Ai wa Katsu project on the official Ustream channel which has just been made for this occasion, so check this link!
The Morning Musume。 who came last year to Japan Expo in France for a crazy concert have the possibility to win two Japan Expo Awards. Here is the link to vote. So support them while voting like this:
Best group or artist
Best album
You have to vote for the other categories, add your email and suscribe or not to the Japan Expo mailing list and clic to validate your vote.
Then you should have this which means your vote was ok:
Spread this news and make the Morning Musume。 win those two awards!! (of course, one vote per IP/email). Thank you in advance :)
Edit: an email with a link will be sent to validate your vote, mine was in my spam box so be careful!
Today this is not only the single's day of the Morning Musume。(available here on iTunes) but also the 6th album of the ℃-ute, Chou Wonderful!⑥ (available here on iTunes).
Today is the release of the 45th single of the Morning Musume。, Maji desu ka suka?
The new members, called as the "Kyū Ki" (9期 which means 9th generation) and myself wished to give you a bonus thanks to this special day and for the blog.
During a break between work, they made this picture for you, readers of this blog living in overseas !!
From left to right: Kanon Suzuki, Riho Sayashi, Erina Ikuta et Mizuki
Fukushima
You can read in Japanese "Maji de ? UP-FRONT LINK", which is a small joke with the name of the single and the translation which means somehow "Really ? UP-FRONT LINK".
Did you order your copy ? Did you take several versions ?
A small reminder, it will be the first single with the new members of the 9th generation and besides, there will be 4 special versions with for each the interview of one of the new member and a PV in an alternate version.
Limited version A includes the interview of Mizuki Fukumura.
Limited version B includes the interview of Erina Ikuta.
Limited version C includes the interview of Riho Sayashi.
Limited version D includes the interview of Kanon Suzuki.
Now you just have to proove to the girls and myself you are following the blog like they request!!
We would like to express our sincere and deepest sympathy to everyone who has been affected by the huge earthquake which happened in eastern Japan. Our prays go to those who died and suffered.
Now, Up-Front Group as well as the related artists, the associated companies and their artists will launch the "Ganbarou Nippon Ai wa Katsu" (in English "Do your best Japan, Love will win") Project.
During this project we will organize many activities, like songs for example, for the people who suffered from the disaster as well as for their family and everyone, with our small possibilities of helping and collecting.
First of all, on April 9th from 11AM, in the park of Yokohama, with the support of executive committees and joint sponsorship, 98 people of the Up-Front Group as well as the related artists will take part of the project "Ganbarou Nippon Ai wa Katsu" ～From Yokohama with love～.
The song of KAN "Ai wa Katsu" will be sing by everyone. Then the event will take place not only in the park of Yokohama, "Yamashita Kouen" but also in Motomachi and Chinatown.
Fund-raising activities will be carried out until 4PM.
Takao Horiuchi will lead the charity song Ai wa Katsu with 131 people from Up-Front Group as well as the associated companies. This song will be available on Recochoku (official download platform) and other websites on the same day, April 9th.
In addition, from now, each concert, each event as well as HP, etc. will invite for donations money for eastern Japan.
This activity of collecting funds will be for the Japanese Red CrossSociety.
Up-Front Group as well as associated companies will go to the disaster area for the restoration.
All of our artists and staff will support the slogan "Ganbarou Nippon Ai wa Katsu" and continue to give his assistance in the future.
Thank you all in advance for your cooperation and understanding.
You Kikkawa held on sunday two pre-debut events in the Tower Records shop of Shibuya. Of course Up-Front Link was there to make a report of this event, and this time I took many pictures!
Tower Records of Shibuya
After what happened in Japan, unfortunately You had to cancel many events and the release of her single has been postponed to May, 11th. But still, while being more and more present in the medias, she is also trying her best to be close to her new fans.
So on this sunday, many fans came to see her singing and to check her hand.
Entrance of the stage
As soon as she comes on stage, people are singing, jumping, dancing with penlights while You is singing her first single Kikkake wa YOU!
You begins to sing...
Then it's time to dance!
End of the song
She continues to sing other songs, without letting her fans taking a break.
You singing
And after 4 songs, a staff from Universal comes on stage to ask her some fans' questions. She talks about the movies she likes, and she recently saw Paranormal Activity!!
You's dreams...
Her next dream is to go to many places to meet people and also to go to Kōhaku Uta Gassen (famous annual TV show on New Year's Eve).
Then she sang her last song after more than 30 minutes of show.
You dancing
It's gonna be the end!
And few minutes after her last song, it is time for the handshake event. As usual she is smiling to all her fans who are totally happy.
Handshake event
I couldn't let you just like this and here is a bonus with this picture!!
This time I will introduce you Gen Takayama, another artist of Up-Front.
Gen Takayama
Profile
In 1971, Gen Takayama with Hirofumi Banba and Hiroshi Imai create the band Banban.
And after leaving the group, in 1975, on July, 1st Gen releases his first single solo "Wasuremasen". The same year on August, 21th, he has his first album "Kono Yo ni ha Ai ga nasasugiru". He continues his musical activities the following years with 5 albums.
In 1991, the song "Nakuna yo" becomes a popular song and in 1992 "Kokoro koorasete" is a huge hit. For this song in 1993, Gen wins the 35th Nihon Record Taishou Sakushi prize (Japan Record Award song lyrics), the 26th Nihon Sakushi Taishou Yuushuu Sakuhin prize (Japan excellence song lyrics Award) and the 26th Zen Nihon Yuusenhousou Taishou Grand Prix (All-Japan cable broadcast first prize) and is part of the 44th famous NHK Kouhakuutagassen for the first time.
In 1996, he celebrates his 25th anniversary with the single "Minna Yume Yume Yume" and wins the 29th Nihon Yuusen Taishou Ongaku Yuushou prize (Japan Cable Radio Music Awards).
After singing some productions songs of Tsunku♂, in 2002, 28 years later, Gen conducts a revival concert of the band Banban.
Since the song "Kokoro Koorasete", the women became the center of his songs but in June 2006, to celebrate his 35th debut anniversary, he sings "Ine no Funauta", a song about men and he plays in a drama called "Shouwa Kayou Theater" for the first time, to expend his carrier.
And here are some videos of Gen Takayama:
- Takayama Gen Hikigatari LIVE "GEN-TEN vol.8" (medley of some songs while singing to one's own accompaniment)
- Takayama Gen Hikigatari LIVE "GEN-TEN vol.9" (medley of some songs while singing to one's own accompaniment)
- Takayama Gen Hikigatari LIVE "GEN-TEN vol.9" (medley of some songs while singing to one's own accompaniment)
This month Berryz Kobo will be at the Sakura-Con!!
HelloStoreUSA made an information page about their coming here.
Then the Berryz Kobo answered to some questions of the american label JapanFileswhich will release an American version of their next album 7 Berryz Times.
You can also find here a part of the interview the members gave to the magazine Ibuki.
