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| Updated on May 26, 2008 |
| May 26 If you would like to see trailers for some of Koji Yakusho movies, please click here. May 25 Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Tokyo Sonata" has won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard program at Cannes. May 21 Koji Yakusho's official blog set up a photo of the Best Actor Award trophy from Filma Madrid. Koji Yakusho was awarded the Best Actor Award for his performance in "Zo no Senaka" at the first Film Madrid International Film Festival in early April, 2008. May 18 The official website for Tokyo Sonata has just opened. Here is the review by Midnight Eye. May 1 On March 13, 2008, the Asahi shimbun put an interview with Koji Yakusho about his hobby, woodwork. I have made a rough translation for this interview. April 26 Koji Yakusho's office has announced that, due to his tight schedule, Koji will be unable to be present at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival for the screening day of "Tokyo Sonata", which has been named for "Un Certain Regard". However, director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Teruyuki Kagawa and Kyoko Koizumi will attend on this occasion. April 24 The first teaser trailer for "Paco and the Magical Picture Book" is now available on the official website. In the understanding of Koji's fans, koji is always as handsome and sexy as in the roles of Nobu, Yasujiro and Hara Jubei, for instance; but in this film... well, he is marvellous! April 23 "TOKYO SONATA" directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa has been selected for Un Ceratin Regard at the 61st Cannes International Film Festival. Variety reports all the lineup for Cannes. April 23 Koji's new Kirin Namacha (cold green tea) has recently started being shown on TV. Here is its site. April 21 Koji Yakusho's new TV commercials (Chuo Mitsui Trust Bank) started on April 19. The background is that Koji feels moved, watching a film of a man on his retirement day. April 14 On April 14 Koji Yakusho's official website announced that Koji was awarded the best actor award for "Zo no Senaka" at the first International Madrid Film Festival (FilmaMadrid), which was held from March 28 to April 5. April 9 Would you like to see a scene photo from "Paco and the Magical Picture Book", which is due to be released nationwide in Japan on September 13? Here it is. Can you tell where Koji Yakusho is? April 7 A stimulating review of "Sakebi / Retribution". March 23 Koji is on You Tube receiving his award at the Deauville Asian Film Festival." (Thanks, ddp5373) March 18 Koji Yakusho's official website was updated today. Koji reported his participation in the Deauville Asian Film Festival. Here are two photos of Koji at the Film Festival on his own site. The Film Festival site itself has 30 photos taken during the Festival, including three photos of Koji. Click the Festival site and then click "Photo". March 14 Would you like to see what the trophy for the tribute at the Deauville Asian Film festival is like? well, here it is. Koji Yakusho's official website has just put the photo of the trophy which Koji received on March 13. March 10 The R2 DVD of "Silk" will be released on May 23, 2008. Reportedly it has special features:making of Silk footage (28 min.) Ryuichi Sakamoto in Silk (11min.), and trailer collection. March 7 Koji Yakusho's official website was updated yesterday. The news is that on March 13, Koji will be awarded tribute at the 10th Deauville Asian Film Festival and that seven of Koji's films are to be shown there. Koji's office says that he will attend on that accasion. Those seven films are: Unagi / The Eel, Akaihashi no shitano Nurui mizu / Warm Water under a Red Bridge) , Memoirs of a Geisha/ Sayuri, Babel, Eureka, Sakebi / Retribution and Zo-no Senaka /Walking My Life (International title). I am especially happy at the news that Koji's latest film, Zou-no Senaka is included in the list. I hear that this film has sometimes been shown as "Walking My Life" with English subtitles on Japan Airline intertnational flights. March 1 The about us page of Film Bridge International needs attention. It says: "Combining with top Directing and Producing talent, FBI has expanded its feature film business. Along with noted producer Jonathan Sanger (producer of "Vanilla Sky," "Mission Impossible II,""Elephant Man" and the musical, "The Producers"), FBI is overseeing the financing for the WW II courtroom drama, "Beast of Bataan" to be directed by Fred Schepisi ("Empire Falls,""A Cry in the Dark""It Runs in the Family," "Plenty"). Koji Yakusho will star in an ensemble cast." February 28 I found an interesting website reporting about Hayden Christensen and "Beast of Bataan." On IMDb it is reported that shooting of "Beast of Bataan" is due to begin late in February 2008 in Australia, but it seems that has not happened. Meanwhile Hayden Christensen has made it clear that he intends to produce this fim at some approapriate future date. A decision regarding the production schedule will be surely made before too long. Feburuary 27 Here is another site reporting "Gelatin Silver Love" with another nice photo of the cast and director Kurigami. February 26: Koji Yakusho's new film It turned out today that Koji Yakusho is now participating in shooting a film, called, "Gelatin Silver Love" , together with Rie Miyazawa, Masatoshi Nagase and Yuki Amami. This is the first film by a famed photographer and CM director Kazumi Kurigami aged 72. Rie Miyazawa plays the role of a beautiful killer; Masatoshi Nagase plays the role of a photographer, who secretly continues taking photos of Miyazawa's daily life as requested by Koji Yakusho. This film is due to be released in 2009. Here is the article with the photo of Rie Miyazawa, Masatoshi Nagase and Koji Yakusho. (The photo can be enlarged.) More info about this film will be coming soon. Here is the info about this film from Tokyograph: "Photographer Kazumi Kurigami is making his directorial debut with a movie titled "Gelatin Silver LOVE," which begins filming soon. The movie stars Rie Miyazawa as a silver-haired killer, while Koji Yakusho plays a man who hires a cameraman (Masatoshi Nagase) to secretly follow and videotape her. The connection between the three is gradually revealed over the course of the story. "Gelatin Silver LOVE" is expected to see theatrical release in 2009." February 21 The DVD of "Retribution" will be released in the US on April 15, 2008. February 21 Sarudama's Japanese movie site has produced an interesting review on Sakebi/Retribution. Their description about Koji Yakusho is quite noteworthy: The lead role of Detective Yoshioka is played by Kurosawa's long-time favorite actor Koji Yakusho. Yakusho is a prolific and effective actor appearing in many of Kurosawa's prior psycho-horror films as well as more recent international blockbusters such as "Babel". He seems to excel in depicting highly contemplative characters in the midst of stark experiential turmoil. Here he convincingly play the detective whose bounds of logic and experience are increasingly transgressed by inexplicable and damning encounters and discoveries. February 18 Pymmik's unofficial translation of Koji Yakusho's February 14th comment about Kon Ichikawa's death on February 13, 2008. "I wouldn't be able to die without making your film", I remember director Ichikawa's making such a remark when I visited the Toho filming studio while he was filming "The Inugamike-no Ichizokuhin 2005. His closest staff told me later that director Ichikawa was talking happily about one of his newly projected films, mentioning its cast members, including me. I feel so sad. He was one of the greatest directors. Last night around the time he died, I don't know why but I was actually looking at those pictures of gDora-Heitah drawn by director Ichikawa. It is a great pity that he has died. February 16 According to the IMDb, the role of Ken in "Hachiko:A Dog's Story" will be taken by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, who played the role of the Baron in Memoirs of a Geisha". February 16 The Guardian (UK)'s obituary about Kon Ichikawa is rich in detail. "Dora-Heita" is mentioned here: In 2000, the chain-smoking director was awarded the Berlinale Camera award at the Berlin film festival, where he presented his latest film, Dora-Heita, an entertaining samurai drama. "If Dora-Heita contributes to a revival of the costume-drama genre, which seems to be just around the corner, I'll be very happy," he commented. "But my own project hasn't really changed. I always try to show human beings the way they really are. That's what I always hope to achieve." February 15 Together with the New York Times' obituary about Kon Ichikawa, you will see a photo of Koji Yakusho and the director Ichikawa at the time of shooting "Dora-Heita" in 1999. February 14 Here is the AP's obituary about director Kon Ichikawa. (Correction: not Keisuke Miyashita but Keisuke Kinoshita) Koji Yakusho made a comment about Ichikawa's death through his official website. February 13 Director Kon Ichikawa died of pneumonia today in Tokyo. He was 92. He directed Koji Yakusho in "Dora-Heita" (2000), two episodes from a TV serial drama , "Bangaku no Issho"(2002) and the opening scene and the last episode from a TV serial drama, "Keiji Ou" (1996). Koji and director Ichikawa went to the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival to attend the showing of "Dora-Heita". February 10 "Zo-no Senaka" is now being shown at the Berlin Film Festival as Market Premiere. The film title that the distributor Shochi has put for this film is not the literal English translation, The Back of the Elephant" but "Walking My Life. February 1 Nifty's interview (in Japanese) with Koji about "SILK". This is most detailed and interesting. January 29 In the January 26 issue of the Mainichi Weekly, there's an exclusive English language interview with Koji Yakusho about SILK under the title of "Global Stage". Interview ( 1 ) Interview ( 2 ) January 28 Another interview ( in Japanese )with Koji Yakusho about SILK Ja18 Here's another interview (in Japanese) with Koji about "SILK". The photo can be enlarged. January 17 Here's the interview (in Japanese) with Koji Yakusho about "SILK", which is due to be released nation-wide from January 19. January 17 On January 16, it was announced that Koji Yakusho would appear in Kirin's new type of "Namacha" (special Japanese green tea in a plastic bottle ) commercials with Shun Oguri and Haruka Ayase. Here's the photo. This "Namacha" will be on sale from February 26, this year. January 6 I have just set up the "Tokyo Sonata" page. I am going to add more in due course. I have also set up Koji Yakusho's 2002 TV serial historical period drama, "Bangaku no Issho/ Bangaku's Life Story" page. January 3 The official website for "Paco and the Magical Picture Book" can now be seen. January 1, 2008 Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to Koji Yakusho! The DVD of "Aurora no Shitade/Under Aurora "(1990) will be released on March 21, 2008. Here is the CDJapan site. I have just heard that Koji Yakusho has written in his New Year cards to fans that his latest film will be "Tokyo Sonata" by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Source: TOKYOGRAPH |
| Koji Yakusho News 8 ( January 1, 08 ~ May 31, 08) |
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| Koji Yakusho news 6 (Jan.9, 04 ~ Oct.13, 05) was deleted by mistake! |