Actress Utano Aoi will star in the film Boku no Naka ni Saku Hanabi (The Fireworks That Blossom Within Me).

 

The film is directed by Yuto Shimizu, who won the Best J. Horror Award at the Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2022 at the young age of 20 for The Soloist. Set in his hometown of Gifu Prefecture, he penned the screenplay after being inspired by his own life experiences. This marks his first feature film as a director.

 

After a painful incident, protagonist Minoru slowly begins to open up to his family and friends and gradually starts to accept his fear of death, deciding to live entirely in the present. The film focuses on the finite amount of time we have on this earth and Minoru’s knowing that even that nature around him will someday disappear, which is all the more reason to show love while you can. The heroine, Jyuri Mizuishi, is played by Utano Aoi.

 

Crowdfunding for the film is currently underway.

<Comment from Utano Aoi (Jyuri Mizuishi)>

“Strength and weakness, harshness and gentleness…we must juggle these extremes in order to learn how to live in the midst of unfathomable loneliness and despair. I hope to show all sides of Akari with subtlety. I want to feel the sights, smells, people, and emotions of the city. At the moment, I can already feel the power that the cast and crew are bringing to the filmmaking process. I’m also looking forward to the emotional location. I’m so excited. Please look forward to the film!”

On August 10, the apparel brand tiit tokyo released a short film titled ESCAPE starring model and talent Nagomi.

 

The film comes prior to tiit tokyo’s first solo pop-up shop at Shibuya PARCO, scheduled to open on August 24. The final scene of the film was filmed at Shibuya PARCO and features the location’s classic symbol–a neon ‘P.’

 

The story follows a woman who lives a strictly controlled life who, after witnessing an incredible scene, begins planning her escape and a new beginning. Nagomi plays the main character, a female vampire.

ESCAPE was written and directed by fashion event director and filmmaker Hajime Tsuda, who previously worked on the film Daughters. The creative director for tiit tokyo, Sho Iwata, served as fashion director.

   

『

ESCAPE (Part One)

*Part Two will be released on August 22

   

On July 30, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu took the outdoor stage at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ‘23 at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata.

 

This marks the first time that the artist has performed at the legendary Japanese music festival. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has completed five world tours in the past, also performing at Coachella in the U.S. in 2022 and at Primavera Sound in Spain this June. The artist was the first performer during the Sunday Session on July 30, the final night of the festival.

 

The Red Marquee housed the Sunday Session performances, and the venue was nearly overflowing with excited fans. As the audience began to chant Kyary’s name before she appeared on stage, a DJ wearing a rabbit mask appeared as DE.BA.YA.SHI 2021 began to play. The crowd’s chant only increased in intensity, and soon after, Kyary appeared wearing the famed pink outfit from her world tour held earlier this year.

Immediately after, the popular singer performed Candy Racer and Dodonpa from her newest album, with the festival-like anthem Harajuku Iyahoi quickly following in a nonstop DJ mix. The crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch, and fans began chanting along with the familiar tracks. Isshin Doutai, Perfect Oneisan, and Kyary’s debut track PON PON PON quickly followed.

The sense of unity in the venue was amplified as the singer’s first song rang out, and when the intro to Ninja Re Bang Bang entered the mix, the crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer. Kyary continued with CANDY CANDY, Tsukematsukuru, and Mottai Night Land, with the excitement continuing unabated until the MC.

“Thank you so much for coming to my first performance at Fuji Rock! I’d love to do it again,” the singer said emotionally. “The next song will be my last! It’s the most ‘rock’ of all of my songs, so would you mind getting pumped up with me?” Fashion Monster marked the finale of Kyary’s first Fuji Rock performance, and the event at the packed Red Marquee concluded with huge success.

The original nonstop DJ mix for the event was created by Yasutaka Nakata. The crowd was shocked by Kyary’s ‘cool’ persona during her performance, her on-stage aura no doubt honed by her time spent overseas. After the show was over, social media was immediately filled with praise for the performance.

 

Kyary will be performing at several other music festivals around Japan this summer, so keep an eye out!

  Photo：Ruriko Inagaki  

[Setlist]

1. DE.BA.YA.SHI. 2021
2. Candy Racer
3. Dodonpa
4. Harajuku Iyahoi
5. Isshin Doutai
6. Perfect Oneisan
7. PON PON PON
8. Ninja Re Bang Bang
9. CANDY CANDY
10. Tsukematsukeru
11. Mottai Night Land
12. Fashion Monster

Actress Sora Nomoto will star in the film Fanfare, set to premiere on November 17, 2023.   The film tells an emotionally-charged story as two women who have graduated from an idol group struggle to pursue new careers. Sora Nomoto will play the role of Rei Sudo, the former center of the idol group Fun☆Fare who left the group to pursue a career in fashion.   The film will be directed by Ryohei Yoshino, whose works include Spring Has Come (2015) and Eternally Younger Than Those Idiots(2021). The idol music, costumes, and choreography are all original to the film.   Crowdfunding is also underway to support the film's nationwide release.

Following her successful seven-city world tour across four countries including a show at Primavera Sound, one of Europe’s largest music festivals, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has once again taken the stage in her native Japan. On July 15, the artist performed a stunning solo show, Celebrating 100 Years: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Special Live 2023 ~Midnight Sun~, at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall in Tokyo.

 

The performance itself was part of a larger project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Hibiya venue. Fittingly, the theme of this one-night-only show was ‘the biggest celebration of your life,’ inspired by the ‘both joyful and terrifying festival held beneath the Midnight Sun.’ Kyary Pamyu Pamyu directed the performance herself, and the final product felt like it was pulling the audience into a movie world rather than a live performance.

 

The costumes, made exclusively for this performance, were created by fashion stylist Yudai Ichinosawa. Stunning special effects makeup was provided by Kaiho, who has worked with Kyary in the past. In addition, the floral stage decorations for the live performance, made to be sustainable, were created in collaboration with Hibiya Kadan, whose headquarters are located inside Hibiya Park. Fresh flowers and greenery along with colorful artificial flowers were used to create a unique space for the special occasion.

To begin the show, the curtain was raised as joyful Celtic music was played by a band of elves. The ‘Kyary Family’ marched onto the stage, their faces hidden by veils. The daughter, Kyary, appeared with dancers dressed as her father, mother, and twin sister, and as the characters removed their veils, the artist began with a performance of Easta, an Easter-themed song.

During the MC portion of the show, Kyary shared her heartfelt congratulations to Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall for its 100-year history. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a colorful outdoor stage before,” she continued, inviting the audience to take in the gorgeous scenery.

 

Kyary also shyly addressed her marriage in front of an audience for the first time. The artist also announced that she had invited the person who found her lost shoe sole in Harajuku months ago to the show, causing plenty of excitement in the audience.

It was a night of celebration at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall, between the 100th anniversary of the space, Kyary’s marriage, and the recovery of her beloved shoe sole. The setlist included 22 songs along with an encore, blending both classic and new tracks, including songs not often performed live. The performance was punctuated with Celtic flare, giving the entire show an odd yet welcoming air as the audience celebrated the Midnight Sun with Kyary’s unique family.

The official Midnight Sun playlist, which includes some special content, is available on major music streaming sites now. During certain portions of the concert, fans were allowed to film, so you can also expect to find some video footage scattered around social media.

 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is scheduled to perform at LuckyFes on July 17 and FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL on July 30. As she continues to take the stage at festivals around Japan, fans are invited to come and see this internationally-acclaimed pop star as she continues to wow audiences.

 

Photo: Aki Ishii

  ■Playlist Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Special Live 2023 - Midnight Sun - https://lnk.to/KPP_Midnight_Sun  

Actress Haruhi Ito will star in the upcoming film Matatakimade, which will be screened at Ikebukuro’s cinema rosa for one week only starting August 5.   The film is the fourth from the independent film production company Rune Cinema and follows Kazoku Awase, which received record attendance in 2019 despite its late-night run at cinema rosa. The company’s film Arano no Hate won three awards at the Kadoma International Film Festival in 2020, including Best Film, while Tooi Raimei appeared at numerous domestic and international film festivals and won Best Director at the 2022 Asian Film Festival. Matatakimade tells the story of a family through the events that take place in a single room in an apartment.   Ito will play the role of Chiho Matsui, a childhood friend of the main character Ami Tokita, a popular novelist.   <Comment from Haruhi Ito (Chiho Matsui)>

“What is family? I’ve been thinking about that question since I read Matatakimade. Is it something ambiguous? Something solid, or corrupt, or something that’s warm and occasionally cold? I’ve thought about it so much, yet I haven’t found a complete answer. When you glimpse a family through a single telescope or a single book, I hope you’ll search for the answer too.”

 

 

[Summary]

Ami Tokita (Hitomi Maki), a popular novelist, is in the middle of dealing with a divorce settlement over custody of her only child, an elementary school student. One day, a mysterious man (Ryo Ikeda) appears at the apartment where she works, asking to rent a room for the night. Despite pushback from her editor, Reiko Iijima (Karin Nishina), Ami agrees to the man’s request out of curiosity. Strangely, the mysterious man intends to look through a telescope at the apartment building across the street. The next morning, Reiko casually peeks through the telescope left in her room, only to see a small child being abused. Ami’s best-selling novel, titled Snow, Moon and Flowers, tells the story of a young girl who was abused by her mother. Is what happened in the apartment across the street a coincidence? Or was it inevitable?