Kuroki Meisa announces her second album, “UNLOCKED”!

Pop singer/actress Kuroki Meisa has just updated her official website for the first time in 2012 to announce a brand new album!

The album is titled “UNLOCKED“, and is slated for release on February 15th. Fans can choose from three different versions: Limited Edition A (CD+DVD), Limited Edition B (CD+DVD), and a regular CD-only version. Both limited edition versions …

Zoro announces new single, “Baraniku”!

Zoro has just updated their official website with an announcement confirming the release of a new single!

The single, titled “Baraniku“, is slated to hit stores on February 29th. No other information about the single has been revealed so far, but fans of Zoro can be assured that their official website will be updated with more information soon.

Stay tuned for more …

lecca unleashes PVs for “Jammin’ the Empire” + “INFORMER”!

Reggae-dancehall singer-songwriter lecca has just revealed PVs for two new songs, “Jammin’ the Empire” and “INFORMER“!

In the PV for “Jammin’ the Empire”, lecca becomes the prisoner of animal scientists. To further bolster the ‘edgy’ effect of her music video, lecca is seen singing in a room full of TVs.

“INFORMER” follows suit, as it places focus on the striking set and …

Yamada Takayuki officially declares his marriage

As Sankei Sports reported yesterday, actor Yamada Takayuki is officially off the market!

The actor announced his marriage through a post on his website, which read:

“Please let me announce that I, Yamada Takayuki, have registered my marriage with the person I have dated for some time on January 1st.  I will continue making efforts on my acting career, so …

Tokyo Jihen reveals PV for “Konya wa Karasawagi”!

On January 1st, Tokyo Jihen revealed the PV for their latest track, “Konya wa Karasawagi“!

“Konya wa Karasawagi” comes off their upcoming album “color bars“, which will be released on January 18th. The album contains five tracks contributed by each of the members of Tokyo Jihen, with “Konya wa Karasawagi” being Shiina Ringo’s composition.

Without further ado, check out the …

Recochoku’s monthly download charts for December

Recochoku recently released the monthly download charts for the month of December.

Check out the top ranking digital singles, chaku-uta, and music videos over the past month below!

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< Chaku-Uta Full (Digital Single) Monthly Ranking >

01 – “Love Story” – Amuro Namie
02 – “Yasashiku Naritai” – Saito Kazuyoshi
03 – “Tatoe Donna ni…” – Nishino Kana
04 – “Happiness” – AI
05 – …

Arashi to be the main personality for this year’s “24-Hour Television”

On “Arashi ni Shiyagare SP” which was aired on January 1st, it was announced that Arashi will be the main personality for NTV’s “24-Hour Television” charity telethon this year.

Usually, the main personality for “24-Hour Television” is announced during spring or summer, but this year, Arashi members will start preparations for “24-Hour Television” on New Year’s Day for the …

ayaka reveals dates for nationwide tour

This spring, singer-songwriter ayaka will be embarking on a nationwide tour titled, “ayaka LIVE TOUR2012 ‘The beginning’ ~Hajimari no Toki~“.

The tour will kick off on April 27th at Nippon Budokan.  It will wrap-up on July 25th at Osaka-jo Hall, for a total of 15 performances. Tickets will be available for pre-order starting February 1st.

On January 1st, ayaka’s special …

Ueto Aya and EXILE’s HIRO are getting married?

On December 31st, it was reported that actress Ueto Aya and EXILE’s leader HIRO would be getting married this spring.

According to Sponichi, Ueto has already revealed this news to her mother and close friends. She also told her agency, “I want to get married in the spring.” The wedding ceremony and reception is as yet undecided, however, Ueto plans to …

Maeda Yuuka graduates from S/mileage

On December 31st, S/mileage’s Maeda Yuuka graduated from the group at their fan club event, “Mega Bank Vol.4“.

Maeda became a Hello! Pro Egg in 2004 and was selected as a member of S/mileage alongside Wada Ayaka, Fukuda Kanon, and Saho Akari. During their indies era, the group released 4 singles, eventually making a major-label debut in 2010 with the single, “Yume …

Ikimonogakari announces new album, “NEWTRAL”

It’s been announced that trio Ikimonogakari will release a new original album titled “NEWTRAL” on February 29th.This will be the group’s fifth album, and their first full-length work in two years.

In related news, Ikimonogakari’s song “Itsudatte Bokura wa” will begin airing as the new CM theme for ‘U Can‘ on New Year’s Day. The song will be released …

ayaka reveals PV for “Hajimari no Toki”

After taking a leave of absence for her health, ayaka is back with a new music video for “Hajimari no Toki“!

As reported earlier, the singer went on hiatus near the end of 2009 in order to recuperate from Graves’ Disease. She’s planning a comeback with her new album, ‘The beginning‘, which holds …

AYABIE releases full PV for “Merry-Go-Round”

A few weeks ago, tokyohive delivered the short PV for AYABIE’s “Merry-Go-Round“, and now the band has unveiled the full version!

This time, fans will finally get to see what happens after the mysterious suited man with the umbrella stepped into the store. What will shake up the store clerk’s apathy?

Find out in …

Plastic Tree releases a teaser for “Joumyaku”

Earlier this month rock band Plastic Tree announced a new single to be released February 29th.

“Joumyaku” is the band’s first single since transferring to Flying Star Records. As a gift to their fans, the band has posted a 30 second preview of the song.

Check out the teaser below.

Yamada Takayuki to marry a non-celebrity woman on New Year’s Day

Sankei Sports reports that actor Yamada Takayuki (28) will be getting married to a non-celebrity woman on the New Year’s Day.

According to Sanspo, Yamada’s girlfriend is 35 years old, 7 years older than Yamada.  They started dating about 2 years ago.  Their relationship was reported by some gossip magazines back in February 2010 so the couple have been enjoying their …