The Johnny's Jimusho group are celebrating their 10th anniversary and the album will contain all 26 of their singles (plus 5 double-A sides). Shortly after the album goes on sale, they will play three nights at the National Stadium on August 28-30. Last year Arashi became only the third musical act to perform a solo show there (the others were SMAP in 2005-06 and Dreams Come True in 2007). From the autumn they will embark on a concert tour of Japan's five major domes.

On Tuesday, a press conference for the play "SEMINAR" was held in Tokyo. The production is the first starring stage role for NEWS member Shigeaki Kato (21), who described his character as being addicted to sex.

The play revolves around a special seminar about the powerful Medici family from the Renaissance era. Kato plays an American college student participating in the seminar, who sleeps with multiple women during the course of the story, including another student. The lead female role is being played by actress Natsuki Kato (23). Other cast members include Tomoya Nakamura (22), Aya Tabata (22), and Chikako Kaku (47).

"Seminar" was penned by American writer Lee Kalcheim. The Japanese production will be the play's first in the world. Performances are being held at The Globe Tokyo from May 17 to June 3, followed by a run at Osaka's Theater Drama City from June 9 to June 14.

KinKi Kids member Tsuyoshi Domoto had a big week on the charts, with his simultaneously released single and album both faring very well against the competition. "Sora ~ Utsukushii Ware no Sora" took #1 on the singles chart with 44,000 in sales, while "Bigaku ~ my beautiful sky" ranked in at #3 on the albums chart with 58,000 in sales. These are his first releases since changing his solo project name to Tsuyoshi (剛紫).

Behind Tsuyoshi on the singles chart were the latest releases from BREAKERZ and alan, respectively. Also in the top ten were Hideaki Tokunaga (#6), Shion (#8), and Ai Kawashima (#10).

The #1 album of the week was Shonannokaze's "Shonannokaze ~JOKER~," which sold 84,000 copies. At #4, after Tsuyoshi, was Yumi Matsutoya's latest effort, which is her 35th original album to break the top ten. This extends her record among female artists.

Also in the top ten were actress Meisa Kuroki with her debut album "hellcat" (#9) and indie band Kariyushi58 (#10).

Outside the top ten, Ayaka once again drew attention, as her albums continued to climb the rankings. After her marriage announcement two weeks ago, her second album jumped from #278 to #84, and this week it rose to #43. Likewise, her debut album re-entered the charts at #148 last week, and it is now at #72.

Meanwhile, Hikaru Utada's "This Is The One" remained at #1 in foreign albums for the 4th consecutive week, totaling 177,000 in sales so far. Arashi also continued their streak, as "ARASHI AROUND ASIA 2008 in Tokyo" was the #1 overall DVD for the 3rd straight week, which has never been achieved by a music DVD ever since Oricon started tracking DVD sales in April 1999.

Arashi's Kazunari Ninomiya (25) and actress Mao Inoue (22) will co-star in a drama special on TBS. The story is based on two novels written by professional windsurfer Natsuki Iijima, who died of cancer in 2005.

During Iijima's battle with cancer, he wrote an essay titled "Gan ni Ikasarete," which formed part of the basis for the 2007 film "Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara," a biography of Iijima that starred Takao Osawa and Misaki Ito. Around the same time, Iijima penned a novel also titled "Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara," as well as a sequel titled "Kamisama ga Kureta Namida." The drama special is based on those two books, which sold more than 450,000 copies combined.

The drama is also being called "Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara." Ninomiya plays the main character, a psychiatrist working in the counseling room of a cancer treatment center by the beach. While tending to the patients, part of his job involves taking dictation from them when they want to send a letter to a loved one.

Inoue plays the psychiatrist's wife and mother to the couple's twin daughters. Other cast members include Nobuko Miyamoto as a nurse, Yusuke Santamaria as a surgeon, and Naoto Ogata as the owner of a surf shop.

The broadcast date for the drama has not yet been determined.

Arashi's latest live DVD, "ARASHI AROUND ASIA 2008 in Tokyo," received the top spot on the DVD charts this week by selling 230,000 copies. This surpasses EXILE's "EXILE PERFECT LIVE 2008," which sold 214,000 copies in its first week of sales. Among all movies, owarai, and music DVDs, "ARASHI AROUND ASIA 2008 in Tokyo" now holds this year's current record for first week sales.

In addition, the DVD now ranks 3rd in history for first week sales among music DVDs, behind KAT-TUN's "Real Face Film" (374,000) and SMAP's "Live MIJ" (281,000).

SMAP member Takuya Kimura has picked up his next starring role in a television drama. He will play the lead in TBS's comedy/mystery series "MR.BRAIN," scheduled to start in mid-spring.

Kimura plays the part of Ryusuke Tsukumo, a neuroscience researcher affiliated with a National Police Agency laboratory. Although his skills help solve difficult cases, he has one flaw: he is generally "clueless to the situation" (better known by the slang term "KY," or "kuuki o yomenai"), leading to various comical interactions. In general, each episode will be a different case.

Kimura's assistant will be played by Haruka Ayase, while Hiro Mizushima will take on the role of a young cop. Other characters include the head of the lab (Mao Daichi), another detective (Teruyuki Kagawa), and a couple of researchers (Yuji Tanaka of Bakusho Mondai and Tortoise Matsumoto of Ulfuls).

TBS plans to broadcast the drama in its Saturday 7:56pm time slot, which will be occupied by "God Hand Teru" starting April 11. "MR.BRAIN" will begin on May 23.

KAT-TUN has just added six more dates to their upcoming concerts this spring. In January, they announced that they would be performing for a record 7 consecutive days at the Tokyo Dome, but with the extra concerts, they have now upped that number to 8.

Approximately 385,000 tickets were available for the original 7 concerts on May 15-21, but there were reportedly about 850,000 requests for tickets during the pre-order period alone. In response, Johnny's Jimusho has scheduled three additional shows at Tokyo Dome and three at Osaka Dome.

KAT-TUN will now be performing at Tokyo Dome for eight days in a row on May 15-22. They will then travel to Osaka for three concerts on May 29-31, before returning to Tokyo Dome on June 14-15. Together, the 13 concerts will gather an audience of roughly 685,000 fans.

Taichi Kokubun (34) of TOKIO has revealed that he is currently in a romantic relationship. In an interview with the weekly magazine Josei Jishin, Kokubun stated that he has been seeing a woman (31) since last May. He also hinted that he is looking towards marriage.

His management has commented on the interview, confirming that the magazine article is accurate.

Kokubun was previously in a lengthy relationship with singer aiko (33), but it ended after eight years in 2007.

KAT-TUN's Tatsuya Ueda will appear in his first role on a television drama series. He has been announced as a cast member in Fuji TV's Monday night serial "Konkatsu!," which stars Masahiro Nakai and Aya Ueto.

The story revolves around a single salaryman in his mid-thirties (Nakai) who loses his job, and in order to find new work, he is forced to seek out a marriage partner. Ueda plays his younger brother.

The series begins on April 20.

Starting this April, TOKIO member Taichi Kokubun (34), will become a caster for Fuji TV's sports program "Sport!" This is his first appointment as a sportscaster.

Kokubun was even given the title of "Editor-in-Chief" on his business card, to be used for on-the-spot coverage. Known as a sports lover, he was extremely enthused about the opportunity. "It's like a dream!"

The show, which has been on the air since 2001, is undergoing a renewal next month. Kokubun's first appearance will be on April 4, one day after the opening for both of Japan's professional baseball leagues.

"Sport!" is just one of a few new appointments for Kokubun. As of next month, he will be a regular on 7 television programs and 2 radio shows, plus 2 more television shows as part of TOKIO. With his TV appearances, he will be visible on all five of the major networks.

Last month, KAT-TUN sold their 9th consecutive #1 single with "ONE DROP." This week, they extended that streak to 10 with "RESCUE," selling 323,000 copies. They are now tied with NEWS for the second-longest streak starting with a debut single, but they are both still far behind KinKi Kids, who have 28 consecutive chart-toppers.

Popular male idol Yusuke Kamiji also had a strong showing on the charts, taking #2 with 219,000 copies of his first solo single, "Himawari." TVXQ came in at #3, followed by GReeeeN. VAMPS, Berryz Koubou, and Ryu Si-won also made the top ten.

Meanwhile, Remioromen's "Remio Best" topped the album charts at 281,000 in sales, forcing RADWIMPS to settle for second place despite selling 213,000 copies of their new album.

Hikaru Utada's "This Is The One" ranked in at #3, one spot ahead of Aqua Timez. The Gospellers and CHEMISTRY both made the bottom half of the top ten with their latest albums.

SMAP's Shingo Katori is the next actor in line to take on the role of the legendary blind swordsman Zatoichi. He will star in Junji Sakamoto's "Zatoichi The Last," which Toho says will be the final Zatoichi film.

The story of Zatoichi originally was a series of 26 films between 1962 and 1989, starring the late actor Shintaro Katsu. It was also adapted as a television series and has spawned multiple remakes or adaptations, including Takeshi Kitano's 2003 revival and the female-led "ICHI" that starred Haruka Ayase last year.

Sakamoto's version began shooting in Yamagata on Sunday. The film is expected to open next year, and Toho is aiming to have it screened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. The picture will likely see international distribution, as one French movie company has reportedly invested money in the project.

Acting veterans Toshiyuki Nishida and Pinko Izumi will be co-starring in a TBS drama special this fall. This is said to be their first performance together since the 1982 drama "Samishii no wa Omae Dake Janai."

The drama, tentatively titled "Chichi yo, Anata wa Erakatta ~1969 Nen no Oyaji to Boku," is scripted by writer Taeko Asano ("Love Generation," "Last Friends"). Nishida and Izumi played a married couple, and Nishida's possible forced early retirement raises questions of divorce. Their son, an unemployed but aspiring manga artist (played by NEWS member Shigeaki Kato), gets in a fight with his father and leaves the house, but a "time slip" takes him back to the 1960s when his father was a university student. Using this plot device, the drama explores the differences between the lives of the baby boomers and today's youths.

Comedian Atsushi Tsutsumishita (of Impulse) and actress Saki Aibu take on the roles of Nishida and Izumi in their youth. Masaki Kanda and Shugo Oshinari have also been cast. Filming started in early February.

TBS plans to air the drama this fall.

Arashi's Sho Sakurai has been chosen to star in the NTV drama series "The Quiz Show." The show is a prime time version of last summer's late night drama "The Quiz Show," which starred Jin Katagiri and Shigeyuki Totsugi.

In the new version, Sakurai plays the host of a live TV quiz program. On the show, contestants who achieve 7 correct answers win 10 million yen, and those who get 8 correct answers will have one of their wishes granted by the TV network. But while the questions start off innocently enough, as the game progresses, the questions gradually delve into the contestants' past crimes or indiscretions, presenting them with the dilemma of having to confess their guilt in order to win.

Sakurai's character also has a mysterious past. Before becoming the show's host, an accident had left him in a vegetative state for six years, which also resulted in him losing most of his memories.

The supporting cast includes Kanjani8's Yu Yokoyama as the show's director, Aya Matsuura as a rookie assistant director, and Miki Maya as the producer. Broadcast begins on April 18 in NTV's Saturday 9pm time slot.

Arashi's latest single, "Believe / Kumori Nochi, Kaisei," dominated the charts this past week. With roughly 502,000 copies sold, it has become the best-selling single of 2009 so far. It is also the first to break half a million in its opening week since KAT-TUN's "Real Face" (754,000) in April 2006. Arashi achieved the same feat once before with their debut single "A-RA-SHI" (557,000) in 1999.

New singles flooded the top ten, occupying the next seven spots behind Arashi. The releases came from GLAY, AKB48, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, Yuna Ito, YUKI, Ken (of L'Arc~en~Ciel), and ROCK'A'TRENCH.

On the album rankings, FUNKY MONKEY BABYS edged out a win with their aptly named third album, "FUNKY MONKEY BABYS 3." The album sold 80,000 copies, only 2,000 more than Chatmonchy's "Kokuhaku." Also in the top ten were JUJU, supercell, Mika Nakashima, Dragon Ash, Kalafina, and AI.

Popular young actor Toma Ikuta has a solo starring role in a drama series for the first time. The show, titled "Majo Saiban," will be the first drama to tackle the issue of Japan's new "saiban-in" (lay judge) system.

This May, Japan is reintroducing the jury system, which was previously abolished in 1943. Since then, only judges have decide the outcome of criminal cases, but under the new system, cases will be decided by a combination of judges and lottery-selected citizens.

In "Majo Saiban," Ikuta plays a typical part-timer with little interest in social issues. However, he is unexpectedly chosen as a juror in the trial of a suspected female murderer. While the mystery surrounding the case unfolds, an unknown group is secretly attempting to bribe the jury.

Actress Ai Kato plays a housewife who is also selected as a juror, while Manami Higa plays Ikuta's girlfriend, a newspaper reporter. Yuriko Ishida takes on the role of the accused.

Fuji TV will air "Majo Saiban" on Saturday nights at 11:10pm. The series starts on April 25, about a month before the actual jury system goes into effect.

Johnny's Jimusho has announced that the Johnny's Jr. group Kis-My-Ft2 will be the main cast of this year's "PLAYZONE" musical. This is an impressive achievement for the 7-member unit, as they have not yet released a major label CD.

The older Johnny's group Shonentai were the leads of "PLAYZONE" since 1986, but last year was their final time in charge of the show.

The main leads for this year's show will be Kis-My-Ft2 members Hiromitsu Kitayama, Taisuke Fujigaya, and Yuta Tamamori. The supporting cast includes the group's other members, as well as former NEWS/Kanjani8 member Hiroki Uchi. Shonentai's Kazukiyo Nishikiori is writing and directing the show. Performances have been scheduled at Tokyo's Aoyama Theatre from July 11 to August 9 and at Osaka's Umeda Arts Theater from August 21 to 26.

The popular drama series "Gokusen" is getting a movie version this summer. After three highly-rated seasons, the film will be the last time that lead actress Yukie Nakama plays the role of the teacher Yankumi.

The third season of "Gokusen" aired last spring and ended with a successful 22.8% average rating. The movie takes place after the graduation of that season's third-year class, which includes students played by Yuya Takaki and Haruma Miura. The story is related to a special episode airing on March 28 that deals with a big confrontation between the third-year students and the second-year students. In the movie, the same characters are involved again, but the story is set during the following school year.

The leader of the second-year students in the drama special is played by Kis-My-Ft2 member Yuta Tamamori, who has never acted in a television drama before. He will also appear in the movie.

NTV's Toya Sato, who worked on the dramas, is directing. The film is scheduled to open in July.

It has been decided that popular group Hey! Say! JUMP will serve as support for the 40th Spring National High School Volleyball Tournament, opening on March 20th. This is their second year in a row.

Members Yuto Nakajima, Yuri Chinen, and Ryosuke Yamada will become high school students this April. "We have a stronger sense of affinity than last year," stated Yamada. Chinen added, "Seeing the teams trying their hardest, we want to receive the courage to become high school students."

Hey! Say! JUMP will perform at the opening right after the match-up lottery. They are singing the theme song, titled "Jounetsu JUMP." The single's release date has not yet been decided.

Fuji TV's coverage of the tournament will be hosted by Rio Hirai and Tomoko Honda.