Uza (song)
"Uza" (stylized in Japanese as "UZA", meaning "Annoying" and pronounced "oo-zah") is the 28th major single by the Japanese female idol group AKB48, released in Japan on October 31, 2012. Background The single was first announced on Yasushi Akimoto's Google+ and the title song premiered live on September 18, 2012, at the AKB48's rock-paper-scissors tournament at Nippon Budokan. This is also the first single without ace Maeda Atsuko, and this is also the first senbatsu participation of Sakura Miyawaki. Mayu Watanabe was originally one of the centers, along with Jurina Matsui, however due to heavy choreography involved in this song, Yuko Oshima, a more experienced dancer, later replaced Watanabe's center position. It was released in four versions: Type-A, Type-K, Type-B, and Theater Edition. The music video for the title song was directed by Joseph Kahn, the director of the music video for "Gingham Check". Track listing Type-A Type-K Type-B Theater Edition M ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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AKB48
AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with its own theater and performing daily so fans could always see them live (which is not the case with usual pop groups giving occasional concerts and seen on television). This "idols you can meet" concept includes teams which can rotate performances and perform simultaneously at several events and "handshake" events, where fans can meet group members. Akimoto has expanded the AKB48 concept to several girl groups in Mainland China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and the Philippines. AKB48 have been characterized as a social phenomenon. They are among the highest-earning musical acts in Japan, and are the fifth-best-selling girl group worldwide. For example, their 2012 sales from record and DVD/Blu-ray releases reached $226 million, earni ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maeda Atsuko
is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the idol girl group AKB48, and was one of the most prominent members in the group at the time, regarded as the group's "absolute ace", "immovable center", and the "Face of AKB." After graduating from AKB48 on August 27, 2012, Maeda has since then continued with a solo singing and acting career. Career AKB48 Maeda was born in Ichikawa, Chiba. At age 14, she became a member of AKB48's first group, Team A, which was composed of 24 girls and debuted on December 8, 2005. In 2009, Maeda won the first edition of AKB48's annual general elections, which are described as a popularity contest. As a result, she was the headlined performer for the group's 13th single, "Iiwake Maybe". The following year, she placed second overall, but still had a significant choreography position in the lineup for "Heavy Rotation". Later that year, AKB48 employed a rock-paper-scissors tournament to determine the top spot of AKB48's 19th major singl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yui Yokoyama , an alternate name for the Okinawa Urban Monorail
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Yui may refer to: People *Yui (name), a Japanese name *Yui (singer) (born 1987), Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress *Yui people or Ibi, a Timucuan-speaking people in what now is Georgia, United States Places *Yui, Shizuoka, a former town located in Shizuoka, Japan *Yui Station, a railway station on the Tōkaidō Main Line in Shizuoka Other *YUI Library, an open-source JavaScript and CSS library *''Corrector Yui'', a 1999 magical girl series *Yui Rail The , also known as , is a monorail line serving the cities of Naha, Okinawa, Naha and Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Japan. Operated by , it opened on 10 August 2003, and is the only public rail system in Okinawa Prefecture. Yui Rail is ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Minami Minegishi
is a Japanese singer and actress, represented by Production Ogi. She was a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48, and its subunit no3b. She is noted for having the longest tenure among the group's original members from 2005 to 2021. Career Early days at AKB48 Minegishi debuted with AKB48 Team A in 2005. She ranked 14th in the AKB48 2012 general election with 25,638 votes. She is one of the three members of AKB48 sub-group no3b, with whom she played in the drama ''Mendol, Ikemen Idol'' in 2008 and sang its theme song as the fictional band "Persona". She has also been a frequent guest on television variety shows. Beyond appearing in commercials as a member of AKB48, she has also appeared in some by herself. Scandal and demotion On January 31, 2013, the weekly tabloid ''Shukan Bunshun'' reported that she had spent a night at the apartment of Alan Shirahama with a member of the boy band Generations from Exile Tribe. A few hours later, it was announced through the AKB48 off ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tomomi Itano
is a Japanese recording artist, songwriter, dancer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2011 she debuted solo with a single titled " Dear J", which was followed the same year by "Fui ni" (number 1 in Japan), and later by " 10nen Go no Kimi e" (2012) and " 1%" (2013). Life and career 2005–2013: Early career beginnings and AKB48 In 2005, Itano joined the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 as part of the first team, Team A. She also modeled for the women's fashion magazine ''Cawaii!'', and released her first photo book titled ''T.O.M.O.row'' in April 2009. In early 2010, she played Shibuya in AKB48's TV Tokyo drama ''Majisuka Gakuen''. She had a recurring role on ''Kamen Rider W'' as Queen, alongside fellow AKB48 performer Tomomi Kasai, until the show ended in late 2010. Together, they made up the sub-unit Queen & Elizabeth. In AKB48's 2010 general election, she placed fourth overall. 2010 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Minami Takahashi
is a Japanese idol, singer, tarento and a former member of the Japanese girl idol group AKB48. She is in Team A of AKB48. She became the first of AKB48 and its sister groups. In an interview with Nippon Television in June 2010, AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto says she is the "eldest daughter of the 48 sisters". She is also regarded as "soul of AKB", and her motto "Making efforts will be paid" has inspired many members of AKB48. She is commonly part of the main lineup of AKB48 singles. She was a member of the AKB48 sub-group no3b, alongside fellow AKB48 graduates Minami Minegishi and Haruna Kojima. She has a business alliance with Mama&Son Inc. Career Takahashi was born in Hachiōji, Tokyo. In August 2005, she became one of the 30th HoriPro Talent Contest's 15 final candidates, but she did not win the competition's Grand-Prix prize. In October 2005, she participated in the first AKB48 audition and beat 7,924 other applicants to be chosen as one of the 24 founding members of th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mariko Shinoda
is a Japanese singer, actress, fashion model, and former member of the Japanese idol group AKB48, in which she was the captain of Team A. Career In October 2005, she auditioned for AKB48's first generation roster but failed the audition. Shortly after her audition, Shinoda began working AKB48's theater café – then known as Akihabara 48 – as a café attendant serving customers and handing out promotional flyers on the street. Shinoda became quite popular among patrons who soon learned of her failing her audition. To show their support, patrons began submitting her name on hand-written ballots for the weekly performer polls. Yasushi Akimoto, general producer of AKB48, took notice of her popularity and gave her a chance to join AKB48 on the condition that she learn the group's 12 songs and dances in four days. She became AKB48's first non-generation, or "1.5 generation", member with her debut on Team A on 22 January 2006. Her first single as part of the main group was on "Ai ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Haruna Kojima
is a Japanese actress, model, and former singer. From 2005 to 2017, she was a member of idol group AKB48 under Team A. Career Kojima was born in Urawa-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, and started her career as a member of Angel Eyes, an idol group. After Angel Eyes disbanded in 2001, she remained in contract with Stardust, but later switched to Ogi Production. Kojima participated in the first AKB48 audition in July 2005, which she passed along with 23 other participants, because the application was just taking a self-image by a mobile phone and e-mail it, and assuming that she "could take 10-time prettier one, and just sent". Although she voluntarily applied for the audition and passed, she was still looking at then-AKB48 project in a suspicious way, and tried to skip the very first dancing lesson because of her then-part-time job, but eventually participated it in response to the persuasion by Tomonobu Togasaki, Manager of AKB48 Theater. The group made their debut in Decem ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yūko Ōshima
is a Japanese actress and former member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48, of which she was the captain of Team K. She was also a member of the AKB48 subunit Not Yet. In addition to the singles that involved the rock-paper-scissors tournaments, she sang on the title tracks for all of AKB48's singles since "Aitakatta" in October 2006. She placed among the top two of the annual AKB48 general elections from 2009 to 2013. Oshima is currently represented with Ohta Production. Biography Oshima was born in Yokohama, and was raised in Mibu, Tochigi Prefecture. Her mother is from Hokkaido. Oshima is 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 American. Her parents divorced 6 months after her family moved to Mibu. Oshima lived with her father while she only saw her mother once after the divorce. In 1996, she signed as a child actor with Central Kodomo Gekidan. In 2005, she began working as a junior idol in a short-lived idol project Doll's Vox, which was produced by The Alfee vocalist Toshihiko Takamizawa. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by Motosada Zumoto on 22 March 1897, with the goal of giving Japanese people an opportunity to read and discuss news and current events in English to help Japan to participate in the international community. The newspaper was independent of government control, but from 1931 onward, the paper's editors experienced mounting pressure from the Japanese government to submit to its policies. In 1933, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed Hitoshi Ashida, former ministry official, as chief editor. During World War II, the newspaper served as an outlet for Imperial Japanese government communication and editorial opinion. It was successively renamed ''The Japan Times and Mail'' (1918–1940) following its merger with ''The Japan Ma ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Joseph Kahn (director)
Joseph Jun-hee Kahn (born Ahn Jun-hee, ko, 안준희; October 12, 1972) is a South Korean-American film and music video director. Kahn has worked with various artists such as Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, Sun Ho, Samantha Mumba, Shakira, Aaliyah, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Ava Max, Mariah Carey, Imagine Dragons, Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Destiny's Child, George Michael and Jonas Brothers. Early life Kahn was born Ahn Jun-hee () in Busan, South Korea. His family spent part of his childhood there and in Livorno, Italy until moving to Jersey Village, Texas, a suburb of Houston, when Joseph was seven. After graduating from Jersey Village High School in 1990, Kahn went to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts but dropped out after a year due to inability to pay tuition. Returning to Houston, Kahn worked at a movie theater before beginning to direct hip-hop music videos. Music ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yuko Oshima
is a Japanese actress and former member of Japanese idol girl group AKB48, of which she was the captain of Team K. She was also a member of the AKB48 subunit Not Yet. In addition to the singles that involved the rock-paper-scissors tournaments, she sang on the title tracks for all of AKB48's singles since "Aitakatta" in October 2006. She placed among the top two of the annual AKB48 general elections from 2009 to 2013. Oshima is currently represented with Ohta Production. Biography Oshima was born in Yokohama, and was raised in Mibu, Tochigi Prefecture. Her mother is from Hokkaido. Oshima is 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 American. Her parents divorced 6 months after her family moved to Mibu. Oshima lived with her father while she only saw her mother once after the divorce. In 1996, she signed as a child actor with Central Kodomo Gekidan. In 2005, she began working as a junior idol in a short-lived idol project Doll's Vox, which was produced by The Alfee vocalist Toshihiko Takamizawa. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |