The wedding date for actress and model Fujiwara Norika (35) and talent Jinnai Tomonori (32) has set their wedding date for February 17th in Kobe.

With media speculation and rumors that the two would be getting married sooner, the couple decided to have a press conference and let people get the truth out of their mouths. Also, Fujiwara Norika showed off her 3.5 carat Rubida engagement ring which is rumored to be valued at around US $100,000. As for Jinnai, he received a very nice Italian Panerai watch.
Earlier this month the two traded bethrotal gifts.

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Photo courtesy of Sankei Sports

*J!-ENT incorrectly posted on December 10th the two were married but were actually scheduling a meeting among both families and trading gifts for their wedding.

Fujiwara Norika and Jinnai Tomonori have their big wedding date set for February 17th in Kobe but according to an article on Shukan post, his ex may not be so thrilled.

According to the Shukan post, “The unexpected engagement of actress Norika Fujiwara and comedian Tomonori Jinnai took everyone by surprise when they announced it in November. Fujiwara, 35, and Jinnai, 32, exchanged betrothal gifts on Dec 10 and the wedding is set for Feb 27 in Kobe. But according to the tabloid magazine Josei Seven, not everyone is happy. The magazine says Jinnai’s ex, Nao Oikawa, 25, still has a lingering affection for him.”

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According to CRIEnglish.com, pop queen and husband, actor Li Yapeng held a charity dinner in Beijing for their Yanran Angel Foundation, a charity to benefit children born with a cleft palate.

The event raised 8.4 million yuan and was attended by celebrities such as actresses Zhao Wei and Xu Jinglei, singer Na Ying and director Zhang Jizhong.

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Photo courtesy of sina.com.cn

As posted last week, it was going to be an interesting battle for two hyped films “Confessions of Pain” which opened on December 17th starring Tony Leung and Kaneshiro Takeshi vs. “Curse of the Golden Flower” starring Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li and Jay Chou which opened on December 14th.  Who would be the victor in the box office race?

According to CRIEnglish.com, the winner is… “Curse of the Golden Flower”.

The article mentions that “Confession”, released on Dec. 17, collected 24 million yuan (3.08 million U.S. dollars) from Friday to Sunday, while “Curse”, which debuted on Dec. 14, reaped another 50 million yuan (6.4 million U.S. dollars) in the same period, topping 2006 China’s domestic movie box office with a record 193 million yuan (24.73 million U.S. dollars).

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In the headline for entertainment news in Japan is in regards to comedian Cha Kato who discussed his life-or-death operation to repair a torn aorta.

In an article on Daily Mainichi, Kato said, “I was told I nearly died. I feel (the doctors) kept me alive. Please wish me a quick recovery,” Kato, 63, told a press conference on Monday.

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Director Peter Chan (known for the film “Comrades: Almost a Love Story” and “He’s a Woman, She’s a Man”) has been spotlighted in a recent article of CRIEnglish.com.

The article is about the work of romance director Peter Chan and making “Blood Brothers” into a Kung Fu movie (which will be new territory for the director).

According to the article,  Chan said, “Actually 20 years ago, after watching John Woo’s “A Better Tomorrow”, I made a wish to one day do a film representing men’s affections. Since then I’ve been making romance movies. And now I’ve finally gotten the chance to tell this story. There’s already seven or eight versions but I hope mine holds the most humanity.”

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In an article on Chosun Ilbo, Michelle Wie met with Pyeongchang bid committee chairman Han Seung-soo met at Orlando’s Champions Gate golf club and appointed her as an honorary ambassador.

Michelle Wie will help the city in their bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

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The Korean pop group See Ya was performing in concert and according to CRIEnglish.com, the lead singer Nan Gui Li was performing in concert until during a dance routine, her bra strap broke and her breast was exposed.  The singer didn’t know that she her strap had broken and apologized to the audience.

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Click here for original Korean article on Yahoo! News Korea

Photo courtesy of Yahoo! News Korea/Newsen.com

According to a recent article on CRIEnglish.com, director Zhang Yimou (Director of this winter’s big hit “The Curse of the Golden Flower”) has dismissed criticism in regards to China’s big shift towards big budget historical epics.

According to CriEnglish.com, “Famed Chinese directors like Zhang and Chen Kaige have moved from films set in rural China or revolving around traditional Chinese culture to big-budget historical epics like Zhang’s “House of Flying Daggers” and Chen’s mythology “The Promise.”

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In Japan, for the last five years, many radio broadcast companies put on a charity from noon on December 24th through noon on Christmas Day. Many broadcast stations sell a CD box set that contains the music played on the show and one of the artists taking part in the 24 hour musicthon is actress/singer Ueto Aya who will be hosting for Nippon Broadcasting System.
Ueto commented to media that if by her being part of this event raises money, she would be delighted. When asked how she would overcome the long hours of working, Ueto commented “by eating”.

You can view how much a broadcasting company has made through their musicthon by visiting their website for the charity:

Nippon Broadcast System “Radio Charity Musicthon”- Click here

GYAO “Digital Charity Musicthon” - Click here

KBC Radio Charity Musicthon - Click here

Photo courtesy of Sankei Sports