YeinJee's Asian blog

Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Taro Iwashiro

Japanese composer Taro Iwashiro archives - Music and works by Taro Iwashiro

Taro Iwashiro – Once In A Blue Moon

by

Audio video for Once In A Blue Moon by Taro Iwashiro. The song is an original soundtrack for Japanese TV drama series With Love in 1998.

The drama starred Yutaka Takenouchi and Misato Tanaka. It’s about online romance, which was a new thing back in that era. Decent drama, and I love this song since.

The composer

Taro Iwashiro has become a highly sought after soundtrack composers in Asia these days. He has composed for Shinobu, Azumi and Rurouni Kenshin etc. in Japan, and also for Chinese movie Red Cliff and Korean film Memories of Murder.

Chinese singer alan creates record on Japanese chart

by

Chinese-Tibetan artist Alan Dawa Dolma – or simply known as alan – became the first singer from China to top the Japanese Oricon sales chart. It’s just for one day on April 13 though, with her ninth Japanese single River of Eternity.

The song is an original soundtrack for Chinese film Red Cliff 2. The movie made its premier in Japan on April 10. Below is the official music video.

The music is composed by Taro Iwashiro, famous for his various OST works. The single album also includes a Chinese version of the song.

Oricon Weekly Chart

Oricon sales charts are arguably the most important music stats in Japan. The public usually pay most attention to the weekly chart instead of the daily one.

Although River of Eternity didn’t top the weekly chart, it peaked at third spot which is also a new high by a Chinese artist. It’s great achievement either way.

Singer Faye Wong held the previous record (ninth) with Eyes On Me in 1999.

Alan Dawa Dolma

Alan started her professional singing career in China in 2005. She was signed by Japanese music label Avex and released her first Japanese single in 2007.

Alan focuses in Japan these days, but has a huge fan base in her home country too.

Hong Kong Film Awards 2009 Winners

by

The 28th Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA) were presented at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre on Sunday. Image by Baidu, featuring best actor Nick Cheung and best actress Paw Hee Ching. Full list of winners further below.

Best actor Nick Cheung at Hong Kong Film Awards 2009Best actress Paw Hee Ching at Hong Kong Film Awards 2009

Red Cliff won the most awards (five), but The Way We Are is arguably the biggest winner by claiming the best director, the best actress and two other gongs. Ip Man has the last laugh though by bagging the best film title.

[Read more…] about Hong Kong Film Awards 2009 Winners

Sinking of Japan (2006) movie review

by

Sinking of Japan (日本沈没, Nihon Chinbotsu ) is a 2006 Japanese disaster movie directed by Shinji Higuchi. It’s a remake of a 1973 film which itself was an adaptation of a novel by Sakyo Komatsu. Both movies and the novel have different English titles but it’s the same in Japanese.

The 2006 film starred Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Kou Shibasaki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Mao Daichi and Mitsuhiro Oikawa etc. More details on cast and crew at end of the post.

Japanese movie Sinking of Japan

The story is about Japan “sinking” into the sea because of tectonic plate motions. And time is running out for the Japanese people as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis begin to devour the country.

[Read more…] about Sinking of Japan (2006) movie review