Last month, former gravure idol Haruna Yabuki 矢吹春奈 (real name Mariko Abe) decided to come back from LA to showbiz in Japan under her new stage name Mari Abe 阿部真里.  The sexy 25 year old idol wants to be a more serious actress and has signed with a new management agency  and is said to be aiming for an eventual break into Hollywood.

In March 2009,  the popular model  shocked her many fans putting her career on hold with the goal of studying abroad and moving to Los Angeles in June. While studying English at a language school for about 25 hours a week, she also started training once a week as an action actress.  Read more...

Hollywood star Leonardo Dicaprio apparently is available to star in Japanese TV commercials.  Earlier this year he starred in commercials for Bridgestone’s ECOPIA EX10環境性能 tires. The Japanese tire-maker says the Ecopia tires feature industry-leading advances in reducing rolling resistance while maintaining reliable grip.

Last month, Hollywood movie “G.I. Joe” hit the Japanese cinemas with much fanfare.  Part of the ongoing promotion campaign involved the sexy Japanese av and gravure idol group called the “Ebisu Muscats” from the late night TV Tokyo show Onegai Muscat (Please Muscat) wearing sexy leather outfits and carrying toy guns

Fans of the late night show were happy when in April the show got renewed for a 2nd season and is now called “Onedari!! Muscat” おねだり!!マスカット and which is still hosted by the comedy team Ogiyahagi)

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Hollywood actress Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame was in Japan recently to promote Showtime Network’s The L Word, where she plays Bette Porter, an Ivy League educated lesbian. The show is being promoted via video release and Jennifer was on Mezamashi TV on February 5th to talk about her career and the show.

In the mid 1980s Jennifer had starred in TV commercials in Japan for Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido for their Perky Jean eye shadow.

Jennifer Beals promoting The L World

1984 TV commercials for Shiseido’s Perky Jean eyeshadow