Erika Sawajiri’s Closed Note PR event saga

Erika Sawajiri Closed noteErika Sawajiri Closed Note interview

Closed Note クローズド・ノート is the latest movie which stars the young and talented Japanese actress and Jpop singer Erika Sawajiri 沢尻エリカ. Erika plays the heroine alongside Japanese actors Yuko Takeuchi and Iseya Yusuke and the movie was directed by Isao Yukisada who also did the famous “Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World”.

Erika was in a bad mood and visibly upset during last week’s PR event. She answered three questions during the event with short, impolite answers. The Japanese mainstream and tabloid press treated this issue as a very big deal and Erika posted an official apology on her website. A few days later she appeared on a morning news show “Super Morning” (TV Asahi), and gave them an exclusive 2 hour interview in which she apologized again and denied the rumors that she was being suspended by her management.

Closed Note PR event with co-stars
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Media speculation on what caused the attitude (this clip speculates it had to do with the fact that she couldn’t complete her make-up before the PR event)
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Erika’s 2 hour interview on “Super Morning” (TV Asahi) in which she explained and apologized.
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Closed Note Promo Clip
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Though critics of the young actress have blamed her bad attitude on being a diva, there were rumors that it was part of an act by her management company to get publicity for her new film. Her fans have argued she just had a bad day and she is still only 21 years old. Whatever the case, the whole saga elevated Closed Note to number 2 on the movie charts and created phenomenal ratings for TV Asahi’s Super Morning show.

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18 Responses to “Erika Sawajiri’s Closed Note PR event saga”

  1. Edison Says:

    Erika is a beautiful and talented actress and I wish the press would leave her alone. She obviously was so unhappy during the event, you can see that by her body language. She didn’t say exactly what was bothering her (too bad) but she was obviously really really annoyed at something or someone.

  2. Anibas Says:

    I’d say it was a brilliant marketing ploy, I mean all that buzz over her dramatics had an obvious effect on the movies opening numbers not to mention all the attention that she received. Though still, if it wasn’t planed I can’t say I’m surprised, she seems like bitchy diva. :/

  3. Jim Says:

    Bad for her image…she’ll probably lose sponsorships for this.

  4. james Says:

    the latest is she is about to lose some TV commercial contracts so if it was a stunt, its backfired on her badly

  5. Jonathan (of the Japan Journal) Says:

    It matters not if she was upset or not or that she is “only” 21. She is a professional and she ought carry herself like one, especially at official PR events. Otherwise, she’ll face the consequences, as she is doing now. She pretty clearly wasn’t even trying to act professionally and was being extremely rude and caused a lot of trouble to those who have to work with her. It doesn’t matter whether she’s a famous actress or a clerk at Ministop–that sort of attitude is ridiculously immature.

  6. pops★rocks » Blog Archive » Erika Sawajiri Closed Note Press Conference Mishap Says:

    [...] This is the first Mari has heard of this1. Erika was in a bad mood and visibly upset during last week’s PR event. She answered three questions during the event with short, impolite answers. The Japanese mainstream and tabloid press treated this issue as a very big deal and Erika posted an official apology on her website. A few days later she appeared on a morning news show “Super Morning” (TV Asahi), and gave them an exclusive 2 hour interview in which she apologized again and denied the rumors that she was being suspended by her management. Source. [...]

  7. Welly Says:

    I think u guys are too cruel if not give her any chance. Like she said, this would be her last chance. It’s the best if she can also change her attitude as she was in her movie, so cute, if not because of this, I really thought that she was totally a perfect girl for every man. Just try ur best Erika, try to be a better person from now, dont throw away ur future just like this, think first before u do anything, & how come u can love a man who is 20 more years older than u, omg, u really should reconsider what u have done wrong, and dont be arrogant.

  8. TC Says:

    It is obviously not a plan. This is too risky to get the attention by this behavior!

    I saw a few her videos. She looked very upset recently. I don’t know if she has no social skills in public or she is just moody. Anyway, this is not acceptable in the show biz. She should know it. I don’t understand why her manager let her to behavor this way recently. Finally, she got troubles. I bet some sponsors will cancel her contracts.

  9. BrokenPinata Says:

    Hell, if I was a Japanese idol, I’d lose it after a few days. All that smiling, all that posing, having to act like a damn doll 24/7. Some people can do it, but I don’t think she can. She should quit, because to be honest, celebrity life isn’t fun if you want to be treated like a real person.

    I’m not surprised she had an outburst. I’m surprised people in her job don’t do it more often.

  10. star Says:

    hmmm… thats surprising.. no matter how pissed or annoyed she is at something, she should consider the fact that she’s in front of the camera and it will be showed to the people,.. she should know better.., or at least respect the people in front of her.. like duh!!!she didnt think her future career might be ruined just because this kind of attitude. i even like her in her dramas and songs.. but anyways, if i have to guess the reason of her attitude.. i think, its about personal relationship..

  11. BIG FAN Says:

    OKOK stop talking bad about her YEAH she’s a GIRL and HUMAN and you dont know what STUFF has such a strong impact on her which made her react like that on the other DAY ????? JUZ FORGIVE HER DAMN IT

  12. mariamaria Says:

    Regardless of her being pissed or disgruntled before going into a press conference, she is first and foremost a professional, and her attitude during that event was uncalled for. In my opinion it was not in any way a staged marketing ploy.

    She’s a girl and she’s human, those facts are not easily forgotten but Erika obviously forgot that she is in the entertainment business, where such royal b*tchiness is not tolerable. Especially since she is supposed to have a sweet and innocent image. Pressure from work, real life or finances (the last of which I believe couldn’t have been her reason for being grumpy) is unavoidable, but if she’s easily affected by these then I don’t see the point why she’s still staying in the industry. She should have taken her b*tchiness off-cam instead, where it would only end up as rumours that she could brush off with a ’sweet smile’.

    Respect begets respect, and because of what she’s done it’s been a year and still nothing major’s going on for her, and her promotion agency (Stardust) has shifted its gears and has started to invest on another female idol instead (Kaho). Poor thing, that Erika. I hope she has learned her lesson.

  13. daz Says:

    I am amazed by the number of comments by people who feel that actresses should “toe the line”. An artist who is always nice, cordial and a great example for children is a terrible artist. I want my artists angry, rebellious, full of mischief and p!ssed off at the world. And it doesn’t hurt if they’re sexy as hell. Erika rocks. Her performance as Aya was the best.

  14. Marissa Says:

    We all have our times when we are pouty/bitchy like this, but that doesn’t mean we are all bratty people. I think Erika was just having a hard time, I’m no fan of hers, but I think it’s only a big deal because she’s famous and this is one of the few times anyone in showbiz behaved this way. Otherwise, it was probably something that was bothering her, which is completely fine as long as she gets back on track. She’s pressured to be an innocent girl, and this news doesn’t portray that at all, but we are all who we are, so I don’t think people should critisize her for it, I mean, it’s not like you’ve never been that way. Anyways, it did good for marketing, not so much getting fan love or sponsorship, so whatever, it’s the concequences she must face. But in the meantime, we just all jsut cut her some slack

  15. Abi Says:

    Hm, I couldn’t play the video above. It’s about “…removed due to term of use violation” stuff. Right now, I’m trying to understand the video via YouTube (It took a damned long time to stream, yet I don’t bloody get what’s the talking, since it is japanese language - can someone here write down the english subtitle, please?)
    I’m not a fan of Miss Sawajiri. Well, I simply like her acting in One Litre of Tears, but I do not know her real life. Btw, still I think it’s ridiculous to expect someone, although she/he is a public figure, to act perfect every single time. Yet, we even don’t know her real reason for the unpleasant behaviour, so what’s with the negative judgement? I mean, c’mon Guys, it’s not like she did it deliberately. And she’s just a girl (I once defined them as: “some unique kind of human whose behaviour becomes bloody annoying once in a month” - sorry girl)
    So Guys, let’s just keep away the bad talking, and start to see her as a common human. Besides, life’s pretty flat without a single bad doing once in a time…

  16. Akina Minami enjoys the beach - JapanSugoi - Everything Cool about Japan Says:

    [...] books and looks like having a long career ahead of her if she doesn’t throw some kind of Erika Sawajiri [...]

  17. sayesha mani from india Says:

    i am a indian
    and erika has lot of indian fans hear as far a i no
    but yes the press should leave her alone she was surely
    unhappy about something and that was so clear
    she was so like :roll: this
    she is a good actor and i admire her for what she is
    i like her and she has a lot of talent she is beautiful
    cute and there might be some reason why she behaved like that
    and she even cried in one of her interview :cry:
    some of my indian friends agree to me and some are not
    but ive said what i feel
    thanks :smile:

  18. Chou Says:

    I know Erika was so sorry for what she did in the Press Interview. She even cried on an interview to her. But, Erika shouldn’t do that even she was upset. She should be nice even though she was in bad mood. Erika should get change to be a nicer one. Erika is beautiful and talented. She young and I know, she has plenty of time to change her image.

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