Yamapi’s DVD becomes a big seller.

山P、米横断の旅DVD発売

山下智久（２７）が、シカゴからサンフランシスコまで米国を横断する国道６６号線（ルート６６）を１人旅した日本テレビ系「山下智久・ルート６６～たった一人のアメリカ」（１月２日～３月２６日まで月曜深夜１２回放送）のＤＶＤ、ブルーレイが大ヒットしている。１万枚を超えればヒットという市場で、２万１０００枚を売り上げている。・・・

日刊スポーツ
http://www.nikkansports.com/entertainment/news/p-et-tp0-20120426-940298.html

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an English translation of  the above article from the Nikkan Sports

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New release DVD & BD of Yamapi’s  journey across America

Yamashita Tomohisa’s new DVD & BD of his journey is becoming a big seller.   They were produced from his TV travel program ” Yamashita  Tomohisa Route 66 Tattahitori no America ” broadcast by NTV from January to March of this year. Though DVD is regard as a big seller if it sells more than about 10000 copies  in Japan, they sell over 20000 copies now.

Yamashita made a two-week journey by driving himself  along Route 66 last Noｖemｂer without ｈｉｓ manager or usual staff. One night he noticed that he hadn’t any bottled mineral water right before a bedtime ａｔ a St. Louis suburb motel on the second day of his journey. As he was warned by his staff not drink tap water because it could lead to upset his stomach. Yamashita, who has a considerate mind towards others, couldn’t disturb the staff’ｓ sleep at 2:00 am, so he maｄe an international call to his more close manager in Tokyo. In the end the manager awoke Yamashita ‘s support staff  by a international call again to make them bring the drink to Yamashita 🙂

But he was changing  gradually while he was driving 3700 km by himself and having talks in English with the local people ｏｆ America. He became to so open up to others that he could ask Mr. Angel, a master of a barber shop in Seligman city Arizona, to shave the cameraman of the party with beardy in English, meanwhile he offered to the role for the cameraman and shot the scene. He said he learned how important relating to others actively is.

Yamashita has become mentally tough by these experiences. After returning to Japan he made plans for a fan event on the theme of the trip. On May 19th, Yamashita with his 380 fans selected in a lucky draw will look back the trip in the event at a theater in Tokyo.

(April 26,2012 from the newspaper ” Nikkan Sports”)

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Yamapi Driving route66 all alone part Ⅳ

from the final episode

At last Yamapi arrived at L.A! He completed his Route 66 trip successfully.

When he saw something new in America, he kept using the word ” sugeee!（which means “Wow great!”, young people’s language in Japan)”It was very funny for me.

Even though it was only a two week trip,  we enjoyed seeing his natural face on the show. Whenever he appeared on a variety program in Japan, he seemed not to express his feelings very much. In contrast here, he talked freely, laughed aloud, raised a cheer, rocked to the music. We could see a variety of his aspects.

The theme of the trip was ” what is the most important thing in the world? ”
Every time he met experienced people on his trip, asked “what do you think is the most important thing in your life? ” and he hung on their answers.
I guessed he might be searching for his own way of life as a talent, because he started the trip right after he had gotten out of the NEWS, a Johnny’s group he had belonged to for long time.
Anyway,  the trip became a memorable work for him as a watershed moment in his life, I think.

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*Yamapi is Yamashita Tomohisa who is a Japanese idol talent belonging to Japanese major talent agency Johnny’s. Arashi and  SMAP also belong to the agency.

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.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I did it!!,  in L.A

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.             　　    Thank you Akkun! You did a fine job!

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.　 Yamapi scratches the surface of his car with a coin” Tomo , 2011,11.15, In L.A”

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.　　              I’m  filled with a feeling of accomplishment

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.                 I could have various meetings on my trip.

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.　　Look back at the trip

.            With an elderly couple who run their private museum of Route 66

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.            　　 He’s amazed at the big steak in a restaurant in Texas.

He ordered a steak which could be free if eating up everything of it, but he couldn’t 🙂

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.　　　　　　The man is a stuff of one of the Route 66 museum in Oklahoma. Yamapi is surprised to look at his full-body tattoo.

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.              At a coin laundry in Oklahoma, it is for the first time in his life. While waiting for finishing the laundry, he is studying English.

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.　　　　         At the mysterious Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona

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.                       He’s jumping at the Monument Valley in Arizona

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.                                  viewing the map and checking plan for the day

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.　　　　　  Quenching  Akkun‘s thirst at a gas station.

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.              Yamapi drives led by the local bikers in Willams, Arizona

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.              Yamapi happens to know them at  restaurant. They say “We have something we want you to see” and they take him to the Grand Canyon.

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.　　　　　　　With the owner of the old souvenir shop along the Route 66. He is 84 years old. Wow！

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.　　　　　　The old man says ”If you try, you can do it.”

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Yamapi Driving Route 66 all alone Ⅱ

from　Episode　3

Yamapi　encountered Veterans day Parade　in St. Louis　Missouri.
Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring armed service veterans.
There are many cars and hundreds of motorbikes　from Missouri or Illinois, waiting　for　the　parade.　Yamapi was amused to see some cars and bikes which were refurbished by veterans as they like.
He enjoyed watching the parade and talking with　veteranｓ　who show off their　car of ｔheir own making　merrily.

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Yamapi “Excuse me, What’s going on here?”
the American “Veterans day parade,you see flags everywhere?
you gotta be here for Veterans Day ”
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the American ” So, what are you filming for?”
Yamapi “I’m going to go to L.A by　Route66…. ”
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yamapi “how　fast　is　it？”
man in the car “it’s pretty good, 48 mile by an hour, it’ll fly 😉 ”
yamapi “so cool!”

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the man said “I got a website. check it out” giving his name cards to Yamapi

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with a veteran on his tricked-out car　(great!)
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“call me later!”
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Yamapi　seems to be really　moved　by　Vast land, wide skies and
openhearted people in　America.
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Yamapi Driving Route 66 all alone

Yamapi‘s new TV show has started on Nihon TV in
January 3,2012.
the　Program title is
“YAMASHITA TOMOHISA ROUTE 66, all alone in America”
He travels on Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles by car,
alone, a cameraman　and a few staffs aside.

First　of　all　he　went　to　a　used car dealership in　Chicago
to find his partner of the trip. and met an old red truck
there.

Yamapi “How old is this car?”
shopman “It’s 1985 ”
Yamapi “Oh, same age as me…”
shopman　　”Realy? this will work perfectly.”
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Yamapi test-drived the car
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shopman　　”Do you like it?”
Yamapi　 　”Yes,I like it…I’ll take it!”

after this kind of talk Yamapi bought this rickety vehicle.
I　guess　the reason why he picked out the car is
“the same age” maybe 😀
Yamapi gave a name to his new car as “Akkun”
He looks kind of happy, feeling relaxed than usual in a
strange place where nobody knows him.
By the way, it　is　also　in 1985(the year of Yamapi’s birth)that
Route 66 was decommissioned,　something mysterious connection ♪
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at　a　used car dealership in　Chicago

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finally he got this car of the same age as him

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buying　a　sleeping bag,　foods　and　magazines　for　travelling,
talking friendly with the store staff

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going to restaurant for breakfast

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He ordered an omelette　as the old kindly waitress recommended　it

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the restaurant is　famous because　most of the　route 66
travelers are first to visit
He was saying “I was looking forward to coming to this restaurant”

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”delicious！” with a pleased look

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drinking beer　in the bar, his beautiful profile like an actress!

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The two who look somewhat alike

Matsumoto Jun ,a member of Arashi, and Hollywood star Heyden Christensen look somewhat alike, dont they? they are distinctive-looking handsome guys.

  

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Johnny’s Yamapi and Kaka, a star soccer player. their features are noble, but little bit feminine .

  

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.What a beautiful tender smile both they have! I love them.

  

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A Soccer superstar David Beckham and Takizawa Hideaki ,Johnny’s star. Both are very good-looking guys. They are similar especialy in their eyes and mouths.

　

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.Ninomiya Kzunari, an Arashi member, and Matsuyama kenichi,a Japanese actor.  They are exactly alike but height. People who look them first would almost impossible to tell them apart  😀

Matsu-ken                                   Nino

  

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Needless to say,Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Hartnett. It seems just like father and son. Someday I want to see them as father and son in the screen.

　　　　

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The Hollywood popular actress Drew Barrymore and a Japanese comedienne Naomi Matsushima. She is one of the comedy duo ” Othello” The name come from black and white stones of Othello game, Matsushima has white skin, in contrast her partner has a dark complexion. I think Matsushima more looked like Barrymore of her days when she was still less sophisticated.

Drew Barrymore            Naomi Matsushima
    


    

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Ashita no Joe by Yamapi

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The movie “Ashita no Joe” will be released in Japan next February

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“a fateful encounter”　”　a　fatal　showndown”
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from the sport paper above

【あしたのジョー】
故梶原一騎氏が原作、ちばてつや氏が作画した漫画。
1967年12月から1973年5月まで「週刊少年マガジン」に連載された。70年、80年には
テレビでアニメ化。80,81年にはアニメ映画にもなった。
ボクシングに打ち込む青年・矢吹丈が力石徹らライバルとの対決を経て世界的なボクサー
になるまでを描く。今でも人気は高い。
”Ashita　no　Joe”
It’s original writer is Kajiwara　Ikki, the　picture　painter is ChibaTetsuya.
This manga was serializeｄ in　”Shonen Magazine” from 1967.12 to 1973.5,
and made into an anime in 1970 and 1980, into ａ movie in 1980 and 1981.
It is a success story describing a young future boxer Yabuki Joe who is getting to become a worldwide boxer through many battles against such strong rival as Rikiishi Toru. Even now, the tale is very popular among Japanese.

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. .Yamapi looks a lot like Joe.

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Shiraki Yoko is a daughter of a wealthy family Shiraki Zaibatsu, and philanthropist. Her father is the owner of boxing gym which Rikiishi Toru belongs to. She takes over her father’s work later on. The role is played by Karina, a Japanese popular actress.

Rikiishi Toru is Yabuki Joe‘s biggest rival. He and Joe meet in a reform school. Iseya Yusuke plays the role, he is a model-turned actor.

Tange Danpei is the owner of Tange boxing gym, with atypical appearance. He recognises Joe‘s outstanding talent for boxing and trains him. Kagawa Teruyuki plays the part. He was born of a famous actress and a Kabuki actor parents. He is so smart that he gradated the Univercity of Tokyo.

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the most popular scene in Ashita no Joe.

I’m burned…
completely blank…
burned out…
like white ash…
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sorry I can’t make a good version of them^^

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Yamapi’s Album

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Yamapi, a beatiful boy with lonely eyes.
I would like to see him more smiling. it looks better on him.
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when he was little, like an angel absolutely!
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Yamapi now, looks mature a little

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from “Byakko-tai” , a TV drama of historical tragedy, broadcasted in 2007. Byakko-tai is a tloop consisting of young men of 16 or 17 years old , belong
to the Aizu domain in the Tohoku region.
They fought a brave battle against the new Meiji government for their domein’s surviving .But they could not stop the tide and defeated.
They did seppuku at the end of the story. Yamapi played a role of Sakai Mineji who happened to survive because he was separated from his group in the middle of the battle. Though he was not so good at acting ,the dorama is full of his charm, I think.

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appeared on TV program for promoting “byakko-tai”

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from the dorama “Nobuta wo produce” in 2005.
when I think back, the dorama triggered Yamapi‘s high popularity.
It seemed that Kamenashi Kzuya, a member of Katt-un, and Yamapi made a perfect combination in it.
Kamenashi acted as a high school student who had leadership but
a kind of ego-driven person. Yamapi was his intimate friend who is something weird but funny and charming. I personally like this role best in all his dorama characters.
Kamenashi & Yamapi sang it’s tama song, too and it is became a huge
hit, sold 1.6 million copies in total.
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a scene from “Code Bule“. He did a rle of a young doctor who was very capable but had dark past. This is more a medical drama depicting young physicians’ growth than only a drama featuring Yamapi.

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from “buzzer beat”
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these pictures are from a quick preview of “Ashita no Joe”
this is Yamapi’s film to be released next spring, a live-action version of popular
manga featured from the 1970s.
The manga is so loved that the fans held a real funeral with grief when one of
charactors in it died in the story

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Much-Loved Pictures

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These are my favorite pictures now.

soft and less obtrusive color tone
a gentle look on their face

I would like to draw like these　pictures ～！
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Karina,Japanese actress
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.Ohno Satoshi,a member of Arashi

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Rin-chirin.Taiwanese actress,she acted with Kimura Takuya
in Japanese getsu9 drama

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.sexy yamapi
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these pictures drawn by rabuhina2-san,from this site

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My Favorite Yamapi

I love Yamapi. His real name is Ymashita Tomohisa.
He is a Japanese popular idol belonging to Major talent agency Johnny’s,
very cute(^､ﾟ)b, and appears in many dramas on japanese TV.
I think Yamapi‘s face is so charming like a dream, maybe the most in Johnny’s.
but not tall enough..
I like to draw a portrait of famous people, then tried yamapi‘s here

.with ms paint

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. arranged photos by retouching software

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　　　　　　　 photos　from　Fuji TV.’s popular variety show”Kuwazu-girai”
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