Charts: Arashi, Masaharu Fukuyama

Arashi's 27th single, "Everything," took #1 on the charts this week with over 342,000 copies sold. With this, Arashi has the three best first-week single sales of 2009: "Ashita no Kioku / Crazy Moon" (502,487), "Believe / Kumori Nochi, Kaisei" (501,988), and "Everything" (342,070).

TVXQ's new single also did well at 182,000 in sales, taking the #2 spot. flumpool, C-ute, Gackt, and John-Hoon also made the top ten with new songs.

In the album charts, MAsaharu Fukuyama easily captured #1 with "Zankyo," his first original album in close to three years. "Zankyo" sold 261,000 copies, far more than the latest from the band SID, who landed at #2 with 71,000 in sales. The rest of the top ten was fairly quiet, with only Toshihide Baba breaking in at #10 with a new album. Unsurprisingly, Michael Jackson's "King of Pop" compilation surged up to #4.

Meanwhile, Hayao Miyazaki made some news on the DVD charts, as "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" moved a little more than half a million copies in its first week. This is not unusual for Miyazaki, whose movies have now topped the DVD charts seven times. "Ponyo" also happened to be the top grossing film of 2008, taking in roughly 15.4 billion yen at the box office.

AKB48 in New York?

This weekend, members of idol group AKB48 made their European debut at the Japan Expo in Paris, France. On Sunday, multiple news outlets in Japan reported on the performance, saying that this is just the start of AKB48 making a push overseas.

According to the news, AKB48 is planning to perform in New York in September, followed by a concert in Cannes, France, in October. If the information is true, AKB48 will likely be a guest at the New York Anime Festival, which takes place September 25-27. However, no official statement has been made yet by NYAF or AKB48's management.

Ayumi Hamasaki's first drama theme in 6 years

The next single from pop star Ayumi Hamasaki, titled "Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~," will be the theme song for the TV Asahi drama series "Dandy Daddy?" Hamasaki has not done a drama theme song since "forgiveness" was used in TBS's "Kougen e Irasshai" in 2003.

Starring Hiroshi Tachi and Nao Minamisawa in a father-daughter comedy, "Dandy Daddy?" is scheduled to premiere on July 9.

Hamasaki's "Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~" will be released as a double A-side single called "Sunrise / Sunset ~LOVE is ALL~" on August 12. Included on the single is a "Special Mega-Mash-Up-Mix" that combines the singer's past summer hits "July 1st," "Greatful days," "fairyland," "BLUE BIRD," and "glitter."

In addition to the regular CD single, a CD+DVD edition will be available that includes music videos for the two title tracks and a making-of video for "Sunrise ~LOVE is ALL~."