Japan Entertainment News - June 2007
Utada, Ozma Lay Down Naruto, Evangelion Tracks | June 29, 2007 |
 Two big J-pop names are to provide the theme tunes to anime features this summer. "Beautiful World", the upcoming single from Utada Hikaru (24), will be the signature tune for the latest "Evangelion" movie adaptation. Director Anno Hideaki (47) is a big Hikki fan, and he approached the singer directly about taking part in the project. The single is due for release on August 29 and the movie opens on September 1. Meanwhile, "Naruto" fan DJ Ozma jumped at the chance to lay down a track for "Naruto - Shippuden", the latest movie version of the popular TV Tokyo anime series. "Lie, Lie, Lie" will be in stores on August 1, and the movie opens on August 4.
• A wake was held at a branch of the Anrakuji temple in Tokyo last night for actor-comedian Tani Kanichi, who died of a brain aneurism on June 25. He was 74. Real name Nishimura Masaaki, as an actor he was best known for the late-1950s TV superhero series "Gekko Kamen". He was also the only surviving member of Three Pockets, a vaudeville comedy trio that also included legendary "Tora-san" actor Atsumi Kiyoshi (1928-1996) and Seki Keiroku (1928-2006). A funeral is being held this morning.
• It's been a while since we reported on any J-Leaguers here. But now we have a reason, as national team defender Nakata Koji (27) is romantically involved with actress Kato Ai (24). Though Nakata played French team Marseilles in 2005 and transferred to Basel in the Swiss league in 2006, the couple have been dating for three years. Currently in the off season, he was recently spotted with Kato on a dinner date in Tokyo. Their management agencies refused to comment on the story.
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Daniel Radcliffe in Japan for Harry Potter Premiere | June 28, 2007 |
 Young British actor Daniel Radcliffe (17) was welcomed by screaming fans at Narita Airport yesterday as he made his second trip to Japan. This time he's here to promote the fifth in the Harry Potter movie series, his first visit in December 2002 being to plug "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". The world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be held tonight at the Roppongi Hills complex in central Tokyo and a press event will be held tomorrow. The movie will be in theaters from July 20. The series is the only one in which each movie has grossed over ¥10 billion in Japan, but box office totals have been dropping since the first movie made over ¥20 billion in 2001. Warner Brothers is aiming to clear over ¥100 billion in Japan for the entire 7-episode series and are creating maximum hype for the latest movie. It's the first time for a Harry Potter movie to premiere outside the U.K.
• A couple of showbiz divorces were revealed this week, although both actually took place last year. It turns out that actor Takasugi Kou (42) and actress Takada Shoko (39) have been divorced since April 2006. The couple met while working together on the 1998 NHK drama series "Yanchakure" and married in December 2003. Takasugi tends to play mainly police and soldier supporting roles, such as in the "Odoru Daisosen" (Bayside Shakedown) movie series. Takada works mainly in theater. Also split are actress Toda Keiko (49) and actor Inoue Junichi (48), who also met through their work. The pair divorced last December after more than 16 years of marriage. Toda is a supporting actress best known for her role in the popular Fuji TV comedy drama series "Shomuni". It is her second divorce.
• Former Morning Musume member Tsuji Nozomi (20) recently tied the knot with actor Sugiura Taiyo (26). A representative submitted their marriage registration documents on their behalf at a Tokyo municipal office. They chose the first taian, the most auspicious day on the Shinto calendar, after Tsuji's 20th birthday. She is about four months pregnant, a development that forced her to pull out of several showbiz commitments. The couple plan to hold a small wedding ceremony in July, but have no plans for a big reception.
• Also several months pregnant are actress Yada Akiko (28) and singers Sakaki Izumi (38) and Minmi (32). Yada married actor-singer Oshio Manabu (29) in November of last year. She is due to have her baby in late autumn in Los Angeles, where the couple are currently based. Sakaki, who married actor Sakaki Hideo (37) in December 2005, is expecting twins in November. She will take maternity leave after a concert in Tokyo scheduled for July 8. Minmi, a singer with the group Japanese Reggae, announced this week that she's expecting her first baby in December. The father is Wakadanna (31), a member of popular reggae group Shonan no Kaze. The couple met in 2001 when he was living in Kingston, Jamaica. They have announced no plans to marry but may tie the knot after the baby is born.
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Tsuchiya Anna on World Tour | June 22, 2007 |
 Singer/actress Tsuchiya Anna is the latest Japanese star aiming to go global. Her upcoming international tour is being touted as the "first world tour by a Japanese female singer". Starting June 30 in Los Angeles, the 12-show tour will take in Korea, Taiwan and finish in Tokyo on September 1. By my count, that's only four countries. And she isn't even really going it alone, as she'll be appearing during festivals and events such as the "Anime Expo Ax 2007" in L.A. and Summer Sonic at home. A bit more impressive is the fact that a CD/DVD release of her greatest hits album will go on sale in 42 mostly European countries, a record for a Japanese artist. It will be in stores from July 4. Her popularity in Europe comes mainly from her theme song to the anime series "Nana" and an appearance at an anime expo in Paris last July. In France, she is called the "Japanese Madonna". Her next single, a double-A-side "Bubble Trip/Sweet Sweet Song" (jacket above) is due for release on August 1.
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Yabe Hiroyuki Bares Broken Heart | June 21, 2007 |
 It turns out the media speculation was right. At a press conference yesterday held at a central Tokyo hotel by comedian Yabe Hiroyuki (35, photo left), he announced that his 15-year relationship with a former model he refers to as Hitomi-chan (31) was over. He said he had proposed to her over dinner last month, but she had turned him down. Providing emotional support - and plenty of digs - at yesterday's event was Okamura Takashi (36, photo right) his partner in the comedy duo Ninety Nine and the rest of the regulars from the Fuji TV variety show "Mecha Mecha Iketeru". The show has a history of announcing major personal stories, such as marriages, breakups and babies, of its cast members. Asked the reason for the split, Yabe said that he had taken the relationship too lightly. "If I had been ready to get married sooner, this wouldn't have happened." Though many views yesterday's event as little more than a successful publicity stunt, and there were plenty of jokes, Yabe's heartbreak was clearly visible and genuine.
• Someone who did manage to get married recently is actress Miyazaki Aoi (21). She and actor Takaoka Sousuke (25) tied the knot after a 7-year relationship that began when she was still a junior high student. But at the time, she was already an established model and child actress, visiting the Cannes Film Festival following her acclaimed role in the 2000 movie "Eureka". She starred in the 2006 NHK morning drama series "Junjo Kirari" and the movie "Nana", while Takaoka starred in the successful 2004 movie "Pacchigi!"
• American pop singer Christina Aguilera (26) performed for 10,000 fans at the venerable Nippon Budokan in Tokyo yesterday. With a stage show that included 20 backing dancers, a circus troupe and a carousel, she went through a dozen costume changes. She finishes off her brief Japan tour with another show at the venue tonight.
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Big News From Ninety Nine's Yabe!? | June 20, 2007 |
 The media are speculating about the meaning of today's planned press conference by comedian Yabe Hiroyuki (35, photo left). All the tabloids put the story on their front pages, as the straight man of popular comedy duo Ninety Nine revealed he had some news to announce about his private life. He has often referred to his long-term relationship with a former model he calls Hitomi-chan. So the media's first assumption was that it would be a wedding announcement. But this morning, most are speculating that it's more likely the couple have split up. We'll have to wait and see what he has to say to reporters during today's recording of the show "Mecha Mecha Iketeru". All of the show's regular cast members, including Yabe's comedy partner Okamura Takashi (36, photo right), are said to be taking part in the press conference.
• One comedian who is definitely married to a former model is Kajiwara Yuuta (26) of the duo King Kong. He and the 21-year-old recently tied the knot, and they are both to make an appearance on tonight's edition of the Fuji TV show "Haneru no Tobira". Kajiwara was briefly married in 2003-04 to a woman who nursed him through an illness that forced him put his comedy career on hold.
• Public broadcaster NHK has been hit by yet another scandal. This time it is the arrest of an employee under the law related to child prostitution and pornography. Emoto Eigen (34) was arrested May 31 and fined ¥500,000 by the Tokyo Summary Court for corrupting a minor after he was found to have paid a 16-year-old high school girl for sex last October. NHK announced that he was to be officially dismissed as of June 26. Emoto joined the network in 1998 as a director, and worked on such shows as "Salaryman Neo". He switched to the network's educational channel last summer.
• Talento Yamaguchi Moe (30) announced on her blog yesterday that she gave birth to her first child at a Tokyo hospital on Monday. She and IT company president Ozeki Shigeo (32) married in November 2005.
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Konno Asami Rejoins Hello! Project | June 19, 2007 |
 Former Morning Musume member Konno Asami (20) is rejoining the Hello! Project fold. She quit Momus in July of last year to pursue her dream of studying at Keio University. Last December she passed the entrance exam for the Environment and Information Studies department of the prestigious school and started studying at the Fujisawa campus in April. But she announced yesterday that she is to rejoin the Gatas Brilhantes H.P. futsal team as goalkeeper and will take part in the upcoming CD debut by ten of its members. Including other former Momus members such as Yoshizawa Hitomi (22) and Ishikawa Rika (22), the group will release "Narihajimeta Koi no Bell" on August 22. The single is also the theme tune for Cirque du Soleil's circus show "Dralion". The combination of pop idols and futsal may seem a strange one, but it has been a marketing success and Gatas is one of the strongest teams. Though she says her priority is her college studies, Konno wants to enjoy both worlds as much as possible. She will also join the Hello! Project nationwide tour starting in Nagoya on July 15.
• An armed man forced his way into the Akasaka management office of Kawashima Naomi (46) on June 13 demanding to see the popular actress. The man, described as 46 years old and unemployed, wielded a box cutter and threatened agency staff. But he was soon taken into police custody and no one was injured. Kawashima was not in the office at the time.
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Good NEWS for J-Pop Fans in Taiwan | June 18, 2007 |
 Members of popular Johnny's Jimusho boy band NEWS announced yesterday that the group are scheduled to perform their first overseas concerts. They will play two shows at the Taipei Arena in Taiwan on October 6-7. The announcement came from two members of the group, the "TegoMasu" duo of Tegoshi Yuya (19) and Masuda Takuhisa (20), who were presenters on Taiwan's biggest music awards show and played a surprise 3-song show yesterday at the Taipei youth mecca of Ximending. About 1,000 fans turned out to meet the pop duo at the airport last Friday, an indication of their solid fan base on the island. NEWS reached No.1 on the Taiwanese chart with their album "Touch" in 2005, and in April they topped the charts again with their single "Hoshi wo Mezashite".
• Yesterday an NTV production director was arrested for drug use. Saegusa Mikinao (33) was detained at the weekend at the Shibuya police station on suspicion of using amphetamines. He was caught shoplifting on Saturday evening and a urine test turned up traces of the drug. As always seems to be reported in these cases, the news included a statement from the suspect saying "I bought the drugs from a foreigner." It is the third criminal case this year involving an NTV employee.
• Murakami Tetsuya (36), the sunglass-wearing leader of the 5-member vocal group Gospellers, revealed on their official website yesterday that he is married. He said he and his wife held a wedding ceremony at the Asakusa Jinja shrine on June 15.
• TBS announcer Aoki Yuko (24) admitted on the live "Sunday Japon" yesterday that she is dating a former assistant director on the show. The two were photographed by one of the weekly gossip magazines, and the show's emcees, comedy duo Bakusho Mondai, were quite happy to put her on the spot.
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TV Asahi Announcer Engaged to Baseball Boss | June 15, 2007 |
 TV Asahi announcer Ishii Kiwa (29) is engaged to marry the owner of a pro baseball team. She and Rakuten Golden Eagles president Shimada Toru (42) announced yesterday that they will register their marriage on the auspicious date of July 7 (07/07/07) and hold a wedding ceremony in October. TV Asahi and the Rakuten headquarters are both located in the Roppongi Hills complex in central Tokyo. The couple were introduced last year through a mutual friend. Ishii joined "TeleAsa" in 2000 after graduating from Ferris University, and is currently a presenter on the early morning show "Yajiuma Plus". Shimada, a graduate of Tokai University, has worked for companies such as Recruit and became a director of major IT company Rakuten in 2004. A divorcee, he has a daughter in elementary school.
• It was revealed yesterday that R&B singer Ueda Masaki (57) and his saxophone player wife Asa Chika (47) have been divorced since last year. The two married in December 1988 and often collaborated on musical projects. But they separated last summer and were officially divorced in October. The cause is thought to be related to Ueda's religious beliefs. The news came out (coincidentally?) just as he is releasing a new album.
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Matsuda Seiko to Appear in Hanazakari Drama | June 14, 2007 |
 Singer Matsuda Seiko (45) is to make her first TV drama appearance in two years. Matsuda took part in filming of the Fuji TV drama "Hanazakari no Kimitachi e" in a Tokyo suburban location yesterday. Based on a hugely popular girl's manga of the same name about a boarding school for handsome boys, the drama will air on Tuesday nights from July 3. Matsuda plays the school principal, while the main roles are students Sano Izumi (played by Oguri Shun,22), Ashiya Mizuki (Horikita Maki, 18) and Nakatsu Shuuichi (Ikuta Touma, 22). Mizuki is a student returnee from the U.S. who falls for Sano and dresses as a boy to be close to him, while Nakatsu falls for Mizuki without realizing she is a girl (it all sounds a bit like that Blur song "Girls & Boys"!). The story ran in the "Hana to Yume" manga from 1996 to 2004, and as a separate 23-volume series it sold over 13 million copies. A TV drama adaptation became the biggest Mandarin-language hit of 2006 in Taiwan.
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October Wedding for Kanda Uno | June 13, 2007 |
 Talento Kanda Uno (32) announced yesterday the date for her wedding with pachinko mogul Nishimura Takuro (37). The couple will hold a wedding ceremony at Meiji Jingu shrine followed by a reception at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo on October 8. The date is a taian day, the most auspicious day for weddings in the traditional Shinto calendar. True to her recent image as a fashion designer, Uno said the wedding will also be a fashion show featuring her own "Scena D'uno" brand of wedding dresses. Because of the need for a catwalk, she has had to reduce the number of invited guests from 1,000 to around 720. She said she had done all the research and planning for the event herself, from the food to the table decorations. Her good friend, singer Mikawa Kenichi (61), will perform the ballad "Ai no Sanka" (A Hymn to Love). According to a hotel spokesperson, even a regular wedding in the massive "Tsuru-no-Ma" banquet room would cost no less than ¥5 million. But Kanda has never been one to settle for less than the most expensive of anything. So she'll be reaching well into Nishimura's deep pockets for this event of a lifetime.
• Less happy news for actress Mihara Junko (42). She and talento Happy Happy (38), who formerly went by the name Koala, have for several years been the stereotypical "madly in love" showbiz couple. But now it seems their marriage is on the rocks and they are talking about divorce. It seems the main reason is his extra-marital affairs earlier this year while she was away from home on long theatrical runs. The two married in November 2001, just months after Mihara divorced a racing driver. A former top idol singer, Mihara herself was a racer from 1987 to 1999.
• Actor Enari Kazuki (22), famous for his cleaner than clean image, has sued two newspaper for publishing articles suggesting he frequented sex parlors. The "Nikkan Gendai" and "Naigai Times" published the stories in early April. Enari's management agency sued them for libel and claimed ¥22 million in compensation, saying there was no truth in the stories and they seriously damaged his image.
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Miss Universe Mori Riyo Returns Home | June 12, 2007 |
 Recently-crowned Miss Universe Mori Riyo (20) has been in the media spotlight since her return to Japan. She arrived at Narita Airport the day before yesterday and was greeted by dozens of reporters. Yesterday, 11 TV cameras and 150 reporters turned out at her press conference at a Tokyo hotel. She wore a black and white dress and a diamond and pearl tiara said to be worth $250,000. As the first Japanese to win the crown in 48 years, she is in huge demand from the media and has already filmed her first commercial endorsement, for aesthetic company TBC, and has been inundated with interviews. When asked if she had changed in her month and a half away from Japan, she said that she hadn't but everything around her in Japan had. Asked what she had missed, she replied talking with her family and miso soup! She comfortably answered questions in English from foreign media, saying that in the future she hopes to follow in her mother's footsteps and open an international dance school. She soon heads back to New York, where she took part in a recent Japan Day event, and her schedule for the coming year includes traveling to some 25 countries and taking part in charity events for causes such as AIDS.
• Good news for fans who haven't been able to get tickets to see popular rock band L'Arc En Ciel. They announced yesterday that they have 6 different releases coming up before the end of the year. Starting with their next single, "My Heart Draws a Dream", on August 29 they will releases three singles, a new album and two live DVDs over a 5-month period. The group revealed the news as they opened their nationwide hall tour at the Yokosuka Arts Theatre. Though they could easily sell out a stadium tour, vocalist Hyde said the band decided they wanted to perform with less distance from their fans. Yesterday 2,000 of those fans enjoyed a 21-song set that included no less than nine new songs. L'Arc have been one of the outstanding bands in the J-Rock scene for most of their 16-year history.
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Hamasaki Ayumi Crucified in Fukuoka | June 11, 2007 |
 Self-styled 21st century pop queen Hamasaki Ayumi (28) finished off her ¥1.8-billion, 16-show Asian tour on Sunday. For the first time, she finished a tour with a concert in her hometown of Fukuoka, playing the Marine Messe convention center. The tour featured Ayu's first solo concerts overseas, including dates in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and was seen by a total of 170,000 fans. Fukuoka fans were the first to hear her new single, "Glitter", due to go on sale July 18. They also got a look at the 15-minute promo film, which was filmed in Hong Kong and features a kiss scene with actor Shawn Yue (25). Never one to hide her ambition to follow in Madonna's shoes, the show also featured Ayu on a crucifix, though the imagery is meaningless for Japanese audiences.
• It seems that former idol singer Kokusho Sayuri (40) is back with her ex-husband, according to the "Shuukan Post" magazine. The two, junior high school classmates in Kagoshima Prefecture, married in 2000. He left behind a massage clinic business to move to Tokyo in 2002 but they broke up in August of 2003. According to the magazine, he took over the running of her management company in July of last year and the two are now living together in an apartment in the Shibaura district of Tokyo.
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Yoko Ono to Make First Music Show Appearance | June 08, 2007 |
 Yoko Ono (74) is to make her first ever appearance on a Japanese music show. She will appear on "Bokura No Ongaku" on the Fuji TV network on June 29. She was approached by pop duo Love Psychedelico, who have performed with her at the annual "John Lennon Super Live" concert for the last two years. They will be going to New York later this month to film a segment for the show. They will also perform several songs on the show, including their cover of the Beatles "Help!" and their new single "Freedom". It's included on "Golden Grapefruit", their first new album in three and a half years, and due for release on June 27.
• Model Nakamura Kentaro (24) was arrested yesterday for the use of cocaine. He was questioned by police in Tokyo's Roppongi district last month and urine samples revealed traces of the drug. He was taken into custody at the Azabu police station yesterday but says he has no recollection of using the drug. As reported here, Nakamura and singer Chinen Rina (26) split after just a year and a half of marriage. They have one child.
• Comedian Sakurazuka Yakkun (30) is a ladies' man after all. Though his hugely popular Sukeban Kyouko character wears a schoolgirl's sailor outfit and makes occasional references to liking guys, his first reported romance is with a female hair makeup artist. Real name Saito Yasuo, he is a former member of the boy group Johnny's Jr and was in a manzai duo called Abare Nunchuck. He made his breakthrough last year using the Yakkun name on the NTV comedy show "Enta no Kamisama" and has remained a regular.
• Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ukon (43) revealed this week that he got married for the third time last December. His new wife Akiko (34), who at 170cm is slightly taller than Ukon, is a native of Chiba Prefecture. He said they have been dating for five years, four of which they have lived together.
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Ayaka J-Pop's First Global Star? | June 07, 2007 |
 Singer-songwriter Ayaka (19) is being touted as the J-pop star who just might go global. Yesterday she became the first Japanese artist to have a video released as a world premiere through the iTunes Store. And she is in good company, being just the third artist overall, after Justin Timberlake and Bjork. The video for her upcoming 5th single, "Jewelry Day" (on sale from July 4), was released in ten countries worldwide, including the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany. And her million-selling debut album, "First Message", is to be distributed in 22 countries at once, a record for a Japanese artist. Ayaka's star quality was clear right from her February 2006 debut single, "I Believe", which reached No.3 on the Oricon chart and sold a quarter of a million copies. The chart-topping success of her 4th single "Mikazuki" brought exposure overseas too, being shown across the continent on MTV Asia. She is currently in the middle of a nationwide tour, and told fans about her iTunes breakthrough during a concert this week in Kanazawa.
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Gackt Plays Medieval Warlord | June 06, 2007 |
 Singer Gackt (photo right) continues to diversify and has filmed his first role in an NHK taiga drama series. In an episode of the ongoing series "Fuurinkazan" to be aired on June 17, he makes his first appearance as the historical figure Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578), one of the many powerful warlords of the Sengoku period. Yesterday at NHK's studio in Tokyo, he filmed scenes with star Uchino Masaaki (39, center), who plays the samurai Yamamoto Kansuke (1493-1561), and veteran actor Ogata Ken (69, left). In his 9th taiga series, Ogata plays Usami Sadamitsu (1489-1564), military strategist to Uesugi. Yamamoto is best known for his battle plan which led to victory over Uesugi at Kawanakajima. But believing his plan to have failed, he charged headlong into the enemy ranks and died before the battle was won. The title of this year's taiga is an old expression that means "as fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain."
• Comedian Hata Yoku (32), better known as the Guitar Samurai, got hitched yesterday. He met former daycare center worker Hatsumi (33) 12 years ago when still a university student. They chose yesterday because it was Hata's birthday and also an auspicious taian day in the Shinto calendar. They plan to hold a wedding ceremony within the year.
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Two New Albums from Orange Range | June 05, 2007 |
 Five years after they debuted, popular Okinawan rock band Orange Range are to release their first greatest hits collection. They will put out two albums, the singles collection "Orange" and an album of fan favorites "Range", on July 27. They will also release a new single, "Ikenai Taiyo", a week earlier on July 18. A former indie band, Orange Range made the major label debut with Sony Music in 2003. It was their second single, "Shanghai Honey", that made the breakthrough, selling over 350,000 copies. Within two and a half years, they had broken the 10-million-copy barrier. To date their 15 singles have sold some 6.5 million and their four albums over 5.5 million. Even in a market that has seen big declines in CD slaes, a Sony spokesman said they hope to sell a combined six million copies of the new albums.
• Actress Okamoto Aya (24) announced yesterday that she is taking an extended break from showbiz. She has quit her management agency, Ten Carat, and says that since the beginning of this year she has has nothing to express as an actress. She made her debut as a child actress in 1991 and starred in NHK's morning drama series "Audrey" in 2000-01. Perhaps a bigger claim to fame is that she was the actress who was in the car with kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (34) when he was stopped for running a red light last July. He was found to be over the alcohol limit and the whole thing led to his divorce from actress Takeuchi Yoko (27). Okamoto is said to be dating a 33-year-old Australian whom she met while filming a commercial last year and they may be considering marriage Down Under.
• Meanwhile, Shido's father, kabuki actor Nakamura Kanzaburo (54) gave a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Tokyo. He spoke about his recent run in with the tax authorities, in which he was found to have failed to declare some ¥70 million in income. He also talked about his upcoming performances of the kabuki play "Hokkaibou" in New York from July 17. "Do I have a surprise in store? Yes, I do. I have a lot of solo parts and I'm going to do them all in English. That's probably a first for kabuki."
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Chinen Rina Divorced | June 04, 2007 |
 Singer Chinen Rina (26) and model Nakamura Kentaro (23) revealed yesterday that they divorced in mid-March. In a faxed statement from her management agency, Chinen said that she and her ex had simply grown apart, and she apologized to those who have supported her and celebrated her wedding. The two were only married for a year and nine months, following a relationship of about two years. Okinawa native Chinen was two months pregnant when they married in August 2005, and she had a baby boy the following March 11. She retains custody of the boy, who would have just turned one at the time of his parents' divorce. In addition to his modeling career, Nakamura also works for his father's trading company. More cynical readers might wonder about the timing of the divorce announcement, with Chinen set to appear in a stage musical of "Les Miserables" at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo from this Friday.
• Happier news for actress Kawai Michiko (38), who is engaged to a young TV director. The two are said to have met at the end of last year while Kawai was appearing in a TBS afternoon drama series called "Kekkonshiki e Ikkou!" (Let's Go to a Wedding!). She is set to make a formal announcement on her regular Bunka Housou radio show on Saturday. Kawai was involved in affair with the husband of actress Yoshimoto Miyoko in 1999, and had a romance with a chef nine years her junior in 2003. But she's done even better this time as her new fiance is described as 12 years younger!
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Yet Another Shakeup for Morning Musume | June 02, 2007 |
 Less than a month after she took over as leader of Morning Musume, Fujimoto Miki (22) has announced that she is going to quit the group. The Up Front Agency says her role as leader, a job she took over when Yoshizawa Hitomi (22) left on May 6, officially came to an end yesterday, June 1. Japan Zone reported here just a week ago about her romance with comedian Shoji Tomoharu (31), and it seems that the revelation in weekly gossip magazine "Friday" is behind her decision. She plans to continue as a singer, a return to the solo career she had for a year from 2002. Takahashi Ai (20) has stepped into Fujimoto's shoes and is the 6th leader of the group.
• Actor Ishidate Tetsuo died of an acute arterial aneurism at his home in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture yesterday morning. He was 64. he first became popular in the early 1970s following the drama "Okusama wa 18-sai". He also played the father role to child actress Sugita Kaoru in another hugely popular series "Papa to Yobanaide".
• Talento Watanabe Marina (36) announced yesterday that she is four months pregnant. She and comedian Nagura Jun (38), leader of the popular trio Neptune, married in May 2005. A former member of the 80s idol group Onyanko Club, at 15 she held the record for the youngest singer to debut at No.1 on the Oricon chart, a record she held until 2001.
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Huge Audience for the Big Wedding | June 01, 2007 |
 NTV's televised coverage of the recent wedding reception for actress Fujiwara Norika (35) and Yoshimoto comedian Jinnai Tomonori (33) drew huge audience ratings. In the Kanto region it pulled in 24.7%, which would be a success for a TV drama, but in the Kansai area, where both stars are from, it got a whopping 40%, with a peak of 49.2%. That surpassed any Kimura Takuya drama or even the annual Kohaku special, at least in recent years. It is the second most popular TV broadcast of a reception after that of singer Go Hiromi and actress Nitani Yurie in 1987. Go was one of the performing guests at Wednesday event and advised the new couple not to end up like him. He and Nitani divorced in 2001.
• So-called "charisma housewife model" Kuroda Taeko (45) has divorced after 16 years of marriage. She became a popular model while a university student but retired after she married. After raising a daughter she re-started her career with a new image as a housewife and mother. Last year, she was a regular on the popular afternoon variety show "Waratte Ii Tomo" and made her actng debut in the TV drama series "Taiyou no Uta". She retains custody of her daughter, now 16, and plans to continue her career.
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