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Haga Kenji, Watanabe Jiro Facing Prison Terms | May 09, 2008 |
 Prosecutors sought an eight-year prison sentence for disgraced actor Haga Kenji (46) at the Osaka District Court yesterday. In the ongoing trial that began in February, Haga is accused of attempted blackmail and fraud of over ¥370 million. Also on trial is former world boxing champion Watanabe Jiro (53), for whom prosecutors are seeking a four-year sentence. Both defendants have pleaded innocent. Haga, real name Toma Mikio, once again turned on the waterworks, shedding tears as he has done at most of the hearings over the last few months. But prosectors said he has shown no sign of repentance and there is no room for taking extenuating circumstances into consideration. The case dates back to 2001, when Haga sold an acquaintance shares in a medical consultancy business at three times their value. When the company went bankrupt in 2006 and the man came looking for his money back, Haga enlisted the help of Watanabe and others. Using threats of violence and worse, they coerced the man into forgiving the debt for a small repayment of ¥10 million. The court's verdict will be handed down on July 15.
• Veteran rakugo-ka Katsura Beichou (82) has been hospitalized with a broken lumbar vertebrae. He suffered the injury from a fall on a staircase after a performance at the Torii Hall theater in Osaka on May 3. But it was several days before he saw a doctor about his recurring back pain, and he is expected to remain in hospital for about a month. He says he plans to make a full recovery for the formal succession of his son Katsura Kobeichou (49) to the stage name Yonedanji in October. As a veteran of the traditional comic storytelling theater, Beichou is designated as a living national treasure, someone whose individual skills are deemed essential to their art.
• Hip hop/dance trio W-inds were among the performers at a rare concert held at the prime minister's official residence. The show was held in honor of visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao, who attended with Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo, and to promote friendship between the youth of both countries. Other performers included Chinese singer Jane Zhang (23), local duo Kiroro and dancer/talento Papaya Suzuki. W-inds performed at two official events in China last year, as well as playing shows in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
• Nanao Aika (29), a field reporter for NTV's "News Zero" show, revealed on her blog yesterday that she married a political journalist (31) at the end of March. The two are both graduates of the prestigious Tokyo University and met again last year while Nanao was working on location. They plan to hold a wedding and reception in the summer. The daughter of a diplomat, Nanao was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in the U.S., Switzerland and South Korea.
• More coy is actress Maya Miki (44). The former top Takarazuka star said at the launch of her new book yesterday that she is romantically involved with someone. She refused to reveal any more but said they had no plans to marry within the year.
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