Monthly Archives: June 2003

The fuss over English football player David Beckham (28…oh, and his ex-Spice Girls wife Victoria, 29) has reached ridiculous proportions. Or another way of looking at it is as a phenomenally successful piece of marketing. The couple were in town for three days and got prime time news coverage on every channel. Hundreds of fans made the long trip out to Narita Airport to catch a glimpse of his “samurai-style” ponytail, and thousands more turned out at every appearance or rumored showing. Beckham “hijacked” Fuji TV, spending about 3 1/2 hours at the studio filming 10 diferent TV shows. Several new TV commercials and product tie-ups were completed or discussed. Conservative estimates of just how profitable the 3-day trip was say about ¥300 million – 50% more than the average salaryman makes in a lifetime..

Rock band Hysteric Blue announced during an “internet live” show in Tokyo that they will be putting the band aside indefinitely after their September 21st show in Osaka. The three members plan to pursue solo careers. They released a new single “Dolce” today and will put out an album in August. Vocalist Tama (22) will make her movie debut the same month. The band debuted in 1998 and appeared on last year’s Kohaku special New Year’s Eve show on NHK.

Former O-Nyanko Club member Ikuina Akiko (35) announced yesterday that she married 40-year old TV commercial producer Sayama Tomohiro at the end of May but that she plans to continue working. Strangely, they chose the anniversary of Ikuina’s mother’s death to announce their marriage. O-Nyanko Club was the 80s version of today’s popular idol factories such as Morning Musume and the Hello! Project.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (55) will visit Japan at the beginning of July to promote the upcoming Terminator 3. The movie will open at 500 cinemas across Japan. “Shuwa-chan” has been hugely popular in Japan since the original Terminator almost 20 years ago. His self-effacing humor on best-forgotten TV commercials helped soften his tough guy image. No doubt he’ll do the variety show circuit this time around, too.

• Omomo Miyoko (38), a presenter on the early morning Nihon TV “Zoom In!! Super” show, last weekend married a 41-year old director on the show. She announced the wedding live on the Monday morning and gave a press conference after the show.

• Veteran rakugo storyteller Shunputei Ryusho died yesterday of stomach cancer. At 82, he was the oldest active rakugoka.

The Avex label, behind such major artists as Hamasaki Ayumi (24), BoA (photo, 16) and Every Little Thing, announced a compilation DVD and 40-page photo book that will also serve as a PR tool for the upcoming A-Nation 2003 tour. The DVD will go on sale July 11 and the 12-date outdoor tour will kick off a week later. Apart from the headliners above, other acts will include Do As Infinity, Koda Kumi and Exile. Despite the continuing popularity of its top names, Avex has recently been struggling financially.

Bob “The Beast” Sapp certainly knows how to make hay while the sun shines. He has endorsed numerous products and appeared on countless TV shows since landing in Japan last year. It’s even coined a new expression: “as rare as a product Bob Sapp won’t endorse.” Now the 1.9m, 160kg former NFL player has joined the huge Yoshimoto comedy team in his stage debut. The special, to be aired on Yomiuri TV in the Kansai area, will feature local veteran comedians Shimaki Joji and Ikeno Medaka.

Parma and Japan soccer star Nakata Hidetoshi (26) was seen recently having dinner in Tokyo with TV personality Yamaguchi Moe (photo, 26). If she is anything near as dopey as she seems on TV, he has strange taste in women. Both of their agencies have denied any romantic link between the pair.

• As expected following yesterday’s report, singer Matsubara Nobue (41) and her husband have decided to divorce. Matsubara planned to make an anouncement at a press conference but felt she wasn’t up to it. Her statement was read by the prsident of her management agency. Matsubara’s state of mind was obvious when she made a tearful appearance before the press three weeks ago, when she said that her husband’s financial problems were the cause of their &yen300 million home being repossessed. He is said to be currently studying in China.

• Nihon TV presenter Matsumoto Shinobu (33) and songwriter/producer Iwashiro Taro (38) tied the knot yesterday after registering their marriage on Monday.

A ceremony was held yesterday to mark the sixth anniversary of the death of legendary actor Katsu Shintaro. His widow, actress Nakamura Tamao (63), was joined by some of the biggest names in showbiz. Actor Watari Tetsuya (61) and actor/director Kitano “Beat” Takeshi (56) were among the 600 who paid their respects in the Buddhist tradition. Katsu is best remembered for his role as the blind swordsman Zatoichi. Kitano is planning to revive the role in his next movie.

• According to a magazine published today, singer Matsubara Nobue (41) and her husband are said to be close to divorce, following recent financial problems that saw their &yen300 million home repossessed.

Actress Nakayama Miho (photo, 33) and her husband, Akutagawa prize-winning novelist and musician Tsuji Jinsei (43), got some happy news a year after their wedding. Nakayama is in the early stages of pregnancy.

• Tamura Ryo (31) of the comedy duo London Boots announced on their “London Hearts” show last night that he got married yesterday. It was hardly a huge shock that he also revealed that his new wife Arisa (29) is pregnant. Ryo described his wife as looking like a cross between Matsushima Nanako and Kuroki Hitomi. In which case she must be a stunner!

• A record ten official books are to be published in conjunction with the release of the movie Battle Royale II. The sequel to 2000’s highly controversial hit about junior high school kids killing each other is sure to attract a lot of media attention. Plans to put up posters outside schools with catch copy such as “My teacher told me, “Go kill!”” were shelved following complaints from residents and PTA’s. The film has been giving an R rating.

Rumors are flying about Kanda Uno’s new boyfriend. The poster child for spoiled rich kids (photo, 28), who only recently broke up with a cosmetic company president, is said to be dating an “elite” stockbroker who makes over ¥200 million a year.

• Japan’s No.1 rock band B’z played a “guerilla live” show to 4,000 people yesterday at the recently opened Roppongi Hills in Tokyo.

• Flash magazine reports that Yamamoto Keiichi (35) of the Yoshimoto comedy duo Gokuraku Tombo got a 23-year old club hostess pregnant and made her have an abortion. They had been seeing each other since last summer and reportedly had talked about having kids in January. But when she made her surprise announcement, his attitude changed abruptly. Yamamoto got himself and partner Kato Koji (34) into trouble by dropping his trousers at a university festival event last year.