Monthly Archives: June 2004

The gossip magazine Friday has exposed an extra-marital affair between rock guitarist Hotei Tomoyasu (42) and actress Takaoka Yuki (31). The pair have been working together on the movie “Yokubou” (Desire), to be released next spring, and seem to have been true to the title. They were spotted in a restaurant and bars Tokyo’s Roppongi district in a series of very compromising clinches. Rumors have abounded for years about infidelities on both sides between Takaoka and her husband, actor Hosaka Naoki (36), though the couple often appeared as doting parents in TV commercials. Meanwhile, Hotei has been busy working on the latest “best hits” album by his wife, singer Imai Miki (41). He laughed off the latest revealtion saying his wife knew about it and it was no big deal.

• Some details of Utada Hikaru’s (21) upcoming U.S. debut album were released by Island Records this week. The album will be titled “Exodus” and is a mix of Alternative, Pop, Dance & Funk/Groove.” It’s set to go on sale in the autumn.

“He’s only 167 centimeters tall. All the actresses who’ve appeared with him know what a pipsqueak he really is.” – a quote from showbiz reporter Honda Kei, saying SMAP heartthrob singer Takuya Kimura always wears elevator shoes. (Shukan Shincho/Mainichi)

• It is rumored in Josei Seven magazine that actor Toyokawa Etsushi (42) has separated from his 30-year old wife and is already sharing his luxury Tokyo home with another woman. His wife, his former hair stylist whom he married in 1997, is living with their two children.

• Shigemori Ayumi (32), one of the singers of “Dango Sankyodai” a pervasive hit of a couple of years back, has become a mother. She married a TV station employee in 2002, and their first child is a boy.

• Another new parent is TV personality and former baseball player Nagashima Kazushige (38), who became the father of twins on Wednesday. He is the son of baseball legend Nagashima Shigeo.

How popular is singer/songwriter Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi? Popular enough to create the biggest event Kagoshima has ever seen. Nagabuchi (47) is headlining a concert in his hometown on August 21 that is estimated will bring ¥5 billion to the region. About 70,000 will be sold for the show, and the effect on the local economy is expected to be greater than that of the 2002 World Cup or professional baseball spring training camps.

• Actress and model Tsuchiya Anna (photo, 20) revealed this week that she recently married and is expecting a baby at the end of the year. Her new hubby is model Joshua (21), younger brother of US-born TV personality Kozue Rin (24). Tsuchiya is currently getting a lot of attention as Fukuda Kyoko’s (22) co-star in the pop culture movie “Shitazuma Monogatari.” She plays a tough “yankee” type who establishes a friendship with a sweet “lolita” girl. Both images are common as rebellious types in contrast to the mainstream youth culture.

Gossip magazine Flash reported yesterday that “baradoru” TV personality Imori Miyuki (photo, 35) has a new love in her life. The couple were photographed leaving Imori’s luxury Tokyo apartment in an expensive foreign car – which she is said to have bought for him. He’s described as a ‘sportsman’ type man thought to be in his 30s. By the way, “baradol” is a combination of “baraeti” (variety) and “aidoru” (idol) and refers to women who are popular regulars on the variety show circuit.

• It was revealed this week that the father of actress Otoha (23) was found dead on a Toyama prefecture mountainside on May 6. Police are investigating the possibilities of an accident or suicide, though no suicide note has been found. Yoshida Yutaka left his Nagano prefecture home on May 4 and was not seen for two days. He had taken voluntary retirement from his job in February. He was 53.

Dressed more like a teenage starlet than a 42-year, twice married mother of a teenage starlet, Matsuda Seiko kicked off her latest Japan tour on Sunday at the Saitama Super Arena. She sang mostly songs from “Sunshine”, her latest album and the first in two years. The tour will take in 10 shows at six venues and Seiko will play to 80,000 fans, presumably most of whom are middle aged men. Giving them what they came for, she did four costume changes, including one that bared her midriff. Backing her on guitar was the man believed to be behind her second divorce and often rumored to be her future third husband, Harada Shinji (46). The two co-wrote her latest single “Aitai”.

Actor and singer Kimura Takuya (31) of SMAP topped a recent poll of “ideal fathers”. The poll was carried out for Father’s Day publicity by a firm that imports Parker pens, presumably the ideal gift for Dad. Of the 1,312 valid votes, Kimutaku took 406, far more than second place David Beckham.

• Another Takuya (33), this one the guitarist of the defunct rock group Judy and Mary, married a former top Kyoto geisha last Friday. Takeshige Miho (22) was known as Takachou and was popular as an entertainer for people in the political and financial worlds. She quit in April and the couple registered their marriage at the beginning of this month. Last week’s ceremony was held at the famous Heian Jingu shrine.

Popular actor Shiina Kippei (39) and actress Yamamoto Mirai (29), daughter of fashion designer Yamamoto Kansai (60), held their wedding ceremony on Thursday. The couple, who registered their marriage last September, were wed at Saint Mary’s church in Tokyo’s upscale Azabu district. The reception was held at the Tokyo Teien Art Museum and was attended by over 150 celebrities and friends.

• Kyogen actor Nomura Mannojo died suddenly at a Tokyo hospital on Thursday of neuroendocrine cancer. He was 44. He was a member of the 300-year old Izumi school of kyogen. Both his father and grandfather were designated as “living national treasures”. He had been scheduled to take on his grandfather’s Nomura Manzo title next January.

• Actress Fujiwara Norika (32) met with U.N. Secretary general Kofi Annan in New York this week. During an event to promote an exhibition of her photos, Norika presented Annan with a copy of her book “Afghanistan Smile”. The book features photos of children she met in the war-torn country last summer.

TV personality Mukai Aki (photo, 39) is furious at the Justice Ministry. Mukai recently became the mother of twin boys, born to a surrogate mother in the US. She and her husband, former pro wrestler Takada Nobuhiko (42), registered the birth at their city hall. The ministry publicly announced that they had rejected the registration, saying that only the woman who gave birth could be recognized as the mother. Mukai was shocked at how the announcement was made, without any prior notice that the ministry was going to reveal such a personal matter.

• It seems the rumored wedding between Chemistry’s Douchin Yoshikuni (25) and model Morita Atsuko (25) has already happened. Douchin’s agency reported that the couple tied the knot on the 1st of this month, after he gave the game away to fans at a concert on Wednesday night. It was also announced – surprise, surprise – that Morita is four months pregnant and has already quit her TV career.

Douchin Yoshikuni (25), of the hugely popular pop duo Chemistry, is close to tying the knot with model and minor TV personality Morita Atsuko (25). It is reported that they might get hitched as early as the 13th of this month, a “taian” or proptitious day for a wedding. Douchin and Kawabata Kaname formed the duo in 2000 following the TV audition show Asayan. They had a million-selling debut with “Pieces of a Dream”.

• Also tying the knot is Takuro (33), leader of the rock group Glay. He married popular model Iwabori Seri (26) on his birthday at the end of last month, also a “taian”. He is the last member of the four-man group to marry.

Actor Kubozuka Yosuke (25) is said to be recovering well from his 26m fall from his apartment balcony on Sunday. He has several broken bones, but is fully conscious and has apologized for worrying people. The fall is said to have happened while he was removing a device used to hold traditional “koi nobori” (carp streamers) from the balcony.

• As was predicted here last week, actor Kashiwabara Takashi (27) and former TV personality Hatano Hiroko (photo, 28) got married on Sunday.