Some of Japan’s best acting talent has been lined up for the new Hollywood movie “Sayuri,” a dramatization of Arthur Golden’s bestseller “Memoirs of a Geisha.” Directed by Rob Marshall (44) and produced by Steven Spielberg (57), the movies includes stars such as Watanabe Ken (45), Yakusho Koji (49) and Kudo Yuki (34). All were on hand at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on Monday for a press conference. The title role will be played by Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi (25).
• Manga writer Chusonji Yutsuko died Monday of colon cancer at a Yokohama hospital. She was 42. She became famous during the bubble economy in the late 1980s for her manga featuring the “oyaji gal” phenomenon – young women who enjoyed pursuits, such as golf and pachinko, that were considered the reserve of midle-aged men.