Monthly Archives: April 2008

Former idol star Kago Ai (20) is aiming to get maximum publicity from a dark period in her still brief life. As a member of top idol group Morning Musume and other Hello! Project spinoff groups, the baby-faced singer had a career that most teenage girls would envy. So what caused her to throw it all away? She spoke on the TV Asahi show “Super Morning” today about her indulgences in things that are strictly taboo for teenage starlets – romance (especially with an older man) and tobacco. A 2006 smoking incident led to a suspension by the Up-Front Agency, so when she was caught indulging again last year, it was even more serious. She offered the excuse today that her parents had just divorced that same day and her 37-year-old boyfriend (Kago was 18 at the time) suggested they go to an onsen to get away from it all. Magazine reporters photographed the couple in his car, with Kago smoking again. That was the final straw and when the news broke, she was fired by Up-Front. She says that with no job, no money, and a broken home, she fell into depression and cut her wrists with a scissors at her family home in Nara. Refusing to go to hospital, she had the injuries bandaged at home and promised her family she wouldn’t do it again. The revelations come as Kago is trying to make a return to her showbiz career and, with a book about to be published, no doubt there will more sordid details on the way. Fellow MoMusu member Tsuji Nozomi, who formed the duo W with Kago, also went through some media bashing when she announced her pregnancy and engagement to “Ultraman” actor Sugiura Taiyo in early 2007.

• Actress Ohba Kumiko (48) has talked about her long battle with depression. In today’s issue of weekly women’s magazine “Fujin Kouron”, she reveals that she first experienced panic attacks and depression when she turned 40 and even turned to self mutilation as recently as last summer. A top idol in the late 1970s, she became a household name as the star of the 1978-79 TBS series “Cometto-san.” After that series, she retired as a singer to become a full-time actress. A failed restaurant business caused her to declare bankruptcy in 1994, and five years later she married a dancer six years her junior. But that marriage ended in late 2005.

• Singer Misono makes her TV drama debut in the TV Asahi series “Otome” next week. Real name Koda Misono, she’s the younger sister of J-pop queen Koda Kumi (25), but was actually the bigger star from her debut in 2002 until 2005, when she was vocalist with the group Day After Tomorrow. One reason for the breakup of the group was said to be Misono’s considerable weight gain. She’s lost most of that weight, but had less success in the last couple of years using her real name and as her big sister’s career has soared.

Japan has either won or been runner-up in the last two Miss Universe pageants. So the pressure is on for Tokushima Prefecture native Mima Hiroko. The 21-year-old physical education senior at Nihon University was selected on Thursday to represent Japan at this year’s event in Vietnam in July. She received her tiara at the Tokyo International Forum from reigning Miss Universe Mori Rio (21), the first Japanese to win the crown in 48 years. Now working as a TV reporter, Chibana Kurara (26) was runner up in the 2006 pageant. Mima developed her physical coordination early, learning the famous Tokushima dance Awa Odori from the age of three. As a student, she appeared seven years at national athletics championships in the long jump.

• Two female fans were slightly injured at a concert by Johnny’s Jimusho idol group Kanjani8 on Thursday evening. A police report said that the two were hit by falling ceiling tiles while watching the show from the third floor seats at the Yokohama Arena. Witnesses reported seeing a leg protruding from the hole in the ceiling, although no arena personnel were scheduled to be working in the roof space at the time. The incident didn’t cause any delay in the show and the damaged ceiling was repaired immediately afterwards.

X Japan have announced their first-ever concert in the U.S. Less than a week after a series of three comeback shows at Tokyo Dome, the band said at a press conference yesterday that they will play Madison Square Garden in New York on September 13, 2008. Following a previously announced show in Paris for July 5, the nature of the “World Tour” logo on staff shirts last week is becoming clearer. Band leader and drummer Yoshiki said a world tour was along-time dream, and that he has wanted to play MSG since watching Kiss perform a comeback show there in 1996. The untimely death of charismatic guitarist hide in 1998 not only put any such plans on hold but sent Japan’s leading rock band into hiatus for ten years. Hide was “brought back to life” at Tokyo Dome using a high-tech hologram screen, and the band plan to bring the technology with them for the overseas shows. The band also hinted at playing dates in Europe, Asia and South America, though without giving any details. X Japan already have many U.S. connections, with leader Yoshiki being based in Los Angeles and the recent shows featuring Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus and former Limp Bizkit axeman Wes Borland.

The most anticipated drama series of the new season will be getting off to a surprisingly late start. Spring dramas usually start their run in April, but Fuji TV’s “Change” doesn’t air until May 12, making it the first ever spring drama in the most coveted time slot of all, Mondays at 9pm, to start in May. Fuji say simply that the timing is a strategic one. SMAP heart throb Kimura Takuya (35), who announced the date on the recent “SMAPxSMAP” spring special, stars as an elementary school teacher who finds himself as the unlikely new prime minister of Japan. The series is the first to feature a theme tune by Madonna. (More details on the series)

• One possible reason for Fuji’s decision is to avoid a confrontation with the return of “Gokusen”. The hugely popular NTV series is back for a third run, starting on April 19, starring Nakama Yukie (28) as the passionate school teacher Yamaguchi Kumiko (“Yankumi”) in her trademark glasses and tracksuit. The first series in 2002 was a success, but the 2005 follow-up was a huge hit with an audience rating of 28%. That popularity led to a run on tracksuit tops – called a “jersey” in Japanese – and Nakama says she will again wear a different brand in every episode. The roles of Yankumi’s students will again be played by young members of the Johnny’s Jimusho stable of male idols. Hence the conflict of interest with the Kimutaku series on Fuji, though the shows will air on different days of the week.

• Actress Komura Hiro (42) revealed this week that she and actor Fuse Hiroshi (49) have been separated for two years. She said that she and their two sons are now living close to her parents, who she looks after. Fuse meanwhile is living in their former home with his parents.

• Talento Megumi Toshiaki (43) recently became a father for the third time. He rushed to the hospital after his regular afternoon spot hosting the TBS wide show “2-ji Chao” on March 1, but didn’t make it in time for the delivery. He says he’s delighted to have a younger sister for his two boys, aged 11 and 3. Megumi works mostly as an emcee these days, though he occasionally appears with his Honjamaka comedy partner Ishizuka Hidehiko (46).

• Talento Wakatsuki Chinatsu (23) made her first public appearance in three months yesterday. She said at a PR event marking the 20th anniversary of the “Momotaro Dentetsu” computer game that she won’t be doing any more variety show work. She has spent the last few months traveling the world buying used clothing for a new e-commerce site. She has recently visited the U.S. and Thailand and plans to go to Latin America this month. On watching Japanese TV for the first time in months and seeing the many new names on the variety circuit, she said “I don’t think I’ll be missed!”

Will she call herself Mrs. Joytoy? Self-described “erotic terrorist” Yinling of Joytoy is engaged to marry an employee of the Zero1-Max professional wrestling troupe. Yinling, who gives her age as 30 but is actually 32, met 26-year-old Fujiwara Hayato while they were both working for the popular Hustle wrestling promotion. They are said to be already living together. A native of Taiwan, Yinling moved to Japan at the age of 10 and began modeling when she was 16. Despite her erotic name, she’s not thought to have done any nude or pornographic work, though some of her photos and video appearances are borderline. With Hustle, she has gone through a few personas and it remains to be seen if she will continue after marriage. As a teenager, Fujiwara had a spell with J-League soccer team Frontale Kawasaki.

• NHK can hardly claim to have reversed the ongoing negative trend with their latest serial drama. The first episode of “Hitomi” aired on Monday but only got an audience rating of 16.5%. That ranks second-worst ever since ratings began in 1964, and is only a slight improvement on the record low 16.2% of last year’s “Dondo Hare.”

Japan’s most successful movie franchise is back! Fuji TV said yesterday that they are planning a third installment in the “Odoru Daisosasen” (Bayside Shakedown) series. The announcement came at the opening of a real life Tokyo Bayside Police Station in the Oumi district of Koto Ward, the area that has been the location for the previous movies. Based on a popular 1997 Fuji TV drama series starring Oda Yuji (40), the first movie was a big hit the following year. A sequel in 2003 remains the most successful Japanese live action movie ever, making more than ¥17 billion at the box office. Two spinoff movies were released in 2005 featuring side characters in leading roles. The new movie is likely to once again be scripted by Kimizuka Ryouichi and directed by Motohiro Katsuyuki, and of course Oda will be back as detective Aoshima Shunsaku in his familiar green parka coat. Other principal cast members such as Yanagiba Toshiro (47) and Fukatsu Eri (35) will also return, but a replacement for the late Ikariya Chosuke has yet to be decided. Oda is said to already have a full schedule this year, so the movie is not expected to be released until next year.

• Hamasaki Ayumi is the first queen of karaoke. She was named as the most popular artist chosen by users of the DAM karaoke system over the last 15 years. The company announced its first ever rankings based on data from 1994, when it was established. Since her debut in 1998, Ayu has released more than 200 songs on karaoke, of which “Seasons” has been the most popular. Filling out the Top 3 most sung artists are Glay and Mr. Children. The most popular song was the Okinawan ballad “Nada Sousou” by Natsukawa Rimi.

• Koumoto Junichi (31) of the Yoshimoto comedy duo Jicho Kacho suffered a broken rib during a recent TBS variety show. The show featured comedians doing sumo against pro wrestlers, the obvious disadvantage being somewhat balanced by both “wrestlers” and the “dohyo” being doused in lotion. Koumoto, who managed to beat the towering “Captain Hustle” Ogawa Naoya (40), is said to require about four weeks to recover.

• Today’s issue of women’s weekly magazine “Shuukan Josei” revealed that actress Mano Azusa (50) has been divorced for the last two and a half years. She married a computer company employee on Christmas Day, 1989 after a ten-year relationship. But she filed for divorce on her wedding anniversary in 2005.

• The Yomiuri Giants really are having a terrible start to the season. For decades known as Japan’s most popular baseball team, they have seen a steady decline in TV ratings in recent years. And they not only were swept by crosstown rivals the Yakult Swallows in their opening 3-game series, but the ratings for their opening game on Friday reached an all-time low at just 11%. That’s two percentage points lower than last year’s record low.