Category Archives: Entertainment News

The trial of former teen idol singer Akasaka Akira (34) began and ended yesterday at the Tokyo District Court. The former member of popular 1980s Johnny’s Jimusho group Hikaru Genji was given the 18-month prison sentence sought by prosecutors, though as is usual in such cases it was suspended for three years. A tearful Akasaka, dressed in a black suit, said he would not return to show business and would work part-time jobs to pay child support to his ex-wife. The couple divorced in March and she has custody of their 5-year-old son. Akasaka spoke of his loneliness at not being able to see his son and how he had turned to sleeping pills and then amphetamines to “ease his pain”. he was arrested in Tokyo on October 28 when police found 0.6g of the drug in his possession.

• Young actress Hoshino Natsuko (20) has been suspended from working for one year following a recent entry on her blog. Her management agency removed the entry and had her write an apology for what they described as an “inappropriate” comment about the case of a Kagawa Prefecture woman and her two young granddaughters who have been missing since last Thursday. Hoshino recently appeared in the hit movie “1 Litteru no Namida” (1 Litre of Tears).

• Actress Yada Akiko (28) gave birth to her first child on Monday, it was revealed yesterday. She and actor-turned-singer Oshio Manabu (29) married in November of last year. Yada has decided to be a full-time mother to her new son but plans to return to her acting career at some point.

Sorry ladies, but one of Japan’s most eligible celebrity bachelors is now off the market. Actor Abe Hiroshi (43) held a press conference at TV Asahi in Tokyo yesterday to announce his engagement. His fiancee is 15 years younger and not in show business. They first met about five years ago but only started going out in the spring of 2006. They’ve been living together for about the last month in the capital and plan to register their marriage in the near future. They have plans for a wedding ceremony next spring. Ironically one of Abe’s most popular leading roles was in last year’s Fuji TV comedy drama “Kekkon Dekinai Otoko”, in which he played a 40-something man who was unable to get married. Abe became a fashion magazine model while studying at Chuo University. He made his movie debut in 1987 and had his first TV drama leading role in 1990. His hits include the dramas “Trick” and “Dragon Zakura” and movies in the “Hokuto no Ken” (Fist of the North Star) series. At 1.89m he is quite a bit taller than the average Japanese guy.

• Sakai Kaoruko (29), the wife of Globe member Marc Panther (37), was sentenced for drug use yesterday. At the Tokyo District Court she was given a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for three years, for use of ecstasy at her Tokyo home in early September. In handing down the sentence, the judge said Sakai showed a lack of awareness regarding drugs and could be likely to repeat the offense.

• Veteran actor Chiba Shinichi (68), better know abroad as martial arts star Sonny Chiba, revealed this week that he plans to start directing movies. He will direct under the name of Wachinaga Rindo, while he’ll change his acting name to JJ Sonny, the nickname he has in the U.S.

Rock giants B’z yesterday became the first Asian artists to be inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk. Inaba Koshi (43) and Matsumoto Takahiro (46) were at the Guitar Center in Los Angeles for the induction ceremony, though the event drew only about 100 fans. Speaking in English, Matsumoto said how when they started out they had never dreamed of ending up in such a place, and the pair thanked their fans for their success. Inaugurated in 1985, the Rock Walk includes all the major names of U.S. rock history. B’z earned their place with combined sales of well over 70 million albums and singles.

• Rock impersonator Yazawa Eisaku (46) has been arrested on assault charges again. Real name Mita Masami, he performs on stage and on variety shows as rock legend Yazawa Eikichi. He was arrested late last night for assaulting the manager of the restaurant he runs in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. Seemingly he returned drunk from a show in Gifu Prefecture and was unhappy about the restaurant’s poor sales. He threw over a table before the physical assault, though according to reports all he actually did was grab the man by his jacket lapels and threaten him. The manager had only recently left hospital following a traffic accident in August. Mita was arrested in July when he got into a drunken argument with fellow impersonators at an apartment in Utsunomiya. He chewed up the earlobe of Tsuntsuku (Tanaka Kenji, 43), a lookalike of Morning Musume guru Tsunku, leaving a wound that took several weeks to heal.

• Reggae singer Minmi (32) became a mother for the first time yesterday. She updated her blog last night that she and Wakadanna (31), a member or reggae unit Shonan no Kaze, were proud parents of a bouncing baby boy. The couple are not married.

• Yamashita Tatsuro’s 1983 hit “Christmas Eve” is a staple on the airwaves at this time of year, and has been used for years by JR Tokai in their winter ad campaigns. This winter the English version of the song, first released on Yamashita’s 1993 album “Season’s Greetings,” is to be used in a TV commercial for the first time. Car maker Suzuki will feature the song and model Mori Izumi (25) in a romantic short story format in ads for the Chevrolet MW.

• Young Johnny’s Jimusho idol group Hey! Say! Jump have seen their debut single, “Ultra Music Power,” enter the Oricon chart at No.1. It’s the 13th time the feat has been achieved and the first since KAT-TUN did it last year with “Real Face”. Naturally enough, they are also a Johnny’s unit. On top of the latest Oricon album chart is…you guessed it, another Johnny’s duo: Kinki Kids have their 12th chart-topping album with “U”. All of this sales success has to be tempered by the commonly held belief that the country’s leading boy band agency is “in bed” with the country’s main sales chart company.

• Comedian Yamazaki Housei (39) has been in hospital since last week with pneumonia, according to his Yoshimoto Kogyo agency. He was found to be in danger of developing peritonitis and was hospitalized last Tuesday.

L’Arc en Ciel Bassist and leader Tetsu (38) is engaged to marry talento Sakai Ayana (22). According to sources, the couple started dating last September after being introduced by a mutual friend. Both sets of parents met during the summer, usually a sign that a couple are seriously considering marriage. No definite plans for a wedding ceremony or reception have been announced, but a press conference is likely soon. Like several other celebrities, Sakai is also a wedding dress designer under the brand Aya Na Ture, and is likely to wear one of her own designs on her big day. When that day is may depend on L’Arc en Ciel’s upcoming concert schedule. They will be touring from December 22 to February 17. In the usual media reporting style, Sakai is said not to be pregnant.

Singer Takahashi Yuya (27) has been arrested again for drug possession. The second son of actress Mita Yoshiko (66, photo), he was detained by police on Thursday evening in Shiba, central Tokyo, after he was found in possession of 0.2g of amphetamines. A convenience store employee has reported his suspicious behavior to the police. It is his third arrest on drug-related charges, the last having been in 2000. A tearful Mita gave a press conference last night and read a joint statement from herself and her husband, former NHK director Takahashi Yasuo. She said that she had persuaded her son to enter hospital in February to undergo treatment for serious depression. Just this last week, the depression had worsened again and they were planning to have him re-hospitalized when he was arrested.

• The Kitano “Beat” Takeshi-hosted Fuji TV variety show “Takeshi no Comaneci Dauigaku Suugakuka” (Comaneci University Mathematics) has been nominated for an International Emmy award. The show airs at 1:15am on Thursday nights. If the show wins, it’ll be a first for Japanese TV. Already widely acclaimed internationally as an actor and movie director, Takeshi (60) plans to attend the November 20 awards show in New York. He said of the show, “I wanted to convey that there is no art form more abundant in creative power than mathematics.”

Most people outside Japan know Matsuyama Kenichi as the enigmatic genius L is the “Death Note” movies. Well, prepare for a whole new “MatsuKen”! The 22-year-old actor will take on the role of vocalist in a death metal band in the movie adaptation of gag manga “Detroit Metal City”. Written by Wakasugi Kiminori, it has run in the comic “Young Animal” since 2005. Matsuyama will play Negishi Souichi, who leaves his family’s farm in Oita Prefecture for the bright lights of Tokyo. There he swaps his taste in Swedish pop for the totally out-of-character death metal, taking on the role of vocalist in the trio Death Metal City and adopting the name Johannes Krauser II. The story arc leads up to a climactic showdown with the hell-raising American kings of black metal, Jack ill Dark (whose signature tune is “Fuckingham Palace”!). Matsuyama is currently learning the guitar and “death voice” stylings to pull off the performance. Filming is scheduled to start at the end of February. The movie is expected to feature cameos from prominent musicians, though no names have been announced.

• Who are Japan’s most popular celebrity bloggers? Well, according to CyberAgent’s free Ameba service, which hosts thousands of blogs, the No.1 spot continues to belong to talento Wakatsuki Chinatsu (23). But young actress/singer Aragaki Yui (19) has stormed up to No.2 just a week after starting her site. Actress Tomosaka Rie (28) says she’s somewhat embarrassed to be ranked 3rd.

• The multi-talented Kitano “Beat” Takeshi (60) has his actor hat on again, playing his first TV drama leading role in five years. He will star as a 1950s detective in “Ten to Sen”, the third time he has appeared in an adaptation of a novel by Matsumoto Seichou (1909-1992). The novel, published in 1958, tells of a murder case in the city of Hakata in Kyushu. This meant Takeshi having to master the region’s distinctive dialect for the role. The two-part drama will air on November 24-25 and is part of TV Asahi’s 50th anniversary. Takeshi’s veteran cop is supported by the always solid Takahashi Katsunori (42) and the cast also includes Uchiyama Rina (26) and Yanagiba Toshirou (46).

• Actress Kawashima Naomi (47) is getting married. She has yet to make a formal announcement, but is expected to get engaged to patissier Yoroizuka Toshihiko (42) before the end of the year. The pair met on a TV show about two years ago and have been dating for the last six months.

Karina (23) is the latest popular fashion model to establish herself as an actress. She has landed the lead role in next year’s TBS drama “Daisuki!!” It is based on the girl’s manga “Be-Love”, by Aimoto Mizuho, which runs in the comic of the same name. Karina’s role sounds a lot more challenging than the usual comic fluff that glamorous actresses are given. She will play Fukuhara Yuzu, a resident at a home for the mentally disabled, who though she only has a mental age of eight, falls in love with another resident and becomes pregnant. He later dies in a traffic accident, but she has their baby and decides to raise the child herself. The drama will air on Thursday nights from January 17.

• A lot is being read into the return to work of talento Hano Aki (39) after a gap of seven years. She took part in the recording of a variety show yesterday and called it “good rehabilitation.” She put her career on hold when she married kyogen performer Izumi Motoya (33) in 2002. She was six months pregnant at the time and they now have two children. But she moved back to her family’s home in September, taking the children. Izumi, his domineering mother Setsuko, and his two sisters have maintained the line that Hano has been simply nursing her sick mother for the last few weeks. But when a married female talento returns to work, it’s usually seen as a sign of marital or financial trouble. A divorce announcement is now seen as the next step, but Setsuko won’t be happy about Izumi not having an heir to carry on the family tradition.

Rakugoka Shunpuutei Koasa (52) and his wife of 20 years, talento Yasuha (46), held an unusual press conference at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo yesterday. The purpose was to tell the media that they had decided to divorce, but the usually celebratory gold screen behind them and the fact that they sat flanked by Yasuha’s two younger brothers had reporters scratching their heads. Shunpuutei joked, saying the divorce registration paper was “a love letter. We’ve just changed from being a married couple to ‘enjoukousai’ (compensated dating).” The couple first talked of divorce in September, with Yasuha saying the pressure of being married to a rakugo master was too much for her. Shunpuutei seemed surprised when she said she had never felt there was love between them, that it was more like a professional relationship. Her brothers, Hayashiya Shouzou (44) and Ippei (36) are both established rakugoka. Their late father, Hayashiya Sanpei, was one of the pillars of the traditional storytelling world. Though she had a brief career as a pop singer, Yasuha gave it up when she got married. When Shouzou succeeded to the stage name in 2005, he various official events were produced by his sister and brother-in-law. This return to work sparked something in Yasuha and she and screenwriter Tabuchi Kumiko (48) set up an entertainment business in January. Another sign of her recent change of heart could be seen in the fact that she has been making TV appearances this year.

Not so happy news for former teen idol Higashiyama Noriyuki (41) and actress Uchiyama Rina (26), whose relationship of two and a half years has ended. Their romance began after they appeared together in a drama in 2005. Despite the 15-year age difference, their relationship was said to be serious and wasn’t made public until January of this year. The decision to split up, which they made in early October, was due to their mutually hectic work schedules. Higashiyama is a member of the Johnny’s Jimusho trio Shonentai, whose heyday was in the early 1980s, though now he works mostly on stage and the variety show circuit. Uchiyama made her TV drama debut in 1998, and has had several leading roles since 2005’s period drama “Ooku – Hana no Ran”. She will make her stage debut in Shakespeare’s “King Lear”, directed by Ninagawa Yukio, next year.

• Better news for another Rina, half-Russian model/actress Ohta Rina (19). She is dating actor Matsuda Ryuhei (24), eldest son of the late screen legend Matsuda Yusaku. In today’s issue of weekly magazine “Flash”, Matsuda says they have been dating for a few weeks. Romance has also bloomed between actor Moriyama Mirai (23) and actress Asami Rei (24). The pair appeared together in the stage show “Chi no Konrei” (Blood Wedding) in May and started dating during the summer.

• Comedian Hosshan (36) revealed yesterday that he got married in unusual style over the weekend. He made the announcement during a performance at the Yoshimoto Hall in Tokyo. He and his 31-year-old bride first met 13 years ago in Osaka and lived together for 10 years. They split up in 2005 and only got back together again this year. They had planned to register their marriage on November 18, but Hosshan said he got an email from her on Saturday night saying, “I’ve changed my name!”

• NHK has decided to make this year’s Kohaku a boy’s affair. For the first time in 51 years, both the red and white teams on the New Yaer’s Eve “song battle” will have a male leader. Heading the red team for the fourth time is SMAP member Nakai Masahiro (35), while rakugoka Shoufukutei Tsurube (55) makes his debut as white team leader. The pair have teamed up before, co-hosting a private network talk show. But Tsurube also has a more embarrassing incident to make up for: Fuji TV’s 27-hour telethon in 2003, a live broadcast during which he appeared drunk and exposed himself.

• Talento Asada Yoshimi (28) blogged yesterday’s birth of her first child, a baby boy. The former member of pin-up duo Pirates updated her blog as her waters broke and then again an hour after the baby was born but while she was still on the delivery table. In the late 1990s Pirates – Asada and Nishimoto Haruka (29) – were best known for making full use of their cleavage and the catchphrase “dacchyuno!”

The Tora-san Museum in Tokyo dedicated to the late actor Atsumi Kiyoshi (1928-1996) celebrated its 10th anniversary Saturday. Atsumi starred as the itinerant peddler Torajiro Kuruma or “Tora-san” in the popular and long-running movie series “Otoko wa Tsurai yo” (It’s Tough Being a Man), making him one of the most recognizable faces of postwar Japan. The museum in the Shibamata, Katsushika district of Tokyo, where Tora-san had his home and to which he always returned from his travels around the country. Almost all the 48 movies in the Tora-san series were directed by Yamada Yoji (76), who is honorary head of the museum. Speaking to locals and visiting movie fans on Saturday, he said, “I always feel like making more Tora-san movies. I have maybe 10 or 20 story ideas…if only Atsumi-san were still here.” Also attending the weekend’s anniversary event was actress Baisho Chieko (66), who played Tora-san’s sister Sakura in every movie. She spoke of how difficult it had been for her to return to Shibamata for several years after her “brother” had died. But she said “It’s a nice town. You almost feel as if you might meet Tora-san or Sakura around every corner.”

• Pop trio w-inds made their third visit to Taiwan, playing for 8,000 fans at the Taipei Arena on Sunday. The group’s single “Beautiful Life” also entered the local chart at No.1, an indication of their popularity on the island. They will perform in a concert at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 29, the final show in a series marking the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and China.

• Puffy and several other artists are in the lineup for an environmental charity concert in Tokyo early next year. Also on the bill for “Green Power Live 2008” are Ayaka, mihimaruGT, and J to S. The concert, at Zepp Tokyo on February 19, is being sponsored by the Japan Association of Music Enterprises and radio station J-Wave. Profits will go to a Tokyo citizen’s group that promotes the use of wind energy.