Category Archives: Entertainment News

With British racing driver Jenson Button (29) racing into a commanding lead after eight races of the Formula One season, fashion model Michibata Jessica (24) may have decided she needs to stake her claim now. As Japan Zone reported back in January, the pair have been a romantic item for a few months now. But in recent interviews, Michibata has started talking about a possible proposal should Button manage to win the F1 championship. With six wins out of eight races, he is certainly the current odds-on favorite to take the crown from fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, possibly well before the last race in Abu Dhabi on November 1. Michibata told one English magazine, “He has told me he wants to get married – he said he is the marrying type. If Jenson wins the title in November we will celebrate a lot and it will be by him getting down on one knee.” She added, “I know he is the one for me and he has told me I am the one for him. I hope he means it.” Things looked a lot different for both stars last year. Michibata was romantically linked with DJ and musician Ohsawa Shinichi (41) in the summer but they later split up. Button was with the Honda racing team last year, and after the Japanese maker withdrew as sponsor, it was bought out and renamed Brawn GP. Michibata, whose father is half-Argentine, half-Italian, and whose mother is Japanese, has been modeling since she was a child, though the western media has gone a bit overboard in describing her as a “supermodel.” She speaks fluent English and Japanese, as well as Spanish and some Italian. In terms of role models, the couple can look to French former F1 racer Jean Alesi (44) and the gorgeous actress Goto Kumiko (34). They married in the mid-90s and now live an idyllic life in France with their four children. Though popular, Alesi only ever won a single F1 race and was never a championship contender.

Earlier story:

The Model and the Speed Racer (Jan 30, 2009)

The latest release from J-pop group Greeeen has become their second consecutive million-selling album. Universal Music announced at the weekend that “Shio, Kosho” broke the one-million barrier just ten days after it went on sale earlier this month. That’s a full week faster than it took DCT’s “Do You Dreams Come True?” the year’s only other album to reach that level in sales. Greeeen owe some of their success to the theme songs they provided for the popular TBS drama series “Rookies” (“Kiseki,” included only on the first edition of the album) and its hit spinoff movie “Rookies – Sotsugyo” (“Haruka”). The group have applied to Guinness World Records to have “Kiseki” recognized as the world’s best-selling digital download. To date, the single has been downloaded 5.9 million times.

American talento Billy Blanks (53) and his new bride Tomoko (40) held their wedding ceremony and reception at the Ritz Carlton Osaka on Saturday. Blanks made his name in Japan a couple of years ago thanks to the hugely popular “Billy’s Boot Camp” exercise DVDs. He and his American wife divorced last year and at the end of the year he and Tomoko, who had been his interpreter, had a baby daughter. They registered their marriage in January and Blanks has applied for permanent residency status. He plans to open his Billy Blanks International Studio in Osaka next month. During Saturday’s reception, a couple were giving a ballroom dancing performance when Blanks took off his tuxedo and turned it into one of his famous Tae Bo aerobic workouts. A 7-time world karate champion, he also changed into his karate gi and split a few tiles and planks for the assembled guests.

Actress/model Anne (23, 177cm) and actor Ozawa Yukiyoshi (34, 183cm) are both tall by Japanese standards. But media attention on their romance is just as much about the stature of their parents. Ozawa is the son of world famous conductor Ozawa Seiji (73) and former model Irie Miki (64). He was born in San Francisco but educated in Japan and holds Japanese citizenship. He’s built a solid acting career over the last decade. One of his earliest roles in the late ’90s was in the TV drama “Saigo no Samurai.” There’s no connection, but that is the Japanese translation of “Last Samurai,” the Hollywood movie that earned an Oscar nomination for Watanabe Ken (49)…who just happens to be Anne’s father. She went out of her way to hide the fact when she began modeling for the magazine “Non-no” at the age of 15. But by the time she made her acting debut in 2007, in the Kurosawa Akira tribute drama “Tengoku to Jigoku” (Heaven and Hell), her family background was no longer a secret. It was also on the set of that TV Asahi drama that she first met Ozawa. Recently the two have been seen together regularly at the Tokyo bar-restaurant run by Ozawa’s family, according to this week’s issue of women’s magazine “Josei Seven”.

• Korean actress Bae Doo Na (29) was late for a movie PR event in Tokyo yesterday. Her excuse? Her flight from New York was delayed by a volcanic eruption in Russia’s Kuril Islands. Bae finally arrived about three hours into the screening and post production press conference for Koreeda Hirokazu’s “Kuuki Ningyou” (Air Doll). The movie, shown recently in the Un Certain Regard category at Cannes, is an adaptation of Goda Yoshiie’s manga about an inflatable doll (Bae) that becomes sentient.

Romance has blossomed between actor Tamaki Hiroshi (29) and actress Yoshitaka Yuriko (20) according to today’s issue of weekly women’s magazine “Josei Seven.” The pair, who first worked together during the TBS drama series “Love Shuffle” in January, were spotted vacationing together in Aomori Prefecture earlier this month. Tamaki is currently starring in the movie “Manatsu no Orion” (Midsummer Orion), while Yoshitaka is appearing in the Fuji TV series “Shiroi Haru” (White Spring). Management for both stars refused to comment on the relationship, with Tamaki’s office saying only, “He’s almost 30 so we leave such things to him.”

• NHK are always thinking well ahead when it comes to their annual taiga drama series. Yesterday they announced the first details of their 50th yearlong historical drama, to be aired from January 2011. Titled “Gou – Himetachi no Sengoku,” it will be based on the life story of Gou, official wife of Tokugawa Hidetada (1579-1632), the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. Gou was related by either blood or marriage to the three key warlords (Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu) of that tumultuous period of Japanese history. The series will be scripted by Tabuchi Kumiko, who also wrote last year’s taiga “Atsuhime.”

In an ongoing case of celebrity stalking, a youth was arrested today for the theft of a mobile phone belonging to a 14-year-old idol singer. The youth has not been named by police as he is a juvenile, but he is described as an unemployed 17-year-old from Saitama city. The object of his attentions is Morimoto Ryutaro, who is the youngest member of the 10-member Johnny’s Jimusho group Hey! Say! Jump. The Saitama youth has been a fan of Morimoto’s for some time, and last December the singer’s parents were so concerned about his behavior that they consulted police. Yesterday Morimoto asked the youth to meet with him in a “family restaurant” in his hometown of Yokohama in an attempt to persuade him to stop the harassment. He told police that after their meeting, at around 11:45pm, the youth ran off with Morimoto’s mobile phone. The youth has denied the accusation.

X Japan leader Yoshiki continues to draw large crowds as he brought the promotion of his recently published biography to Tokyo yesterday. X Japan is known for the fanaticism of its fans, and over 1,000 of them turned out at the Maruzen bookstore in Marunouchi and the Tsutaya store in Shibuya. The visits had been announced on Yoshiki’s mobile website the day before and some fans waited outside stores overnight. In return they got up close and personal with the star and received signed copies of the book and posters. A planned visit to the Kinokuniya bookstore in Shinjuku was called off due to security concerns. The media used the term “near panic” to describe scenes at the two events that were held, but it seems to be standard to hype anything connected with X Japan. Written by Komatsu Narumi and simply titled “Yoshiki/佳樹,” the book reveals the kanji for his given name for the first time and includes photos from his childhood. The book has already sold over 200,000 copies (which, while impressive, pales in comparison to sales of the latest Murakami Haruki novel). Yoshiki was accompanied yesterday by Komatsu and publisher Kadokawa Tsuguhiko, who said he hopes to publish Chinese and English translations of the book.

Male fans of popular model Ebihara Yuri (29) will be disheartened to hear that she has acknowledged her romance with musician Ilmari (34). Appearing at a fashion PR event in Tokyo, she made the first public statement about her relationship with the member of hip hop group Rip Slyme. “More than his looks, I was attracted to his personality…but he is handsome!” She said they had only recently started dating. The couple were spotted together last month on a visit to a shinto shrine in Ebihara’s home prefecture, Miyazaki, along with her parents. Yesterday’s event was her first public appearance since that news appeared in the weekly magazine “Friday.” When asked if the visit to the shrine, famous for “tying people together,” indicated marriage plans, she blushed and said, “If all goes well.” Popularly known as Ebi-chan, she is one of the three top models associated with the magazine CanCam. The other two are also in high-profile relationships – Yamada Yu with actor Oguri Shun and Oshikiri Moe with Yomiuri Giants pitcher Nomaguchi Takahiko.

There’s been a little bit of kabuki history being made over at the Kabukiza theater recently. The June Grand Kabuki features the stage debut of young Matsumoto Kintaro, who at four years of age is the youngest ever actor to perform the dramatic “renjishi” (father and son lion dance) that is a highlight of the show. Usually it features a father and son and it is traditionally the first performance by the young actor. To add to the historical significance of Kintaro’s debut, his grandfather also joined the act. It was the first time three generations have performed the dance on stage, and after last night’s performance they met with reporters. His father, Ichikawa Somegoro VII (36) said, “I have to suppress my deep emotions and tears of pride as a father and keep scolding him till we get to the final curtain call.” Grandfather Matsumoto Koshiro IX (66) said, “Twenty-five straight days of doing the keburi must be both physically and mentally tough for him,” referring to the kind of kabuki headbanging with the long hair of the lion’s mane. On weekdays the young actor goes from his nursery school to the theater. Real name Fujima Itsuki, this production marks his official adoption of the stage name Matsumoto Kintaro IV. The Grand Kabuki runs until June 27 and is part of the farewell to Kabukiza, which is due to be demolished next spring. A new theater is scheduled to open in 2013.

• Management for comedian Uchimura Teruyoshi (44, profile) announced yesterday that his wife recently gave birth to their first child. They have named their baby daughter Kokone. One half of the popular duo Uchan Nanchan, Uchimura was considered one of Japan showbiz’s biggest playboys until he married former TV Asahi announcer Tokunaga Yumi (33) in April 2005. She was already married when their romance first became public two years earlier.

The weekend saw news of two tragic deaths on the periphery of the showbiz world. It was revealed on Saturday that fashion model Sumire died last week of a brain hemorrhage. A popular model with the young women’s fashion magazine “Koakuma Ageha,” she was just 21. Unable to reach her last Wednesday, a member of her management agency visited her Tokyo apartment and found her dead. Police are treating it as death from natural causes. Sumire had complained of headaches and poor health on her stop-baldness.net, which she last updated on June 3.

Also on Saturday, pro wrestling legend Misawa Mitsuharu died in a freak ring accident. He was 46. He and his fellow Noah troupe members were on tour in Hiroshima Prefecture, and Misawa was taking part in a tag bout as the evening’s main event. He was partnered with Shiozaki Go in a match against Bison Smith and Saito Akitoshi. About 25 minutes into the bout, shortly after 8:30pm, Saito lifted him from behind and threw him in a “back drop” (back suplex) maneuver. Misawa was immediately knocked unconscious and didn’t respond to heart massage from fellow wrestlers or the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) device. Paramedics arrived after about 10 minutes and he was rushed to hospital, though he is believed to have died in the ring. Misawa debuted in 1981 and became popular as the second man to wear the famous Tiger Mask. He was one of the best and most popular pro wrestlers throughout the 1990s until a split with All Japan Pro Wrestling led him to go it alone in 2000. Many top names went with him and they formed Pro Wrestling Noah, which became one of the biggest and most highly regarded promotions in the sport. Misawa remained active until his death and was GHC Heavyweight Champion as recently as last year.

Popular actor Eguchi Yosuke (41) took a tumble from his motorbike this week and will need two months to recover from his injuries. Was he out on the wide open highway, or maybe doing some motocross? Nope, he was making a left turn out of a gasoline station. According to a statement yesterday from the Yoyogi police station in central Tokyo, Eguchi was leaving a Shell station on Wednesday evening when he suddenly braked to avoid an oncoming bicycle. He managed to avoid a collision, but bore the weight of his 246kg, 1100cc Kawasaki Z1-R. The cyclist was unhurt, while Eguchi suffered multiple fractures to his left collarbone and ribs. He has been hospitalized and is expected to be immobilized for about three weeks. A police motorcyclist commented on the incident, saying “We do a training maneuver to learn how to fall over with the bike, but it’s very frightening. Some people get crushed beneath the bike. Eguchi-san did well to avoid the collision, but it’s no surprise he suffered broken bones.” The accident causes a serious headache for Fuji TV, as Eguchi is the star of the upcoming medical drama series “Kyumei Byoutou 24-ji,” which is heading into its fourth season. The series airs from July 7, so some serious last-minute adjustments are being made to the filming schedule. Eguchi was visited in hospital by his wife, former idol singer Moritaka Chisato (40), and their two children.

• Romance has bloomed between Nochi (20), of the technopop trio Perfume, and Horie Atsushi (30), guitarist and vocalist with rock band Straightener, according to today’s issue of weekly gossip magazine “Friday.” After drinking with friends, the pair were spotted going back to her apartment. Nocchi, real name Omoto Ayano, and her group made a big breakthrough with last year’s hit single “Polyrhythm.”

Yoshimoto (profile) comedienne Minowa Haruka (29, photo right) is getting back to work this weekend after her recent medical scare. One half of the manzai duo Harisenbon, she is never the most healthy looking person at the best of times and this is often used in her comedy. But things became more serious when she was hospitalized with tuberculosis in early April. As the disease is highly contagious, Yoshimoto and the TV networks went into a bit of a panic over whether she might have passed it on to her co-workers or TV studio audiences. As it turned out, the problem had been contained, but Minowa remained in hospital until May 29. She has since been resting at home and will return to work on Sunday, when she will rejoin the lineup of a TBS variety show.

• Model Fujii Lena (24) yesterday acknowledged her romantic relationship with musician Issa (30). Appearing at a PR event for her bridal fashion brand L et Lena, the so-called “charisma model” giggled happily as she answered questions from reporters. Photos of the couple were published in last week’s issue of weekly gossip magazine “Josei Seven.” Issa, of the dance pop group Da Pump, has previously been linked with actress Shibasaki Kou (27) and talento Abiru Yu (22). Asked for a comment, management for Issa simply said, “He’s an adult so we leave his private life up to him.”

• Also acknowledging their relationship this week were young talento Kinoshita Yukina (21) and not so young but popular comedian Fujimoto Toshifumi (38). “Fujimon,” as he’s popularly known, is one half of the manzai duo Fujiwara. Kinoshita has played on her bad girl past and straight-talking style to build her fan base.