Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

“Mickey,” the Japanese cover of the 80s Toni Basil hit by comedy character Gorie, has gone straight to the top of the Oricon singles chart. Regularly featured on the Fuji TV comedy show One Night Rock & Roll, the up-tempo tune features an all-singing, all-dancing routine with Gorie at the front of the line. Only, Gorie is played by the hirsute Gori of the comedy duo Garage Sale. The “gap” between his normal persona and the character that has become a trendsetter for garish high school girls across Japan lies at the heart of the appeal. Gori may be swarthy and have spiky hair, but he also has a real knack for developing unique and hilarious characters.

“Howl’s Moving Castle” didn’t quite manage to win the big prize at the Venice International Film Festival. The Golden Lion award went to Mike Leigh’s “Vera Drake” but insiders said that Miyazaki Hayao’s latest animated feature was in the running till the end, and his Studio Ghibli received the Osella Award for technical achievement. The final grand prix decision came down to two European and two Asian features (including Spain’s “The Sea Within” and Korea’s “Bin Jip”). The jury, led by British director John Boorman, commented that the decision had been very difficult. ”Howl’s Moving Castle” is based on a children’s book of the same name by British author Diana Wynne Jones. The movie, set in a world of science and witchcraft, describes the romance between a sorcerer named Howl and an 18-year-old girl, Sophie, who is turned into a 90-year-old crone under a spell on the eve of war. The film will be released here November 20.

Nakajima Tadayuki (31) of the up and coming manzai duo Cunning (it means “cheating on a test” in Japanese) has become a father. His wife Manami had a baby boy in a Chiba hospital yesterday. The couple married in April of this year.

• Morning Musume member Fujimoto Miki (photo, 19) has taken a break from their nationwide concert tour due to her medical condition. “Mikiti” was diagnosed with acute pharyngitis and a middle-ear infection after a concert in Fukuoka on September 4. She is now resting at her home in Tokyo.

• Also not in the best of health is veteran actress Iwashita Shima (63). She has stepped down from her starring role alongside Sakaguchi Kenji (28) in the upcoming Fuji TV drama series “Mother and Lover” due to complications with gallstones, which she has suffered from for 25 years. her role will be taken over by Matsuzaka Keiko (52).

It was revealed yesterday by the weekly magazine Friday that comedian Kato Cha (61) and his wife Suzuko (43) divorced in March of last year. Kato is expected to talk to the media about the break up after a performance in Nagoya today. Suzuko has custody of their children, two boys and a girl. Kato has been involved in affairs at least twice during their sixteen years of marriage. In 1993, at the age of 50, he was caught with an 18-year old model. His wife turned a blind eye at the time but threatened divorce when he was caught with the same woman two years later. He swore he would break up the affair and it was enerally believed that he had reformed. Cha became a household name in the 1960s as a member of The Drifters, Japan’s all-time favorite comedy troupe. In recent years he has been a regular on stage and TV variety shows and commercials.

• Meanwhile the divorce case between actor Watanabe Ken (44) and his wife Yumiko (44) is to go on. The Tokyo district court recognized Watanabe’s divorce petition on the grounds that his wife had sunk them heavily into debt. But her lawyers were unhappy with the ruling and say they will appeal to the High Court. Watanabe’s lawyers said that he was disappointed that custody of their daughter Ann (18) had not been awarded to him. He is currently in Hollywood filming “Sayuri” (based on the best-seller “Memoirs of a Geisha”).

Actor and singer Oda Yuji (36) is to make a long-awaited return to the TV serial drama. he will star in the Fuji TV series “Last Christmas,” naturally enough a romantic comedy. The series will air in the “golden time” of 9pm on Mondays, and is Oda’s first starring role in that time slot in 13 years. Oda became a household name on the strength of the hugely popular romantic series “Tokyo Love Story” in 1991, starring alongside Suzuki Honami. While not the world’s best vocalist, he is popular enough as a singer to also get the job of performing the theme song and opening title tune for the new series, covers of the Wham! hits “Last Christmas” and “Wake Me Up Before You Go-go.” The tunes will be produced by U.S. hitmaker Butch Walker, who recently worked with Avril Lavigne.

Comedian Hayashi Nobuyuki (34) of the duo Sakamichi Columbus has been arrested for molesting a junior high school student in Kyoto. The second-tier manzai duo are with the major HoriPro talent agency, who issued a statement saying they were looking into the case. “If it’s true, it’s unforgiveable.” But they declined to comment on whether the duo would be broken up. Hayashi and Matsuoka Shingo (34) formed Sakamichi Corocoro in 1998 and changed the name in 2001.

• Actress and model Koyuki (photo, 27) has refused to comment on rumors of a romance with popular actor Sakaguchi Kenji (28). The two are reported to have taken a trip to Bali together in August. Koyuki starred in the hit movie The Last Samurai.

The diminuitive Adachi Yumi (22) celebrated her 20th year in showbusiness at a “pre-birthday party” on Sunday. She started as a magazine model at the age of two and became a household name through the popular TV drama “Ie Naki Ko.” She turns 23 on September 14, but could still easily pass for a junior high school student. Answering questions about whether she and her boyfriend, actor Kuroda Arthur (43), have plans to get married, she said she was now of an age where such things have to be thought over maturely.

• Domoto Tsuyoshi (25) of the hugely popular Johnny’s duo Kinki Kids says he’s got over his internal conflicts. Playing with a band and performing 3 hours of his own songs, he told fans at the Saitama Super Arena that he has been battling with the dual roles of pop “idol” and artist. It was the last night of a 12-show solo tour, his second. He denied rumors that he and Kinki partner Domoto Koichi (25) were considering a split. Despite calling their Sunday night Fuji TV music/chat show “Domoto Brothers”, the pair are not actually related.

Utada Hikaru (21) has launched the latest stage of her stellar career. She has begun making appearances under the name “Utada” and her ‘debut’ album goes on sale in Japan on Wednesday. She will have her U.S. debut next month with the album “Exodus.” The first single “Easy Breezy” (includes the line, “You’re easy breezy and I’m Japaneesy.”) is already getting lots of airplay.

• Miyazaki Hayao’s (63) latest animated feature was unveiled for the first time at a press screening at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. “Howl’s Moving Castle” received a healthy standing ovation from the full house of about 1,300.

• The latest round of auditions has opened for young hopefuls who want to members of Morning Musume. It is the seventh round and seven years since the group was started, and as such is being called the “Lucky Seven Audition.” It’s open to girls in 9th grade or above who will be under 20 by next April 1. There are currently 12 members but leader Iida Kaori (23) and Ishikawa Rika (19) are ‘graduating’ next year.

It was revealed this week that double Olympic gold medallist Kitajima Kousuke (21) and model Ochiai Saeri (22) have broken up, though the break is said to have happened this spring. One possible reason, according to one of the weekly mags, is compromising photos published in March of Kitajima and soft-porn star Hagiwara Mai (22).

• Actress and singer Nishida Hikaru (photo, 32), currently living in the U.S. due to her husband’s business, is to be a “TV Ambassador” at this year’s Emmy Awards. She already writes a column on her American lifestyle for the Sankei Shimbun.

• Actress Matsushima Nanako (30) has returned to work in a drama series to be aired next January. The third series in the popular Fuji TV hospital drama “Kyumei Byuotou 24 Jikan” will again star Eguchi Yousuke (36). Matsushima and husband, actor Sorimachi Takashi (30) had their first child in May.

80s pop diva Matsuda Seiko (42) is to make her first appearance in a TV drama series in ten years. “Tatta Hitotsu no Takaramono” (My One Treasure) is based on a best-selling book about a father and his child born with Down Syndrome. The mother captured the child’s brief, six-year life in a series of moving photographs that illustarted the book. The story was also the inspiration last year for a life insurance company TV commercial that became a talking point. The accompanying song was by singer/songwriter Oda Kazumasa, who will also provide the theme for the new drama. It is scheduled to air on NTV from the end of October.

• Singer Yamazaki Masayoshi (32) is to star in his first movie since 1997’s “Moon and Cabbage.” The movie, to be released in the autumn of 2005, is a remake of a 1999 Korean hit “Christmas in August.”