Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

Singer Hajime Chitose (25), who had been expecting her first child at the end of the summer, has suffered a miscarriage. She announced the sad news on her web site, adding that she herself was well on the road to recovery and looking forward to another chance. She married a 27-year old restaurateur in January.

• Singer Nakajima Mika (21) played the first of a series of concerts for fans who won tickets by lottery. Sponsored by Coca Cola Japan, who gave away the tickets to 15,000 people who bought their Sokenbicha tea (out of 750,000 people who applied), the 6-venue concert series features Nakajima accompanied by violinist Hakase Taro (36).

• With the country’s Olympic athletes providing the excitement of a “medal rush” sports fans are staying up late to catch the action. Despite an average viewing figure of less than 18% for the 9pm-to-midnight slot, figures have almost reached 30% for the live coverage of judo semis and finals. NTV’s coverage of Anno Kyoko gold medal performance managed 29.8%. Overwhelming 100kg gold-medal favorite Inoue Kosei probably would have done even better except he fell to a shocking loss in the 4th round.

Former idol singer turned racing driver Kondo Masahiko (40) has been honored for saving a drowning boy. The Maritime Safety Agency awarded him with a lifesaving certificate for rescuing a 2nd grader from Osaka who was drowning off Shirahama beach. The incident took place at the beach in Wakayama prefecture a couple of weeks ago. “Matchi” said he was somewhat embarrassed by the award, adding, “I just did what anyone would have done.” He reached superstardom as a member of the Tanukin Trio idol group in the early 1980s, along with Tahara Toshihiko and Nomura Yoshio. In 1994, he entered the Le Mans 24-hour road race and now has his own team, Kondo Racing.

The September 23 edition of the Tunnels Fuji TV variety show “Tunnels no Minasan no O-kage Deshita” will feature the unlikely pairing of singer Utada Hikaru (21) and soccer “idol” David Beckham (29). The two will go head-to-head in a popular regular segment where they have to eat several types of food and guess the dish that the other hates most. The segment was filmed during Real Madrid’s recent visit to Japan. Meanwhile ‘Hikki’ will make her first official appearance as ‘Utada’ on TV Asahi’s “Music Station” on September 10. She will make her U.S. debut with her new name and a new album “Exodus” on October 5. The album goes on sale in Japan on September 8.

• Actress Mizuki Arisa (27) has a new, younger man in her life. Her relationship with singer Mitsunaga Ryota (24) was revealed in the latest edition of gossip magazine Friday. The two are said to be living together at Mizuki’s home. Mitsunaga made his debut with the hit single “Always” in January of last year, and the song was used as the theme tune to the hit drama series “Itsumo Futaride.” Mizuki’s last relationship was with J-league player Nagai Hideki, and at one point marriage seemed on the cards for the pair. Rumors of a breakup were never confirmed.

Tokunaga Yoshiya, drummer with the pop group Checkers, died yesterday at a Yokohama hospital of tongue cancer. He was 40. Checkers were one of the most popular boy bands of the 1980s, formed in Fukuoka in 1981, and produced one of Japan’s leading pop singers in Fujii Fumiya (photo, 42). They broke up in 1992 but there had been hopes of a band reunion in recent years. “Kurobe,” the youngest member of the band, announced on his web site last September that he was undergoing treatment. He appeared to have made a good recovery when he played at a concert with rock band Wild-G in January, but was readmitted to hospital soon after.

Singer songwriter Makihara Noriyuki (35) is back on top of the charts for the first time in almost 10 years. “Explorer” is his first original album to top the Oricon chart since “Pharmacy” in November 1995. An ironic title that turned out to be, as Makihara’s career went into a slide following his arrest for stimulant drug use in 1999. He will start a national tour on September 4.

• The popular TBS school drama “3-Nen B-Kumi Kimpachi Sensei” is to have a seventh series, starting in mid-October. Starring Takeda Tetsuya (55) as the philosphizing teacher, the series is marking its 25th anniversary this year, and will feature many of the actors and actresses who have launched their careers playing students on the show.

Pop/hip hop group Da Pump have announced their first solo overseas gig. Currently in the middle of a Japan tour, they said at the weekend that they will play in Taiwan at the end of September.

• Also heading for Taiwan are Dengeki Network (photo). The outlandish performance group, formerly known as the Tokyo Shock Boys, are to be the CM characters for a diet product over the next year. They are known for dangerous stunts involving things like scoprions, dry ice and fluorescent light tubes.

• Former NTV announcer Tahara Setsuko, wife of TV newscaster Tahara Soichiro (70), died last Friday of multiple organ failure. She was 67. Her husband is the regular host of the political debate show “Sunday Project.”

• Singer Sun Plaza Nakano (43) has denied a rumoured romantic relationship with TV Asahi announcer Ishii Kiwa (26).

The new queen of the TV commercial world is actress Hasegawa Kyoko (26), according to Video Research Comhouse. “Hasekyo” appeared for a total of almost 29 hours of on-air time in the Kanto region during the first half of the year, pushing such sponsors as NTT DoCoMo, Canon and Nihon Seimei insurance. She jumped up from 94th place in last year’s list. Second and third places went to Lasaru Ishii (48) and Kisa Ayako (33) both mainly for insurance company Alico Japan. In fourth was N.Y. Yankees slugger Matsui Hideki (30). Topping the rankings for the Kansai region was recently married actress Mizuno Maki (34).

• Almost 100 young members of the Johnny’s Jimusho talent agency appeared in a music spectacle in Tokyo’s Harajuku on Sunday. The production cost ¥1.2 billion and was held at a newly unveiled “big top” theater. It featured 8m-high fountains, a 360-degree screen and singers flying all over the place on suspension wires. Johhny’s is known for producing most of the top male pop music acts, with current big names including SMAP, Tokio, V6, and Arashi.

Actor Shimizu Kentaro (51) was sentenced yesterday at the Tokyo district court to 28 months for use of marijuana and stimulant drugs. The judge addressed him, saying, “You have fans supporting you all over the country. Do you swear never to touch drugs again?” Shimizu answered, “Yes.” He does not plan to appeal the sentence. Shimizu did time for the same offence in 1994.

• A new pop trio including Morning Musume member Ishikawa Rika (19) was announced yesterday. Biyuuden also includes Miyoshi Erika (19), who was the only person to pass last August’s audition to join the Hello! Project troupe, and Okada Yui (16), who was one of 32 new additions in June. The trio will release their debut single on September 23. Ishikawa is set to graduate from Momus next spring.

• The weekly magazine Focus has revealed a relationship between actress and former 80s idol Yakushimaru Hiroko (40) and a chief cameraman at NHK. Yakushimaru divorced singer Tamaki Koji (45) in 1998.

With “Yon-sama” and all things Korean becoming more and more popular here these days, the flood goes both ways. Veteran rock band Ziggy announced yesterday that they are to play a joint concert in Seoul with up-and-coming Korean band Buzz. The concert will be held at Hanyung University on August 29, about a week before the band’s quadruple greatest hits album “Vicissitudes of Fortune” goes on sale.

• Popular actress Nakama Yukie (photo, 24) paid her first visit to Korea to film scenes for her her ongoing Fuji TV drama series “Tokyo Wankei” (Tokyo Bay Scene). She plays a Japanese-born Korean who visits the country with her Japanese boyfriend to find her roots. Filming of the series is already approaching the finale. Japanese dramas were allowed to be broadcast on cable channels in Korea for the first time from January. Nakama stars in two of the most popular, “Gokusen” and “Trick.”

In what is being billed as one of the most unlikely couples around, actress Fukuda Kyoko (21) has been linked with comedian Arita Teppei (photo, 33) by the gossip weekly Friday. According to the magazine, “Fukakyon” spent a full 24 hours with Arita at an apartment belonging to a “kohai” (junior) member of his talent agency. The relationship between the pair is thought to have been a “date” they went on as part of a variety show. Fukuda is very busy in the middle of filming a TV Asahi light drama series and the way she chose to spend a rare day off has reporters assuming the relationship is serious. Arita is one half of the manzai duo Cream Stew and is not exactly considered eligible bachelor material.

• What seemed like a dream match, between actress Takagi Saya (40) and pro diver and photographer Sugahara Maki (40), has come to an end. The couple’s life in Hawaii featured on several TV shows and seemed idyllic. Takagi had become a world-class free diver, but it seems she needs the fast-paced life of Japan and will return to work as an actress.