Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

It was announced yesterday that actor Hayashi Kouki (33) married former NHK actress Matsuno Chika (33) last August. Hayashi is the younger brother of former X Japan member Yoshiki and is curently involved in his management. He is considered to be an “ikemen”, or “good looking”, actor. The word comes from the current Japanese expression “ikete iru”, meaning “cool”, and “men” (face). He has appeared regularly in such dramas as Fuji TVs “Yamato Nadeshiko” and “Out”. Matsuno is a former gymnast at the national level and was a regular on the popular pre-school show “Okaasan to Issho” in the late 1990s.

The gossip magazine Friday revealed this week that Issa (25), vocalist with the dance group Da Pump, split up with actress Shibasaki Kou (22) in January shortly after they went to Tokyo Disneyland (a popular tactic for break ups). He has since been spotted with several other women, including an ongoing relationship with TV personality Abiru Yu (photo, 17) and a romantic encounter with personality Kifune Kaori (25), caught by the magazine’s paparazzi.

• Police have issued a summons to actress Shimada Yoko (51) for driving without a license. The summons follows an accident that occured in Koto ward, Tokyo in March. Shimada had a Canadian license at the time, and “wasn’t aware” that she needed a Japanese one.

It’s silly award season again. This year’s Miss Lily – for the woman who looks best with lilies – goes to…actress Tokiwa Takako (32). The popular actress, who has been busy both on TV and the big screen over the last few years, was presented the award and a bunch of yellow lilies at the Dutch embassy in Tokyo on Wednesday. You have to wonder if stars are embarrassed sometimes by these obvious PR events.

• Folk legend Yamashita Tatsuro (51) has penned his first song for an anime production. He has written the opening tune for NHK’s upcoming show about the famous Agatha Christie characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. The ending theme was written by his wife Takeuchi Mariya (49).

SMAP member and perennial most popular man in Japan Kimura Takuya (31) arrived at the Cannes Film Festival safe and sound but it looks like the movie he’s there to promote might not be so lucky. “2046”, the new flick by Wong Kar Wai (45), was scheduled to have its press screening this morning, but one reel was still on its way from Bangkok last night and scheduled to arrive in Paris at 5am. With French subtitles yet to be added and a trip across the country to the south coast, it was decided to cancel the morning showing and delay the 7pm gala screening by half an hour. This is a first for the prestigious film fest, according to organizers, as well as a major embarrassment all round. The screening schedule for other films, including Oshii Mamoru’s “anime “Innocence”, has also been disrupted. The project, which has no script whatsoever, has been plagued by problems from the start. Production started in 1999 but soon ground to a halt due to scheduling difficulties. It was restarted last November after a 4-year hiatus, but even then no end to the project could be seen. But the – almost – finished film has received good reviews and a Best Actor award for Tony Leung (41).

All media attention on Tuesday was focused on the tax declarations of the rich and famous. Making the top 10 rankings is a real status symbol and you can usually predict most of the names on the list. The biggest entertainment earners were in music: rock duo B’z dominated, with vocalist Inaba Koshi (39) at No.1 and guitarist Matsumoto Tak in 3rd (photo). Sandwiched between them was last year’s No.1 Hamasaki Ayumi (25). King of the TV mc’s Mino Monta (59) was fourth and the top 5 was rounded out by Utada Hikaru (21). Last year’s No.1, Nakai Masahiro (31) of SMAP didn’t get his declaration in on time and was not included in the rankings. Also highly ranked as usual were the top comedians, Downtown’s Hamada Masatoshi (41) and Matsumoto Hitoshi (41) and the Tunnels duo of Ishibashi Takaaki (42) and Kinashi Noritake (42).

• The other big news story of the moment is politicians who have failed to pay national pension premiums. Meanwhile actress Esumi Makiko (37), a poster girl for the pension scheme who turned out not to have paid premiums herself, made her first public appearance since that scandal broke. She attended a PR event for the upcoming 15th movie in the “Tsuri Baka” (Fishing Fool) movie series, but made no comment on the ongoing scandal.

• Veteran actor of the postwar period Mitsuhashi Tatsuya died on Monday of heart failure in a Tokyo hospital. He was 80. He worked until very recently, appearing in “Casshern”, the currently-showing debut film by Kiriya Kazuaki, husband of Utada Hikaru.

Actress Fujiwara Norika (32) grabbed a bit of the Cannes limelight on Sunday. In town to promote the movie Shrek 2, for which she provides the Japanese voice of Princess Fiona, she turned a lot of heads – and cameras – with her classic Asian look. Long, straight black hair accented her low-cut bustline and kimono-inspired sequined red dress as she hogged the red carpet for a full five minutes. Reportedly, the glamorous Norika drew a dinner invitation from an impressed Antonio Banderas, accompanied though he was by wife Melanie Griffith.

Over in South Korea, Amuro Namie (photo, 26) finished the final leg of her Asian tour at the Olympic gymnastics arena in Seoul on Saturday. The last show, for which she shared the headline with popular Korean male R&B singer Rain, brought the total number of fans for the three nights she played in Seoul to 25,000. The local media gave the event a lot of attention, welcoming Amuro as the “uta-hime” (song princess) of the Japanese pop world.

• Another J-pop star trying to relive her glory days, Suzuki Ami (22), gave her showbiz comeback a good publicity boost by playing a “mini live” before a J-League game on Saturday. Wearing a Kashiwa Reysol shirt, ‘Amigo’ sang three songs, including her new single, before the game between Reysol and Kashima Antlers at the National Stadium.

Japanese movies are making a strong showing at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Koreda Hirokazu’s “Nobody Knows”, the first movie shown of the 19 works contending for the prestigious Palme d’Or, received a resounding ovation from the audience yesterday. It has a good chance of becoming the first Japanese movie to take the top prize since 1997’s “Unagi”. Leading actress You (photo, 39) – a veteran TV personality but in her first real dramatic role – said tearfully, “It was the longest round of applause I’ve ever heard!” The Ishii Katsuhito-directed “The Taste of Tea” was the first Japanese movie to be chosen to open the Director’s Week at the event. The film stars Asano Tadahito (30) and includes a special appearance by SMAP member Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (29). Fellow SMAPer Kimura Takuya (31) stars in the Wong Kar Wai flick “2046”, also showing at the festival.

Actress Tomosaka Rie (photo, 24) is four months pregnant with her first child. She married producer and actor Kawahara Masahiko (34) in April of last year. She is currently starring alongside Yoshida Eisaku (35) in the TBS political drama series “Atarashii Kaze” (A New Wind), due to finish filming in June.

• Kono Akiko (25), a “sub-caster” on the TV Asahi “Houdou Station” news show and member of the Japanese lacrosse team, is romantically linked with head coach and former national team player Okubo Yoshihiro (36).

Actress Mifune Mika (photo, 21) is four months pregnant with her first baby. The daughter of screen legend Mifune Toshiro married rock vocalist Takahashi Joji (45) on her 16th birthday in 1998. She announced the pregnancy as the reason for taking a break after finishing a recent stage production in Tokyo.

• Tetsu (34), the red-sweatsuited half of comedy duo Tetsu & Tomo, announced this week that he recently got married on his bithday. His wife is a 29-year old accessory designer. Tetsu & Tomo got their break in showbiz last year with the “Nandedaro” song and dance routine.

• Wedding bells also for comedian Nishii Ryuji (28) of the manzai duo Rainbaku, who announced this week that he tied the knot with 30-year company employee Sachimi way back on Valentine’s Day. By the way, the name “Rainbaku” is a tribute to former Hanshin Tigers slugger Mike Reinbach, a popular star with the team in the late 1970s.

• And former TV Asahi presenter Kawakita Momoko (29) is engaged to marry a 32-year old director at a company that produces shows for NTV.