An impressive lineup of 1980s Grammy winners and chart toppers are to record an album of hits by singer/songwriter Takeuchi Mariya (48). The artists include Cindi Lauper, Christopher Cross and Kim Carnes and the album will be produced by David Foster, who has worked with Madonna and Celine Dion among others. Needless to say, the songs will be translated into English.
• TV personality and former ballet dancer Kanda Uno (28) has further dampened rumors of any impending marriage to Yamano Mikio (34), president of the Yamano Group. She recently said that she had returned the engagement ring he gave her and now says that they have become just friends.
Actress Takashima Reiko (38) and her husband, actor Takachi Noboru (38), have had their home broken into yet again. The couple’s Setagaya Ward apartment was robbed while they were both away filming on location. An estimated 10 million yen’s worth of jewellery and cash was stolen. The couple were also burglarized back in 1999 in their former home. The posh apartment building is also home to pro golfer Yokoh Kaname and his wife, former pin-up Kato Reiko, and actor Bessho Tetsuya.
Voters in the northern city of Morioka have chosen a man for the Iwate Prefectural Assembly without even seeing his face! Masked pro wrestler The Great Sasuke (33) got more votes than any of the other 11 candidates for the ten seats up for grabs. He said that he plans to attend assembly meetings in his mask and that he will work to deal with problems with the medical system and child abuse. If he moves up to the national level, he’ll be following in the footsteps of such famous grapplers as Antonio Inoki and Onita Atsushi. (By the way, The Great Sasuke’s real identity is Murakawa Masanori). Another sportsman elected, in Saitama Prefecture, was former J-Leaguer Taguchi Yasunori.
Kicking off national tours in Chiba Prefecture yesterday were former 
Chosen for the 2003 Nice Couple of the Year award were kabuki actor Matsumoto Koshiro (photo) and his wife Noriko, last year’s Nobel Prize winner Koshiba Masatoshi and Keiko, enka singing couple Mori Shinichi and Masako, and senior tour golfer Aoki Isao and his wife Chie.
Veteran actor Ashiya Gannosuke (71) was rushed to a Nagoya hospital after a sudden heart failure. His condition is said to be comfortable. He had just made his stage comeback after more than two years absence.
No, not the baseball player! TV personality Matsui Naomi (35) has ended her seven and a half year marriage to TV producer Okayama Takeshi (33). Her agency commented that they had been living apart for a year. Matsui’s hard work schedule — she is a regular on four different TV shows — and differences over their 6-year old son’s education were cited as factors.
The new Monday 9pm series is a romantic comedy called “Tokyo Love Cinema”, starring Eguchi Yosuke (35) and Saizen Naomi (37). Siazen describes herself as the oldest (sainencho) heroine to occupy the prime-time slot. The show’s theme tune is “Koi Suru Futari” (Two People in Love), the first new song from Otaki Eiichi in five and a half years. Otaki is often called the “father of J-pop for all the hits he wrote for idols in the 1980s.
Kimura Takuya (30) has been voted the most popular man in Japan for the tenth year running. The survey polled over 14,000 people. The other four members of 
US rock/hip hop band Limp Bizkit are looking to recruit a new guitarist to replace former member Wes Borland — and they must be Japanese. Other than that, anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 can apply. The deadline for audition applications is April 11th. Details can be found on the band’s