Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

A company that operates karaoke boxes was ordered by the Tokyo District Court to repay ¥2.8 billion against loans taken out from the now bankrupt Kokumin Bank. Popular enka singer Ishikawa Sayuri (45) is the president of the company and was a joint guarantor of the loan. She was ordered to pay ¥220 million of the debt.

• Following arguments during the making of a recent TV variety show, there are rumors of an imminent breakup of the comedy duo Bakusho Mondai. The pair are currently hugely popular and present several regular TV shows.

Japan’s No.1 rock band just added to their own legend. To mark the release of their new single “It’s Showtime,” B’z re-released ten other old singles on Tuesday. Not surprisingly, the new single went straight to No.1 on the Oricon daily chart. But what no one expected was that the other singles took the rest of the spots down to No.11. An Oricon spokesperson said, “I don’t think anyone will ever top that!”

• Popular actor Matsumoto Koshiro (60) reached a kabuki milestone when he played the part of Benkei for the 700th time yesterday. It was the final day of a production of “Kanjincho,” one of the 18 kabuki classics. He first played the part of the famous hero more than 44 years ago. Matsumoto, who is the father of actor Matsu Takako, can often be seen on TV in dramas and commercials.

Actor Furuoya Masato (45) was found hanged in his Tokyo apartment yesterday, following an emergency call by his family to the fire department. Police believe the death was a suicide. Furuoya made his debut in 1977 and starred in many movies and TV dramas.

TV personality and former child star Enari Kazuki (18) is said to be trying to get into a prestigious private university, thought to be Todai.

• Veteran actress Toake Yukiyo (left, 60) is currently romantically involved with Kaname Jun (28). That’s a 32-year age difference! Kaname plays the action hero Kamen Rider Agito.

• Comedian Matsumoto Hitoshi (39) of the comedy duo Downtown was recently seen at one of his Tokyo apartments with a young woman. It was not the busty personality Yuka (24), with whom he’s usually seen at another of his Tokyo bachelor pads.

Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) has won the Oscar for best animated feature. The 2001 movie, directed by Miyazaki Hayao was described as a rare and deep animated movie, of the type that comes along only once every 50 years.

• Taira Tetsuo (56), former president of the Rising Production Co. talent agency, was convicted of tax fraud and sentenced to 30 months in jail. The company has since been renamed Freegate Promotion.

It’s been a busy time for actress Uchiyama Rina (22). In her debut movie “Sotsugyo” (Graduation), which just opened, she gets romantically entangled with a father she hasn’t seen in twenty years. In the popular TV series “Good Luck”, which just finished last night, she played an ANA flight attendant flying the friendly skies with SMAP member Kimura Takuya (30). And she also appeared in the recent NHK Taiga drama “Musashi.” In each case, she worked alongside actor Tsutsumi Shinichi (38), who plays her father in the movie. “He’s very open and honest,” she said, “but not my type!”

Eccentric actor Amamoto Hideyo died of pneumonia in a hospital in his home town of Kitakyushu today. He was 77. Unusual in Japan, he is to have a catholic rather than buddhist funeral. Tall and thin, he was perennially cast as the bad guy, particularly in most of the films by director Okamoto Kihachi. A dropout from Tokyo University law school, he is most famous for the role of Mr. Death in the popular Kamen Rider superhero TV series. He had a passionate interest in Spain and would often talk for hours about the country and its poetry.

Rakugoka Hayashiya Kobuhei (40) is to assume the name Hayashiya Shozo IX from the spring of 2005. As in the other traditional arts, such as kabuki or noh, stage names of the traditional comic story tellers are passed down through the generations. The name Shozo was “loaned” by Kobuhei’s grandfather outside the family for the duration of the 8th generation, and will be returning to the family bloodline for the first time in 24 years. Kobuhei started his career in 1978 and in 1987 was the youngest ever to be promoted to “shinuchi,” a qualification given to those comic storytellers who demonstrate superior skill. He can often be seen on TV variety shows but has recently been promoting traditional rakugo.

The samurai TV series “Abarenbo Shogun” is to come to an end after 25 years and 830 episodes, the second longest series of its kind. Star Matsudaira Ken (49) said he was sad, adding that he had hoped to reach the 1,000 mark. The final episode will air on TV Asahi on April 7.

• Several stars have stated their opposition to the war in Iraq. Singers including Utada Hikaru (20) and Yaida Hitomi (24) and actors Fujiwara Norika (31) and Kubotsuka Yosuke (23) have all posted anti-war messages on their websites. Singer Misia (24) appeared at an event to launch her new live DVD wearing a “No War” t-shirt.

There are rumours of romance between Matsushima Naomi (31) of the comedy duo Othello (photo, right) and Azuma Takahiro (33) of the combi Take2. Azuma was seen buying her ¥400,000 Tiffany earrings in Tokyo’s trendy Mishuku district.

• “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” star Shaku Yumiko (24) is to star in the movie version of her popular TV series “Sky High.” Shaku plays Izuko, guardian of a gate between this world and the afterlife, who listens to the tragic tales of murder victims. The show has scored high ratings despite its late-night time slot.