Monthly Archives: March 2003

Former Johnny’s Jimusho actor Maeda Koyo (34) and former idol singer Nakamura Yuma (33) have divorced after five years of marriage. They cited career differences as the reason, but admitted things might have been different if they’d had children.

• Sports writer and former Nihon TV announcer Sekiya Ayako (38) has given birth to her first child.

• Hamasaki Ayumi (24) is to appear in a TV CM for the new Panasonic digital camera Lumix from this weekend. She will also provide the music with her single “Rainbow.”

• Her boyfriend, Nagase Tomoya (left, 24) of the boy band Tokio, is to release his second solo single under the persona of singer-songwriter Sakuraba Yuichiro. He will play his first solo gig at the end of April to mark the single launch.

Popular kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (30) was spotted at the recent Rolling Stones concert with a beautiful woman, and it wasn’t girlfriend Shinohara Tomoe (23). This was despite his recent admission that the two are seriously involved. Shinohara was working abroad at the time. Nakamura’s career is on the up at the moment. He starred in last year’s hit movie “Ping Pong”, and he is currently appearing in Japan’s first ever sitcom, “HR”, with SMAP’s Katori Shingo.

• Speaking of SMAP, sales of their new single “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana” broke the million mark in less than a week. It is their 35th single and 4th million-seller. Last year, only Hamasaki Ayumi’s “Independent” sold more than a million copies.

• Veteran actor Nagoya Akira (72) has recently undergone surgery for a brain tumor. He was in rehearsals for a stage production of “The Little Match Girl” next month when he was hospitalized.

At the weekend Marion (22), daughter of singer Roseanna (53), made her professional debut as a fashion model for the UK brand Daks. She has been building a career over the last couple of years, doing wedding show and magazine modelling and some TV appearances last year as well as recording a single with her mother. Roseanna and her late husband Demon Hide were a popular folk duo in the 1970s. Hide died of cancer in 1990 at the age of 47.

Popular enka singer Sakamoto Fuyumi (35) has announced her comeback a year after she dropped out of sight complaining of burnout. Her news conference was unusual in that she was flanked by the presidents of both her agency and her record label, Toshiba-EMI. The announcement came just a couple of weeks after a greatest hits album went on sale.

Former Morning Musume member Goto Maki (17) is to have her first starring movie role this autumn. “Seishun Bakachin Ryori Juku” tells of an aimless high-school graduate that finds the meaning of life at a cooking school. She’ll have the backing of such veteran actors as Takeda Tetsuya (53) and Tani Kei (71). Also scheduled for release this fall is a movie starring current MM Ishikawa Rika (left, 18) and soon-to-be member Fujimoto Miki (18) about a couple of troubled high school girls. It is Fujimoto’s movie debut.

The “Gorgeous” Kano sisters are to get their first ‘main regular’ gig on TV. The jet-setting pair have appeared as guests on countless shows, usually just to regale people with details of their extravagant lifestyle and show off their finely (surgically?) sculpted bodies. Otherwise, they’re usually shown adding their glamour (for a fee) to movie premieres or fashion shows. It remains to be seen what kind of rankings they can maintain as presenters of “00Celeb” (a pun on zero-zero-seven) in the 12:30am late-night slot on Fuji TV.

The 26th Japanese Academy Awards show was broadcast last night. As expected, “Tasogare Seibei ” (The Twilight Samurai) swept the boards, winning Best Movie, Best Director (Yamada Yoji), Best Actor (Sanada Hiroyuki, left) and Actress (Miyazawa Rie), Supporting Actor (Tanaka Min), Best Music and a bunch of others, 12 in total. Miyazawa received the award for Sanada, who is currently in New Zealand filming the new Tom Cruise movie, The Last Samurai.

Nakamoto Tetsuya (32), the dancing, red-tracksuited half of the currently hot comedy duo Tetsu and Tomo, has been living with his 27-year old jewelry designer girlfriend for the last three months. Hardly a big deal but the gossip mags seem to consider it newsworthy and the duo felt they had to give a press conference about it. They are making a big splash at the moment with their frenetic “Nan de daro?” routine, even breaking into the Top 10 of the Oricon chart with a single version.

Kuzu, a folk music duo made up of comedians Miyasako Hiroyuki (32) and Yamaguchi “Gu-san” Tomoya (33), are to release their debut album. The release will feature several major stars, such as Utada Hikaru and Glay vocalist Teru. The pair are currently enjoying great popularity as part of the team on the “One-Night Rock ‘n’ Roll” TV show. The show has also launched the ‘career’ of the “Gorie” character, played by Gori of the manzai duo Garage Sale, who is hugely popular among school girls.

SMAP member Inagaki Goro (left, 29) was forced to apologise to his girlfriend, actress Kanno Miho (25), after a magazine published photos of him at a Shinjuku hotel with a 24-year old woman identified only as “A”. It seems she and Inagaki met at the hostess club where she works about two years ago. Meanwhile, comedian Nakagawa Reiji (31) has apologized to the woman who charged him with assault (see story below) and, during a very solemn press conference, vowed to never drink again. This will probably be good enough to keep his career on track. He is due to appear on TV again this weekend.