Actor Hagiwara Masato (31) and actress Wakui Emi (photo, 32) announced to the media by fax that they have divorced. They had been married since 1995 but separated for the last two years. Rumors of violence, affairs and gambling have hovered around Hagiwara for years but there was never anything made public. He is a noted mahjang player, a game usually, though unofficialy, associated with gambling.
• Following the revelation of an affair with a busty NHK presenter (see last Friday), J2 soccer manager Hashiratani Koichi (42) has resigned his post at Yamagata Montedio. But he claims that his relationship with Furuse Eri (25) was innocent.