Monthly Archives: July 2003

Acid-tongued TV personality Dewi Sukarno (photo, 63) and gossip columnist Nashimoto Katsu (58) have both been issued with a court summons (again!). This case originates from early 2001, when both made accusations that actor and renowned womanizer Kawasaki Mayo (40) had been having an affair with an unnamed stage actress. She in turn sued the pair for libel in civil court. She won a claim for ¥33 million compensation against Sukarno, whose appeal to the Tokyo High Court was recently dismissed. The pair gave a pres conference yesterday to express their anger at the case, Nashimoto saying it’s his job to report such rumors and that he’s thinking of counter-suing. Sukarno complained that she’s already had a job cancelled because of the case.

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.

TV personality Hayashi Hiroko (43) revealed to the Sankei Sports newspaper that she and her husband Kurosawa Hisao (57) have divorced after 23 years of marriage. Hayashi said that the couple have busy schedules that keep them apart. They recently became grandparents and have three adult children. Kurosawa is a movie producer and eldest son of the late great director Kurosawa Akira. Hayashi, a former popular idol singer, once ran unsuccessfully for election to the national government.

Shizukusa Yumi (photo, 18) is receiving a lot of FM radio airplay with her major-label debut single “Don’t You Wanna See Me (Oh) Tonight?” She’s already established quite a name on the indie circuit – on the Usen chart, she recently ranked as the No.1 female vocalist. And she’s definitely got the looks. Watch out for this one.

• Singer and outspoken TV personality Yashiki Takajin (53) revealed that he has a hole in his lung. He’s unlikely to have hospital treatment but has been advised to give up his heavy smoking.

• Former Japan international soccer player and current manager of J2 team Montedio Yamagata Hashiratani Koichi (42) has been caught having an affair with a busty NHK announcer. Furuse Emi (25) works for the Yamagata regional branch of the national network, where she met Hashiratani, the father of two kids.

Matsui “Godzilla” Hideki is doing well for the New York Yankees these days. Following a less than spectacular start to the season, he’s been on a bit of a tear lately, hitting his second grand slam, batting .500 for the week to earn the American League’s weekly MVP award – the first for a Japanese player in two years. He also leads the Yankees in hitting (.304) and has moved up next to fellow countryman Ichiro in the All-Star game voting.

• Former sumo Yokozuna (Grand Champion) turned stablemaster Takanohana has sued three publishing companies for ¥400 million over stories linking him with yakuza syndicates and suggesting that he is hugely in debt.

Inoue Ami (26) of the up and coming Okinawan reggae duo Amy-N-Ryoo was arrested for shoplifting. She was caught stealing a &yen12,000 bikini from a store in Naha.

• Actress Mizuno Maki (33) says she’s broken up with the advertising executive she had been seeing for the last four years.

• Doing better on the love front is personality Koike Eiko (22) who says she and pro wrestler Sakata Wataru (30) are “love-love.”

• Despite rumors that her partner of 17 years Sasaki Chikara (52) has a mistress, actress Manda Hisako (photo, 45) hinted that the couple may yet marry.

Otake Shinobu (45) became the third Japanese in a row to win the Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival. Otake – ex-wife of comedian Akashiya Sanma – won for her role in the movie “Fukuro” by director Shindo Kaneto (91). This follows wins by Ichikawa Mikako (25) in “Blue” (2001) and Miyazawa Rie (30) in the Hong Kong movie “Yuuen Kyomu” (2002).

• Comedian Shofukutei Tsurube (51) had a bit of unexpected exposure during a late-night segment of Fuji TV’s 27-hour telethon. Around 2am and after a heavy drinking bout, Tsurube was fast asleep on location in Nagasaki. When woken up by presenters in the Tokyo studio, he stood up in his futon, only for his pants to fall down. The Saturday night audience got a brief full frontal exposure before the camera switched back to the studio. The station later issued an apology but still received about 200 calls.