Monthly Archives: September 2003

TV personality Degawa Tetsuro (39) has found himself a girlfriend. For a guy voted the last two years as the “man women would least like to sleep with”, that’s quite a feat. And what’s more, she’s a model, 15 years younger and 8cm taller than him. He is said to have been dating 24-year old Abe Ruriko, recently chosen as a Race Queen, since being introduced by a “kohai” (junior) at his talent agency last July.

• The latest “unit” to come from the Hello! Project factory that brought us the ever-changing Morning Musume has an average age of just 11. “Aa” consists of one MM member, Tanaka Reina (13), and a couple of elementary school kids. They’re set to release their debut single at the end of October.

If you’re wondering who that was belting out the national anthem before Japan’s friendly international against Senegal last night, it was 29-year old singer Lyrico. Thanks to her impressive 4-octave vocal range, Kimigayo has rarely sounded better.

• Kawada Hiroki (28) of the popular comedy duo Garage Sale married yesterday, on the anniversary of the day he and his 25-year old wife met. Gori, the other half of the duo, married last December and the couple had their first baby last month.

• Singer Abe “Acchi” Asami (18), younger sister of Morning Musume founding member Abe “Nacchi” Natsumi (22), is to play her first live show, at Zepp Tokyo on December 21. The elder Abe announced recently that she is to “graduate” from MM and go solo.

Singer/songwriter Yoshida Takuro (57) is to make a full return to showbiz next month with his first regular show since surgery for lung cancer back in April. The Nippon Houso radio request show will be based on such themes as “My favorite folk songs” and “Nostalgic Western music. And it will feature a line up of special guests and discussions. He is also expected to start a full national tour in October.

With her new album, “Nomad Soul” already at No.1 in the Oricon charts, southern island singer Chitose Hajime (24) started her first national tour in Tokyo yesterday. With her characteristic warbling “shima uta” voice and weaving her way barefoot around the stage at Nakano SunPlaza, she charmed the 2,000-strong audience with her native Amami Oshima dialect and 22 songs from her two albums. While her unique singing style can get a bit repetitive after a while, it’s refreshing to see someone succeed in J-pop on the basis of real talent for a change.

Tashiro Masahi (photo, 47) has denied that he has plans for a showbiz comeback, though he is appearing as an occasional guest in a local theater production starring boxer-turned-actor Guts Ishimatsu (54). The comedian and actor was convicted for drug and “peeping tom” offences last year. The afternoon “wide shows” film an occasional report on his activities but have so far decided it’s too son after his conviction to give him airtime.

• Actor Takashima Tadao (73) has made a comeback after 5 years out of showbusiness due to depression. A veteran of over 50 years in movies and father of popular actor brothers Takashima Masahiro (37) and Masanobu (36), he made a brief appearance at an event at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel yesterday and will appear on an NHK quiz show next month.

Director Kitano “Beat” Takeshi (56) didn’t quite manage to repeat his 1997 achievement of winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. But he did manage to take the Director’s Award. He’s the first Japanese to win the award since Mizoguchi Kenji with The Life of Oharu in 1952. Coincidentally, the award was announced on the anniversary of the death of another film giant Kurosawa Akira. Meanwhile in the Contro Corrente parallel competition section, Asano Tadanobu (photo, 29) won the award for Best Actor for his performance in the Thai entry “Last Life in the Universe.”

“Bayside Shakedown 2: Save the Rainbow Bridge” has overtaken ET in the Japanese box office rankings. Starring Oda Yuji (photo, 36), the action movie has been seen by over 10 million people and has taken in ¥13.6 billion since its release on July 19th, just putting it in 6th place. The top 5 money-making movies are 1. “Spirited Away” (¥30.4 billion) 2. Titanic (¥26.2 b.) 3. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (¥20.3 b.) 4. “Princess Mononoke” (¥26.2 b.) 5. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” (¥17.5 b.)

Movie director Kitano “Beat” Takeshi (56) became the first Japanese to be awarded the “Silver Camera” award at an event connected with the Venice Film Festival. He received the award at the “Open 2003” event, in just its third year, based on the film’s technical merit. Kitano’s latest movie “Zatoichi” is in competition for the prestigious Golden Lion, which the actor/director/comedian previously won in 1997 (photo). The role of Zatoichi – the blind masseur who is also a master swordsman – was immortalized on TV and the big screen by the late actor Katsu Shintaro.

Rumours persist of a relationship between TV personality Shiraishi Miho (25) and popular actor/singer Fukuyama Masaharu (photo, 35). At an event to launch a new Pioneer DVD player, Shiraishi refused to answer questions on the issue. Sources say that the pair may have already split up.

• The first ever “Good Ager Awards” went to actress Nakamura Tamao (64), who always goes to bed at 10pm, and Miura Yuichiro (70), who recently became the oldest man ever to climb Mt Everest.