Actress Hirosue Ryoko (23) has officially taken a “sabbatical” from Waseda University. She caused quite a stir in 1999 when she became the first big-name star to enter the prestigious school since Yoshinaga Sayuri. There were also a lot of people upset that she used her fame to bypass the academic entrance requirements. Her agency says that it is not in her interests to be half-hearted in both her work and her studies.
• Sportscaster Kobayashi Shigeru (50), formerly a pitcher with both the Yomiuri Giants and the Hanshin Tigers, recently filed for bankruptcy. As is often the case, the cause is said to be a failed restaurant business. He is said to have unpayable debts of ¥400 million.