A special drama about legendary former prime minister Tanaka Kakue, planned for next spring, has been cancelled. The Fuji TV drama was to have starred actor/director Kitano “Beat” Takeshi (56) as the firebrand politician. In a press release, it was announced that they had not been able to elicit the cooperation of the Tanaka family. Tanaka Makiko (photo, 59), daughter of the famous leader, recently resumed her political career after a scandal forced her out of the government a year ago. Meanwhile, a TV Asahi drama on the Lockheed scandal that brought down her father, which was scheduled for Dec. 29, has also been postponed.
• Finger Five, a 70s Japanese version of the Jackson Five, played a one-night-only gig last night at the New Takanawa Prince Hotel in central Tokyo. They played four of their biggest hits, such as their 1973 debut Kojin Jugyo and the smash hit Gakuen Tengoku. It’s been 27 years since the brother and sister group broke up.