Electronics maker Panasonic have put up a huge billboard of J-pop star Hamasaki Ayumi (26) in the center of teen mecca Shibuya. The ad for the latest MD player featues an extreme black and white close up and the ad copy – “Eye Love Music”. It measures more than 12 meters by 8 meters and is located on the trendy 109 building, which faces the famous Hachiko intersection. The billboard will be in place for two weeks.
• Songwriter Nakano Masahito (34) has been arrested for involvement in teenage prostitution. He has admitted paying ¥30,000 for sex with a 16-year old girl he met through a “deai-kei” (dating) website. Nakano is known as the man behind the hits by major artists, including Skoop On Somebody, Misia, and several by Hirai Ken.