Veteran actress Awaji Keiko (70) has finally given up on her deliquent son. Actor Yorozuya Kichinosuke (31), the youngest of her four sons, was handed down a 6-month prison sentence for breaking into her Tokyo home in May. He said at the time that he just wanted to see his mother, but he has a record of stealing from her home. Kichinosuke is the son of the late actor Yorozuya Kinnosuke, Awaji’s second husband whom she divorced in 1987. Their eldest son (Awaji’s third) Akihiro died in a car crash in 1990. Kichinosuke made his acting debut alongside his father at the age of six. He had been out of work in recent years and developed an alcohol problem. A tearful Awaji spoke to the press yesterday and said she had “no more love” for her son.
• The ex-husband of actress and model Umemiya Anna (31), named as Chiba Takashi (33), was arrested in Tokyo yesterday for running an illegal gambling operation (see Wednesday’s story for more details).