NTV’s 24-hour TV marathon came to a close last night with the last-minute arrival of actress Sugita Kaoru (39), who was this year’s choice to run the 100km marathon. It took her more than 25 hours, but she was in reasonably good shape when she arrived at the Tokyo Budokan, from where the live event was broadcast. Last year’s runner, comedienne Yamada Hanako (29) arrived an hour after the show was scheduled to finish. It seems that the grueling event is used to give an image boost to female stars who, while popular, have “flawed” characters. Yamada has built a successful career because of, rather than despite, her lack of height, brains and looks. Sugita made her name as a child actress, especially in the original “3-nen B-kumi Kimpachi Sensei” school drama series in 1979. But her late teens saw her rebel against her “goody-two-shoes” image. Now her “sales point” is that she’s a woman entering middle age and never married, who speaks her mind and likes a drink.
• Singer Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi (47) finished a marathon of his own. With the smoking volcano of Sakurajima as a backdrop, he played all night to 75,000 fans in his home of Kagoshima. Over the course of nine hours he played 41 songs spanning a 27-year career. He finished with the song “Captain of the Ship” and repeated the phrase “Ikite!” (Live!) for a full 20 minutes!
• TV personality and former Olympic volleyball star Kawai Shunichi (41) has been hospitalized with shingles. He hopes to be back at work by the end of next month.