It was revealed yesterday by the weekly magazine Friday that comedian Kato Cha (61) and his wife Suzuko (43) divorced in March of last year. Kato is expected to talk to the media about the break up after a performance in Nagoya today. Suzuko has custody of their children, two boys and a girl. Kato has been involved in affairs at least twice during their sixteen years of marriage. In 1993, at the age of 50, he was caught with an 18-year old model. His wife turned a blind eye at the time but threatened divorce when he was caught with the same woman two years later. He swore he would break up the affair and it was enerally believed that he had reformed. Cha became a household name in the 1960s as a member of The Drifters, Japan’s all-time favorite comedy troupe. In recent years he has been a regular on stage and TV variety shows and commercials.
• Meanwhile the divorce case between actor Watanabe Ken (44) and his wife Yumiko (44) is to go on. The Tokyo district court recognized Watanabe’s divorce petition on the grounds that his wife had sunk them heavily into debt. But her lawyers were unhappy with the ruling and say they will appeal to the High Court. Watanabe’s lawyers said that he was disappointed that custody of their daughter Ann (18) had not been awarded to him. He is currently in Hollywood filming “Sayuri” (based on the best-seller “Memoirs of a Geisha”).