Monthly Archives: September 2004

The diminuitive Adachi Yumi (22) celebrated her 20th year in showbusiness at a “pre-birthday party” on Sunday. She started as a magazine model at the age of two and became a household name through the popular TV drama “Ie Naki Ko.” She turns 23 on September 14, but could still easily pass for a junior high school student. Answering questions about whether she and her boyfriend, actor Kuroda Arthur (43), have plans to get married, she said she was now of an age where such things have to be thought over maturely.

• Domoto Tsuyoshi (25) of the hugely popular Johnny’s duo Kinki Kids says he’s got over his internal conflicts. Playing with a band and performing 3 hours of his own songs, he told fans at the Saitama Super Arena that he has been battling with the dual roles of pop “idol” and artist. It was the last night of a 12-show solo tour, his second. He denied rumors that he and Kinki partner Domoto Koichi (25) were considering a split. Despite calling their Sunday night Fuji TV music/chat show “Domoto Brothers”, the pair are not actually related.

Utada Hikaru (21) has launched the latest stage of her stellar career. She has begun making appearances under the name “Utada” and her ‘debut’ album goes on sale in Japan on Wednesday. She will have her U.S. debut next month with the album “Exodus.” The first single “Easy Breezy” (includes the line, “You’re easy breezy and I’m Japaneesy.”) is already getting lots of airplay.

• Miyazaki Hayao’s (63) latest animated feature was unveiled for the first time at a press screening at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. “Howl’s Moving Castle” received a healthy standing ovation from the full house of about 1,300.

• The latest round of auditions has opened for young hopefuls who want to members of Morning Musume. It is the seventh round and seven years since the group was started, and as such is being called the “Lucky Seven Audition.” It’s open to girls in 9th grade or above who will be under 20 by next April 1. There are currently 12 members but leader Iida Kaori (23) and Ishikawa Rika (19) are ‘graduating’ next year.

It was revealed this week that double Olympic gold medallist Kitajima Kousuke (21) and model Ochiai Saeri (22) have broken up, though the break is said to have happened this spring. One possible reason, according to one of the weekly mags, is compromising photos published in March of Kitajima and soft-porn star Hagiwara Mai (22).

• Actress and singer Nishida Hikaru (photo, 32), currently living in the U.S. due to her husband’s business, is to be a “TV Ambassador” at this year’s Emmy Awards. She already writes a column on her American lifestyle for the Sankei Shimbun.

• Actress Matsushima Nanako (30) has returned to work in a drama series to be aired next January. The third series in the popular Fuji TV hospital drama “Kyumei Byuotou 24 Jikan” will again star Eguchi Yousuke (36). Matsushima and husband, actor Sorimachi Takashi (30) had their first child in May.

80s pop diva Matsuda Seiko (42) is to make her first appearance in a TV drama series in ten years. “Tatta Hitotsu no Takaramono” (My One Treasure) is based on a best-selling book about a father and his child born with Down Syndrome. The mother captured the child’s brief, six-year life in a series of moving photographs that illustarted the book. The story was also the inspiration last year for a life insurance company TV commercial that became a talking point. The accompanying song was by singer/songwriter Oda Kazumasa, who will also provide the theme for the new drama. It is scheduled to air on NTV from the end of October.

• Singer Yamazaki Masayoshi (32) is to star in his first movie since 1997’s “Moon and Cabbage.” The movie, to be released in the autumn of 2005, is a remake of a 1999 Korean hit “Christmas in August.”

The story of how Japan and South Korea ended up joint-hosting the 2002 World Cup has been made into a TV docu-drama. It is scheduled to air on Fuji TV in October and will star popular actor Itoh Hideaki (29) as a member of the Japanese bid committee. The successful bid, decided in 1996, was the culmination of ten years of work that included the formation of the professional J-League. The drama will include actual footage of games and other significant events.

• The pre-production press conference for next sumer’s big movie was held on Tuesday. “Bokoku no Aegis” based on a best-selling novel of the same name, is the story of terrorists taking on the crew of one of the Japan maritime Agency’s Aegis destroyers. It will star four accomplished actors, all Japan Academy Award winners: Sanada Hiroyuki (43), Nakai Kiichi (42), Sato Koichi (43) and Terao Akira (57).

Former Shonentai member Uekusa “Katchan” Katsuhide (photo, 38) caused a traffic accident on Monday. Driving in Tokyo with his son in the rear, he failed to check oncoming traffic at a minor junction and was hit by a female motorcyclist, who in turn was hit by a man on a moped. Both cyclists escaped with minor injuries. Shonentai were one of several popular male pop trios in the 1980s.

• On Monday, entertainer Kosakai Kazuki (48) returned to his regular spot hosting the afternoon Fuji TV chat show “Gokigenyou.” He recently underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his neck. His usual self apart from a new shock of dyed blonde hair, he made lots of jokes about his brush with cancer saying, “They cut my neck, but they sowed my head back on again!”

• Actress Ishiki Sae (27) has had her second child, another daughter. She married entrepreneur and former model Sarfen Satoshi in 2002 and had their first child later that year.