Young actress Ueto Aya (19) is to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the newly named Softbank Hawks baseball team in the upcoming season. The team is based at Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome, while Softbank — bought the team from the financially troubled Daiei in the off-season — is a major investor in Yahoo! Japan. Ueto was chosen as she appears in the TV commercials for the Yahoo! BB broadband service. And who will be facing that first pitch? None other than Nippon Ham Fighters leadoff man Shinjo Tsuyoshi (33), the former Major Leaguer who is as much celebrity as baseball player.
• The latest western celebrity to hit town is Jennifer Lopez (34), in Tokyo to promote her 4th album, “Rebirth” and the Hollywood remake of the Japanese smash hit movie, “Shall We Dance?” It’s her second visit to Japan – she was here to promote her movie “The Cell” in 2001.
• Also in Japan for the second time is Canadian skate-punk rocker Avril Lavigne (20), who played the fourth date of a 14-concert tour at the Yokohama Arena on Sunday.