Leading Nippon TV (NTV) announcer Fukuzawa Akira (41) said yesterday that he is going to quit the network at the end of June. Though he will become a “free announcer,” he plans to continue with the two NTV shows he currently hosts. Known for his high-tension delivery and catchphrases such as “Fire!” and “Just Meet!” Fukuzawa first made an impact on the TV scene in 1991 when he took over as emcee on the popular show “America Oudan Ultra Quiz.” he said the job had been incredibly tough and he had considered quitting. But overcoming that had prepared him to take on any kind of job. he married a former flight attendant in 1995.
• Japan’s No.1 male vocalist Hirai Ken (33) held a concert yesterday at the Harajuku Ruido venue where he made his live debut on June 8, 10 years ago. The show was attended by just 150 lucky fans selected from 20,000 hopefuls. But it was also broadcast live to 8 big screens on street corners of 5 cities across the country. From next Tuesday he will start a 29-show nationwide tour.
• “The Promise,” a Chinese movie starring Sanada Hiroyuki (44) and Korean actor Jang Dong Gun (33) had its first sneak preview yesterday at the Cannes Film Festival. The 12-minute preview drew applause from over 240 movie critics from 35 countries. The film is scheduled to open in Japan next March. Meanwhile, the Kobayashi Masahiro-directed film “Bashing,” nominated in the competition section, was shown on Thursday but received three stars from only one of the nine judges.