Former Pop Idols Turn to Crime

Two former members of the Johnny’s Junior idol group were among a trio arrested this week on robbery charges. The two unemployed 19-year olds were not named as they are juveniles. Also arrested was a 24-year old, though there are believed to have been others involved in the criminal gang, including other former JJ members. The group stole about ¥310,000 in cash from a 55-year old company worker on his way home on the night of April 6, leaving him with slight injuries. They are suspected in several other cases of “oyaji-gari” (hunting middle-aged men) as well as about 30 safe-breaking cases in western Tokyo, amassing about ¥3 million in ill-gotten gains. The former pop idols said that they had grown tired of the rigorous and hectic entertainment business and just wanted to hang out with friends.

• I suppose every country has them. Those quirky stories that are just fluff but seem to capture the public imagination. We have the mystery “piano man” in the UK. And Japan has “Fuuta-kun.” A 2-year old Lesser Panda at a zoo in Chiba, his claim to fame is…wait for it…he stands on his hind legs. Fair enough, I thought it was a hoax when it was just photos on TV, but actual footage of the creature has been on all the wide shows and news programs. Oh, and it’s not even something that unusual. His “grandfather, a 9-year old, does it, too.

• Enka singer Mori Shinichi (57) gave a tearful performance this week at the strangely named Potato association Charity Show at NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. He performed with his wife Masako (46) at the very first event in 1985 and again in recent years, but the two recently divorced.