NTV’s late-night show “Uta-Sta!!” has chosen its next music star. The audition show chose Kamita Mika (22) from over 4,000 hopefuls looking to break into the professional music business. Kamita will release her debut single “Kirei ni Naru Watshi” on the Pony Canyon label in the near future. The show teamed up with a major karaoke service to allow singers across the country to audition from their local karaoke box. Kamita appeared on the show on April 25 and performed Matsu Takako’s song “Koishii Hito” in front of the panel of five songwriters. She chose Komorita Minoru (46), who has penned such hits as SMAP’s “Lionheart,” to write her debut song. He was very taken with her strong and slightly husky voice, comparing it with that of veteran star Takeuchi Mariya. A strong athlete in her school days in Nagasaki Prefecture, Kamita came to Tokyo after graduating high school. She has worked in a variety of part-time jobs while trying to make a name for herself as a singer. she hopes to emulate the success of Dream Comes True vocalist Yoshida Miwa.
• Actress Kuga Yoko (31) is to leave for Korea today to get married. Her fiancee is described as in his 30s, and not involved in showbusiness. Kuga became the first Japanese actress to play the lead in a Korean movie in 2003 ‘s “Venus.” She has done filming on Chejudo, Korea’s largest island, and liked it so much she decided she wanted to get married there. She was romantically linked with singer Noguchi Goro back in 1999.
• Rock star Yazawa Eikichi (photo, 55) lost his case against a pachinko machine maker at the Tokyo District Court. Yazawa claimed that a character used on Heiwa’s machines was a rip off of his image and demanded a published apology. The machine’s LCD display shows a rock star with a towel over his shoulders and striking a pose with the mikestand, but doesn’t use Yazawa’s name.