Today is the Umi no Hi (Marine Day) national holiday.
• Comedian Ayanokoji Kimimaro (photo, 54) married the former president of his agency, it was revealed on Saturday. The “mandan” stand-up comedian and his new wife have both been divorcees for some time and have been living together for years. Her son took over her position as president early in the spring, allowing the couple to finally tie the knot. Ayanokoji became an “overnight star” a couple of years back after a long career, first in his native Osaka and later in Tokyo. His distinctive look and sharp one-liners had won him a growing and loyal following among middle-aged housewives. But it wasn’t until their support helped make his CD the first comedy album to make the Oricon charts Top 10 in 2003 that the media finally put him in the spotlight.
• Another marriage just revealed: actress Ogawa Noriko (31) recently married a 53-year old TV company employee. A fax was sent out to the media yesterday saying that Ogawa and Yoshida Akio registered their marriage on July 1. The couple have been friends since Ogawa appeared in a TBS drama produced by Yoshida when she was just 13. She has been playing the daughter of the veteran detective “Hagure Keiji Junjoha” in the long-running TV Asahi series for 18 years. This is her first marriage, while Yoshida is a divorcee and father of two children.