Actor turned singer Matsudaira Ken (51) is to release the follow up to last year’s smash hit “Matsuken Samba II” on September 14. For “Matsuken Samba III” he will augment his gold lame kimono with some fiery red. This time around Matsudaira has written his own lyrics. The actor best known for years as the “Abarenbo Shogun” samurai in the TV series of that name is hoping to cash in on another boom this year.
• Actor Takashima Masahiro (39) and musical actress Sylvia Grab (31) tied the knot on Grab’s birthday last Sunday and held a ceremony in Kyoto yesterday. They held a traditional wedding ceremony at the Shimogamo Shrine, a World Heritage Site that is open to members of the public for such ceremonies. They will then travel with about 50-60 guests for another ceremony and reception in Hawaii on July 30. They will also hold a formal reception party for about 1,000 guests at the Hotel New Otani in Tokyo on November 11. The couple gave a press conference to announce their engagement last December and originally planned to only have the ceremony in Hawaii, as Grab is studying in Boston. She is the daughter of a Swiss father and Japanese mother. Takashima comes from an acting family, with both his parents and his younger brother Masanobu (38) all familiar faces on TV and stage.
&$149; Also getting hitched was Golgo Matsumoto (38) of the comedy duo TIM. He married a 38-year old aromatherapist and former high school classmate. The two met up again after many years at a school reunion last summer.