Young actress Nishina Hitomi (20) has been chosen as the 2006 Triumph Image Girl. As such, she will be the campaign girl for the lingerie maker for next year. Nishina is the daughter of actor Matsukata Hiroki (63), famous for many yakuza and samurai roles, and actress Nishina Akiko (52). When Hitomi called her father to tell him the good news, all he had to say was “Hmmm.” She is the 14th Triumph Image Girl, and the position has launched the careers of several popular female talento, such as Yoshioka Miho (2001).
• Fuji TV has cancelled its scheduled broadcast of Saturday’s Yomiuri Giants-Chunichi Dragons baseball game. The game will be shown on its BS Fuji satellite channel, but the dramatic drop in popularity of the Giants plus the fact that the Hanshin Tigers have all but wrapped up the Central League means the game would have almost definitely continued the long slide in poor audience ratings.
• Classic comedy troupe Drifters are to do their live routine for the first time in 20 years on TBS. They will appear on a special 4-hour show on October 2. The group were huge in the 1970s and 80s, though their bawdy and often dangerous brand of comedy was not popular with parents. Individual members, especially Shimura Ken (55) and Kato Cha (62), have retained their popularity over the years, though group leader Ikariya Chosuke died last year.