The news was just announced: A baby boy was born to Princess Kiko at 08:27 by Caesarian section at the Aiiku Hospital in central Tokyo. He weighed in at 2558g.
It’s the first male heir born to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 41 years. Regardless of how it may dent the hopes of those who wanted to see a change to allow a female heir to ascend the throne, it has to be seen as good news for Japan.
Kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (33) appeared in public yesterday for the first time since apologizing for driving while drunk in July. Dressed in a black suit, he apologized again for the incident at a PR event for “Shido-ryu Mori no Ishimatsu”, a show scheduled to open on October 2. He wasn’t asked about his wife, actress Takeuchi Yuko (26), or their baby son, or about actress Okamoto Jun (23), who was reported to be in the car at the time of the incident. Nevertheless, he took no chances after the event, avoiding reporters backstage and slipping out a side door.
• “Nagai Sampo” (A Long Walk), the latest directorial effort from actor Okuda Eiji (56), has won the Grand Prix and two other prizes at the Montreal World Film Festival. The movie opens in Japan in December.
• Sayaka (19) is coming back into the spotlight. The daughter of pop legend Matsuda Seiko (44) had a falling out with her mother and has been on a hiatus from showbiz since May. Using her real name of Kanda Sayaka, she plans to make a comeback in December in a stage production starring Daichi Mao (50).