It’s lucky 13 for actor and SMAP member Kimura Takuya (33). He’s been chosen as Japan’s favorite guy for the 13th year in a row by readers of women’s magazine an.an. He was way ahead of No.2 choice, singer Fukuyama Masaharu (37). As usual, SMAP dominated the rankings, with Nakai Masahiro (#3), Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (#6), Katori Shingo (#8) and Inagaki Goro (#9) all in the Top 10. Two other Johnny’s Jimusho artists and a pair of “ikemen” (handsome) actors completed the ranking.
- Kimura Takuya
- Fukuyama Masaharu
- Nakai Masahiro
- Okada Junichi
- Kamenashi Kazuya
- Kusanagi Tsuyoshi
- Tsumabuki Satoshi
- Katori Shingo
- Inagaki Goro
- Sakaguchi Kenji
• Senior rakugo comedian Yanagiya Kosen died from pneumonia at a Tokyo hospital on Tuesday. He was 83 and the oldest active rakugo performer until his retirement in 2004.
• Actor Shimizu Shogo revealed on his blog today that the man who intimidated and robbed his son, model Shimizu Koshun (20), has been arrested. The incident happened in August when Koshun was almost hit by another car at a traffic intersection in Saitama Prefecture. The other driver forced his way into Koshun’s car and kept him there for two hours, before making him withdraw ¥80,000 from a convenience store ATM. Shimizu senior is best known for his role alongside a chihuahua in the popular Aiful TV commercials.
• Talento Sato Eriko (24) insists that she and popular kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo (28) are just good friends. This week’s issue of women’s weekly magazine Josei Seven published photos of the pair having dinner at a monjayaki restaurant in Tokyo at the beginning of this month.