Actress Hirosue Ryoko is planning to file for divorce from her husband of three years, according to the Josei Seven weekly magazine. It claims she and their young child have moved out of the home she shares with model-turned-designer Okazawa Takahiro (29). Her management agency has completely denied the rumors. The couple married in December 2003 and they had a son, Hiroshi, the following April. Hirosue returned to her career at the end of 2004. She appears in tomorrow’s Fuji TV drama “Tokyo Tower” and her latest movie “Presents” opens on December 9.
• Christmas with Michael Jackson? The troubled superstar (48) hasn’t given up on his Japanese fans and will be in Tokyo on December 19 for a one-off event described as a “Christmas Party”. Tickets come in two colors, 1,400 gold tickets at ¥200,000 apiece, that come with food and drinks; and 200 platinum tickets at a whopping ¥400,000 each, which also include a group photo with the King of Pop, who is not officially scheduled to perform.
• SMAP leader Nakai Masahiro (34) and actress Nakama Yukie (27) are to be the emcees of this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen. An invitation to appear, and particularly as a presenter, on NHK’s annual song spectacle remains one of the biggest honors in Japanese showbiz, despite the fact that the show’s once dominant audience ratings have dropped in recent years. One reason for the decline is thought to be the decision in 2001 to have NHK announcers present the show. Ratings got a boost last year when Nakama, recently chosen as Japan’s most popular female celebrity, co-presented with “Mr. Showbiz” Mino Monta. The ever-popular Nakai will take on the job for the first time since 1998. There were rumors that recently retired baseball star Shinjo Tsuyoshi (34) might get the call, but NHK clearly decided to play it safe. With his huge fan base, he is still likely to get an invite to appear in some capacity. The coming weeks will see official announcements of the show’s lineup.