TV Asahi announcer Ishii Kiwa (29) is engaged to marry the owner of a pro baseball team. She and Rakuten Golden Eagles president Shimada Toru (42) announced yesterday that they will register their marriage on the auspicious date of July 7 (07/07/07) and hold a wedding ceremony in October. TV Asahi and the Rakuten headquarters are both located in the Roppongi Hills complex in central Tokyo. The couple were introduced last year through a mutual friend. Ishii joined “TeleAsa” in 2000 after graduating from Ferris University, and is currently a presenter on the early morning show “Yajiuma Plus”. Shimada, a graduate of Tokai University, has worked for companies such as Recruit and became a director of major IT company Rakuten in 2004. A divorcee, he has a daughter in elementary school.
• It was revealed yesterday that R&B singer Ueda Masaki (57) and his saxophone player wife Asa Chika (47) have been divorced since last year. The two married in December 1988 and often collaborated on musical projects. But they separated last summer and were officially divorced in October. The cause is thought to be related to Ueda’s religious beliefs. The news came out (coincidentally?) just as he is releasing a new album.