The big news over the weekend was a surprise announcement from Yamaguchi Tatsuya (36) a member of the popular Johnny’s band Tokio. During the opening concert of their tour at Nippon Budokan on Saturday night, Yamaguchi broke a few hearts among the 13,000 fans when he told them that he had just got married. And what’s more, he and his new bride, a former model named only as A-san (31), are expecting a baby in the summer. He said that they had been dating for about eight years and finally registered their marriage at the Kamakura city office on Saturday morning. Known as a rugged outdoors type, Yamaguchi is the face (along with Kane Kosugi) of the long-running macho “Faito!! Ippatsu!!” TV commercials for the Lipovitan energy drink. A keen surfer, he moved to the seaside town of Kamakura in 2003 and invited A-san to live with him. He says he didn’t propose at the time, but the decision to live together was the big step towards marriage. He’s the first member of Tokio to tie the knot. Nagase Tomoya (29) ended a long relationship with J-pop diva Hamasaki Ayumi last year.
• And more news on the baby front. TBS announcer Ogura Hiroko (33) had her first child, a baby girl, on Saturday. She married sportscaster and former J-Leaguer Mizuuchi Takeshi (35) in April 2005. Meanwhile, comedian Tanaka Naoki (36) and actress Kohinata Shie (28) are expecting their second child in May, according to the latest issue of woman’s magazine “Nina’s”. Tanaka, of the duo Cocorico, is said to be happy that they’re expecting a younger brother for their 4-year-old son.
Oscar-nominated actress Kikuchi Rinko (25) is gracing the latest issue of UK fashion and culture mag “i-D Magazine”. She’s the first Japanese on the cover since international exposure in “Kill Bill Vol.1” got Kuriyama Chiaki on the front page in 2004.
• Singer Koda Kumi (25) is finally getting her career back in gear. Since an ill-advised comment on live radio at the end of January and a tearful video-taped apology shown on the news, she has stayed home on a leave of absence that meant she was unable to promote her latest album. But at the weekend, a newsletter sent to members of her fan club was accompanied by a letter of apology and news that she will start a nationwide concert tour as planned in Shizuoka on April 12. She told a friend, veteran singer Wada Akiko, that she felt it was too soon, but that tickets for the shows had already been sold.
• Canadian superstar Celine Dion (39) is in Japan for the first time in nine years and performed two shows at Tokyo Dome over the weekend. She was joined by singer Itoh Yuna (24), with whom she released the local version of the duet “A World to Believe In.” Dion plays two shows at Kyocera Dome Osaka on March 11-12.