Hollywood-based actor Watanabe Ken (48) is to be a grandfather. On yesterday’s edition of the TV Asahi afternoon talk show “Tetsuko no Heya” his daughter Ann (22) revealed yesterday that her brother Dai (23) got married last month and that he and his wife are expecting a baby in August. The show was actually recorded on March 24, ten days after the couple tied the knot on White Day. Dai has followed in his father’s acting footsteps, and made his debut in 2004. In a TV Tokyo period drama he and his father both played the role of samurai Yoshimura Kanichiro at different ages. Dai has finished two movies set to open in August, “Saigo no Soukeisen” and “Dousoukai”, and is currently filming an adaptation of the Ichijou Yukari manga “Pride.”
• Higuchi Munetaka (49), drummer with the legendary heavy metal band Loudness, announced yesterday that he was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. The news appeared on the band’s website a week before they are due to start a concert tour of Japan’s major cities. Higuchi said he wanted to let fans know and reassure them that was going to fight the disease and return to performing as soon as possible. A replacement drummer for the tour has yet to be announced.
• Hamasaki Ayumi (29) is the first female artist to have had a No.1 single on the Oricon charts for ten years running. The single “Mirrorcle World” was released last weekend to coincide with her 10th anniversary and concert tour. The overall record is held by rock duo B’z, who’ve topped the charts in 18 consecutive years. Meanwhile at No.3 in the singles chart is “Tsubasa wo Hirogete/Ai wa Kurayami no Nakade” by Zard, released a year after her death. It’s the 42nd Top 10 single for Zard, the performing name of Sakai Izumi, matching the record held by Southern All Stars and SMAP. On top of the Oricon album chart is “I Loved Yesterday” by Yui (21).
• Talento Sakashita Chiriko (31) announced yesterday that she’s expecting her first child in November. She married a TV cameraman in January and said soon afterwards that she wanted to have two children.