Monthly Archives: October 2008

Top Korean actress and the ex-wife of former Yomiuri Giants pitcher Cho Sung-min (35), Choi Jin-sil (39) killed herself earlier this week. Her body was found hanging by the neck in the shower of her Seoul apartment, and although no note was found police are treating it as a suicide. Known as the “Nation’s Actress,” Choi married Cho in 2000 and they had two children before splitting in 2002. Choi resumed her acting career after their divorce was finalized in 2004. Emotionally weakened since that experience, she was often described as depressed and even expressed suicidal tendencies. Recently there were widespread rumors that she had lent money to actor and longtime friend Ahn Jae-hwan, who was found dead in his car in early September. Choi’s mother told police that the actress had come home home drunk late on Wednesday night, crying and upset by the rumors. Her mother woke the next morning to find the bathroom door locked and called for help.

• Actor Hamada Manabu (32) is getting married this weekend, it was revealed yesterday. He and his fiancee, described as “A-san” and a nurse in her 20s, met five years ago at a restaurant run by a mutual friend. They plan to tie the knot on October 5 and are already living together in Tokyo. Hamada, the son of actor Hamada Akira (66), had his first TV drama starring role in 1997. This year he starred in the movie “Kagehinata ni Saku,” based on a novel by comedian Gekidan Hitori, and took to the stage for the first time.

One of Japan’s most popular baseball stars brought his career to an end last night. Slugger Kiyohara Kazuhiro (41) played his final game for the Orix Buffaloes and gave a tearful farewell speech during a ceremony after the game. A star of the Seibu Lions during their 1990s reign, Kiyohara was already a star before he joined pro baseball. He and ace pitcher Kuwata Masumi were the legendary high school baseball pair known as the “K-K Combi.” They took PL Gakuen high school to the final of the annual Koshien tournament four years running, winning twice. Kiyohara had hoped they would play together for the Yomiuri Giants, but in the draft only Kuwata ended up on Japan’s most popular team. Kiyohara was signed by the Lions in the rival Pacific League, where he lived up to his huge potential for a decade. His talent and good looks won him many fans of both sexes, and he said that the only reason he became a pro baseball player was to attract beautiful women and afford fast cars. He became a free agent in 1997 and was reunited with Kuwata on the Giants. But plagued by injuries, he put on weight and, with his perennial tan and piercings, began to look more like a gangster than a sports idol. He spent eight declining years with the equally declining Giants before moving to the Buffaloes in 2006. With many celebrity friends, it’s likely that he’ll move to showbiz rather than get into coaching or management.

• Veteran actor Takarada Akira (74) was caught speeding on a Tokyo expressway during the summer, it was revealed yesterday. He was doing 124km/h on the 80km/h Metropolitan Expressway on the afternoon of July 29 when his license plate and face were recorded by a speed camera. He appeared at a police station on September 29.

• Actress Hirayama Aya (24) has dropped out of her scheduled first theater role due to acute pharyngitis. She was due to appear from October 8 in a stage production of “Bentler, Bentler, Bentler.” The show was written by Goto Hirohito, whose “Midsummer Carol” was the basis for the currently showing fantasy movie “Paco to Maho no Ehon,” and it is being performed by his theatrical troupe, Piper. Hirayama’s guest role will be played by actress Suzuki Ranran (33).

• Actor Masi Oka (33) was back in Japan yesterday to promote the movie “Get Smart.” His breakthrough in the U.S. drama series “Heroes” has made him a big name there. But at home he still gets starstruck and was visibly excited about the prospect of appearing with comedy duo Ninety Nine (profile) on the “All Night Nippon” show late last night.

• Upcoming British singer Duffy (24) played her first show in Japan yesterday. She performed for 900 fans at the Ebisu Liquid Room in Tokyo in support of her debut album “Rockferry.”

It was a dream come true for veteran singer Wada Akiko (58, profile), who celebrated her 40th anniversary in showbiz with her first ever overseas concert on Monday night. She performed at the Apollo Theater in New York, a mecca for the soul and R&B music that has long inspired her. For the “one night only” show, and the venue’s first ever by a solo Asian performer, “Akko” was joined on stage by Sam Moore of the duo Sam and Dave (72) for a rendition of “Soul Man.” The two have been friends since they performed together on a Japanese TV show all of 38 years ago. But no doubt the person she would have dreamed of performing there with was the late Ray Charles, her showbiz idol, who performed with her for her 30th anniversary show. The audience of 1,450 people included a tour group of 50 Wada fans who had traveled from Japan for the show. Wada visited the theater four years ago and made sure to touch the famous ‘Tree of Hope’ for luck, in the hope of one day appearing on the stage. The so-called “Godsister” of Japanese showbiz was a bundle of nerves for the five days she spent in New York before the concert. A renowned heavy smoker, she cut down on her 2-3 packs a day – and also her drinking – to get in shape for the show. But at the end of the show, she said she was heading out to have a wild night.

• The spat between X Japan’s Yoshiki and the Sumo Association continues. According to Yoshiki’s management, the association sent him a half-hearted apology late Monday night but insisted that Sunday’s incident was not their responsibility. They said he should seek his apology from the Kiriyama stable to which yokozuna Hakuho belongs. In turn, Yoshiki said he was no longer concerned about himself but suggested that, in the interests of sumo and its future, the association should apologize to Hakuho. He posted the comment on his mobile fan site, which led to a server crash on the Kiriyama stables website.