Two rising stars from quite different worlds have been romantically linked. It was revealed yesterday that handsome comedian Tokui Yoshimi (32, photo top left) is dating top badminton cutie Shiota Reiko (23, photo bottom left). Tokui is the boke half of the duo Tutorial, who took the comedy world by storm when they won the annual M-1 Grand Prix and ¥10 million in 2006 while still relative unknowns. Together with partner Fukuda Mitsunori (32), he is now a regular face on TV. He is expected to go far not only because of his looks but also his comic ability, and he was runner-up in this year’s R-1 Grand Prix for solo comedy acts. Shiota and doubles partner Ogura Kumiko (24) have been Japan champions for the last three years running, and just last weekend they won the bronze medal at the World Badminton Championships. The pair are known as “OguShio” are are popular as much due to their good looks as their medal-winning ability. Shiota is due to publish a photo book next month, a relative rarity for sports stars. The badminton pair and the comedy duo met when they were teamed up for a double date on a TV show in February 2006. Though the date was only meant to be for entertainment, it led to one real-life romance after a somewhat drunk Tokui expressed his feelings for Shiota. It’s just a shame the word “shuttlecock” doesn’t have the same comedy potential in Japanese!
• The weekend saw a new audience ratings record fr NTV’s annual 24-hour charity telethon. As reported here yesterday, the broadcast centered around the 70km run by veteran comedian Hagimoto Kinichi (66). While the 18.6% average rating for the show, which actually ran for 26 hours and 24 minutes, was just short of 200%7s record of 19%, the peak rating was a whopping 43.9%. The viewing audience peaked at the end of the show as Kin-chan, who was the emcee for the first ever NTV telethon 30 years ago, reached his goal at the Nippon Budokan on Sunday night.
• Yamaguchi Sayoko, who in the 1970s was the first Japanese fashion model to achieve global fame, died yesterday of acute pneumonia. She was 57. Following her debut in 1971, she took part in collections in Paris and New York wearing clothes by designers such as Takada Kenzo and Yamamoto Kansai. Newsweek magazine named her as one of the Top 6 models in the world. She later worked in movies, contemporary dance and fashion design.
• Actress Minakaze Yoko died of pancreatic cancer at at a Yokohama hospital yesterday. She was 77. A graduate of the Takarazuka theatrical troupe, she joined the Mingei (Public Theater) company in 1959. She became a top star playing such roles as Kate Keller in “The Miracle Worker”. She also worked on TV and in movies. She is survived by her husband, director Wakasugi Mitsuo, and daughter, actress Wakasugi Tami.
• Actor Nishimura Kazuhiko chose yesterday, his 41st birthday, to reveal that he is to become a father. He announced on his blog that his wife Yumi (28) is expecting their first child, believed to be due next January. The couple married in May of 2006. Yumi is an established shodouka, or calligrapher.