Actor Oguri Shun (27) and actress-model Yamada Yuu (25) did their best to avoid looking like a couple yesterday, but they’re not fooling anyone. The pair returned to Narita Airport after a weeklong vacation in Hawaii but, just as when they left, they passed through arrivals and customs separately. As long as the media don’t get a shot of them together, they can plausibly deny any serious relationship. But the giveaway signs were not too hard to spot. Oguri came out of customs with a luggage cart carrying some distinctly feminine baggage, including a pink golf bag. Most of the time he talked on his mobile phone, a common ploy to avoid reporters’ questions, and seemed annoyed by all the media attention. Yamada, on the other hand, was all smiles for the cameras as she walked arm in arm with friend and fellow model Hasegawa Jun (23). Yamada was seen carrying two passports, and something sparkly on her ring finger. But like Oguri she refused to answer reporters questions and denied that the vacation was a “pre-marriage” trip.
• Yesterday was the Seijin no Hi national holiday, and 20-year-olds across the country celebrated their coming of age. Many of the ceremonies featured words of encouragement from celebrity guests, and of course a few young celebrities themselves celebrated their new adulthood. Among them were talento Minami Akina and enka singer Oe Yutaka.
• Oe is a protege of veteran enka singer Kitajima Saburo, who yesterday had another reason to celebrate when he became the oldest artist to have a Top 10 single and album on the Oricon charts. His latest release, “Fufu Issho,” entered the singles chart this week at No.10. Kitajima, at 73, easily beat the previous record, held by the late actor Ueki Hitoshi, who made the Top 10 in 1991 with “Suudara Densetsu” at the age of 64.