Talento Abiru Yu (18) has made her TV comeback after a couple of months away from the small screen. She caused a huge fuss when she admitted on a late-night variety show in February that she and friends had been involved in stealing on a regular basis from a store. The NTV network also took a lot of heat for airing a show with only the slightest warning that shoplifting was a crime. Abiru appeared yesterday on the TBS morning variety show “Akko ni Omakase,” where she apologized but still got a good dressing down from veteran singer and “God-sister” of the showbiz world Wada Akiko. She also appeared on a different show last Tuesday, but there was no mention of the incident.
• Actress and former idol singer Minamino Yoko (37) is making her “comeback” as a singer. “Nanno Box,” a DVD and CD box set to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her debut, includes the newly recorded track “Last Order.” her slight and wispy voice is said to have changed little and listening to the track will transport fans back to her heyday in the Heisei era. The box set includes her nine albums as well as various singles, B sides and video clips of her many TV commercials. It goes on sale June 22.
• Singer songwriter Yaida Hitomi (26) yesterday recorded her session for MTV “Unplugged” at the Tokyo FM Hall. She is the 4th Japanese to appear on the show, afer Chage & Aska, Utada Hikaru and Hirai Ken.