Actor Wtanabe Hiroyuki (49) gave an “emergency” press conference in Yokohama yesterday to reveal that he had been one of the victims of a recent massive scam. He said he was one of over a thousand investors swindled by Gestion Privee Japon, asset investment consultants whose president has disappeared leaving the company bankrupt with debts believed to be in the order of ¥20 billion. The company was using investor’s money in currency trading but declared bankruptcy at the Tokyo District Court at the end of July. Watanabe met with the GPJ president in July of last year and decided to invest ¥120 million of his own money, plus an additional ¥8 million through his own company. Though the company said its investment scheme would yield 60% profits in just two months, Watanabe only got ¥9.4 million of his money back. In his ress conference, he said, “I was worried about the future as I’m in a career that has no guaranteed income. I was stupid to think this was security for my future.” He kept the investment secret from his wife, actress Hara Hideko (45), and only told her when news of the bankruptcy came out. The weekly magazine Flash this week revealed that Watanabe acted as emcee for an event held by GPJ in February, for which he received ¥8 million. He has flatly denied that he was a “poster boy” for the company. Watanabe first made his name in 1983 as one of the actors to appear in the famous “Faito! Ippatsu” series of macho TV commercials for Lipovitan D energy drink.
• The monthly TV ratings for Yomiuri Giants games hit another all-time low in July. In their home Kanto region, they managed a measly 8.5% average rating for the month as they continue to struggle in 5th place in the Central League.