A wedding announcement yesterday came from stage actor Ichimura Masachika (56) and actress Shinohara Ryoko (32). The couple registered their marriage on December 8 and plan to give a press conference. They first met during a theater production of “Hamlet” in 2001. Rumors of romance have appeared several times in the weekly magazines but they were always denied. Ichimura divorced actress Yaezawa Mami in May 2003. He is currently in rehearsals for a production of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof.”
• Meanwhile the relationship between kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo (28) and actress Yonekura Ryoko (30) has come to an end. Yesterday Ichikawa made his first public appearance since the breakup but refused to make a comment.
• Singer Otsuka Ai (23) is the queen of the ringtones. She has a total of 163 ringtones, or chaku-uta, to her name and they have been downloaded over 10 million times. Her 2003 hit “Sakuranbo” was the first chaku-uta to become a million-seller. Her new album, “Love Cook,” goes on sale on December 14.