Latest News from Japan Zone & Japan Store

Though they were rumored to be on the verge of marriage, it looks like Exile leader Hiro (38, photo left) and actress Sada Mayumi (30) actually split up a year ago. The LDH management agency, which is run by Hiro and represents Sada, sent out a fax yesterday breaking the news and saying the two remain good friends. The announcement came after the revelation in today’s issue of “Josei Seven” magazine that Sada is now dating Kiriya Kazuaki (39), the ex-husband of singer Utada Hikaru (25). Sada and Hiro first met through a mutual friend and started going out in 2002. The music production company run by Hiro merged with Sada’s management agency, making him her boss and strengthening the rumors that their relationship was serious. Hiro, real name Igarashi Hiroyuki, has been one of the leaders of the R&B scene for more than a decade. He originally found success as a dancer with the band Zoo, which split up in 1996. He formed J Soul Brothers in 1997, with a name change to Exile four years later. They had a breakthrough year in 2003, when their album “Exile Entertainment” became a million-seller. 2005’s “Perfect Best” and last year’s “Exile Love” also broke the million mark. With an American grandfather, Sada is one of several mixed race fashion models to have gained fame beyond the magazine world. She was with the magazine “Vivi” from 1998 to 2003 and has since worked on TV and as an actress. In 2004 she made her second movie appearance, in Kiriya’s “Casshern”. Kiriya and Utada divorced in March 2007, which would be about the time that Sada and Hiro are said to have split. Hmmm…

• Actor Wakabayashi Gou (68) is recovering from emergency surgery in a Nagoya hospital. He collapsed during a performance featuring star Kobayashi Sachiko (54) at the Misonoza theater yesterday and was rushed to hospital. He was diagnosed with a chronic stroke on his left side and underwent three hours of surgery. He is expected to make a full recovery and be home in a week or so. In recent years, Wakabayashi has worked mostly on TV, particularly as a presenter on the home shopping channel.

• On her 28th birthday yesterday, talento Yamada Mariya and actor Kusano Toru (40) held a lavish wedding reception in central Tokyo. 120 guests, including many celebrities were at the event and the happy couple were serenaded by vocal group Gospellers.

R&B singer Crystal Kay (22) has lined up her first anime theme song. Her song “One” will be used as the main theme for this summer’s Pocket Monsters movie. The 11th theatrical release, “Pocket Monsters Diamond and Pearl. Giratina to Sora no Hanataba: Sheimi” (Giratina and the Bouquet of the Sky), opens in theaters on July 19. The production team had wanted to team up with the singer since her song “Lost Child” was used for the 2001 movie “Satorare”. In turn, Kay says she was a fan of the English dub of Pokemon when she was a student at a Tokyo international school. “One” will be released for mobile phone downloads on March 8, when the movie trailer hits cinemas.

• Yesterday pop group Exile were presented with the Gold Disc Award for Artist of the Year. The award goes to the artist with the highest CD sales for the year, and for a change it wasn’t Koda Kumi. The 7-member group sold 2.3 million albums and 1.1 million singles in 2007, and with downloads included they had a sales total of ¥15.4 billion.

• Singer Oishi Madoka (35) announced yesterday that she married a securities company employee (35) on Monday. The date was the anniversary of her arrival in Tokyo from her hometown of Hakodate back in 1991. The couple, who first met in the autumn of 2006, are planning a wedding ceremony this autumn.

Young up-and-coming actress Aragaki Yui (19) looks like having another successful year. She appeared in three movies last year – “Koi Suru Madori”, “Waruboro” and “Koizora” – and got a slew of best newcomer awards. At yesterday’s Golden Arrow awards in Tokyo, given for various media categories, she was the winer in the movie category. Other winners included: Broadcast Award – actor Oguri Shun (25); Newcomer Award – actress Kikuchi Rinko (26) and comedienne Yanagihara Kanako (22). Not attending the show at the Hotel New Otani was young golf sensation Ishikawa Ryo (16), who won the sports category.

• Disney’s princesses, including the first new one in 15 years, were in Tokyo yesterday for the Japan premiere of the movie “Enchanted”. Star Patrick Dempsey (42) joined Giselle, Snow White, Cinderella and Jasmine on stage at the Tokyo International Forum.

• Someone else making an arrival for the first time in 15 years is R&B queen Chaka Khan (54), who recently two Grammys for her latest album “Funk This”. She announced yesterday that she will be visiting in June and performing her first solo shows here since 1993. She’ll play a the Billboard Live venues in Tokyo and Osaka.

• Actress Miyazaki Aoi (22) and actor Takaoka Sousuke (26) caused a mini panic in Tokyo’s Omotesando yesterday as they and their showbiz guests left their wedding party. The couple tied the knot back in June of last year. Among yesterday’s guests were actor Asano Tadanobu (34) recently back from the Oscars; young actors Oguri Shun (25), Sato Ryuta (28), and V6’s Okada Yuichi (27); and actress Aso Kumiko (29).

• Former sumo behemoth Konishiki (44) revealed on his blog yesterday that he had surgery in Hawaii last month to reduce the size of his stomach. The gastric bypass is his latest attempt to shed some of the massive weight he gained on his way to becoming sumo’s heaviest ever wrestler. In his prime he averaged around 264kg (580lbs).

• For tomorrow’s 30th anniversary edition of information show “Zoom In! Super” NTV are bringing back the once-popular Anton Wicky (67), popularly known as Wicky-san, for one day. The Sri Lankan’s one-point English conversation lesson ran on the show from 1979-94, and he was one of the earliest foreign stars on Japanese TV.

Kabuki star Nakamura Shido (35) and actress Takeuchi Yuko (27) have finally settled their divorce. Sources say that the two agreed that Nakamura would not pay any alimony but would provide child support until their 2-year-old son reaches adulthood. Divorce negotiations began between lawyers for both parties in October 2006. They’ve since met in person only once and Nakamura has not seen his son in that year and five months. Takeuchi returned to work full time last year. She’s currently appearing in five TV commercials, the Fuji TV drama series “Baranonai Hanaya” and the medical mystery movie “Chiimu Bachisuta no Eikou” (The Glory of Team Batista). Nakamura is currently starring in the stage musical “Turandot.”

• Already billed as a major event, the three-part live-action manga adaptation “20th Century Boys” just got even bigger. In addition to the main cast members we revealed when filming started earlier this month, the ¥6-billion project is to feature some 300 speaking parts. Other big names announced yesterday included Kagawa Teruyuki (as Yoshitsune) and Kuroki Hitomi (as Kiriko), Ishizuka Hidehiko, Ukaji Takashi, Katase Nana, and Sasaki Kuranosuke.

• Comedian Sumitani Masaki (32) and his wife, idol Anna Suzuki (24), are expecting their first child. Suzuki is five and a half months pregnant and is expected to give birth at the end of July. The couple married in August 2006. Though constantly on TV in 2005-06, the popularity of Sumitani’s Razor Ramon Hard Gay character went into decline, due probably to overexposure. He has said that he will be appearing using his real name this spring in a period drama stage production.

• As the hugely popular group Southern All Stars approaches its 30th anniversary in June, two members announced new solo projects at the weekend. Drummer Matsuda Hiroshi (51) has taken on the disco persona Boogie Matsuda and teamed up with several other artists. Calling themselves collectively the “Funky Freaks”, they are currently recording the six-track mini album “Good Celebration.” And bassist Sekiguchi Kazuyuki (52) is to release the follow up to his 2000 album “Kuchibue to Ukurere” that features whistling and ukelele. He’s joined again by whistling actor Takenaka Naoto (51) and has added last year’s world champion whistler Wakiyama Kimiko (35).

It didn’t take long for the rumors to start flying around Kanda Uno’s recent marriage. Kanda (32) and pachinko company president Nishimura Takuro (38) held a hugely expensive and flamboyant wedding ceremony last October, with over 700 guests and at an expense of about ¥600 million. But rumors of constant bickering have hounded them ever since, even as they headed off for their honeymoon in Dubai last month. Last week, the weekly magazine “Flash” hinted at an affair when Kanda and resort company president Sadakata Kunisuke (40) were spotted sharing a flight to Paris. This week, with Kanda off working in Italy, it’s Nishimura’s turn. Today’s issue of the magazine “Friday” has a story about him galavanting around Hokkaido with a top Tokyo hostess. They were among a group of three men and five women who visited an onsen in Hakodate last weekend. Nishimura and the 28-year-old “A-san”, described as the No.1 hostess at a Roppongi club, are said to have a “relationship” that dates back five years. Japan Zone isn’t surprised to see Kanda end up in this kind of situation, as it’s always been clear that money and celebrity were her true loves. She’s made a small fortune herself in the fashion and entertainment businesses, but it pales in comparison with her husband’s wealth.

• “Friday” also reports that singer-songwriter Moriyama Naotaro (31) is living with a girlfriend, but perhaps not for long. The two have reportedly been going out for some time and vacationed together in Fiji last summer. But although she is said to resemble beautiful actress Matsushima Nanako, Moriyama has told friends he is considering ending their cohabitation arrangement. Not to end their relationship but so he can concentrate on his music career and come up with another mega-hit to match 2003’s “Sakura”.

• Singer Wada Akiko (57) is renowned for her tough talk when it comes to misbehaving celebs. Her target yesterday was sumo grand champion Asashoryu (27), who’s latest scandal involved him verbally abusing a newspaper reporter who snapped photos of him in Honolulu airport. Unhappy about being seen in an aloha shirt and shorts, he told the reporter to “Drop dead!” By the time he arrived back in Tokyo he’d changed into a kimono more befitting a yokozuna. Wada said “He’s bad by nature. I’d like to have a month with him. I’d take him on too, if I were a bit stronger.” She said he could learn a lesson from African-American enka debutant Jero (26) and his humble manner.

• With a sparkler on her left ring finger, busty talento Megumi (26) attended a movie PR event in Tokyo yesterday. Asked whether she and Dragon Ash vocalist Furuya Kenji (29) have any plans for marriage, she said “I’ll let you know when the time comes, so I’d be delighted if you’d just let us be.”

• Idol group AKB48 have canceled a promotion for their new single following complaints from fans and fears that it conflicted with the antitrust law. Fans who bought a copy of “Sakura no Hanabira-tachi 2008” at their stage venue in Tokyo’s Akihabara were to be given one of 44 posters featuring members of the group, and anyone who collected all the posters would be invited to a live event. This led to complaints among even the most dedicated fans about having to shell out for 44 CDs. Defstar Records announced yesterday that the plan had been canceled, saying it was in danger of being labeled an “unfair business practice.”

The offspring of Hollywood legends seem to be finding their place in Japanese movies these days. Yesterday we reported on the first Japanese feature starring Shirley MacLaine’s daughter. Today it’s the turn of Fred McQueen (51), son of the late Steve McQueen, who spoke recently to the SanSpo newspaper about his second Japanese movie role in “Ashita e no Yuigon” (Best Wishes For Tomorrow). The film is based on the novel “Nagai Tabi” (Long Journey) about a Japanese Class B war criminal who sets out to take responsibility for the execution of American airmen. Veteran Fujita Makoto (74) plays Lieutenant General Okada Tasuku, Fuji Sumiko (62, mother of actress Terashima Shinobu) his wife, and Robert Lesser (69) had the difficult role of defense counsel Featherstone. McQueen was drawn to the powerful story and, a huge fan of the late Kurosawa Akira, was particularly nervous given that Kurosawa protege Koizumi Takashi was directing and many of the Master’s production staff were involved. McQueen, who only took up acting in 2003 after working as a firefighter and pastry chef, beat out 200 others for the role of tough prosecutor Burnett. He says that though he spent a lot of time researching for the role of a military officer, nerves made him forget his lines and positioning. It’s just his third movie role, and the second in Japan after the 2005 submarine drama “Lorelei” (though his name doesn’t appear in the credits). “Ashita…” opens in theaters on March 1.

• Pin-up idol Koizumi Maya (19) has lost the court case against her former high school. While a senior at a girl’s high school operated by Toho Gakuen in the Tokyo suburb of Chofu in 2006, she released a photobook and did a swimsuit photo shoot for a weekly magazine. The school expelled her several months later saying she had broken a rule that prohibits students working in the entertainment business. She took the case to court last year hoping to be reinstated so she could graduate. But yesterday the Tokyo District Court dismissed the suit, ruling that Koizumi had blatantly ignored the school’s policy and that the school had acted reasonably.

• Some big names have been announced behind the scenes of an upcoming TV Tokyo drama series. Prolific movie director Miike Takashi is to be the main man behind “Keitai Sousakan 7”, while some of the show’s 51 episodes will be taken on by other top directors such as Oshii Mamoru (Ghost in the Shell) and Kaneko Shusuke (Death Note). The series, which airs on Wednesday evenings from April 2, stars Kubota Masataka (19) as a high schooler who takes on an internet-based crime organization. The series’ gimmick is the keitai (mobile phone) robot of the title, and major phone operator Softbank Mobile will release a tie-up model in mid-April. Kubota admits to feeling “a lot of pressure” about working with such big names. The cast also includes Ito Yuko (33) and Tsuda Kanji (42), and the theme song is performed by Shimatani Hitomi (27).

• A monthly magazine published by Yoshimoto Kogyo runs an annual survey of the talent agency’s best-looking and ugliest comedians. Yamasato Ryota (30), Yama-chan of the duo Nankai Candies, has been chosen for the third year running as the ugliest star. The third award earns him a place in the Hall of Fame alongside 130R’s HonKon (44) and Football Hour’s Iwao Nozomu (32). Happier news for Inoue Satoshi (32) of the duo Jicho Kacho, who three-peated as Yoshimoto’s best-looking star.

American actress Sachi Parker (51) has made her Japanese movie debut. In “Nishi no Majo ga Shinda” (The Witch of the West is Dead), she plays the title role, the English grand-mother of the young heroine Mai. Parker, the daughter of actress Shirley MacLaine and producer Steve Parker, has had roles in such major Hollywood movies as “Back To The Future” (1985), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael” (1990), but hasn’t appeared much since. As a child she lived with her family in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Uehara and attended the local International School. She once co-anchored a show called “Manhattan Express” for the Fuji TV network that introduced New York life to the Japanese audience. At yesterday’s event she spoke in fluent Japanese about how she had never dreamed of making a film in her old hometown, adding that she wanted her mother to see the movie. Directed by Nagasaki Shunichi and based on an award-winning children’s book, the movie’s cast includes newcomer Takahashi Mayu (13) as Mai, Takahashi Katsumi (47) and Kimura Yuichi (45). It opens in theaters in June.

The media is in a flurry over a young African-American by the name of Jero (26) who’s set to shake up the music industry. No, he’s not a visiting rap star, but the first foreign singer to make a name in the traditional world of enka for many years. And in a clever marketing move, the Philadelphia native’s heartfelt Japanese ballads are in stark contrast to his hip hop fashion. Real name Jerome White, Jr, he came to Japan in 2003 after graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, determined to fulfill a promise to his late Japanese grandmother to become an enka singer and appear on the annual “Kohaku Uta Gassen” song show. He achieved the former with the recent release of his debut single, which is set to be the highest-ever pop chart entry by a solo enka singer. According to Oricon, “Umiyuki” will be ranked No.4 in next week’s general chart and No.1 in the enka-kayou chart. Though the song’s title translates as “Ocean Snow” and conjures up images of the Japan Sea, Jero admits the only ocean he’s seen was in California. But he is the real deal, with good looks, an excellent voice, and fluent Japanese, who tactfully includes natto and umeboshi among his favorite foods (both are commonly quoted examples of food that gaijin can’t eat). He studied for a time at the Kansai Gaidai University school of foreign languages, and performed on NHK’s “Nodo Jiman” amateur song contest in 2003, something that must have made his grandmother Takiko very proud. With his talent and marketability, his chances of fulfilling that second promise with a Kohaku appearance are looking good.

• Freelance announcer Itoh Rie (33) gave birth to her first child on Saturday. The news was announced yesterday on the TV Asahi early morning show “Yajiuma Plus”, from which Itoh is taking maternity leave. Meanwhile, railroad otaku idol Toyooka Masumi (25) is expecting a baby. Five months pregnant, she plans to retire and become a full-time mother from the end of March. She married a 35-year-old company employee last November.

The final tickets for next month’s three X Japan shows at Tokyo Dome are said to have sold out in a matter of seconds. The final batch of the 150,000 tickets for the hugely anticipated March 28-30 shows went on sale at 10am yesterday. Demand has been heavy on ticket sources such as the official fan site of group leader Yoshiki and sites such as J Rock Revolution aimed at overseas fans. Through the pre-sale, Japan Zone was fortunate enough to get hold of four tickets for the March 28 “X Japan – Night of Destruction” show. The group performed together last October for the first time in ten years, shooting a live video for the song “I.V.” on the rooftop of the Aqua City mall in Tokyo.

• Talento and otaku favorite Nakagawa Shoko (22) apologized yesterday for a slip of the tongue. A regular panelist on the live TBS show “Sunday Japon”, she was talking about the recent accident in which a fishing vessel was accidentally sunk by a Japanese Aegis-class naval destroyer. A tearful “Shokotan” said during the show that the incident was avoidable and referred to the “unnecessary deaths” of the father and son crew members, though they are still officially listed as missing. She apologized briefly at the end of the show and again on her popular blog. She said she had got carried away by her emotions and hoped the two would be found soon.

• Hollywood actor Hayden Christensen (26) arrived in Japan yesterday to promote his latest movie. “Jumper” opens in theaters on March 7.

In 1985, the Japanese showbiz industry tried hard to make the world forget about Dan Ikeda. And until news of his death was revealed yesterday, a full two months after he had passed away, they succeeded. The musician died at a Tokyo hospital of respiratory failure on Christmas Day and a small funeral was held for him, presided over by his widow Setsuko. He was 72. In his heyday, Ikeda was a top session musician whose big band, “Dan Ikeda to New Breed”, accompanied artists every week on the hugely popular Fuji TV music show “Yoru no Hit Studio”. Ikeda worked on up to eight weekly shows and appeared 13 times on NHK’s annual “Kohaku Uta Gassen”. But in 1985, angered that “Yoru” was moved to a later time slot and that TV in general was switching from from live to pre-recorded broadcasts, Ikeda quit as bandmaster. That November, he published a racy autobiography and was bold enough to include the real names of such established stars as host Inoue Jun and top idols Tahara Toshihiko and Matsuda Seiko. Having broken one of the industry’s biggest taboos, Ikeda was unable to work on TV ever again and was forced to seek work at regional music events. Though he admitted to having been lonely, he insisted he never regretted writing about things that he considered “common knowledge.” Born Ikeda Keisuke in 1935 in Seoul, South Korea, he moved back to Japan with his family after WWII. While in high school he worked as a folk dance instructor, known as a “dan-suke”, which earned him the moniker that became his stage name.

• Hollywood star Nicole Kidman (40) was in Tokyo yesterday for the Japan premiere of “The Golden Compass”, which opens at theaters on March 1. Five months pregnant, Kidman thanked fans on behalf of her baby for their messages of congratulation. Also attending the event was actress and former model Tamaru Maki (29). Asked about the rumors of a split with Terada Kazumasa (42), the president of fashion brand Samantha Thavasa, she denied there was even any relationship.

• One of the longest-running shows on Japanese TV is approaching its 2,200th edition. At the Tokyo International Forum yesterday, Fuji TV’s Saturday evening show “Music Fair” recorded a series of four special episodes that will air from March 1. The show will reach the landmark figure on March 15. One the air for 44 years, the show regularly features the biggest names in the pop world. Singer Moriyama Ryoko (60) has appeared the most times (104) and yesterday performed a duet of her famous hit “Nada Sou Sou” with her son Naotaro (31). Other acts collaborating for the show included vocal group Gospellers and Ayaka (20).

• Defunct pop duo I WiSH got back together for a one-off concert last night. During the show at the CC Lemon Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo, pianist nao (27) announced that he and vocalist ai (22) got married in December and are expecting a baby in May. Yesterday was ai’s 22nd birthday. Though the duo split up in February 2005, they released a new CD on Valentine’s Day. “Love Songs 4 You” contains four songs, including a new recording that completes a “love cycle” started by their first three singles.