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The country got its first look at actress/singer Sakai Noriko in 40 days yesterday. Sakai (38) was released on ¥5-million bail from the detention center at Tokyo Wangan police station and was greeted by a wall of camera flashes and reporters. There were fans and supporters amongst the crowd, with one group holding a banner that said “Omedetou” (Congratulations). Dressed in a simple dark pants suit, Sakai addressed the cameras directly, bowing and apologizing for the trouble she caused with her drug arrest. She was then taken to a downtown hotel where she gave a press conference two hours later together with her lawyer and executives of her former management agency and record company (both of whom canceled her contracts after her arrest).

The conference lasted just ten minutes and no questions from the more than 500 reporters (photo) were answered. As expected there were tears and promises never to touch drugs again, and also skeptical media comments that the whole thing was no more than another performance from someone used to the spotlight since her mid-teens. One report questioned what happened to the star-shaped tattoo that was visible on the middle finger of her left hand at the time of her release but gone by the press conference (one photo showed clearly that it was concealed with foundation). Sakai’s husband, released on related charges the day before, went so far as to wear gloves to hide his multiple tattoos. His trial begins at the Tokyo District Court on October 21, Sakai’s on October 26.

In the meantime, after the press conference Sakai was admitted to the Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku, which is said to have a state of the art drug rehabilitation facility. Sakai’s stepmother is currently undergoing treatment for lung cancer at the same hospital.

Earlier stories:

Takaso Yuichi Out on Bail (Sep. 17, 2009)

Noripi Turns Herself In (Aug. 8, 2009)

Noripi’s Hubby in Latest Drug Arrest (Aug. 4, 2009)

Takaso Yuichi, the husband of actress/singer Sakai Noriko, was released on Wednesday evening after posting ¥5 million for bail. Dressed in somber gray and black, Takaso (41) left the Shibuya police station wearing a baseball cap with the somewhat inappropriate “Punk” emblazoned on it. He removed the cap and made a brief apology to the gathered reporters for his and his wife’s ongoing drug cases. “This whole matter is entirely my responsibility. I am at fault,” he said. “I apologize to everyone for the trouble I’ve caused.” Takaso has been charged with both possession and use of amphetamines. He is due to appear at Tokyo District Court on October 21.

Sakai’s bail application was approved on Monday but she has yet to leave detention. In a rare case, only half of her ¥5-million bail was paid on Tuesday, the other half expected to be paid prior to her release on Wednesday. There was speculation that she hoped to time her first public appearance since her arrest to coincide with Wednesday’s change in government, but she never showed.

A hot new young showbiz couple is born, according to Sports Hochi. The website says that Yamashita Tomohisa (24) of the Johnny’s Jimusho idol group NEWS has been dating half-Canadian model Kagami Seira (22) for the last three months. NEWS are one of the hottest male acts today, and in typical Johnny’s fashion, its members appear in a wide range of roles. “Yamapi,” as he is known to fans, already has ten years of TV starring roles under his belt but also found time to attend Meiji University. Kagami, whose father is Canadaian and mother Japanese, made her modeling debut at the age of 12. She appeared in teen magazines such as CUTiE, Seventeen, and Zipper and did her first TV commercial in 2001. She took a break from the entertainment industry to enrol in the University of Toronto, returning to Japan and her career in 2006. She has released several singles which have had TV anime tie-ups.

The creator of the popular “Crayon Shinchan” has gone missing, it was revealed yesterday. The family of manga-ka Usui Yoshito (51) asked police in his hometown of Kasukabe in Saitama Prefecture to start a search investigation on September 12, saying they had been unable to contact him since the previous day. Police have asked the surrounding prefectures to assist in the search.

Usui first published “Crayon Shinchan” in Futabasha’s “Weekly Manga Action” in 1990, and it continues to appear in the company’s “Manga Town.” It was adapted into an anime in 1992 and has since run on TV Asahi on Friday evenings and has been broadcast in many countries worldwide. Based around the adventures of 4-year-old pre-schooler Nohara Shinnosuke, the character’s lewd and foul-mouthed behavior has made him hugely popular with kids but widely despised by parents. A big screen version is released every year to coincide with the Golden Week spring break and consistently makes over ¥1 billion at the box office. Crayon Shinchan was officially made a citizen of Kasukabe (a right denied many real, but not Japan-born, residents) in 2004.

Comedian Yasuda Hiromi (35) gave a press conference in Tokyo yesterday to formally announce his engagement to talento Iwata Sachi (27). As Yasuda underwent emergency surgery in July to save a twisted testicle, reporters yesterday focused on whether he was able to have a normal sex life. In no uncertain terms, he reassured them that he is, “It was about a week after the surgery. It hurt a bit but felt pretty good!” The dancho (leader) of the comedy trio Yasuda Dai Circus, he and Iwata met two years ago at an event in Nagoya. Kansai TV planned a special show featuring Yasuda cycling 550km from Osaka to Tokyo to propose to Iwata at the end of August.

Baseball superstar Suzuki Ichiro (36) set another milestone yesterday as he became the first Major League player ever to record 200 or more hits in nine consecutive seasons. In the second inning of the second game in a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers, the Seattle Mariners leadoff man hit one of his trademark infield singles to reach the 200 landmark. And this in a season where injury and a stomach ulcer forced him to sit out 16 games, as many as he missed in the last eight years combined. The hit allowed Ichiro to pass the record held by Wee Willie Keeler for more than a century. At home, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper published a special edition headlined, “Ichiro breaks Major League record.” Baseball legend Oh Sadaharu was quoted as saying, “Sometimes we forget how difficult it is to accomplish these things amid a baseball schedule which is much tougher in the U.S. than in Japan. It’s hard to find the words to describe what he has accomplished.”

• But expect the Japanese media frenzy to be distracted elsewhere today if actress/singer Sakai Noriko (38) is released on ¥5-million bail in her ongoing drug possession case. Her bail was approved yesterday, while it was refused for her husband, Takao Yuichi (41). A legal expert said this was most likely to ensure that the couple cannot “compare notes” on their upcoming trials. Takaso is scheduled to appear at the Tokyo District Court on October 21, and Sakai five days later.

Talk about an interesting choice of venue. J-rock supergroup Vamps finished off their world concert tour with a show on a ship – not just any ship but the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The battleship was where the official surrender agreement was signed between Japan and the Allies in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. It was decommissioned in the 1990s and is now a museum. Yesterday’s concert was the first major music event to be held on board. Interestingly, the event doesn’t seem to have drawn any attention from the mainstream U.S. media.

Flanked by the ship’s 16-inch guns and with the stars and stripes flying behind them, the band performed 20 songs, including the upcoming release “Sweet Dreams.” About 600 fans paid $150 each to see the unique show. Vamps was formed in 2008 around L’Arc en Ciel frontman Hyde and Oblivion Dust guitarist K.A.Z. The lineup also includes bassist Ju-ken, who has performed with Gackt and X Japan’s Yoshiki. They have released one album and three singles. The tour took in 60 shows in Japan and the U.S. and finishing off in Hawaii, which is in more than one way the meeting point between the two countries, was heavily symbolic. Hyde said, “I think it’s great that an instrument of war can be used to send out a message of peace like this.”

Kitano Takeshi (62, profile) is returning to the movie genre that established him as one of the world’s top directors. It was revealed at the weekend that he started filming last month on his first violent action movie in seven years. During that time he has turned out several introspective and quirky works which have puzzled audiences and received mixed reviews from critics. “It’s been a long time, but violence is interesting,” he said. The title and plot have not been revealed but Kitano’s 15th movie is said to center around a yakuza character, a device he last used in 2000’s less than successful “Brother.” The strong, and so far all-male, cast includes Miura Tomokazu (57), Shiina Kippei (45), Kase Ryo (34) and Kitamura (71) all in yakuza roles, and Kohinata Fumiyo (55) as the sole detective. All the actors are working with Kitano for the first time. Well established at the time as one of Japan’s top comedians, Kitano made his directorial debut 20 years ago with the self-explanatory “Sono Otoko, Kyobo ni Tsuki” (Violent Cop). 1993’s “Sonatine” gangster flick won multiple awards and made the BBC’s Top 100 best movies of the 20th century. In 1997, “Hana-bi” earned Kitano the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival and a whole new level of respect at home. His last violent movie was his interpretation of the blind samurai tale “Zatoichi” in 2003.

Singer Kondo Masahiko (45, photo left) looked a bit battered at a press conference yesterday. With his right arm in a sling, “Matchy” said he had fractured his shoulder blade while participating in the Sado Island Long Distance International Triathlon last weekend. He has a long history of participation in sports and endurance events, and took part in the triathlon privately. After swimming 2km, and 10km into the cycling stage, he braked for a water stop and fell off his bicycle. “Though I noticed some pain,” he said, “I never thought about giving up.” He continued the race, finishing the 105km cycling and 20km run for a total time of 7 hours 13 minutes, well within the 8-hour target he had set for himself. Yesterday’s press event was for the La Festa Mille Miglia 2009 classic car rally, scheduled for October 10-13. The 1,000-mile (1,600km) race starts and ends in central Tokyo. Kondo says he still plans to take part for the full four days.

• Actress/singer Sakai Noriko says she has no wish to apply for bail just yet. Currently at the Tokyo Wangan police detention center, she was formally charged with the use of amphetamines yesterday, in addition to the earlier charge of possession. She and her husband, Takaso Yuichi (41) have admitted using the drugs while on a visit with their young son to Amami Oshima island in July. Sakai says she doesn’t want to cause a media frenzy and wouldn’t be able to see her son even if a bail application was approved. Her trial is set to open at the Tokyo District Court on October 26.

• Getting his life back on track recently is actor/singer Hagiwara Kenichi (59, photo right). He was back in the recording studio yesterday for the first time in seven years. He recorded the famous “Jidai Okure,” released by the late Kawashima Eigo (1952-2001) in 1986. The single will be available on online and mobile services from November 4. Popularly known by the nickname “Shoken,” Hagiwara started out as vocalist for hugely popular band The Tempters back in the late 1960s. He later went on to an award-winning acting career, but he is almost as renowned for his legal problems as his performing. He was first arrested in 1983 for marijuana possession. He was given a suspended jail sentence in 2004 for attempted blackmail in connection with a canceled movie role. Earlier that year he was fined for causing a traffic accident, and he was later caught speeding. He got divorced in March 2006.

• Singer Nishino Kana (20) is to be the first Japanese to promote Maybelline New York’s mascara. The company spotted her in a promo video and decided she was a good match with their young market. She appeared at a PR event in Tokyo yesterday and also performed her latest song, “Motto,” for the first time. The single is due for release on October 21.

The Japanese movie industry has chosen its candidate to defend the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Looking to repeat this year’s success of “Okuribito” (Departures), the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan yesterday named Kimizuka Ryoichi’s “Dare Mo Mamotte Kurenai” (Nobody to Watch Over Me). The powerful 2-hour drama focuses on some of the more troubling aspects of modern Japanese society. The story revolves around a detective (Koichi Sato), who is assigned to protect a 15-year-old student (Mirai Shida) from public outrage and the media after her elder brother is arrested for the senseless murder of two young girls. As well as directing the feature, Kimizuka wrote the screenplay, for which he won an award at last year’s Montreal World Film Festival. “Daremo…” is his 14th movie and he is best known as the director of “Odoru Daisosasen” (Bayside Shakedown), Japan’s biggest ever box-office earner, and a series of sequels and spinoffs. As with those movies, the backing came from Fuji TV. The overseas Academy Award candidates will be whittled down to five in January and the awards show will be held in March.

Earlier story:

Japanese Win Big at Montreal Film Festival (Sep 3, 2008)

Romance has blossomed between two of Japan’s up and coming young stars, according to this week’s issue of the weekly women’s magazine “Josei Seven.” Management for actor Eita (26) and singer Kimura Kaela (24) have acknowledged their relationship. The magazine captured the couple on film last Saturday, the night after Eita returned from the Montreal World Film Festival, where he had been promoting the movie “Dear Doctor.” The couple both worked on the 2006 movie “Kiraware Matsuko no Issho” (Memories of Matsuko) but they never shared the screen. They finally met through a mutual friend in August and the flame was lit. Kimura had recently broken up with Su (35) of the hip hop group Rip Slyme. Considered one of the most talented young actors, Eita started out as a model in 1999. He made his TV drama debut in Fuji TV’s “Sayonara Ozu-sensei” in 2001. His breakthrough came in the hugely popular Fuji series “Waterboys” in 2003. He made his theatrical debut this summer. Kimura, whose father is British, also got into the entertainment business as a model, for the teen fashion magazine “Seventeen” in 2001. She made her CD debut with “Level 42” in 2004. She had her first Oricon chart No.1 with her third album, “Scratch,” in 2007 and she performed solo at the Nippon Budokan the same year.

Not such a good week so far for Yoshimoto Kogyo (profile). The major comic talent agency has canceled its biggest event of the year and has been threatened with a lawsuit by one of its veteran performers. The decision to cancel the “Live Stand 09 Osaka” event, scheduled for November 21-23, was made in an effort to avoid contributing to the anticipated spread of influenza this winter. A similar 3-day event held at the Makuhari Messe convention center in July drew 60,000 comedy fans.

Meanwhile veteran manzai-shi Maeda Goro (67) has threatened to sue Yoshimoto for slander. Maeda was suspected of involvement in threats and violence against fellow comedian Nakata Kausu (60), largely due to similarity between his handwriting and that in threatening letters sent earlier this year. He has not worked since May and was questioned by police in July, but he has not been charged with any crime. His lawyer says that Maeda’s handwriting has been expertly analyzed and was not a match for that in the letters. He said that he had written to Yoshimoto president Osaki Hiroshi (56) twice asking for a meeting but received no reply, “They won’t meet with us, so we decided to take the matter to court.” If the case goes ahead it would be in civil court, and Maeda is said to be seeking in the order of ¥100 million in damages as his career is effectively over. Sakata Toshio (67), his comic sidekick in the duo Comedy No.1 for more than 40 years, announced last week that he would be going solo.

Earlier stories:

End of the Road for Comedy No.1 (Sep. 3, 2009)

Maeda Case No Laughing Matter (May 26, 2009)