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All the media buzz over the last 24 hours has been about the divorce of actress Fujiwara Norika (37) and comedian Jinnai Tomonori( 35). Fujiwara is currently on location in Africa, so the spotlight has fallen squarely on Jinnai. In a statement yesterday, he flatly denied a rumor that the cause of the split was domestic violence. Insisting that the blame lay completely on his shoulders he said that they were trying to patch things up. Speaking to reporters, Fujiwara’s mother was in tears as she her daughter had made every effort to make their relationship work, changing her schedule to suit her husband’s and even cooking his favorite food. Then she dropped a bombshell when she said that Jinnai had been having affairs for about the last year. She refused to go into further detail, telling reporters they should ask him directly. She did say, “She’s an entertainer’s wife, so she could put up with two or three (affairs). She’s a generous type.” But after Norika finished a stage production last month, she returned to her family home in Kobe and said to her mother, “Mom, I’m sorry. I tried to keep it all secret, but I just can’t take it anymore.” The divorce has not been formalized yet, but both parties are said to have stamped their seals on the paperwork and it simply needs to be registered at the municipal office. Fujiwara will no doubt have come under intense media attention on her arrival back from Africa.

Earlier story:

Jinnai, Fujiwara Marriage to End After 2 Years (Mar 19, 2009)

Just two years ago they were billed as one of the “super couples” of Japanese showbiz, but it looks like Fujiwara Norika (37) and Jinnai Tomonori (35) have come to the end of the road. According to the Sports Hochi website, the couple have both stamped their seals on divorce papers and it’s just a matter of days before they make the decision legal. Fujiwara is currently visiting Kenya in her role as a Red Cross ambassador. Their relationship is said to have taken a turn for the worse last autumn. Up until that time Jinnai had been commuting several times a week between their home in Tokyo and a TV studio in Osaka for the live morning show “Narutomo!” It was speculated that he quit the show in September so he could spend more time with his wife. But Jinnai is said to have been the one to obtain the divorce papers. Fujiwara made up her mind to add her seal when a stage production came to a close at the end of last month. From the start there were those who said theirs was a mismatched marriage, referred to in Japanese as “kakusakon.” A former Miss Japan, Fujiwara is a successful actress and one of the business’s biggest earners with a string of commercial contracts, regular TV and stage roles, and also active in charitable causes. Jinnai has established himself as a TV regular over the last few years but is still mainly seen as a “pin-geinin” or solo comedian. They held their elaborate traditional wedding on February 17, 2007 at the Ikutajinja shrine in Fujiwara’s hometown of Kobe, with hundreds of reporters and thousands of fans craning for a glimpse outside. They invited 600 guests to the Hotel Okura the following April for a wedding reception that cost over ¥500 million. The event was broadcast live on TV and had a high audience rating of 40% in the Kansai region. With both stars juggling intensive work schedules, it wasn’t until the following New Year that they got to take their honeymoon in Africa.

Happier news it seems for another comedian-actress couple. A significant age difference doesn’t seem to prevented romance from blossoming between talento Imada Koji (43) and actress Kato Rosa (23). The two were recently spotted out on a date, with photos appearing today in the latest issue of weekly magazine “Friday.” A former comedian, Imada is one of the most established names with the major Yoshimoto Kogyo agency, who declined to comment on the story. He is a regular on the variety show circuit, often acting as emcee. Kato has seen her career take off in the last couple of years, landing commercial contracts and a string of leading roles on TV and the big screen. She and Imada first worked together on the NTV drama “Africa no Tsume” in 2004.

• British rockers Oasis kicked off their latest Japan tour in Nagoya last night. They played a set of 20 songs, including their upcoming release “Falling Down,” for 8,000 fans at the Nihon Gaishi Hall. The new single, set for release in May, is to be their first anime tie up. It will be used as the theme song for the new Fuji TV series “Higashi no Eden,” which airs from April 9. The band will also make their first live appearance on Japanese TV on a 3-hour special edition of TV Asahi’s “Music Station” on March 27.

Haga Kenji (47) had better enjoy his freedom while he can. The former talento and renowned playboy no doubt thought he was home free last November when he was acquitted on charges of fraud and attempted extortion. The not guilty verdict – a rarity in the Japanese court system – at the Osaka District Court came after Haga and former world boxing champion Watanabe Jiro (54) had been held in detention for almost a year and a half. A key element in securing that verdict was the testimony of a former dentist and friend of Haga. But doubts surfaced about the reliability of his testimony when prosecutors questioned that man and searched his home in January. And yesterday they finally arrested him, which means the chances are high that Haga and Watanabe will find themselves in the courtroom again in the near future. If they end up in an appeal trial, the pair will be again facing possible prison sentences of up to eight years.

Earlier stories:

Haga Kenji, Watanabe Jiro Acquitted (Nov 29, 2008)

Haga Kenji Case Goes On (Jan 16, 2009)

Nippon Television (NTV) president Kubo Shintaro (64) announced his resignation yesterday – twice. The announcement came as he sought to take responsibility for the broadcast of a fabricated news story last year, but he clearly thought he could keep the whole thing low profile. Only one reporter from each network was admitted to the late-afternoon press conference and no cameras were allowed. Kubo made the briefest of apologies and said his resignation was explanation enough. This led to scuffles between NTV staff and reporters from other networks, who gathered in the lobby of the NTV headquarters. Eventually another press conference, with cameras allowed, was hastily arranged at 7pm. The TV program in question was the Sunday evening show “Shinsou Houdou Bankisha!”, whose title translates roughly as “truthful journalist.” Last November the show featured a construction company executive who claimed that the Gifu Prefectural government was operating a secret slush fund. An investigation by the regional government showed that the claims were fabricated and representatives from NTV apologized last month. Kubo said yesterday, “This matter was caused by a serious negligence in our supervisory procedure. I want to take the blame for failing to supervise” the TV program. Denying claims that the program had been deliberately fabricated or the executive paid for his interview, Kubo said, “Our reporting wasn’t to blame. We were simply deceived.” The executive was arrested earlier this month over the incident. Kubo has come under fire since NTV reported its first semi-annual losses in 37 years last September. The network also failed to secure broadcast rights to the ongoing World Baseball Classic. The Japanese team is coached by Hara Tatsunori, who also manages the NTV affiliated Yomiuri Giants. Kubo will stay on as an adviser to NTV, while current chairman Hosokawa Noritada (68) will take on the additional role of network president.

• It has been announced that SMAP member Katori Shingo (32) is to be the last person to take on the mantle of Zatoichi on the big screen. The role of the blind swordsman will always be most closely associated with the legendary Katsu Shintaro (1931-97), though a Kitano Takeshi revival in 2003 was well received. Katsu portrayed the fictional hero in 26 movies and over 100 TV dramas. Katori knows he has very big shoes to fill and has spent the last ten months honing his swordsmanship. Filming began on Sunday under the directorship of Sakamoto Junji (50) and the movie is expected to open next year. Producer Nakazawa Toshiaki, who holds the film rights to the character, has said that this will be his last on-screen incarnation.

On Saturday, hip hop trio Funky Monkey Babys were the first Japanese artists to perform an in-store live show in China. The group, known to fans as Fun-Mon, pulled in a crowd of 3,000 at the Aeon Jusco mall in the city of Qingdao (famous as the home of Tsingtao beer). “The crowd had like a big question mark hanging over them at the start,” said MC Funky Kato (30). The show began with an intro from DJ Chemical (26), who took the stage dressed in a table tennis outfit. Complete with a racket, he did a quick parody of popular young player Fukuhara Ai, who has based herself in China, and that seemed to have the right effect on the audience. The group then played a short set of four songs, including their latest release “Sakura.” In between numbers, Kato chatted with the audience showing off the bit of Chinese he learned recently. The show in China was an extension of their touring at home, playing in dozens of Aeon-run malls across Japan. In their third year, it may not sound like they’ve hit the big time. But they saw their third album enter the Oricon charts at No.1 earlier this month, and they have a couple of nights lined up at the Nippon Budokan in mid-June. MC Monkichi (30) said, “At regular live shows, the audience comes for the music. But at in-store events we’re playing to shoppers who aren’t expecting a show, and this has really helped up hone our act.”

It seems that the music industry hasn’t given up on Komuro Tetsuya (50, photo left, profile). The second hearing in the copyright fraud trial against the popular musician and producer was held at the Osaka District Court yesterday. He has been accused of fraudulently receiving ¥500 million in payment for the rights to hundreds of songs he no longer owned. But in court yesterday it was revealed that Matsuura Masato (44, right), president of Avex Group Holdings, this week paid the plaintiff the original sum, plus ¥100 million compensation and a further ¥48 million in delay damages. This in spite of the fact that Komuro already owes him about ¥700 million he received as advances for new music. “Komuro-san is a unique melody maker. All that Avex has is thanks to him,” Matsuura said. “Without him, there would be no Hamasaki Ayumi, Koda Kumi or Exile,” he added, naming three of the biggest and most commercially successful acts in J-pop. In an attempt to keep his golden egg-laying goose out of prison, he pleaded with the judge, “We have prepared a position for him at the company directly under my control. If he is imprisoned, he will be cut off from society.” Komuro and his wife Keiko are currently staying at the home of Avex VP Chiba Ryuhei. Komuro is said to have already composed several new songs in the basement of the home.

Earlier stories:

Komuro Tetsuya Faces Arrest For Fraud (Nov 4, 2008)

More Details on Komuro Arrest (Nov 5, 2008)

Komuro Court Case Opens (Jan 21, 2009)

• Actor Otsuru Gitan (40) is planning to get remarried within the year, according to the Sankei Sports website. His fiancee is former model and talento Matsuba Reina (27), who also has movies such as “Crows Zero” (2007) on her resume. The pair met through work last December, and Matsuba quit show business at the end of the year. Otsuru has introduced his fiancee to his parents – his father is a playwright, his mother an actress. Matsuba’s parents are currently overseas for her father’s work. The timing of Otsuru’s decision to talk to the media is no doubt linked to the fact that his latest movie project is due to open in theaters on April 4. “Watashi no Naka no 8mm” is his first directorial effort in 14 years. Otsuru has a reputation as a playboy and his philandering ways led to a very public divorce from Japan-based Brazilian singer Marcia (40) in 2004. He said he was happy to hear recent reports of her romance with a dentist.

• Also getting remarried is actress Okina Megumi (29). Currently four months pregnant, she and a 29-year-old company employee are said to be planning to register their marriage in the near future. Okina was previously married for a year and a half to Fujita Susumu (35), president of the IT company Cyber Agent. She was later linked to Kasahara Kenji (33), president of Japan’s most popular social networking site Mixi.

Earlier story:

Okina Megumi Divorces (Jul 22, 2005)

Okina Megumi Dating Mixi CEO (Jul 3, 2007)

• Baseball legend Kakefu Masayuki (53) won’t be working as a TV commentator this season. One of Japan’s best known sluggers, he was called “Mister Tigers” and was a key player when the Hanshin Tigers last won a Japan Series in 1985 and he retired in 1988. Ebullient and chatty with a distinctive husky voice, he joined Yomiuri TV the following year and was a popular figure on both the sports and variety show circuit for many years. Though he was caught up in a tax evasion scandal last year, he renewed his contract with Yomiuri on New Year’s Day. But following further discussions, it was decided to terminate that agreement. The Osaka-based Yomiuri and its Tokyo subsidiary NTV refused to go into further detail, saying only that Kakefu won’t be appearing on the network this season. Part of the reason is no doubt the declining popularity of televised baseball, with the number of terrestrial broadcasts dropping each season. This year, Yomiuri will show just 33 live games.

• It looks like singer Aiko (33) has found a new love in her life, according to today’s issue of weekly magazine “Friday.” She and her new boyfriend, said to be in his 20s, were photographed together several times over the last few months. Aiko was previously in an 8-year relationship with Kokubun Taichi (34) of the Johnny’s idol group Tokio. That relationship ended in 2007.

Talento Hazama Kampei (59) has completed the second major step in his mammoth Earth Marathon. An experienced endurance runner, he is expecting to spend at least two years becoming the first person to run and sail around the globe. The first leg of his journey started on December 17, when he set out on foot from Osaka and ran about 600km to Kamogawa in Chiba Prefecture. He set sail from there on New Year’s Day on a journey across the Pacific by yacht with his former manager Higa Yoshiyuki (46). 70 days and 12,710km later they landed at Long Beach in California on Tuesday, though Higa revealed that the day before, Kampei had been on the verge of giving up. “I’ve had enough. I’m going crazy and I’m going to make an announcement once we hit land,” he said. But after talking it over for several hours with Higa, he agreed to at least carry on to the next step. Kampei was in tears as he was greeted by his wife Mitsuyo, and they headed off to enjoy a yakiniku meal in Los Angeles. The next step in his journey will be to run across the U.S. arriving in New York around the end of June. Follow Kampei’s journey in his bilingual video blog: earth-marathon.com.

• Actress Itoh Maiko (44) was briefly hospitalized yesterday. She suffers from low blood pressure and was having feinting spells at her home in Tokyo yesterday. Her husband took her by taxi to a nearby hospital, where doctors told her the problem was exhaustion due to overwork. She was put on an I.V. and released last night. Just the day before, Itoh announced on a live morning show that she had got married back in January. The media attention and flood of emails following the announcement no doubt affected her condition.

Mixed martial arts fighter Akiyama Yoshihiro (33) and model Shiho (32) have married, they both announced on their official websites yesterday. They didn’t say when exactly they tied the knot but Akiyama’s agency said it was at the beginning of the year. The newlyweds are currently enjoying a week-long honeymoon in Hawaii. Though born in Osaka, Akiyama is one of the country’s many ethnic Koreans. After graduating from university in Japan, he crossed the water to Korea in the hope of representing that country in Olympic judo. Though he won the Asian Games title in Pusan in 2002, he faced “reverse racism” and returned to reclaim his Japanese citizenship. After he narrowly failed to qualify for the Athens games in 2004, he switched to the popular K-1. He was widely criticized by K-1 fans for cheating (he was accused of using knuckle dusters) in a bout against the popular Sakuraba Kazushi on New Year’s Eve 2006, and has been greeted with boos on most occasions since. He is scheduled to make his debut in the UFC in the U.S. later this summer. Shiga Prefecture native Yano Shiho made her modeling debut at the age of 17 and is currently a presenter on the NHK show “Top Runner.”

• Also tying the knot around the same time was actress Itoh Maiko (44). She announced on the “Narutomo!” morning show yesterday that she and a telecom company employee got married in mid-January. They first met when Itoh was walking her dog back in 1997. They lost touch for several years but got together again three years ago.

Popular talento Takada Junji (62) is likely to be prosecuted after causing a minor traffic accident late last night. He was turning right on a green light at an intersection in the Meguro district of Tokyo when his car hit a scooter coming the other way. His view of the scooter was obscured by another car but he is said to be entirely to blame for the accident. The young man (19) riding the scooter suffered minor injuries. Takada is a veteran of the variety show circuit and has a reputation as one of Japan’s zaniest comedians.

• Romance has bloomed between comedian Date Mikio (34) and freelance announcer Kumagai Maiko (38), according to today’s issue of weekly gossip magazine “Flash.” The pair are both natives of Sendai City in northern Japan and are said to have started dating last October. Kumagai is a presenter on such shows as Fuji TV’s “Tokudane,” while Date is one half of the manzai duo Sandwichman, who made their breakthrough last year.

• Johnny’s Jimusho (profile) idol group Arashi have seen their latest release storm to the top of the Oricon singles chart. “Believe/Kumori Nochi Kaisei” entered the chart at No.1 and has already sold over half a million copies in the week since its release. It’s the first time Arashi have managed that feat since their 1999 debut single. The last artist to do it was fellow Johnny’s group KAT-TUN three years ago.

Young actor Itoh Takahiro (photo, left) was recently found dead in his car near Lake Sagami in what police believe was a suicide, they announced yesterday. He was 21. The younger brother of Itoh Atsushi (25, right), he appeared in the popular Fuji TV drama “Densha Otoko,” of which his elder brother was the star. His other appearances included the Fuji drama “Nodame Cantabile” and the movie “Yogisha X no Kenshin.” The most recent update to his blog, which he called “My Style My Life,” was dated February 22. The entry included photos which showed Takahiro enjoying a high school reunion. He was believed to have been taking a break from any kind of filming this month, and recently wrote in his blog that he was giving up drinking again in an attempt to lose weight.

• A huge number of TV viewers tuned in for last Saturday’s big baseball game between Japan and Korea. The Koreans have been a major hurdle for the Japanese team in recent big events, such as the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006 and last summer’s Beijing Olympics, and a tough battle was anticipated. The live broadcast was watched by 37.8% of households in the Kanto region (with a peak of 46.3%), and 40.1% in the Kansai area (49.7% peak). The atmosphere at Tokyo Dome was electric as superstar and team leader Ichiro stepped up to the plate. He reversed his batting slump so far in the tournament and led the team with three hits. In the end, Japan thrashed their rivals by a 14-2 scoreline that under WBC rules meant the game was called in the seventh inning.

Hollywood star Tom Cruise (46) has brought his whole family to Japan with him for the first time. He arrived in Tokyo yesterday with his wife, actress Katie Holmes (30) and their daughter Suri (2). They flew by private jet into Narita Airport, where they were greeted by about 1,000 fans, before transferring to a helicopter for the trip to the Roppongi Ark Hills complex in central Tokyo. Cruise is in town to promote the WWII movie “Valyrie,” which opens here March 20, and the helicopter was painted with a promo for the flick. Cruise and family will be here until Thursday and attend the movie’s Japan premiere.