Actor Hagiwara Kenichi (54) has been arrested for the fourth time. The arrest results from threatening phone calls he made to producers of the movie "Toukou no Ki" last year, after he was kicked off the project. Known for his sometimes erratic behavior, he assaulted staff and cast both verbally and physically during production. His role was given to Nagashima Toshiyuki. Hagiwara, or "Shoken" as he is popularly known, was arrested for marijuana possession and drunk driving in the 1980s. And just last October he was arrested for professional negligence resulting in injury after he caused a traffic accident. • Singer Iwai Sayuri (36) recently made her comeback after having her first child last summer. But she told fans at her show in Tokyo that she's off to the US for two years in April. She will accompany her doctor husband, who will be doing cancer research in Houston, where she plans to study English and jazz.
Morning Musume member Abe Natsumi (23) made an apologetic comeback on Monday. She was on two months forced leave after it was revealed in November that she had plagiarized other people's work in a book of essays and on radio appearances. Natchi gave a press conference in Tokyo together with MM and Hello! Project producer Tsunku. Both bowed deeply six times as a show of their remorse. She will make her first return to the stage on Friday. • At the Tokyo District Court, disgraced celebrity Tashiro Masashi (48) was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment. He was serving a suspended sentence for drug possession when he was caught with amphetamines and marijuana in September and arrested for the fourth time. His wife has also started divorce proceedings against him. • TV commentator and sports journalist Masuda Akemi (41) has married a 40-year old financial planner. The two met through musician SunPlaza Nakano last October. Masuda represented Japan in the marathon at the 1980 Los Angeles Olympics.
Among the dramas in the spring lineup is Fuji TV's provisionally titled "Magari Kado no Kanojo." The theme is one that is very popular at the moment, that of the "loser dog." In Japanese "make-inu" refers to a woman in her 30s who is unmarried and without children, which marks her out as a failure in Japanese society. You get the impression that the media is trying to shame women into getting married and having kids, thereby solving the problem of a rapidly aging society. Make-inu poster girl, actress Sugita Kaoru, recently married a wealthy businessman and can't stop telling the world how happy she is. In Fuji's new drama, Inamori Izumi (32) is a beautiful and successful career woman, but her age is a big hurdle in her rivalry with the also beautiful Shaku Yumiko, who is still in her 20s. The drama is based on a bestselling book that lists 10 ways not to become a make-inu, with one episode focusing on each. • Shaking off any make-inu tendencies is Fujimori Yuko (36), a former member of the "sexy group" CC Girls. She announced at a press conference this week that she had married a 37-year old TV production company president last October. They plan to hold a ceremony after Golden Week.
Mochizuki Rumi (33), a former member of the "sexy group" Giri Giri Girls, had her wedding ceremony on Friday. She tied the knot with a 33-year old company employee on Christmas Eve after an 8-year relationship. • Actor Kashiwabara Takashi (photo, 27) appeared recently at a press conference with a shaven head, a common symbol of repentance. He was apologizing for his involvement in a punch-up that took place at the New Year with a man in his 40s over a parked car blocking the road. The man is pursuing the matter at the Tokyo District Court and it looks like Kashiwabara won't be back at work for a while. • Japan got off to a flying start in its World Cup qualifying campaign last week, squeaking out a last-gasp 2-1 win against North Korea. The match, which aired last Wednesday on TV Asahi, drew a very high audience rating of 47.2%, the best number the network has seen in almost 50 years. The best figure in recent years for a soccer game was 66.1% for the Japan-Russia game at the 2002 World Cup, which was shown on NHK.
It's been a good week for the folks at Studio Ghibli. First it was announced that star director Miyazaki Hayao (64) is to receive an honorary Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. The award is in recognition of his many record-breaking and critically acclaimed anime masterpieces, a long list that includes "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away" and "Howl's Moving Castle." Later, the studio announced that it was becoming independent of publishing house Tokuma Shoten. The new company will be located in Koganei in western Tokyo, with Miyazaki, director Takahata Isao and producer Suzuki Toshio on the board of directors. Studio Ghibli was established as a subsidiary of Tokuma in 1985, but had been supporting the struggling publisher for some time. A major restructuring has put Tokuma back in the black, allowing Ghibli to break free. The newly independent company will give Miyazaki even more greater dominance in the anime field.
Popular young enka singer Hikawa Kiyoshi (27) has entered the Oricon chart at No. 1 with his latest single "Hatsukoi Ressha" (First Love Train). It is the first enka song in 18 years to go striaght to the top of the charts, and only the third ever to do so. "I can't believe it," he said. "It's thanks to the support of my fans." Duh! Hikawa's highest chart showing to date was last summer, when he reached No. 2 with the single "Banba no Chutaro". • The management offices of actress Yoshinaga Sayuri (59) and actor Nakai Kiichi (43) were recently broken into. According to the Shibuya police station, Yoshinaga's office on the 6th-floor of an apartment building was found to have been broken into on the evening of February 10. Meanwhile, on February 13, Nakai was walking his dog near his Setagaya ward home when he noticed the door of his office was open. He contacted his manager, who notified the police. Nothing was reported stolen in either case.
Darryl Hall and John Oates are coming to Japan again. It will be the pop/rock duo's 11th trip to Japan and will see them play their 100th gig here. That puts them second only to Eric Clapton, who's been here 16 times and played 157 shows. Fifth on the list is Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, who is scheduled to make his 10th trip in April. • The beautiful Kuroki Meisa (photo) is just 16 and is already an up-and-coming actress and model. She has been chosen as the image character for the new Esprique cosmetic brand from Kose. She made her TV debut last year in a Fuji TV drama series. This is one girl to watch out for. • TV celebrity Shimizu Kei (43) and his wife, former idol singer Kosaka Miyuki (42), appear in a new, and what must be a world record-size, poster. Photographed by Shinoyama Kishin (64), the 300m-long poster is to mark the launch of the new Premacy sedan from Mazda, and is located below Tokyo Station. Shinoyama is famous for his photogrpahs of female actresses and models. One of his best-known books is 1991's "Santa Fe," featuring actress Miyazawa Rie. It was one of the first high-class photo books to show female pubic hair, and remains the best-selling book of its kind.
Actress Tanaka Reina (photo, 24) has owned up to her relationship with L'Arc En Ciel guitarist Ken (36). Appearing at a PR event for the dubbed version of the Hollywood movie "Racing Stripes," she was asked about the romance, revealed in the latest edition of the weekly gossip magazine Friday. "We have a good relationship," she said. Tanaka does the voice of the main character, a zebra who wants to be a racehorse. • Fuji TV announcer Otsubo Chinatsu (38) announced this week that she is engaged to be married. The only details revealed about her fiance are that he is an employee at a foreign company. The couple plan to get hitched in March. Comedian Amano Hiroyuki of the duo Kayeen offered his congratulations when asked for a reaction by reporters - he and Otsubo were considered to be on the verge of marriage in 2000.
Police have "sent papers" to prosecutors over actress Koizumi Kyoko's (photo, 38) minor hit and run incident last week. She failed to stop after she hit a newspaper delivery man's scooter parked on a narrow road in Meguro ward. Koizumi paid compensation for damage to the scooter and probably thought that was the end of it. Her publicist released a statement, saying: "I noticed I had hit something, but thought it wasn't serious. I am sorry and sincerely would like to make up for my wrongdoing."
Yoshida Miwa (39), vocalist with the popular group Dreams Come True, has come down with influenza. The group have had to cancel two Shikoku dates this week on their national tour, one in Kochi and one in Ehime. The venues will be added to the end of the tour in March or April. Yoshida is expected to be back for the Nagoya gig next Tuesday. • A segment on the NTV late-night quiz show "Coming Doubt" has caused a ruckus. The show featured an 18-year old talent talking about her shoplifting experiences as a junior high school student. There were a lot of complaints that the show was making light of this kind of crime, which has been on the rise in recent years, especially among young girls.
The 28th Japan Academy Award ceremony was held at the Shin Takanawa Hotel in Tokyo on Friday. Suzuki Kyoka (37) won her first Best Actress award, after being recognized three times as best supporting actress, for playing an abused wife in "Blood and Bones" opposite Kitano Takeshi (57). The film was also a winner for director, Sai Yoichi (55). The Best Actor award went to Terao Akira (58) for "Han-ochi," which also took Best Film. • Fujimura Saori (31) is the third Fuji TV announcer to get married or announce an engagement in the last few weeks. She announced on Saturday that she married a 39-year old lawyer and CPA at the beginning of February, after a one-year relationship. She follows in the footsteps of fellow Fuji ana's Umezu Yaeko (27) and Otsubo Chinatsu (38).
Movie director Okamoto Kihachi, known for his speedy, distinct style, died of esophageal cancer on Saturday. He was 81. He is survived by his wife and producer Mineko (67). Born in Tottori Prefecture, Okamoto graduated from Meiji University and began his film career at Toho Co. Among his best-known works are "Nihon no Ichiban Nagai Hi" (Japan's Longest Day, 1967), a documentary-style film set on the last day of the Pacific War, and "Dokuritsu Rentai" (Desperado Outpost, 1960), compared by some to Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan." He worked with some of the greatest Japanese actors, including Mifune Toshiro, Katsu Shintaro and Sanada Hiroyuki. His last film was "Sukedachiya Sukeroku" (Vengeance for Sale, 2001). • At the Berlin Film Festival, Yamada Yoji's "Kakushi Ken, Oni to Tsume" (Hidden Sword, Demon's Claws) failed to win a prize, as competition results were announced on Saturday. Another contender who fell short was actor Issey Ogata, who portrayed the late Emperor Showa (Hirohito) in the Russian film "Taiyo." The movie deals with the immediate postwar period, up until the time when the emperor publicly renounced his divinity. It's a controversial subject, especially among right wingers, and there are currently no plans to show the film in Japan.
High-tension comedian Hosshan (photo, 33) has won the 3rd R-1 Grand Prix for "pin geinin," a term for solo comedy performers. After beating over 1200 performers, including such up-and-coming stars as Tomochika (31) and Hiroshi (33), he was so overcome when he was announced as the winner that he fell over. He won prize money of \5 million. Formerly of the Yoshimoto manzai duo Chupa Chups, which broke up in 1999, a tearful Hosshan said he had considered giving up showbusiness many times. • It was announced at the weekend that actor Kentaro Segal (29), son of Hollywood action star Steven Seagal, has married a 25-year old Malaysian model who was formerly his father's assistant. They have a baby son, Shotaro. Kentaro is currently studying aikido in Osaka. • The 1980s band C-C-B are to make a comeback, 16 years after they broke up. After they appeared in a recent TV commercial, it was decided to re-release their 1985 hit "Romantic ga Tomaranai".
Akamatsu Naoki (25), formerly leader of the pop group Hysteric Blue, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison. After the band broke up, his wife became pregnant and he felt he had no release for his sexual urges. As a result, between the end of 2003 and early 2004, he raped and sexually assaulted as many as nine women. Prosecutors sought an 18-year jail sentence. • Miyara Shinobu (25) of the pop group Da Pump has been arrested for drunk driving. After a night drinking with friends, the car he was driving ran into the shutters of a store in Tokyo's Minato ward around 2:30am on Sunday. The 39-year old male passenger injured his head and was hospitalized. • Actress Esumi Makiko (photo, 38) has given birth to a baby girl, her first child. her husband, a 39-year old Fuji TV employee was present at the birth in a Tokyo hospital. Makiko is already planning to come back to work and will be visible again from March 24, when a new TV commercial for cosmetic maker Kose will start airing. Remarkably, filming of the commercial took place just three weeks ago. • The upcoming Fuji TV Monday night drama series will star actress Koyuki (28) alongside SMAP heart throb Kimura Takuya (32). The story, set to start in April, is about a racing driver and has been provisionally named "Engine." Koyuki, who achieved fame outside Japan for her role in "The Last Samurai," will play a Golden Time heroine for the first time.
Young kabuki actor Nakamura Shichinosuke (21) has said that he will not appear in the official productions to mark his father Kankuro's succession to become the 18th Nakamura Kanzaburo. The decision is a kind of self-punishment following the young actor's drunken punch-up with a police officer last month. Kankuro is one of the most famous and popular kabuki stars and his succession is a very big event in the traditional theater world. There will be a series of productions held at the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo's Ginza from March to May. Shichinosuke has suggested that he may take part in the latter half. • A Korean-Chinese remake of the famous 1991 Fuji TV drama "Hyaku-ikkai no Puropozu" (101 Proposals), with popular Korean actress Choi Ji Woo in the lead role, is to air on the Sky perfect satellite network in April. The original series, which starred Asano Yuko (43) and Takeda Tetsuya (55) and had an incredible audience rating of 36.7%, will also be re-broadcast.
The ongoing struggle between Fuji TV and Internet start-up Livedoor to gain control of radio station Nippon Broadcasting System continues to grab headlines. The latest move by NBS, which along with Fuji TV is part of the Fuji Sankei Group, is to give Fuji the right to buy new shares to be issued over the next few months. This would prevent Livedoor from gaining more than 50% of shares, a target the company has been using dubious means to achieve. NBS owns the biggest stake in Fuji TV, even though the TV station is much bigger, so control of NBS would give Livedoor a lot of influence over Fuji TV. The whole affair is generating lots of publicity for young Livedoor president Horie Takafumi (photo, 32), who also was in the spotlight during his company's recent battle with fellow internet giant Rakuten to buy a pro baseball team. "Horiemon" lost that battle, but his company's pageviews have skyrocketed. • Japan is to waive visa charges for visitors who also attend the six-month World Exposition, the international showcase of technology and innovation which opens next month in central Aichi prefecture. Japan said short-term, non-employment visas issued from this Friday to September 25, the last day of the World Expo, would be free if the trip included a visit to the event. Japan generally charges \3,000 yen ($29) for a single-entry visa and \6,000 for a double-entry or multiple-entry visa.
Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Posts: 127 Location: Malaysia Country:
Posted: Fri Feb 25, 2005 12:31 pm Post subject:
hi bwmracer... i've been reading da news dat ur've posted. thank soo much 4 da info. just wondering whether u know where can i get latest news about smap especially takuya kimura. i've been takukimu fan for years now, but i never manage to see his daughters pics. du u know where can i get one??... thanx in advance
hi bwmracer... i've been reading da news dat ur've posted. thank soo much 4 da info. just wondering whether u know where can i get latest news about smap especially takuya kimura. i've been takukimu fan for years now, but i never manage to see his daughters pics. du u know where can i get one??... thanx in advance
I'm not a fan of Kimutaku or SMAP, but you might search/inquire in either of these two threads:
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thanx a lot!!! 
