reblog

Shot seemingly in mid-March, before the authorities got serious about stay-at-home directives, the May 12 installment of the Nippon TV variety show “Kayo Surprise” featured three male celebrities — Yoshizumi Ishihara, Kazushige Nagashima and Daigo — frolicking in the seaside environs of Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture, where Ishihara grew up. The thread connecting these three men is that they’re all from illustrious families, which in itself is not a novelty. These days, it’s probably harder to find a TV personality that doesn’t have a famous forebear.

Ishihara’s father is novelist-cum-politician Shintaro Ishihara, while Nagashima’s father is Shigeo Nagashima, one of the most beloved baseball players in Japanese history. Yoshizumi Ishihara and Kazushige Nagashima are both in their 50s and have cultivated media images distinct from their families. So has Daigo, who is always described as a musician and TV personality and only goes by his given name (his surname is Naito). His maternal grandfather is the late Noboru Takeshita, Japan’s prime minister from 1987 to 1989. Now 42, Daigo has been a TV fixture for more than 15 years, during which he has developed an on-air persona that is part rock god, part mischievous slacker.

In April, Daigo’s wife of four years, actress Keiko Kitagawa, announced on her official website that she was expecting her first child in the fall. Daigo dutifully updated his blog to note the happy occasion, apologizing for talking about such a matter while Japan faces “hardship,” but adding that he will keep his wife and child safe by being careful. As Nikkan Gendai Digital pointed out in its coverage of the announcement, Daigo did not use his patented comical diction, which relies on English-Japanese puns, but stuck to proper Japanese. The article repeated rumors that have been circulating since last year, saying that Daigo’s marriage was on the rocks and he was living apart from Kitagawa at his parents’ house in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.

Award-winning Japanese actress Yuko Takeuchi has been found dead at her Tokyo home at the age of 40.

She was reportedly found by her actor husband Taiki Nakabayashi at their home in Shibuya Ward. Her death was confirmed at hospital.

Police launched an investigation, suspecting that the actress took her own life, Japanese media reported.

Ms Takeuchi was popular in Japan, known for the 1998 horror film Ringu which was adapted by Hollywood as The Ring.

In a statement, her talent agency Stardust Promotion said it was "stunned and saddened by the news".

The actress also played a female Sherlock Holmes in the 2018 HBO series Miss Sherlock, which was broadcast in several countries including the US.

For three years in a row, between 2004 and 2007, Ms Takeuchi won best actress in a leading role at the Japanese Academy Awards.

Along with her long list of acting credits, Ms Takeuchi's warm, smiling, woman-of-the-people image made her popular with advertisers, Variety Magazine reports.

Although suicide has not been confirmed in Ms Takeuchi's case, it has been the cause of death for a number of Japanese talents recently, including the actress Sei Ashina earlier this month, actor Haruma Miura in July and wrestling star Hana Kimura in May.

Japan has long battled one of the highest suicide rates in the industrialised world although figures have dropped since preventative measures were introduced more than a decade ago.

TOKYO (TR) – Popular actress Erika Sawajiri has been accused of possessing the illegal drug Ecstasy, investigative sources with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have revealed, reports NHK (Nov. 16).

According to the sources, Sawajiri, 33, allegedly possessed an unspecified amount of MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, somewhere in the capital on Saturday.

Sawajiri has been accused of violating the Narcotics Control Law. Police plan to reveal more information about the case at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Since making her debut in 2004, Sawajiri has appeared in a number of films, including “Shinjuku Swan” and “Helter Skelter,” the latter of which garnered her a nomination for Best Leading Actress for 36th Japan Academy Prize.

In 2007, Sawajiri was the focus of controversy after she gave gruff responses — including simply saying “betsuni” (nothing special) — to the questions of reporters at a press conference for the film “Closed Note.”

On March 28, it was announced that Mizuki Yamamoto and Hey! Say! JUMP’s Kei Inoo will star in a live action film adaptation of the popular manga “Peach Girl”, which will be released in 2017.  Yamamoto will play the role of Momo Adachi, a former member of the school swimming team who has distinct features of tanned skin and red hair.  Inoo will play the role of Kairi Okayasu, the most popular student in school who becomes interested in Momo.  The original manga is by Miwa Ueda, who has written numerous hit manga such as “Oh! My Darling” and “Papillon -hana to chou-“.

Due to Momo’s appearance, she often gets mistaken as being showy, but she is actually more pure than any other high schooler.  Momo has liked Toji since her middle school days, and the school’s most popular student Kairi becomes interested in this wholehearted girl.  Meanwhile, Momo’s friend Sae Kashiwagi – who tends to want everything that Momo likes – sets numerous traps in an attempt to snatch Toji away from Momo.  Kairi always rescues Momo from Sae’s traps, and he comes to understand Momo more than anyone else.  Who will Momo ultimately choose – frivolous and carefree Kairi or straitlaced Toji?

Yamamoto, who will be starring in a romance movie for the first time, commented, “I was surprised by the setting of her dark skin tone,” she laughed. “I will work hard to act as pure and cute as Momo is in the original manga.  I would like to work together with everyone to make this a cute and exciting movie that can be enjoyed by people who have and haven’t read the manga.”

This will be the first time for Inoo to appear and star in a movie.  He commented, “I’m a little anxious, but I feel more happy and excited.  Since I’m playing the role of a high schooler, I’m looking forward to wearing a school uniform, which I haven’t done in a while.  I’ll work hard to make viewers like Kairi!”

Hikaru Shida is one of the mainstays of the women’s division in AEW and one of the most talented female pro wrestlers in the world right now. She was the AEW Women’s Champion for well over a year after winning the title from Nyla Rose at Double or Nothing last year. It seems Shida decided to show off her skills recently as well.

Hikaru Shida lost the AEW Women’s World Championship to Britt Baker at Double Or Nothing last year. Since then she has largely not been part of the main event scene for the women’s division.

Shida has skills in various areas besides pro wrestling, which includes singing and even pole dancing. Shida recently took to her Instagram and uploaded a clip of herself, where she took part in a photoshoot in a variety of outfits.

Hikaru Shida was written off AEW television as she left the United States and is now living in Japan. We will have to see how long it takes for Hikaru Shida to make her way back to the United States as the AEW women’s division certainly needs her.