Actor Oguri Shun (25) and actress-model Yamada Yu (23) are the latest young power couple. Though management for both stars refuse to acknowledge their relationship as anything more than good friends, it is widely believed that they are serious. They first worked together on the Japanese dubbing of U.S. animated movie “Surf’s Up” last October. And in January they appeared together in the NTV drama series “Binbomen,” which was Oguri’s first starring role. Both ended romantic relationships last year, Oguri with model Tanaka Miho (25) and Yamada with actor Itoh Hideaki (31).
Up-and-coming American enka singer Jero (26) has his first TV commercial contract. From May 21 he will appear in commercials for Kirin’s Fire Cafe Zero canned coffee. The singer made his debut in February and will release a cover album of enka classics in June.
• In his trial for robbery and assault, former idol singer Goto Yuuki (21) pleaded guilty yesterday to most charges. The younger brother of former Morning Musume member Goto Maki (22), he and members of his teenage gang were arrested last year for stealing materials from a construction site and assaulting a security guard. At the second hearing at the Tokyo District Court, he admitted to several cases of theft but said that another member of the group was responsible for the assault.
• Yamaguchi Tatsuya (36) is a father. Less than two months after getting married, the member of Johnny’s Jimusho idol group Tokio had the day off on Tuesday and was at the hospital when his wife gave birth to a baby boy a few weeks earlier than expected. Yamaguchi announced his marriage to the former model at a concert in early March.