CELEBRITIES 36-year-old Tokyo-native Kenichi Takahashi, well-known for his appearances together with his partner Hiroki Konno under the moniker “King of Comedy” on the Yoshimoto Kogyo show “M1 Grand Prix”, was arrested for molesting a high school girl on a subway train, it was learned on Tuesday.

CELEBRITIES Monday is Marine Day in Japan, a holiday many people celebrate by taking a trip to the beach. This year, Oricon asked a thousand men, “Which gravure idol would you want to go to the beach with?“ [TOKYOGRAPH]

CELEBRITIES Riyo Mori, the 2007 Miss Universe, is copping a beating from the domestic media, according to Shukan Shincho. [MSN MAINICHI]

CELEBRITIES Japanese superstar Ayumi Hamasaki and popular group TOKIO’s lead singer Tomoya Nagase have ended their long-standing relationship, it was learnt on Friday. (68)

CELEBRITIES Popular model and former campaign girl Eri Murakami has died of appendix cancer, her showbiz office has said. She was 25. [MSN MAINICHI]

CELEBRITIES 27-year old Yoshimi Asada, photo model and former member of the busty comic duo “Pirates”, announced on Tuesday on her official blog that she will get married to an unnamed 28-year-old office worker.
 

CELEBRITIES Fashion model Rie Hasegawa appeared at a so-called “talk event” at the Japanese premier of the Pedro Almodóvar flick Volver held in the Yurakuza Theater, Chiyoda, Tokyo, on Sunday amid Tanabata festival celebrations.
 

MOVIES/TV Idols Minami Akina, Yabuki Haruna and others lined up in swimsuits on Friday for a promotional shoot for the dramatization of Weekly Shonen Magazine-manga Kenkō Zenrakei Suieibu Umishō.

CELEBRITIES It was revealed on Wednesday that television celebrity and model Anna Umemiya resigned from her management agency Stardust Promotion on June 30, the same day that her former boyfriend Kenji Haga was arrested for blackmail. [TOKYOGRAPH]

CELEBRITIES Tochigi Prefectural Police announced Wednesday that they had arrested Masami Mita, better known by his stage name Eisaku Yazawa, under which he impersonates popular rock artist Eikichi Yazawa, on suspicion of having bitten off the earlobe of a fellow 43-year-old impersonator/comedian.

CELEBRITIES Talent agency Production Ogi (Ogipro) announced Friday that they had cancelled their exclusivity contract with singer/stage artist Tomomi Kahala the previous day.

CELEBRITIES Actress Ai Kato and soccer star Koji Nakata are reportedly dating. The two met around five years ago through a mutual friend, and it developed into a serious relationship about a year ago. [TOKYOGRAPH]

CELEBRITIES Actress Keiko Toda and her husband, actor Junichi Inoue, divorced in December last year, it was revealed recently. [MAINICHI]

CELEBRITIES 35-year-old model Fumie Hosokawa, who is often referred to as the “original” kyonyu (huge breasts) idol, may be publishing her first completely nude pictures in her next photobook, which goes on sale on August 20. [TOKYOGRAPH]