SMAP's Goro Inagaki will serve as the navigator for TV Asahi's coverage of the 2007 World Swimming Championships in Melbourne, which takes place from March 17 to April 1. TV Asahi's broadcast begins on the 18th.

On Friday, the 2nd Shin Watanabe Award was presented to Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki. The honor was established last year to commemorate Watanabe Productions' 50th anniversary. It is given to a producer who has made great contributions to the entertainment industry.

Suzuki commented, "This is all due to meeting Hayao Miyazaki. I could not be who I am today without the help of many people." Aoi Teshima, who voiced Therru in the movie "Tales from Earthsea," presented Suzuki with flowers and an a capella performance of "Therru no Uta."

Two additional awards were conferred upon composer Hiroshi Miyagawa and writer/director Yukio Aoshima, who was also the former governor of Tokyo. Both men passed away last year.

The 1st Seiyu Awards ceremony was held on Saturday at the Tokyo Anime Center in Akihabara, Tokyo. The winners were:

• Male Lead: Jun Fukuyama (Code Geass)
• Female Lead: Romi Paku (NANA)
• Male Supporting Character: Akira Ishida (Gundam Seed Destiny), Koki Miyata (The Gargoyle of the Yoshinagas)
• Female Supporting Character: Ami Koshimizu (Code Geass), Yuko Goto (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
• Male New Performer: Tetsuya Kakihara (Princess Princess, Masakazu Morita (Bleach)
• Female New Performer: Yui Kano (Sumomo mo momo mo), Aya Hirano (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
• Song: Nana Mizuki ("Justice to Believe")
• Personality: Masumi Asano (A&G Super Radio Show ~Anisupa!~)
• Special Achievement Award: Kei Tomiyama
• Achievement Awards: Toru Ohira, Masako Ikeda, Noriko Ohara, Mariko Mukai
• Synergy Award: Pokemon

The official website for the Fuji TV drama special "Kaijoken Musashi ~Gakkou e Ikou~" (starring Riko Narumi) has announced that the broadcast will be postponed. It was scheduled to air on March 16 as part of a two-night series involving human-animal relationships. The other special, "Taro and Jiro ~Hansei Zaru to Boku no Yume~" (starring Kenji Sakaguchi), will still be broadcast as planned on March 17.

Hinoi Team's official website announces that Asuka Hinoi will be a regular cast member of the spring drama series "Oniyome Nikki Ii Yu da na." Fuji TV will broadcast the series on Tuesdays at 10:00pm. Hinoi has not been in a drama since 2003.

Meanwhile, Hinoi Team fans are still in shock over the news that Keika Matsuoka is leaving the group. In a recent article in Love Berry magazine, she left a handwritten message to her fans announcing that she will no longer be a model in that magazine. However, the message also mentioned that she wants to focus on high school entrance exams, and so will no longer be a part of Hinoi Team. No official announcement of Keika's departure has yet been made by avex.

The news has also led to rumors that Rina Takenaka may be leaving as well, or that the group may even disband, though there is still the possibility that the group will continue with a change of members.

Fans were shocked on Saturday when popular singer Hikaru Utada announced on her message site that she and her husband, Kazuaki Kiriya, officially divorced on Friday.

The two married in September 2002, but Utada stated that they have grown apart. She commented that there was also a lack of communication while she was working internationally.

But there doesn't seem to be ill will. According to the message, they both felt that "while divorce is regrettable, we're still happy to have met." Utada mentioned that she hopes that they can still keep their relationship as creators and as important friends.