Actor Kazuki Namioka recently announced that he is now married with one child. According to his blog, he met his wife while he was studying at Waseda University. They dated for five years before marrying on November 11 of last year.

On the 24th of this month, Namioka's wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter.

Actress Aiko Sato has married a horse riding instructor named Takuma Numata. The two registered their marriage on Wednesday, which happened to be Sato's 30th birthday.

Sato and Numata met in June 2006 through Sato's hobby of horseback riding. Their relationship developed, and he also helped her attain a rank 3 certification in riding.

According to Sato's agency, the two are currently looking for a new home. They plan to hold their ceremony and reception once they have settled down.

Actress and talento Keiko Kubo is currently six months pregnant, it was revealed on Wednesday.

Last May, Kubo married JBL Super Leaguer Takuya Kita (Toshiba Brave Thunders). She underwent fertility treatment for about a year, and in early June of this year she learned that she was pregnant.

Unfortunately, her health was in poor condition and there was a strong possibility of a miscarriage. At the end of last month, however, her health improved and the child was finally considered stable. Kubo plans to continue working up until her final month of pregnancy.

Singer Masako Mori was suddenly hospitalized on Wednesday due to acute pneumonia. She began complaining about dizziness and other difficulties on Tuesday night. After a medical examination, she was advised to take three weeks to recover in the hospital and at home.

Mori was scheduled to perform in Kumamoto on Wednesday as part of her tour, but the concert was called off under doctor's orders. Four other shows have also been canceled.

Singer AI will provide the theme song for Fuji TV's drama series "Iryu 2." Titled "ONE," the song will be a ballad, backed by a chorus of six gospel singers. The CD will go on sale November 7.

AI also sang the theme for the first "Iryu" series, which aired last spring.

On the singles chart this week, Ayumi Hamasaki took the #1 spot with her latest, "talkin' 2 myself," which sold roughly 70,000 copies. This is her 17th consecutive (29th total) chart-topper, as well as her 40th top ten debut. However, this still puts her in second place to B'z (39 number ones) and Southern All Stars (42 top tens).

Korean band TVXQ (Tohoshinki) came in second with "SHINE / Ride on," their 7th consecutive top ten appearance. Another Korean group, SS501, ranked 9th with "Distance ~ Kimi to no Kyori."

Meanwhile, the "Oshiri Kajiri Mushi" fad continues, with the song actually moving up the charts, from #8 last week to #6 this week.

In album sales, Angela Aki's second release, "TODAY," moved 89,000 copies to take the #1 spot. Kiyoshi Hikawa's "Enka Meikyoku Collection 7" sold slightly less than half of that to chart at #2.

Music group AAA ranked 8th with "AROUND," their first album to enter the top ten. Idol Shoko Nakagawa also set a record high for herself, managing #11 with her "Shokotan Cover 2."

Finally, on the DVD charts, the Ryoko Shinohara-starring "Unfair the movie" sold 28,000 to capture the overall #1, while Kaela Kimura's "LIVE Scratch" recording of her Nippon Budokan concert ranked first among music DVDs.

Teen idol and fashion model Riisa Naka will play the heroine in Keisuke Yoshida's "Junkissa Isobe," which stars Hiroyuki Miyasako. This is her first time with a lead female role in a live-action film.

Naka, who is quarter-Swedish, debuted in 2003 as a model for teen fashion magazine CANDy. She gained widespread attention last year when she voiced the lead in the award-winning anime movie "Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo," and she made her first acting appearance with a minor role in the NTV drama series "My Boss My Hero."

"Junkissa Isobe" is Naka's third film appearance for 2008. The story focuses on the love between her and her father, the uncool and irresponsible Yujiro (played by Miyasako), who suddenly becomes the manager of a teahouse. The supporting cast includes Mari Hamada, Haruna Kondo, and Kumiko Aso.

On October 24, record label commmons is releasing "Nihon no Uta Vol. 1," a concept album covering and reinterpreting classic Japanese songs. The impressive lineup features "Akatonbo" performed by Haruo Minami and Cornelius, "Chiisai Aki Mitsuketa" by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Miki Nakatani, and "Karatachi no Hana" by Kahimi Karie and Yoshihide Otomo.

Other artists include Kirinji, Taeko Onuki, kicell, Yann Tomita, and Makoto Kubota.

The "HERO" drama franchise, starring Takuya Kimura and Takako Matsu, is still running strong, according to recent numbers.

On the 23rd, Fuji TV aired "Drama Legend HERO," a director's cut that added new scenes to last year's special episode. While ratings failed to meet the original's 30.9% viewership, the program still averaged a healthy 22.1%.

Meanwhile, the film version topped the box office for its third consecutive week. So far, it has grossed about 4.8 billion yen on 3.75 million admissions.

Esteemed theater director Yukio Ninagawa has signed on to direct a film version of "Hebi ni Piasu," based on the international bestseller of the same name, which has been translated into English as "Snakes and Earrings."

The original novel was the debut work of Hitomi Kanehara, who was only 20 years old when the book was published in 2003. It earned her two prestigious literary honors, the Subaru Prize for Literature and the Akutagawa Prize. Since then, it has been translated and sold in 105 countries.

The story follows the life of a 19-year-old girl named Lui, who begins to experiment with body modification after meeting her boyfriend Ama, and she impulsively decides to get her tongue split like his. Over the course of the novel, her life gradually descends into alcoholism, sadomasochistic sex, and violence.

Kanehara, who is a big fan of Ninagawa, said it was her dream to have him as the director. This will be only his fifth film.

Casting for the lead actress is underway, though it is reported that the film will contain a nude scene. Filming is expected to begin before the end of the year, with hopes to release the movie sometime in 2008. GAGA is handling distribution.

Actor Yosuke Kubozuka has been given his first role as a voice actor. On Tuesday, he completed his first recording session for the Japanese DVD of the acclaimed Palestinian movie "Paradise Now." Directed by Hany Abu-Assad in 2005, the film tells the story of two Palestinian men as they prepare for a suicide attack.

Announcer Rie Ito is currently five months pregnant. She made the announcement during Monday's broadcast of TV Asahi's "Yajiuma Plus," as well as on her personal blog. She will be taking maternity leave at the end of this month.

Ito married a construction firm employee on Christmas Eve last year.

On Tuesday, the Art & Culture Foundation of Taito revealed the winners of its Asakusa Geinou Taisho. The awards, which were established in 1984, honor people who have contributed to the entertainment industry. This year, kabuki actor Koshiro Matsumoto IX was selected for the grand prize. The encouragement prize went to magician Shiro Maggy, and the newcomer prize was awarded to Aya Ueto.