Actress Tomoko Yamaguchi will be a voice actress for the Japanese dub of "The Golden Compass," which comes to Japan on March 1. This is only her second voice acting role, with the first being 14 years ago in the animated film "Coo: Tooi Umi Kara Kita Coo." In "The Golden Compass," she will be the voice of the sinister Mrs. Coulter, who is played by Nicole Kidman.

Meanwhile, actor Ken Ogata has also signed on for his first voice acting role. He will provide the voice of Iorek Byrnison, who is voiced by Ian McKellen in the original.

Yamaguchi, along with Riko Narumi and Mariya Nishiuchi, will attend the film's world premiere in London on the 27th.

While the Best Smile of the Year awards were handed out on Thursday, Oricon published the results of a survey asking 1,000 men and women which celebrities they think have nice teeth.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo was the overwhelming favorite in the men's category. The next closest were Mikihisa Azuma, Masaharu Fukuyama, Kenji Sakaguchi, Mocomichi Hayami, Yuji Oda, Gackt, Koichi Domoto, Masaru Nagai, and Sanma Akashiya.

Meanwhile, Yukie Nakama's teeth topped the women's category, coming out ahead of #2 Juri Ueno and #3 Nanako Matsushima. The rest of the top ten were Aya Ueto, Masami Nagasawa (who won the Best Smile of the Year award), Saki Takaoka, Ayumi Hamasaki, Yui Aragaki, Masami Hisamoto, and Yu Yamada.

Kiddy pop unit Kigurumi has officially gained two new members. What started as a duo became just a solo act after Haruka left at the end of June. But now the group has become a trio.

Original member Rena Shimura is now joined by 5th grader Miki and 1st grader Kei. The three are releasing their first single together, "Tamagotchi," on November 21. The song is being used as the theme for the upcoming animated film, "Eiga de Tojo! Tamagotchi Doki Doki! Uchu no Maigotchi!?" which opens in theaters on December 15.

The duo Superfly, which debuted in April, will be turning into a solo project. Guitarist Koichi Tabo is withdrawing from the group to focus on composing and producing music, leaving vocalist Shiho Ochi as the sole member.

Kyoko Fukada will star in a TV Asahi drama series next season, titled "Mirai Koushi Meguru." The comedy is an original story written by popular screenwriter Kankuro Kudo, his first since the 2005 "Tiger & Dragon."

Fukada plays Meguru Yoshida, an English teacher at a cram school. On her 24th birthday, she awakens to a new power - she can see 20 years ahead into the future of everyone around her.

This will mark the 12th consecutive year that Fukada has appeared in a drama series, stemming back to "FIVE" in 1997.

The series will air in TV Asahi's Friday 11:15pm time slot, starting on January 11.

Fuji TV announcer Kikue Nishiyama gave birth to her first child on Thursday morning. According to the network, the baby girl weighed 3,442 grams at birth.

Nishiyama has been married to producer Shunsuke Watanabe since 1997.

The Japan Formalwear Association presented its Best Formalist awards on Thursday. This year, the winners were actor Shosuke Tanihara and actress Haruka Igawa.

Tanihara got married in March to Emi Miyake. During the award ceremony, he announced that Miyake gave birth to a daughter in mid-October, but he did not reveal the girl's birth date or name. This is Miyake's second child, as she has a son from her previous marriage with Issei Ishida.

Reporters also asked Igawa if she would be expecting any time soon, but she gently answered no. Igawa got married last November to fashion designer Ato Matsumoto.

On Thursday, the Japan Dental Association announced the winners of its 2007 Best Smile of the Year awards. In the celebrity division, the winners were actress Masami Nagasawa and actor/musician Naohito Fujiki.

November 8 is annually celebrated as "Good Teeth Day" by the JDA.