A few ongoing trials made minor headlines this past week. On Wednesday, former EE JUMP member Yuki Goto had his second hearing, in which he admitted to the charges of theft in an incident last summer. However, he denied any involvement in the assault on a security guard during the incident, stating that it was his accomplices who threatened and beat the guard.

On Thursday, singer Yasuyuki Okamura was found guilty of the illegal use of stimulants. Okamura was arrested for the third time in February, and his lack of reform led the judge to give him a 2-year prison term.

Also on Thursday, the latest hearing in Kenji Haga's case was held. Charged with fraud and blackmail, prosecutors are seeking an 8-year sentence for the actor and a 4-year sentence for his accomplice, former boxing champion Jiro Watanabe. Haga's defense still maintains his innocence, and Watanabe has also pleaded not guilty. A verdict is expected to be reached on July 15.

The presentation ceremony of the 16th Hashida Awards for television took place on Saturday. The newcomer awards, which always receive the most attention, were given this year to actor Shun Oguri and actress Mao Inoue for their performances in drama series such as "Hana Yori Dango 2."

Other acting awards were presented to Tomohiro Sekiguchi, Mitsuko Kusabue, Kiichi Nakai, and the "Aibou" duo Yutaka Mizutani and Yasufumi Terawaki. Producer Kan Ishibashi, writers Ryoichi Kimizuka and Eriko Komatsu, and the drama series "Haken no Hinkaku" were also honored. Screenwriter Taichi Yamada was given a special prize.

On Friday, two days before Mother's Day, the non-profit organization Himawarinokai presented its 1st Best Mother Awards, decided by public vote.

Actress Hitomi Kuroki, who gave birth to a daughter in 1998, was chosen as the winner in the entertainment category. The other winners were Diet member Yuko Obuchi (politics category), Showa Women's University president Mariko Bando (academics category), critic Kazuyo Katsuma (economics category), and culinary researcher Harumi Kurihara (culture category).

This spring, KAT-TUN member Yuichi Nakamaru (24) entered Waseda University as a correspondence student in the Department of Human Behavior and Environment Sciences. He attended an entrance ceremony at Waseda's Toyama campus on April 1.

Nakamaru started thinking of attending university in 2005. He had developed an interest in environmental studies, and he decided to take an exam in December 2006. About a year later, he was selected for admission after going through the interview process and entrance examination.

Nakamaru said he is serious about graduating, even if "it takes him 8 years."

Actress Ryoko Shinohara became a mother on Saturday, giving birth to a baby boy. Her agency sent out a fax to the media on Sunday to announce the good news.

Shinohara and actor Masachika Ichimura have been married since December 2005, and her pregnancy was made known last November.

Actor Sonny Chiba, who now goes by the stage name JJ Sonny Chiba, is undertaking a revival of the tokusatsu hero "Nanairo Kamen" ("7-Color Mask"). The original show, broadcast from 1959 to 1960 on the network that eventually became TV Asahi, was Chiba's screen debut. He played the title character for the last half of the series, taking over the role from Susumu Namishima.

"Nanairo Kamen" was the creation of writer Kohan Kawauchi, who passed away last month at the age of 88. About a week before his death, he met with Chiba and said he hoped to see the actor take on the role once again. With that encouragement, Chiba has now made up his mind to fulfill Kawauchi's wish, producing and starring in a film version of the series.

The movie starts shooting in July and is projected to be completed by next year, the 50th anniversary of Chiba's career. He expressed his desire to recruit top actors for the film, such as Kamejiro Ichikawa and Masaaki Uchino, both of whom he recently appeared with in the NHK taiga drama "Fuurinkazan."

The film will be privately screened at the "Super Museum - Time Machine" in Otsu, Shiga, a museum of Chiba's prized possessions that opens on May 17. Sankei Sports reports that the collection features 10 billion yen worth of valuables, such as guitars used by Elvis Presley and George Harrison and a gun used in a movie by Steve McQueen.

Punk band Ging Nang Boyz announced on their official website that guitarist Chin Nakamura is getting hitched next week, on May 15. According to the statement, he made the decision to marry after his girlfriend discovered that she is pregnant. She is due to give birth this fall.