"Fish Story," a novel by author Kotaro Isaka, is being adapted to the big screen by director Yoshihiro Nakamura. Nakamura previously adapted Isaka's "Ahiru to Kamo no Coin Locker" in 2006.

Atsushi Ito ("Densha Otoko") stars as a member of an unsuccessful rock band during the '70s. They record one last song, which ends up becoming a critical part of various people's lives in later decades, and ultimately the song saves the world.

Kengo Kora, Mikako Tabe, Gaku Hamada, Mirai Moriyama, and Nao Omori also appear. Filming is already set to finish on the 23rd of this month, but the final cut won't be seen in cinemas until 2009.

The cast has now been revealed for NTV's drama series "Yasuko to Kenji," which was first announced last month with TOKIO's Masahiro Matsuoka as the lead. The show is based on a comedy manga about a former gang leader named Kenji, who becomes a shojo manga artist to support him and his sister after their parents pass away.

Mikako Tabe is playing the role of Kenji's sister Yasuko. Kanjani8's Tadayoshi Okura has been cast as Yasuko's love interest Jun, while Ryoko Hirosue has been given the heroine role as Jun's older sister Erika, the former head of a ladies' gang that took over her family's flower shop. Erika had fallen in love with Kenji many years ago, while they were both still gang members. Sayaka Yamaguchi has also been announced as a cast member, playing a former underling of Erika.

"Yasuko to Kenji" premieres on July 12.

Talento Hirohide Yakumaru, 42, revealed on the TBS show "Hanamaru Market" that his fifth child was born on Saturday. This is his second daughter.

Yakumaru has been married since 1990 to former idol singer Hidemi Ishikawa, who is now 41. Their last child was born almost 10 years ago.

Two songs from the upcoming "Detroit Metal City" movie are being released together as a single on August 6. The first track will be the metal tune "SATSUGAI" (sung by Kenichi Matsuyama as Johannes Krauser II) while the second is the love song "Amai Koibito" (sung by Matsuyama as Soichi Negishi).

The first edition of the single will come with a movie trailer on DVD and a tattoo seal in Matsuyama's handwriting.

The "Detroit Metal City" movie is opening in theaters on August 23.

Two of Japan's top artists have come together to collaborate on a music video. Kaori Mochida of Every Little Thing will be starring in the video for Dreams Come True's "MERRY-LIFE-GOES-ROUND," which is being sold as a single on June 25.

The members of Dreams Come True will not be seen in the video, making it an unprecedented case of one musician being the sole star of another artist's PV. Mochida will be singing, with part of it done a cappella. However, her version will not be available on the CD release.

21-year-old actress Keiko Kitagawa and 19-year-old actor Ryo Kimura are apparently dating, according to the newest issue of FLASH magazine. Last month, the two were seen together at a karaoke box. Afterwards, they stopped at a video rental store before heading back to Kitagawa's apartment, where they spent the night.

Shukan Bunshun had also published a rumor about their relationship back in March. So far, both of their agencies have only said that the two are good friends.

Hey! Say! JUMP has their first movie tie-in with their new tune, "Your Seed." It is being used as the image song for the Japanese version of the animated film "Kung Fu Panda," which opens on July 26. "Your Seed" will play during the credits and in the film's television commercials.

The CD single goes on sale July 23.