Kyoka Suzuki, Sadao Abe, and child actor Akashi Takei will be co-starring in a movie titled "Boku to Mama no Kiiroi Jitensha." The story is adapted from the popular novel "Boku no Yuku Michi" by Fuyuki Shindo ("Aru Ai no Uta," "Kuroi Taiyou").

Takei plays a young boy living with his father (Abe) in Tokyo. His mother is supposedly studying abroad in Paris, but he learns that she is actually on the island of Shodoshima in the Kagawa prefecture. Longing to see her again, he hops on his bicycle and begins his journey alone.

Shooting started last week under the supervision of director Keita Kono. The movie is expected to open in spring 2009. Singer-songwriter Masashi Sada has been recruited for the theme song.

It was revealed on Monday that former Coconuts Musume member Ayaka Kimura (26) is married to successful professional golfer Hideto Tanihara (29). The two had been dating for half a year before registering their marriage on July 8. They plan to hold a ceremony and reception soon.

The couple first met last October at a pro-amateur golf tournament in Hyogo, where Ayaka is from. (Golf is one of Kimura's hobbies, with her best score said to be 108.) After meeting, the two kept in touch, and they had their first date at the start of this year.

As a golfer, Tanihara has won 7 tournaments on the Japan Golf Tour and has competed in international tournaments. This past Saturday, he and Ayaka traveled with family and associates to England, where Tanihara will be playing in the Open Championship this coming weekend. He has participated in it since 2006, when he tied for 5th place.

In April, Ayaka became the last member to leave Coconuts Musume. She has been pursuing an acting career since then under the stage name Ayaka Nagate.

57-year-old rock musician Kiyoshiro Imawano announced on Monday that he is canceling all of his currently scheduled concerts due to the return of his cancer. He was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx in 2006 and underwent treatment, and he was finally able to make a comeback at the Nippon Budokan this past February. But last week it was discovered that the cancer had spread to his left ilium.

Imawano's agency said that he was experiencing pain in his leg, and he was diagnosed with cancer again. Since Wednesday, he has been making hospital visits for radiation treatment.

Five performances have been canceled, including appearances at the ap bank fes and the Fuji Rock Festival this month. Imawano is still aiming to return as a singer after his treatment is over.

"Hana Yori Dango Final" is still a hit at the box office. On Saturday and Sunday, while the movie's main cast flew around the country to promote the film, it took in an additional 580 million yen to rank #1 for the third weekend in a row. In the 16 days since its release, it has earned close to 3.8 billion yen, with more than 3 million fans having seen the film.

The movie is expected to finally be ousted from the #1 spot this coming weekend, when Studio Ghibli's "Gake no Ue no Ponyo" opens in theaters.

25-year-old model and actress Nozomi Ando announced on her blog this week that she got married 5 months ago. She did not give any details about who her husband is, but she did mention that the couple registered their marriage on Valentine's Day.

Ando's filmography includes "Hanada Shonen" and "Tokyo Friends."

Fuji TV's Monday night drama series "CHANGE," starring Takuya Kimura, aired its final episode this week. It averaged a 27.4% rating in the Kanto area, making it the highest-rated drama episode so far this year. The previous highest was the premiere of "Gokusen 3," which achieved 26.4%. However, "Gokusen" still ranks #1 for the season average.

The finale of "CHANGE" reached its peak during the episode's second half, attaining a 31.2% peak.