A few weeks ago, Oricon conducted a survey of a thousand people, asking them which female beauties they think of when they hear the word "summer." Given the natural tendency to think of swimsuits, it wasn't too surprising that model Yuri Ebihara topped the list. She was ranked highest by both men and women.

Ayumi Hamasaki was next in line, taking the #2 spot on both sexes' lists. Kumi Koda had to settle for 3rd, with Yu Yamada and beach volleyballer Miwa Asao right behind her.

The rest of the list consisted of mostly singers: Maki Ohguro, aiko, Misato Watanabe, and Ai Otsuka, followed by a three-way tie for #10 among Aya Ueto, Aya Matsuura, and Chinatsu Wakatsuki.

On Monday, a PR event was held for Avex's jukebox musical "Kokoro no Kakera" (announced last month). The main cast was assembled for the event, revealing that TRF's YU-KI is taking the lead. Ami Suzuki is playing her "love rival."

The cast also includes Takahiro Nishijima (AAA), Hiroki Aiba, Mitsuyoshi Shinoda, and Hiroaki Ogasawara. Performances will run from September 15 to September 29 at the Aoyama Theatre.

Fuji TV apparently has another scandal on its hands. Less than three weeks after announcer Mona Yamamoto, 32, was suspended for her second alleged affair, "ikemen" announcer Kazuhiro Watanabe, also 32, has found himself in a similar position.

Watanabe has been married for only a year. According to this week's issue of Shukan Asahi, Watanabe started a relationship with a different woman this past March, and he became further guilty of mixing business with pleasure when he paid her round-trip airfare so she could participate in an audition that he was judging. While in Tokyo, the two were also seen together at a hotel.

Fuji TV representatives say the accusations are false, insisting that Watanabe has not done anything improper. For the time being, Watanabe's schedule remains unaffected.

To mark the 30th anniversary of her debut as a singer, Mariya Takeuchi is releasing the 3-disc best-of collection "Expressions."

The collection consists of 42 songs. 40 of them were chosen by fan votes from her full discography, spanning from her 1978 debut "Modotte Oide Watashi no Jikan" to last year's "Chance no Maegami." The remaining two songs were taken from her most recent single, "Shiawase no Monosashi." All of the tracks were digitally remastered by her husband, musician and producer Tatsuro Yamashita.

"Expressions" will retail for 3,980 yen, starting on October 1.

Kiyoshi Shigematsu's novel "Aoi Tori" is being turned into a movie, with established actor Hiroshi Abe as the star. Abe plays a middle school teacher who, despite being ridiculed because of his constant stammering, tries to calmly deal with the issue of bullying in his class.

The movie opens in theaters in late November. Shohei Kotaki has been named as a producer, but the director and other cast or staff members have not yet been reported.

Actress and talento Marcia is restarting her singing career after a 10-year break. She originally debuted as a singer in 1989 with "Furimukeba Yokohama" and steadily released singles until "Just A Woman" in 1998.

Marcia said she decided to return to singing after she performed in a memorial concert for Teresa Teng last year.

Her comeback song, titled "Yours ~Toki no Itazura," goes on sale October 22.

Masahiro Nakai is getting some company from a fellow SMAP member in his next movie. It was announced last year that he would be playing the lead in Katsuo Fukuzawa's remake of "Watashi wa Kai ni Naritai" ("I Want to Be a Shellfish"), but now it has been revealed that Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is part of the cast.

The story deals with a man (Nakai) unjustly sentenced to death as a war criminal. Kusanagi plays a fellow prisoner awaiting execution. His role is minor, however, and his scenes were shot in two days during March.

The movie also features Yukie Nakama as Nakai's wife. Theatrical release is set for November 22.