Ai Kago attended a PR event for the movie "American Teen" on Wednesday, and she personally mentioned that she is preparing for her debut as a solo artist. Some unofficial details have been reported by various news sources, saying that a mini-album is scheduled for next spring, and Kago is involved in writing the lyrics.

The album is said to be a 4-song collection due out around March. To prepare for the album, she has been taking voice lessons since the summer. Recording will reportedly take place next month.

Hideaki Takizawa of the duo Tackey & Tsubasa will be releasing his first solo CD next year in conjunction with a new stage production he is starring in. To kick off the new year, he will be the lead in "Shinshun Takizawa Kakumei," which is being performed at the Imperial Garden Theater from January 1 to 27.

Takizawa will be in charge of singing the theme song, though the title, composer, and lyricist are still undecided. The song will apparently be released around the time of the show's run.

"Shinshun Takizawa Kakumei" is an original musical in two acts, incorporating Japanese folklore such as The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter and the legend of Urashima Taro. One highlight of the musical is Takizawa appearing on stage as an 80-year-old man.

The show will be the first New Year's Day performance at the Imperial Garden Theater after its reopening in 1966.

The Fuji TV drama series "Kaze no Garden" got off to a good start on Thursday night as its premiere episode achieved ratings of 20.1% in the Kanto area. Starring Kiichi Nakai as a doctor dealing with his final days as a cancer victim, the drama received additional attention this past week with the death of actor Ken Ogata, who plays Nakai's father in the show. Ogata passed away on Sunday after five years of battling liver cancer, making this series his final television appearance.

Singer Aoi Teshima, who first gained attention after doing the song "Therru no Uta" for Studio Ghibli's "Tales from Earthsea," is doing a cover of an Elvis Presley hit. "Can't Help Falling in Love" was originally released by Presley in 1961, recorded for the movie "Blue Hawaii."

Teshima's version is being used in a new commercial for Suzuki Motor Corporation. The song is reportedly being released only as a digital single, available exclusively through the music site MySound.

Actress Koyuki is finally getting her turn to star in a motion picture. She has been chosen for the lead in "Shin-san," based on the novel of the same name by Tomoki Tsujiuchi. The film is being directed by Hideyuki Hirayama.

The story is set in a coal mining town in Fukuoka during the 1960s. Koyuki plays Michiyo, a divorced woman who moves from Tokyo back to her hometown in Fukuoka, bringing her only son with her. She eventually falls in love with a young man named Shinichi (Shin-san), who is 20 years younger than her and is classmates with her son.

Child actor Ren Kobayashi plays Shinichi as a youth, while Takuya Ishida portrays him as a young man.

Filming started in the middle of last month. "Shin-san" is scheduled for a 2009 release.