Film director Yoji Yamada, whose recent works include "Kaabee" and "Love and Honor," is currently working on a new movie scheduled for 2010. Titled "Otouto," the movie stars actress Sayuri Yoshinaga and comedian Tsurube Shofukutei, who both appeared in "Kaabee."

"Otouto" will be Yamada's first film with a modern setting since "Jugosai: Gakko IV" in 2000. "Otouto" is said to be an homage to Kon Ichikawa's 1960 movie of the same name.

Yoshinaga and Shofukutei play an older sister and younger brother in this family piece. Yoshinaga's character is a widow working in a Tokyo drugstore who lives with her daughter and mother-in-law. Her brother Tetsuro is an aspiring comedian who causes trouble for the family, but one day he learns that he doesn't have long to live.

Yu Aoi will play Sayuri's daughter Koharu, while Ryo Kase plays Koharu's friend.

Ubiquitous TV personality Minomonta will be stepping down as the host of NTV's daytime show "Omoikkiri Ii! TV." He has been hosting the show for the past 20 years, but he decided to give himself a break due to his wife's concern for his health, combined with financial cutbacks by the network.

In June of this year, Minomonta improved his Guinness World Record for "Most hours on live TV in one week" to over 22 hours. With just his departure from "Omoikkiri Ii! TV," his schedule will be 10 hours lighter. His last appearance on the show will be on March 27.

The management agency of actress Keiko Saito (47) announced on Sunday that she has been divorced since May, ending an 11-year marriage to a businessman.

Saito married her husband in 1997 after his divorce, though they had been carrying on an affair for several years before that. Saito also gave birth to a daughter that same year.

According to Saito's comments, there was no single reason for their divorce, but she said that they had differences in their ways of thinking. However, she emphasized that the separation was amicable, and one source says that neither party is paying consolation money. Saito has been given custody of their daughter.

On Sunday, the official website of singer Rimi Natsukawa (35) announced that she is planning to get married on New Year's Day. Her husband-to-be is percussionist Masaaki Tamaki (41), who has toured with artists such as TUBE and Masayuki Suzuki.

Sankei Sports had scooped the story a day earlier with some details of the couple. They met last autumn when Tamaki played as part of Natsukawa's band during her concert tour. They began dating this past March, and Tamaki proposed in September.