According to the Sports Nippon newspaper, rock band X Japan has already lost its bassist HEATH due to unresolved issues with HEATH's management company. The problems first publicly surfaced last month, when X Japan suddenly canceled two scheduled concerts in Korea.

The issues between HEATH and his management, apparently stemming from his contract, remain unsettled after weeks of negotiation. The band's production management committee had already received word of HEATH's withdrawal from the band, but tickets for the band's Tokyo Dome shows on May 2-3 still went on sale on April 18. All 100,000 tickets sold out the same day.

X Japan is hoping to avoid a last-minute cancellation similar to their Korean concerts and a few other overseas concerts that were scheduled last year. Leader Yoshiki has also publicly promised that the Tokyo Dome shows will not be delayed. In order to keep that promise, the band will reportedly select a substitute bassist within the next few days. Still, that would not leave much time for rehearsals before the actual concerts.

Yoshiki is currently said to be at home in Los Angeles, but it seems he will return to Japan this week for another discussion with HEATH.

Miki Saotome (17), once a member of AKB48's Team B, has officially graduated from the group. Her final stage appearance was on April 18.

Saotome made her debut as part of Team B in April 2007. However, she was demoted to trainee status this past January. According to a new post in the group's official blog, Saotome said that she felt she had been lacking in her skills such as singing, dancing, and speaking. Due to her lack of confidence, she ultimately decided to leave the group.

Saotome's future plans are uncertain, but she explained that she may not be able to give up on show business, so she plans to continue trying to find her place in the industry.

Shin Okamoto, the former vocalist of the band The Jaguars, was found dead in his Tokyo apartment bathroom on Sunday. He was 59.

Monday would've been Okamoto's 60th birthday, and his friends had planned to celebrate early with a party on Sunday. However, his former bandmate Hisayuki Okitsu (62) had been unable to contact him since Saturday, so the worried Okitsu asked a friend to check in on Okamoto. She arrived at his apartment in the afternoon, only to discover Okamoto's naked body in the bathtub.

Police found no signs of injury or indication of suicide, so it appears to have been a natural death. The specific time and cause of death are currently being determined.

The Jaguars were part of the Group Sounds movement during the 1960s. The band shot to fame in 1967 after their debut single, "Kimi ni Aitai," became a million seller. The group disbanded in 1971, though Okamoto continued his career as a solo musician and musical actor. Divorced once, Okamoto lived alone. He had been fighting illness for the past few years.

With Fuji TV's drama series "Konkatsu!" starting on Monday night, the network has just officially announced that the show's theme song is being done by pop duo Puffy.

Since the series revolves around the theme of marriage, the song is called "Wedding Bell." It is a cover of the 1981 debut single of the 3-member girl group Sugar.

Puffy's version of the tune will be included on their upcoming album "Bring it!," scheduled to go on sale June 17.

Koki Tanaka of popular group KAT-TUN has just been revealed as an addition to the cast of the TV Asahi drama series "Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009."

The period drama, which is continuing from last season, initially starred Shonentai's Noriyuki Higashiyama, TOKIO's Masahiro Matsuoka, and Kanjani8's Tadayoshi Okura. Tanaka will play the successor to Okura's character, which is no longer on the show.

Tanaka will make his first appearance on the April 24 episode.