The Controversial Female Celebrities Who Coloured the Heisei Era

Source: Sponichi Annex, Yahoo! News Japan

The "Controversial" Female Celebrities Who Coloured the Heisei Era. Break-ups, Dɾᴜgs, Attempted Suicide...

｢Part 9 of the "10 Major XX of the Heisei era" series｣
Many celebrity scandals have caused sensations in Heisei's 30 years. Among them, we have brought to the fore some of the most shocking stories that featured a woman at its forefront. Let's look back on "The 10 Major Celebrity Scandals of the Heisei Era, Female Edition".

Takahanada (Left) and Miyazawa Rie at their engagement announcement press conference (November 1992)

Soon after Heisei began, the birth of this power couple caused a huge sensation throughout Japan. In 1992 (Heisei 4), the then 19-year-old Super Idol Miyazawa Rie (46) and 20-year-old Prince of the Sumo world, Takahanada (46, later Yokozuna Takanohana), together became the superstars of the new era. "Taka-Rie Fever" swept over Japan.

However, this mania ended in only two months, their engagement broken off in the blink of an eye. The lack of details gave rise to speculation. A nude photobook at the height of her popularity, a called off engagement, etc., Rie had experienced the light and darkness of life while still only in her teens. Afterwards, with a string of failed romances, and the suspicion of having anorexia nervosa, her career as a talent had fallen into crisis, but at the same time, she had established a reputation as a legitimate actress. She gave birth in her 30s, married for the second time, to V6's Morita Go (40), in her 40s. Her open attitude towards both public and private matters has shone, and her way of life has gathered support from women of today.

On the other hand, we have also seen women fall from the top. Sakai Noriko (48), who had once left her mark as an idol, was involved in a dɾᴜg scandal that occupied the front page of Sponichi for eight consecutive days. Nakamori Akina (53) attempted suicide in 1989 (Heisei 1), at the peak of her career. Since then, she has had an on again, off again singing career. Her poor mental state has had a lasting effect on her and she has not yet made a complete recovery.

Sawajiri Erika (33), who was once one of the most bankable young actresses, said the words "betsu ni..." (nothing in particular), and established a reputation as a trouble-making actress. Meanwhile, Matsuda Seiko (57), the representative "sensational figure" of the Showa era, divorced twice in the Heisei era, married for a third time, and has lived an eventful life. While gossip newspapers continue to air out her dirty laundry, Matsuda has, in a rare feat, continued to establish her place in the entertainment industry.

Various scandals arose in Heisei's entertainment world. Those who contributed most to these scandals were actresses with distinct popularity and personality.

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1. [+818 / -85]
The two of them are truly shining in that picture.
Miyazawa-san seems very happy right now so I think it was right of them to break of the engagement, but it's beautiful that they both openly acknowledge those memories.

2. [+527 / -86]
Because Matchy got together with Seiko while he was dating Akina. Matchy was two-timing her and meeting secretly with Seiko in New York. Back then, Johnny-san wasn't as powerful so Matchy was banished.

[+10 / -29]
Misfortune will befall upon know-it-all's who tell lies.

[+50 / -5]
Nah, there were clear photos taken of Matchy and Seiko's secret meeting in New York, so this is the truth. Akina was hurt because of it. I remember that that's what happened back then.

[+20 / -4]
I didn't know that was the reason for Akina's attempted suicide.
So that's why. Two-timing with Seiko...
At that point, had Seiko broken up with Go Hiromi?
This is the same reason Nakayama Miho and Tahara Toshihiko broke up. Kudo Shizuka pretended to be her friend and then meddled with them.
For some reason, all women who have affairs are flat-chested.

3. [+490 / -89]
I think the entertainment industry should do something about how quickly and easily celebrities come back after getting into dɾᴜg and adultery scandals.

4. [+117 / -3]
When I watched Akina-san and Masahiko-san's press conference on TV, I thought they were doing an engagement announcement, but then one of the reporters said, "With this, Matchy will probably escape from Akina"?? I didn't understand back then. I wanted her to be happy and to marry someone much more wonderful than Masahiko-san. I still want her to be happy now, and I want to hear that spirited Akina-san's singing.

5. [+255 / 17]
If Nakamori Akina hadn't attempted suicide, she'd probably be at a similar status as Matsuda Seiko right now...

[+58 / -6]
Maybe higher even?

[+15 / -16]
No matter what, suicide is wrong.

[+15 / -5]
Akina has a Glass Heart*
*Song: Nakamori Akina - "Glass no Kokoro"

6. [+173 / -8]
I loved Nakamori Akina, it's a shame that this happened to such a talented singer. If she had been able to get back on her feet after that incident... things now probably would have been a bit different. I think maybe she was too delicate.

7. [+210 / -8]
Sakai Noriko has remained in the industry while having a bad image.

[+17 / -0]
I would've never thought that two people from the Kashiwagi family* would be arrested for dɾᴜg related crimes...
*Sakai Noriko and Issei Ishida played siblings in the popular Fuji TV series Hitotsu Yane no Shita.

8. [+218 / -19]
If Takanohana had married Miyazawa Rie, I wonder what life he would have had. Probably better than now.

[+48 / -4]
I wonder too...
Takanohana is Takanohana and he's stubborn so they probably would've clashed... On top of that, in the special world of sumo, how would Miyazawa Rie have fared with her fragile mental state and a stage mother to deal with. Well, these are all what ifs, you can't really say

[+19 / -6]
In the end, they have both divorced so if they both remarry, to each other, it would be really dramatic...

9. [+159 / -10]
When Takanohana-san heard from Setouchi Asuka-san that Rie-san was really happy right now, he looked really relieved. He must have really loved her, I thought.

10. [+132 / -2]
Takanohana and Miyazawa Rie have such happy and natural looking smiles in that photo.
It's very different from Takanohana's wedding photos.

11. [+134 / -8]
Looking at that photo, both of them look as young as children!
Late marriages have become common so we're used to seeing brides in their 30s and 40s, but there were a ton of young brides back then!

12. [+30 / -2]
I still remember how cute and happy Rie and Takanohana's press conference was, but if they're both happy now... then breaking up probably was the right thing to do?
Akina-chan's was shocking. I don't feel like she performed much after that, but... even now Johnny's can't get married, so maybe it was impossible for that period's top idols to marry? But that incident, without a doubt, changed Akina-chan's life forever...

13. [+135 / -6]
If you're going to write about Nakamori Akina's attempted suicide, you should write about Kondo Masahiko and Johnny's too.

14. [+32 / -5]
Miyazawa Rie... If you're happy now, others have no right to complain.
Takanohana... Have no regrets. Keep doing your best.
Nakamori Akina... Such a waste. She loved Matchy that much?

15. [+124 / -2]
Matsui Kazuyo-san and Yasuha-san
It seems like they made a racket by themselves and no one took notice of them.

[+29 / -0]
I strongly recommend professional counseling and a hospital stay for both of them.

16. [+73 / -3]
I think Keiko-san* is superior.
But I never imagined that Miyazawa Rie would become the sort of actress she is now.
*Kono Keiko, Takanohana's ex-wife

17. [+87 / -8]
I want Miyazawa Rie-san, Nakamori Akina-san, and Kahala Tomomi-san to be happy.