"Rurouni Kenshin" director, Japanese actor named univ. professors

YAMAGATA, Japan - Keishi Otomo, director of the "Rurouni Kenshin" live-action films adapted from the manga series of the same name, and Japanese actor Tetsuya Bessho have been named as visiting professors at a university in Japan's northeastern region of Tohoku.

It is hoped that the two, who were appointed in April by Tohoku University of Art and Design in Yamagata, capital of Yamagata Prefecture, will impart practical skills and techniques in film production to students and foster a new generation of talent from local areas capable of succeeding on the global stage.