J-pop idol Miki Nishino, 23, weds comedian Keiichi Yamamoto, 54
TOKYO - J-pop idol Miki Nishino, a former member of Japanese girl group AKB48, announced her marriage on Japan’s Good Couples Day.
The day, which falls on Nov 22, is a play on the numbers “11” and “22”, which can be pronounced as “ii fufu”, which is similar to “good couple” in Japanese.
Nishino, 23, shared two wedding photos and announced on social media that she has tied the knot with comedian Keiichi Yamamoto, 54, of comedy duo Gokuraku Tombo.
She wrote in Japanese: “Despite the age difference of 32 years, we feel comfortable with each other and did not notice the difference.”
Nishino, who joined AKB48 in 2012 and “graduated” from the group five years later, said that she feels she can be herself when she is with Yamamoto.
“I hope Yamamoto-san can be healthy forever so that we can make meals together, walk together and be a good couple forever,” she wrote.
Yamamoto also shared the news of his marriage on his social media accounts, saying that he will listen to his wife and live a healthy life so that they can be together as long as possible.
The couple, who knew each other through a variety show, also announced their marriage on his YouTube channel on Tuesday and shared more wedding photos on social media on Wednesday.
The news of their marriage garnered great interest on social media not only because of the age gap, but also due to Yamamoto’s past.
In 2006, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl after a night out in Hokkaido and was questioned by the police. He reached a settlement with the victim, but his image was affected by the incident and his contract was terminated by his agency.
He disappeared from the entertainment industry for almost 10 years before making a return in 2016.
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