[Sportschosun reporter Lee Ji-hyun] Takefusa Kubo, 25, a standout player for Japan's national soccer team, has announced his surprise marriage to Haruka Fukuhara, 28, Japan's 'national actress.'
Kubo and Fukuhara personally announced their marriage through their respective social media accounts on the second. In the released photos, the couple can be seen sitting side by side, smiling brightly while wearing wedding rings on their left ring fingers.
In a joint statement, they said, "We are sharing the news that Takefusa Kubo and Haruka Fukuhara are getting married," adding, "We have been able to become who we are today thanks to the help and support of so many people since we were young."
They continued, "Although we still have much to learn, we hope to build a warm home filled with laughter by helping and relying on each other without forgetting the gratitude we feel for everything we have received from you. We would be grateful if you would watch over our future as a married couple with warmth."
The announcement shocked Japan even more because the two had never publicly acknowledged a relationship, and there had not even been any clear dating rumors about them. Japanese media outlets also showed keen interest, describing the marriage announcement—made without any prior reports of a relationship—as a 'surprise marriage.'
Haruka Fukuhara, the woman who won Kubo's heart, was born in 1998 and is three years older than him. In Japan, she has been a well-known star since childhood.
Fukuhara began working as a child actor when she was in the first grade of elementary school. From 2009 to 2013, she gained widespread popularity playing the lead character, Main Hiiragi, on the Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) children's cooking show 'Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!' Her nickname 'Main-chan,' which she earned at the time, remains so widely recognized that it has followed her into adulthood.
She later expanded her career into acting, appearing in the film 'Cheer☆Dance' and the dramas 'Yuru Camp△' and 'Honest Real Estate.' In the 2022 NHK television serial 'Maiagare!', she played the lead character, Mai Iwakura, establishing herself as one of Japan's leading young actors. She has also worked as a voice actor and singer.
She has remained active in the entertainment industry in recent years. In the film 'I Want to Meet You Again on the Hill Where That Star Falls,' released last August, she once again played the lead character, Yuri Kano. Its predecessor, 'Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill,' was a hit in Japan, generating more than 4.5 billion yen in box-office revenue.
Fukuhara will continue acting after her marriage. According to local reports, she is not currently pregnant and plans to remain active in the entertainment industry.
Kubo, too, attracted attention from an early age as the future of Japanese soccer. Born in 2001, he developed in the youth system of Futbol Club Barcelona before making his professional debut with FC Tokyo in Japan. He moved to Europe after signing with Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (Real Madrid) in 2019, then joined Real Sociedad de Fútbol in 2022 after spells with clubs including Mallorca. He is also a key player for the Japan national team.
Congratulations also poured in from Kubo's Japan teammates immediately after the marriage announcement. Ao Tanaka commented, "Here we go," while Zion Suzuki wrote, "Congratulations." Kō Itakura, Keito Nakamura, Yuto Nagatomo and Junya Ito also left comments congratulating Kubo on his marriage.
Kubo is also a familiar name to South Korean soccer fans. He is the same age as Lee Kang-in of Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (PSG), and the two are well known as close friends who formed a bond on the Spanish soccer scene from a young age. They were teammates at Mallorca in the past and have remained close even while playing for different clubs.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
