<figure id="attachment_289906" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289906" style="width: 805px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b2f39ba5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/71cf9db0cbda4800ac0516c2a7b544a2.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289906" class="wp-caption-text">Sakai and Kanno playing in the park. Sakai was having a great time on the swing.</figcaption></figure>
 Many of you may be surprised at the beginning of the new year.
 On January 5, sports newspapers reported that actor Masato Sakai (49) had become independent from Tanabe Agency, to which he had belonged for 28 years, at the end of last December. He will be working as an individual from now on.
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 Sakai participated in the launch of the theater company &#8220;Tokyo Orange&#8221; while he was a student at Waseda University. He was active as an ace actor when he was scouted by the Tanabe Agency. However, his period of obscurity lasted for a while and he also worked as a voice actor.
 His breakthrough came with his first regular appearance in the NHK television series &#8220;Audrey&#8221; in 2000. As you know, his reputation as an actor rose dramatically, and he subsequently starred in many other productions, including the NHK historical drama &#8220;Sanadamaru&#8221; and the drama &#8220;Hanzawa Naoki&#8221; (TBS),&#8221; said an employee at a commercial key station.
 Sakai&#8217;s independence has drawn attention to his wife, Miho Kanno.
 Mr. Sakai had originally cut back on his work after the birth of his second child in December 2006. TBS asked him to do a sequel to &#8220;Hanzawa Naoki,&#8221; which came to fruition. Mr. Sakai&#8217;s back was pushed by Mr. Kanno. Mr. Sakai was very supportive of Mr. Kanno, probably because he wanted Mr. Sakai to devote himself to his work and not worry about his home when he was needed. It is said that Mr. Sakai accepted the &#8220;Hanzawa Naoki&#8221; sequel because of Mr. Kanno&#8217;s encouragement.
 I thought he would become busy again, but after the drama ended, Mr. Sakai once again saved his work. This is because Mr. Sakai also took on the household chores that Ms. Kanno had taken on. Now that Mr. Sakai is independent and his schedule is relatively free, Ms. Sugano may be able to focus more on her entertainment activities. I think the couple has a firm idea of how to divide the roles of housework and work,&#8221; he said.
 Sakai is not the only one who has surprised the public by becoming independent from a major entertainment agency. Yonekura Ryoko (47), Takeru Sato (33), Ayame Goriki (30), Nagase Tomoya (44), Yoshikawa Hinano (43), Nono (29), Yamashita Tomohisa (37), Shibasaki Kou (41), and Togoshi Yuya (35). &#8230;&#8230; We would like to introduce the charms of these entertainers, who have continued to shine even after becoming independent, through &#8220;happy date sites&#8221; and other treasured photos.
<h2> Independence and a base in the U.S. &#8230;&#8230;</h2>
<figure id="attachment_289907" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289907" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="70f87ca5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/yonekura-1.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289907" class="wp-caption-text"> Yonekura and an Argentine tango dancer walking down a shopping street in April 2008, when it was still chilly.</figcaption></figure>
 Yonekura left Oscar Promotion, to which she had belonged for 27 years, in March 2008. Since then, she has established a private agency to continue her activities. It is said that she has her sights set on overseas activities in the future.
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 He is seeking an alternative to the hit TV drama series &#8220;Doctor X&#8221; (TV Asahi), in which he starred, which began airing in October 2012. Season 7, which aired at the end of 2009, has maintained viewership in the upper 10% range, although the ratings have declined.
 On the other hand, it is probably true that Yonekura-san has developed a strong image of the main character, doctor Daimon Michiko. The storyline rut was also a concern. Yonekura and TV Asahi have a good relationship, but whether a sequel will be made in the future is unknown at this point.
 Yonekura&#8217;s next stage as an actress is said to be Broadway in New York, which is synonymous with musicals.
 Yonekura herself pitched for the role and won the lead role in the classic musical &#8220;CHICAGO&#8221; in July 2012. This is the first time in history that a Japanese person has played an American role on Broadway and been selected for the lead role. Ms. Yonekura&#8217;s performance was also highly acclaimed and she received a great ovation in the United States.
 Ms. Yonekura has expressed her desire to work on Broadway in the future. The high praise for her performance in &#8220;CHICAGO&#8221; has made her want to appear in other productions as well. He wants to get serious about working on Broadway and creating his own masterpiece in the United States. For this reason, it is said that he is willing to have a base in the U.S.&#8221; (Entertainment production source)
 An Argentine tango dancer, with whom Yonekura is said to be in an ongoing relationship, is also said to be supporting Yonekura&#8217;s move to the United States. If she moves to the U.S., she will be able to see her elderly mother in her home country more often. On the other hand, Yonekura will continue to work in Japan through her private agency. Even if he moves to the U.S., he will likely be busy working both in Japan and the U.S.
 Entertainers who have become independent and are seeking their next career opportunities. Even in their new fields, their overwhelming presence is not diminishing.
<figure id="attachment_289908" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289908" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c0a6e1bf"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/66e91dfc0b58e416d715ceb52e70d6c7-2.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289908" class="wp-caption-text"> In December 2010, Takeru Sato and Mao Inoue walked around a date spot in Yokohama for the filming of a TV drama. They looked like a real couple.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289909" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289909" style="width: 1700px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7070509b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/KB6_0413.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289909" class="wp-caption-text"> In December 2009, Tsuyoshi and actor Harumi Oyama on a date at a movie theater in Roppongi, Tokyo.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289911" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289911" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="eb1e7494"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/6bc3f60100caf8fa8bfc109c7a78fb96.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289911" class="wp-caption-text"> In September 2006, Nagase and Ayumi Hamasaki, who were dating at the time. They returned from Los Angeles holding hands tightly.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289910" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289910" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a749f17b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/32960e7e2bbff237600aaf78b8edaca4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289910" class="wp-caption-text"> In August 2000, Yoshikawa and her then boyfriend hung out at a club in Azabu Juban, Tokyo, until 4 in the morning.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289912" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289912" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ea4718e2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/64c49f156fee6cdc5663f071a6c211e4-2.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289912" class="wp-caption-text"> Nonn, whose independence was a blessing in disguise despite the temporary damage to her image.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289913" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289913" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="701440fa"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/f0cdb224c4dc69dad0eb3ea458fcffeb.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289913" class="wp-caption-text"> In September 2008, P. Yamamoto running in a park in Tokyo wearing all black.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289914" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289914" style="width: 1267px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="765d1aa8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/34444d84e92e2a77420b642d6394921a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289914" class="wp-caption-text"> Shibasaki, who is also an independent businesswoman, photographed in August 2009.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_289915" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-289915" style="width: 1000px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b47233d1"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/01/a231a25192b95733e6aaa128deb03202.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-289915" class="wp-caption-text"> Tekashi worked as a volunteer delivering lunch boxes to single-parent families. The bicycle is his personal belongings; photo taken in July 2008.</figcaption></figure>

 Takao Kawakami Hiroyuki Komatsu Yusuke Kondo Masaaki Saito Sota Shima Keita Nishi Keisuke Nishihara Shu

 There is no end to the number of celebrities going independent from major agencies. Early in the new year, actor Masato Sakai reportedly left the Tanabe Agency. We would like to introduce the charms of independent actors such as Ryoko Yonekura, Ayame Goriki, Tomoya Nagase, and Takeru Sato with their treasured photos.

Masato Sakai, Ryoko Yonekura, Takeru Sato, Ayame Goriki&#8230; &#8220;Happy Dates and Shocking Faces&#8221; photos of celebrities who are becoming more radiant as independent women.

Masato Sakai, Ryoko Yonekura, Takeru Sato, Ayame Goriki… “Happy Dates and Shocking Faces” photos of celebrities who are becoming more radiant as independent women.

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