Resolution Revealed in Abduction Incident, Ai Fukuhara Spotted Vacationing in Swimsuits with Eldest Son at Ultra-Luxury Hotel, Magazine Captures Moment

“I would like to take this opportunity to inform everyone that I have reached a reconciliation with Mr. Chiang. From now on, I intend to cooperate with Mr. Chiang in raising our child.”

The custody dispute over their eldest son, which had been mired in controversy between Ai Fukuhara (35) and her ex-husband, Chiang Hung-Chieh (Jean-Hung Chie), reached a turning point. They have agreed to joint custody as before, and their eldest son will be temporarily handed over to Mr. Chiang’s side. They have agreed to continue cooperating with each other in raising their children, leading to a reconciliation.

At a press conference held on March 15th in response to this, Fukuhara uttered the words mentioned earlier at the beginning. Afterwards, Fukuhara promptly left, and her attorney handled the questions and answers.

“The incident began in 2021 when a women’s magazine reported on Fukuhara’s extramarital affair with a male employee of a major trading company. On the other hand, allegations of psychological abuse against ex-husband Mr. Chiang also surfaced. In July of the same year, Fukuhara decided to divorce.

Initially, the two children were living with Mr. Chiang. However, in the summer of 2022, Fukuhara took their eldest son away, claiming it was only for the summer vacation, and then disappeared without a trace. Subsequently, Mr. Chiang filed a petition with the Tokyo Family Court for the return of their eldest son, while Fukuhara entered into a quagmire situation by filing for mediation to change to sole custody. In November 2023, some weekly magazines reported that Mr. Chiang had filed a criminal complaint, but with this reconciliation, it marks a turning point.” (Entertainment Desk of a Sports Newspaper)

As a married couple who are stars in the world of table tennis, the “eldest son abduction incident” has become a significant topic not only in Japan but also in Taiwan, where Mr. Chiang hails from. On the internet, there has been a wave of critical voices against the situation where the eldest son was taken away, stating things like “Children are the biggest victims” and “It’s unacceptable for parents to manipulate their children.”

Last year, in the combined issue of August 18 and 25, our magazine witnessed Fukuhara enjoying an extended summer vacation with her eldest son at an ultra-luxury hotel overseas, where a single night costs no less than 100,000 yen. We would like to revisit that time by reprinting the article and reflecting on the situation (with some modifications to the content).

Enjoying a vacation with men who appear to be acquaintances.

High above the cityscape, with a vast expanse of water below and a view of Singapore’s beautiful skyline, including the Merlion, a glamorous woman in a vibrant turquoise swimsuit was seen swimming with a young boy in the middle of the famed sky pool, beloved by celebrities worldwide.

“The voice calling out ‘A-kun, A-kun’ to the boy was very distinctive, and I immediately realized it was Ai Fukuhara-san. There seemed to be a female friend of Fukuhara-san in the pool as well, and they appeared to be having a great time, taking photos together with the child. However, it seemed like Fukuhara-san heard our conversation saying, ‘Isn’t that definitely her?’ She quickly put on sunglasses and turned her back to us. It seemed like she was conscious of the surrounding eyes.” (Japanese tourist X, who was present at the scene)

The sky pool is located on the rooftop of the ultra-luxurious Marina Bay Sands hotel, where during the peak season, the cost is at least around 150,000 yen per night and is exclusive to hotel guests. X-san initially thought, “Maybe Fukuhara-san came on vacation with friends,” but quickly realized otherwise.

“There were beach chairs near where Fukuhara-san and her companions were playing, and a man with long hair who was lying on one of them gestured, ‘Are you getting out of the pool already?’ He seemed to be in his 30s, with a sun-kissed complexion, giving off the impression of a venture company CEO or similar. The next morning, I saw the same man with long hair playing in the pool with Fukuhara-san and her child, so perhaps they stayed together overnight.”

 

This incident occurred at the end of June 2023.

Between 2022 and 2023, Fukuhara had visited Singapore several times with her eldest son. Indeed, her stay in the area was revealed through the location tags on her posts on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, which multiple media outlets reported on. In addition to the eyewitness account at the “sky pool” mentioned earlier, our magazine received this additional information.

“It seems that Ai Fukuhara-san is sending her child to a preschool in Singapore. I often see a mom’s bicycle parked in front of the school, and I was curious whose it was since it’s quite rare in Singapore. It turned out to be Fukuhara-san’s. I also saw her being dropped off and picked up by a man in his 30s. There have been rumors circulating that she plans to relocate to Singapore.” (Japanese resident in Singapore)

Is the current aim to expand into China?

The content reported in the combined issue of August 18 and 25 last year is as follows. At that time, it seems Fukuhara was quite fond of Singapore, but now she is said to be actively pursuing expansion into another country, China.

In October last year, Fukuhara opened an official account on the Chinese version of Instagram, “Xiaohongshu (RED).” She regularly posts updates, indicating her awareness of activities in the Chinese market. She even took her first attempt in January this year.

“She conducted live commerce, selling products during a live stream. This seemed to be Fukuhara’s first attempt at this, where she introduced daily necessities like toothbrushes and smartphone cases. She reportedly made around 480,000 yen in sales during the approximately two-hour live stream.” (Local newspaper reporter)

Even the protracted family issue seems to have reached a turning point. Fukuhara may already be setting out towards her next goal.