Stretching & playing with the dog… Masato Sakai & Miho Kanno – a precious off-shoot where they are not acting in any way 《Spotted in a park!

The small park, located in an upscale residential area, was crowded with people chatting and enjoying walking their dogs. Shortly after 5:00 p.m., a couple dressed in a monotone color coordinated outfit came to the park. Perhaps they were on their way home from shopping, their big-sized eco-bag was bulging. They were stretching in the park, standing around chatting with a neighbor they knew well, and petting a dog that was jerking around at their feet. …… Masato Sakai (50) and Miho Kanno (46), who are known as the husband-and-wife duo of two major actors, are not playing any part in their daily lives, and it is truly a very funny thing to see.

We often see the two of them together. Their husbands are just as you see them in the commercials, always smiling. He greets me and rarely wears a disguise. Both of them are so friendly that you wouldn’t think they were big celebrities.

In 2001, the couple surprised the public by announcing their marriage without any dating reports. This April marks the couple’s 11th wedding anniversary, and their life together is quite normal.

They are often seen going out by train or riding around town on their mom’s bicycle. They also flew economy class and used reasonably priced baby carriers instead of brand-name ones, which became a topic of conversation,” says entertainment reporter Kaoru Shimada.

At the end of 2010, just before turning 50, Sakai left the Tanabe Agency, to which he had belonged for 28 years, and established his own agency the following month. His first film after leaving the agency was the drama “VIVANT” (TBS), which he starred in last July. The drama was a great success, achieving an average household rating of 14.3% and a final episode of 19.6%, making it the top-ranked drama in terms of viewer ratings in 2011. As if taking over the baton from Sakai, Kanno starred in the October cool drama “Yuria Sensei no Akai Ito” (TV Asahi), in which she played a housewife who lives powerfully while being tossed about by tumultuous circumstances.

Last year was the first time in about a year and a half for Ms. Sakai and two and a half years for Ms. Kanno to star in a drama series. Offers for the two actresses have been constant, but since the birth of their child, they have been saving their work and making time to face their child. They also seem to have a rule that they do not take on dramas in the same season, so when one of them is busy, the other is actively involved in housework and childcare. This is the very ideal image of a working family,” said Shimada.

Currently, the movie “Dear Family,” in which Kanno plays the wife of the lead actor, Yo Oizumi (51), is scheduled to be released on June 14. Perhaps taking into account that she will be busy with PR activities for the movie, Sakai only appears in commercials for Marubeni, Open House, McDonald’s, Suntory “Iemon”, and others.

Sakai’s “VIVANT” was shot on location overseas for two and a half months, making for a grueling shooting schedule. Since Mr. Sakai is also known as a “handsome man,” it is conceivable that he may concentrate on raising his children for a while.

He gives his all in both his work and private life! Perhaps that is the secret to the happiness of “the most powerful Alafina couple in the entertainment industry.

From “FRIDAY” May 3, 2024 issue