Ai Fukuhara Debuts in Chinese PR Video Focuses on China

I grew up surrounded by Chinese friends

Former Japanese national table tennis player Ai Fukuhara (36) has sparked attention by appearing in a promotional video for Chengdu, a major city in Sichuan Province, China.

The promotional video is about 7 minutes long, where Fukuhara plays a female CEO who tours Chengdu with her subordinate in a “Chengdu Business Trip Manual.” It has garnered around 700,000 views, and Fukuhara has also shared it on China’s social media platform Weibo.

“In the video, Fukuhara shows a comedic performance, and despite being inexperienced, she delivers her lines quite well, possibly due to the director’s good guidance. The video was filmed in various locations to showcase Chengdu’s attractions, and even includes skydiving in the final scenes, showing that time and money were invested in the production. Chengdu is a major city with a population of 17 million and is known as the hometown of the giant panda. Fukuhara has truly become the face of China now,” said a TV station reporter.

In the comment section of Weibo, viewers showed their support with comments like:

“New Ai-chan! Keep it up!”

“It feels like the second year of a Japanese drama.”

Additionally, Fukuhara received the “Special Award for Japan-China Friendship” at the 7th “Unforgettable China Stay Episode” Essay Contest held at the Chinese Embassy in Japan on December 27 last year. On Weibo, she commented:

“I grew up in China, surrounded by Chinese friends, and now I visit China almost every month.”

The impression of Ai Fukuhara worsened due to her custody dispute with her ex-husband, Chiang Hung-Chieh 

At the awards ceremony, Fukuhara gave a speech, and notable attendees included Hiroshi Moriyama, the Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party and Chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentary League, as well as former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe. Fukuhara seemed to have become a true bridge between Japan and China.

However, Fukuhara’s activities aren’t solely driven by a simple love for China.

“In Japan, she has a strong image associated with the scandal of her extramarital affair, and the custody dispute with her ex-husband Chiang Hung-Chieh further tarnished her reputation. According to Chiang, after Fukuhara took their eldest son to Japan in July 2022, she became unreachable, leading to criminal charges. This escalated into international criticism, with accusations of abduction or kidnapping. The two eventually reconciled in March of the following year, restoring their joint custody. Fukuhara has stopped updating her Instagram and X accounts, only posting on Chinese social media platforms like Weibo and TikTok. It seems like she has almost given up on activities in Japan,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

Having found success in China, a country with a population of 1.4 billion, Fukuhara is in a market that dwarfs Japan’s.

“As a star in China’s national sport, table tennis, Fukuhara enjoys exceptional recognition. She speaks fluent Chinese, and her divorce from her Taiwanese ex-husband has further improved her image among Chinese people. Shifting her business focus to China seems like a very rational move. She truly has the potential to become a valuable asset as a bridge between Japan and China,” commented an advertising industry insider.

The day Fukuhara fully realizes her China Dream may be closer than we think.