BE:FIRST’s Ryoki Miyama Parts Ways Shows Respect to Father-In-Law Yutaka Mizutani

His music career and acting career are managed by separate agencies

Can he overcome these difficulties—?

RYOKI of BE:FIRST, also known as actor Ryōki Miyama (26), who was recently reported to be involved in an engagement scandal, announced both his independence and a hiatus from activities.

Fans were initially confused by the seemingly conflicting announcements, but it was later clarified that he would be leaving both Flash Up étoile (hereafter Flash Up), the agency managing his acting career, and BMSG, the management company behind BE:FIRST, to go independent. He will also be taking an indefinite hiatus from his activities as a BE:FIRST member.

Miyama made his acting debut back in 2016, before his BE:FIRST activities. Last year, his popularity surged after playing the heroine’s younger brother in the NHK morning drama Tora ni Tsubasa, starring Sairi Itō.

In the midst of this success came the revelation of his engagement troubles with R-chan, a female YouTuber and apparel company president. According to Shūkan Bunshun’s April 24th issue, Miyama secretly got engaged to R-chan in 2022. Over the course of their relationship, she allegedly provided him with over 100 million yen in gifts — including a 2 million yen monthly allowance, a luxury foreign car, and even dental implant surgery fees for his mother — before their eventual breakup.

In response, Miyama admitted to his past relationship with R-chan, but denied any wrongdoing such as marriage fraud, stating:

“There’s nothing illegal about what happened.”

BE:FIRST producer SKY-HI commented on social media:

“The fact that he allowed his relationship issues to become so messy already reflects significant fault.”

Yet he also pledged his continued support, adding:

“I firmly vow to devote myself to nurturing people with imagination moving forward.”

At one point, it seemed the scandal might settle quietly — but just then, news broke of Miyama’s marriage to actress Shuri (34), the daughter of veteran actor Yutaka Mizutani (72) and actress Ran Itō.

Ordinarily, this would have been considered joyful news, but because of the preceding engagement scandal, it became a delicate, untouchable matter. According to a sports newspaper’s entertainment reporter:

“Originally, the announcement of their marriage was planned for early May, but it was postponed due to the engagement scandal report. Along the way, there were even rumors that Yutaka Mizutani was furious over the situation. In reality, Mizutani apparently had no idea about the trouble at all — it came as a complete shock to him.”

The reporter revealed the behind-the-scenes details.

“Even after my time is over, if Shuri takes over, I’ll be happy.”

Miyama’s habits with women have never been particularly good. Back in 2021, during the BE:FIRST audition, he was caught in an overnight scandal with an actress and was harshly reprimanded by those around him.

“Even among BE:FIRST fans, frustration toward Miyama, who’s had a negative impact on the group, has reached a boiling point. Many believed it would be unacceptable for him to face no consequences, and it seems that part of the reasoning behind leaving the two agencies this time was to draw a clear line,” said the aforementioned sports newspaper reporter.

In a statement posted on his official website, Miyama announced:

“I’ve decided to go independent because I believe it’s time for me to walk my own path.”

Meanwhile, BMSG explained that BE:FIRST would suspend RYOKI’s activities after their July 5 Singapore performance — but notably used the term hiatus rather than departure, hinting at a degree of consideration.

“The judgment is that Miyama needs a period of reflection. As for his relationship with Shuri, while he’s currently saying, ‘I can’t talk about it right now,’ it seems their marriage plans remain unchanged. I’ve heard that the hiatus also serves as a way to show accountability to his future father-in-law, Mizutani,” said a music industry insider.

In 2023, Mizutani established a new company called Trysome Bros, listing Shuri as a managing partner. In a November 2023 Bunshun Online interview, Mizutani explained his reason for launching the company:

“I wanted to create a space where Shuri could take on projects she loves. And if Shuri takes over after my time is up, it can continue on.”

An executive from a talent agency commented:

“The only actors officially affiliated with the new company are Mizutani and his wife, Ran Itō. It’s essentially a family-run agency. Within the industry, there’s already speculation that Miyama might eventually sign with them. The advantages are twofold: Miyama has long wanted to focus more on acting, and having Mizutani as a backer would be a huge asset. For the agency, having Miyama under their direct supervision would allow them to keep a close eye on him. At this point, it’s safe to say he won’t be able to afford any more scandals.”

When asked BMSG about when RYOKI might return to BE:FIRST, they replied:

“Nothing has been decided at this time. As announced, he will not be participating in the fan meeting tour starting in November, so if there is a chance for his return, it would be sometime after that.”

And when asked if there were any conditions for his return, the response was:

“At this stage, no conditions have been set, and we regret to say we’re unable to comment further.”

The contrasting approaches between his music and acting agencies — and the underlying relationship with Shuri and the Mizutani family — paint a complex picture. It remains to be seen what path Miyama’s entertainment career will take from here.