Ai Kago Caught Selling at a Stall After a Fiery Live Show at the Tokyo Night Market

She passionately sang Morning Musume’s “The☆Peace!”

“Welcome! Would you like a delicious hot dog?”

Calling out brightly in front of a food stall was none other than former Morning Musume member Ai Kago (37).

From May 21 to 25, the Tokyo Night Market was held at Yoyogi Park (Shibuya Ward). The event, themed around “Asian nights” and billed as a “festival of food and live performances lighting up the night,” featured outdoor live shows daily. On the final day, Kago took the stage.

Her set was scheduled for 3:00 p.m., but hours before, the seating area was already packed. By ten minutes before showtime, it was standing-room only, with nearly 200 people crowding the area.

Amid loud cheers, Kago appeared in an orange Lolita-style outfit reminiscent of her Morning Musume days, performing hit songs like The☆Peace! and Renai Revolution 21 without holding back.

“The live performance was about 30 to 40 minutes long, and the energy was just like her Morning Musume days. She hyped up the audience and made it a lively, united crowd. Kago herself seemed to be having a great time. It was such a high-energy stage, you’d never think she’d been away for so long. Everyone was saying, ‘She’s so cute!’ while recording videos on their phones,” said one attendee.

But Kago’s involvement didn’t stop there. After the show, she appeared in a hot dog kitchen car, cheerfully calling out as in the opening line, selling beer and hot dogs and happily interacting with fans. The area around the kitchen car was buzzing, not just with long-time Morning Musume fans, but also with new fans — including families who said, “We just became fans after seeing the live show today.” Kago also took commemorative photos with each visitor. Spotting one of her old-school fans, she joked:

“Getting older, huh? Me too — aged right along with you! (laughs)”

and the group burst into laughter.

“Kago had been away from terrestrial TV for quite some time, but made an appearance late last year on Shikujiri Sensei: Don’t Be Like Me!! (TV Asahi), where for the first time she spoke about the underage smoking scandal from 18 years ago, saying things like, ‘I deeply regret it and couldn’t move forward.’” (TV magazine writer)

On May 30, she appeared on the official YouTube channel for Bato Mura, a Netflix program produced and directed by TV director Nobuyuki Sakuma (49). There, she met comedy duo Reiwa Roman’s Kuruma Takahira (30), who had been suspended over an online casino controversy.

“I’ve had my own time away too, so I guess I’m your senior in suspensions,” she quipped, and when talking to Kuruma’s partner, Kemuri Matsui (32), teased, “With that name Kemuri (smoke), you must be trouble too.”

Her quick-witted remarks left even Sakuma impressed with her variety show instincts.

At this rate, fearless Kago might be heading toward a full return to terrestrial TV.

 

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