Kyoko Koizumi Hit by Breakup Reports—Revisiting Her Serious Romance with Kosuke Toyohara

“Ever since I entered my 50s, I’ve stopped going out drinking. Is that really okay? I’m worried I’ll end up dying alone.”

This was the surprisingly candid response Kyoko Koizumi (60) gave in a questionnaire for a variety show last year. She went on to reveal even more about her private life:

“People tend to think my everyday life is glamorous because I’ve spent so long in the entertainment industry, but when I’m not working, I stay at home all the time. I eat out only about three times a year. I don’t travel either.”

A year has passed since then. After completing her 60th anniversary concert tour in May this year, Koizumi announced that she would be taking a break for the remainder of 2026.

“At the time, Kyon Kyon’s unexpectedly modest lifestyle attracted a great deal of attention. Then, on May 9 this year—the day before the final performance of her nationwide KK60: ‘Koizumi Memorial Museum’ – ‘KYOKO KOIZUMI TOUR 2026’—she announced that she would be taking a hiatus for the rest of the year. A few days later, a weekly magazine reported that she had broken up with actor Kosuke Toyohara (60), creating another wave of headlines. Both the hiatus and the breakup seem to represent the beginning of a new chapter in Koizumi’s life. Looking at her current situation, the seemingly casual stories she shared about her private life back then now feel like foreshadowing of the changes that were to come.” (Sports newspaper reporter)

Looking back at the full story of the affair

Looking back—

One evening in late February 2015, after finishing a stage performance at a theater in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, Koizumi headed to a bar near her home. Waiting for her at the counter was Toyohara.

As they shared drinks, they spoke quietly with one another. Rather than displaying the passion of new lovers, they gave the impression of a long-married couple, suggesting that a deep sense of trust had already developed between them.

About two hours later, Koizumi left the bar first. Toyohara followed some time afterward and headed straight to the apartment building where she lived.

A few days later, this magazine spotted the pair again, this time at an eel restaurant near Koizumi’s home.

Sitting side by side at the counter, they chatted about work over beer and hot sake. At one point, Toyohara grumbled:

“They called me a middle schooler, but that guy’s below elementary school level.”

Koizumi neither reprimanded him nor agreed with him outright. Instead, she quietly listened while eating shiitake mushrooms, nodding along.

Their conversation eventually turned to health.

“They say drinking yogurt at night is good for you. I do feel more refreshed when I wake up.”

Toyohara brushed off her theory, replying:

“I don’t feel like drinking that.”

Koizumi simply laughed it off.

As the dinner drew to a close, hinting at the dynamic between the two, they ordered a bowl of rice and grilled eel. They appeared to share the rice, but perhaps it wasn’t enough, because the following exchange could be overheard.

“I guess I’ll have to cook some rice at home.”

Koizumi said this, to which Toyohara replied:

“Of course.”

Then, smiling as she tilted her head, she asked:

“You like your rice on the firmer side, right? Or was it softer?”

The scene left a lasting impression because of the affectionate way Koizumi deferred to Toyohara.

The reporter’s notes from the time describe Koizumi as staying close to him while letting him take the lead. After paying the bill, the two left the restaurant separately, a short time apart, and returned to Koizumi’s apartment building.

A symbol of the outspoken idol

Afterward, Koizumi became a steadfast supporter of Toyohara’s career. In 2018, she announced a hiatus from acting to focus on stage production and producing. The following year, she served as producer for “Goke-yasu to Sono Imōto (The Widow Yasu and Her Younger Sister),” a stage production that Toyohara planned, wrote, directed, and starred in.

Entertainment critic Takeshi Misugi commented on their relationship:

“Ms. Koizumi is known as someone who values loyalty and human connections, with a nurturing, big-sister personality. In romance as well, she seems to be the type who devotes herself completely to the person she loves. As for her relationship with Mr. Toyohara, I believe she was attracted not only to him as a man but also to his talents as an actor and creator. She likely had a strong desire to support his work and pursue their dreams together. My impression is that they were partners in every sense, both professionally and personally. In fact, at the productions Toyohara was involved in, Koizumi would greet members of the press and sit in on interviews, quietly supporting the project from behind the scenes.”

In recent years, Koizumi has also drawn attention for speaking out on social issues. At her concert at the Nippon Budokan in May, she incorporated a reading of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and an anti-war message into the performance, sparking both praise and criticism on social media. The ability to communicate her views so powerfully—something she cultivated during her idol days—remains as strong as ever, even at the age of 60.

Misugi offered this assessment of her unwavering approach:

“When Koizumi debuted, she wore the then-fashionable ‘Seiko-chan cut.’ But without telling her manager or staff, she cut her hair short and even began choosing her own costumes. Her exceptional sense of self-production broke away from the conventional image of a female idol and captivated many fans. Even from a young age, she wasn’t afraid to make waves or assert herself. That determination to stick to her own convictions has always been one of her greatest strengths.

“Her so-called ‘adultery declaration,’ as well as her candid remarks in recent years on political and social issues, have certainly stirred controversy. Regardless of the specific opinions she expressed, however, that unwavering consistency is unmistakably Koizumi. I imagine many people in the entertainment industry admire the way she lives her life.”

Then came the recent reports of their breakup.

Perhaps the relationship the two maintained while enduring public criticism cannot be fully described by simply labeling it an affair.

Now that her approximately 11-year relationship with Toyohara is said to have come to an end, Koizumi finds herself at a major turning point, both professionally and personally. Having reached the age of 60, she has announced that she will take the rest of the year off and become, in her own words, a traveler.

“She debuted at 16 and has remained at the forefront of the entertainment industry for decades. Even in recent years, she has stayed remarkably active, appearing in the hit drama ‘Zoku Zoku Saigo kara Nibanme no Koi,’ as well as the films ‘Umi no Chinmoku (Silence of the Sea)’, ‘Goban Giri’, ‘i ai’, ‘Toritsukushima’, and ‘Muroi Shinji: Ikitsuzukeru Mono.’ She has also continued releasing new music and performing live. Going forward, I think she’ll move even more at her own pace and take on the things she truly wants to do,” Misugi said.

Now that she has closed the chapter on her relationship with Toyohara, what new horizons will this outspoken idol, who has always stayed one step ahead of her era, set out to discover?