<figure id="attachment_476671" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1009px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476671"><em><a href="#" data-ident_hash="1017bc06"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/f165db5bddcef17e2777032833520f67.jpeg" alt=""></a></em><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476671" class="wp-caption-text">Haruna Kawaguchi filming a movie in Chiba City in late July</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Another woman took over for the more physically demanding scenes</h2>
<p class="PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer" data-start="162" data-end="257"><strong data-start="162" data-end="257">“We, Ko Itakura and Haruna Kawaguchi, are pleased to announce that we have gotten married.”</strong></p>
<p data-start="259" data-end="466">On August 2, actress Haruna Kawaguchi (31) updated her social media and jointly announced her marriage to Ko Itakura (29), a Japan national team defender who plays for Dutch club AFC Ajax. She also revealed:</p>
<p data-start="468" data-end="593"><strong data-start="468" data-end="593">“We are also expecting a baby. We hope to spend our days peacefully as we look forward to the safe arrival of our child.”</strong></p>
<p data-start="595" data-end="877"><strong data-start="595" data-end="849">“On July 18, Bunshun Online broke the news of their relationship. According to the report, they began dating last year, and Kawaguchi had apparently traveled to the Netherlands numerous times. There had also been speculation that they would marry.”</strong> (Sports newspaper reporter)</p>
<p data-start="879" data-end="1290">Kawaguchi stars in the movie &#8220;Even If Mom Is No Longer in This World,&#8221; scheduled for release on October 2, playing the protagonist, who has been diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and given a limited time to live. She appears dramatically thinner in the film, prompting reports expressing concern about her health, but it seems that during this period she was also quietly nurturing her relationship overseas.</p>
<p data-start="1292" data-end="1367">Kawaguchi is currently pregnant, but what will happen to her acting career?</p>
<p data-start="1369" data-end="1568">In late July, &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221; spotted Kawaguchi at a park near the waterfront in Chiba City. It was a sunny summer day from early morning, with a high of 32°C and humidity around 80%, making it hot and muggy.</p>
<p data-start="1570" data-end="2061"><strong data-start="1570" data-end="2018">“The filming that day was for a new movie starring Kawaguchi. She was preparing for the shoot with a large crew on a pedestrian bridge over the park. Kawaguchi was wearing a loose-fitting costume, and her makeup looked completely different as well. She looked slightly fuller, so at first I didn&#8217;t realize it was Kawaguchi. But after watching for a while, I realized who she was and thought perhaps she had changed her appearance for the role.”</strong>(Local resident who witnessed the filming)</p>
<p data-start="2063" data-end="2180">After a briefing, filming began and proceeded smoothly, but there was one scene that caught the resident&#8217;s attention.</p>
<p data-start="2182" data-end="2486"><strong data-start="2182" data-end="2470">“A woman appeared with exactly the same hairstyle and costume as Kawaguchi. When they began filming a scene involving fairly intense movements, that woman performed it. I thought she might be a stand-in for the rehearsal, but it&#8217;s possible that she performed the actual take as well.”</strong> (Same resident)</p>
<p data-start="2488" data-end="2743">Meanwhile, after the World Cup ended, Itakura returned to the Netherlands, where Ajax is based, and rejoined the team. However, overseas media have reported that he could leave the club, with a potential move to a Saudi Arabian club also being considered.</p>
<p data-start="2745" data-end="3001" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="">Even so, given that the two announced on social media, <strong data-start="2800" data-end="2875">“We hope to support one another and build a family filled with smiles,”</strong> there is no doubt that they will build a happy family together, regardless of the distance between them or where they may be.</p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Haruna Kawaguchi filming a movie despite being pregnant"></div>
<figure id="attachment_476672" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 928px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476672"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b980a755"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/1dc22e2296016849c7305f84689ca6cf.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476672" class="wp-caption-text">Haruna Kawaguchi during a pre-shoot meeting with the staff</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_476674" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1259px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476674"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="716f44bc"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/e03da2b7456bbd8df1d639e2863d8e85.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476674" class="wp-caption-text">It might be partly due to her makeup, but she looks a bit fuller-faced</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_476675" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2266px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476675"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="80691b1f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/9dc500a23a9334dd2ddd87e6bdf7357b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476675" class="wp-caption-text">Haruna Kawaguchi plays a bride battling cancer in her starring film set for release in October. Her dramatic weight loss had been making headlines.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_476676" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1359px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-476676"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="848387ef"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/bef6307d3e21590617e85dbe1ffdb631.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-476676" class="wp-caption-text">Ko Itakura, who returned to Japan after the World Cup</figcaption></figure>


 Kumatarō Arai (Photos 1–4), Sōta Shima (Photo 5)

 Haruna Kawaguchi announced her marriage to Japanese national soccer team defender Ko Itakura and her pregnancy on August 2. In late July, she was spotted filming a movie. She appeared slightly fuller-figured, and there was a rather unusual scene during the shoot...

【Exclusive】Haruna Kawaguchi Announces Marriage and Pregnancy—Another Woman Steps In for Her Film’s Action Scenes

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