Will the 2026 Marriage Boom Continue? The Former Johnny’s Idols Reportedly Next in Line to Tie the Knot

Who will be the next to tie the knot after Kamenashi and Shigeoka?

Following Tadayoshi Ohkura (41) last year and Koichi Domoto (47), marriages among talents formerly affiliated with the former Johnny & Associates (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT) have continued one after another this year.

In April, Yuto Nakajima (33), formerly of Hey! Say! JUMP, announced that he had married actress Yuko Araki (32). Then, in June, Kazuya Kamenashi (40), formerly of KAT-TUN, jointly announced with freelance announcer and actress Minami Tanaka (39) that they were expecting their first child. In August, Daiki Shigeoka (34) and Takahiro Hamada (37) of WEST. simultaneously announced that they had tied the knot.

“While Nakajima and Kamenashi, whose relationships had been reported previously, were not entirely unexpected, Shigeoka and Hamada were completely off everyone’s radar. With this, four of the seven members of ‘WEST.’ are now married, leaving fans in a panic,” said an entertainment reporter for a sports newspaper.

Behind this series of marriages is the transition to the new STARTO company structure.

“During the former Johnny’s era, there were whispers of unwritten rules such as don’t get married until you’re in your 40s and only one person in a group can get married. However, following the sexual abuse scandal involving the late Johnny Kitagawa, the agency was dismantled. STARTO was established at a distance from the founding family. With an outside president brought in to rebuild the company, talents’ wishes have become more likely to be respected when it comes to their romantic relationships,” the same source said.

With the pressure that once stood in the way of their marriages seemingly gone, there are reportedly three former Johnny’s talents who are expected to tie the knot in the second half of this year. The executive of a major entertainment agency named Jesse (30) of SixTONES, whose relationship with actress Haruka Ayase (41) was reported in 2024, as the front-runner.

“The two have continued their relationship even after the reports. I heard they had been planning to get married around the time Ayase turned 40, but it seems they postponed it for the sake of the fans.

That is because this year marks the sixth anniversary of SixTONES’ CD debut. The members place great importance on the number six, which is part of their group name, and they have stadium concerts scheduled in various locations from September through November. Apparently, they decided they could not get married ahead of such an important milestone.

Conversely, once the tour is over, there will be no obstacle to Jesse getting married. Perhaps they will tie the knot after the tour, or sometime in the New Year after the annual year-end countdown concert.”

The August 28 issue of “FRIDAY” (September 11–18 issue) and the paid edition, “FRIDAY GOLD,” reveal the names of the two remaining former Johnny’s talents.

For those who would like to see the full details and multiple photos, click here↓↓

From the September 11 & 18, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”