Will the Wedding Craze Continue in the Second Half of 2026? The Real Names of “Former Johnny’s Idols Set to Tie the Knot Next”

Following Kamenashi and Shigeoka, the next to tie the knot will be…

Following last year’s weddings of Tadayoshi Okura (41) and Koichi Domoto (47), there has been a string of marriages this year as well among former Johnny’s (now STARTO ENTERTAINMENT) talents.

In April, Yuto Nakajima (33) of the former “Hey! Say! JUMP” member Yuto Nakajima (33) announced his marriage to actress Yuko Araki (32), and in June, former “KAT-TUN” member Kazuya Kamenashi (40) and freelance announcer/actress Minami Tanaka (39) jointly announced the pregnancy of their first child.In August, Daiki Shigeoka (34) and Takahiro Hamada (37) of “WEST.” both announced their marriages simultaneously.

“While Nakajima and Kamenashi—whose relationship had long been reported—were expected, Shigeoka and Hamada came completely out of the blue. With this, four out of the seven members of ‘WEST.’ are now married, sending fans into a panic,” said a sports newspaper entertainment reporter.

Behind this series of marriages lies the agency’s transition to the STARTO structure.

“During the old Johnny’s & Associates era, it was rumored that there were unwritten rules such as ‘marriage is only allowed after turning 40’ and ‘only one member per group can get married.’ However, the agency was dissolved following the sexual abuse scandal involving the late Johnny Kitagawa. STARTO was then established, distancing itself from the founding family.By bringing in an outside president and making a fresh start, the agency has become more inclined to respect the talents’ wishes regarding romantic relationships,” (same source)

There is no longer any “pressure” standing in the way of their marriages, and it is said that three “former Johnny’s” members are expected to tie the knot in the second half of this year.An executive at a major talent agency named Jesse (30) of “SixTONES”—whose relationship with actress Haruka Ayase (41) was reported in 2024—as the “frontrunner.”

“The two have continued their relationship even after the reports. I’d heard they had planned to marry around the time Ayase turned 40, but it seems they postponed it for the sake of their fans.”

This is because this year marks the sixth anniversary of ‘SixTONES’ CD debut. They cherish the number 6, which is part of their group name, and they have stadium concerts scheduled across the country from September through November. They reportedly decided against getting married because they couldn’t do so ahead of such an important milestone.

Put another way, once the tour is over, there will be no obstacles left for Jesse to get married. It’s likely they’ll tie the knot either after the tour or sometime in the New Year, following the group’s annual year-end countdown concert.”

The September 11 & 18 issue of *FRIDAY*, on sale August 28, and the paid version *FRIDAY GOLD* reveal the names of the remaining two former Johnny’s talents.

Click here for more details and multiple photos ↓↓

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