<figure id="attachment_479079" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-479079" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="95c92dff"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/dcf1de6ca906e70a4e53cf874ca3957d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-479079" class="wp-caption-text">When reports surfaced about his romantic relationship with Haruka Ayase, Jesse sparked controversy with his comment: “We’re on good terms. Boom.”</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Kazuya Kamenashi, Daiki Shigeoka, and Takahiro Hamada of “WEST.” Share News of Their Happiness</h3>
<p> Following last year’s weddings of Tadayoshi Okura (41) and Koichi Domoto (47), marriages among former Johnny&#8217;s Associates (now START O ENTERTAINMENT) talents are continuing this year as well.</p>
<p> In April, Yuto Nakajima (33) of the former “Hey! Say! JUMP’ Yuto Nakajima (33) announced his marriage to actress Yuko Araki (32), and in June, former ‘KAT-TUN’ member Kazuya Kamenashi (40) and freelance announcer and actress Minami Tanaka (39) jointly announced not only their marriage but also that she was expecting their first child.In August, Daiki Shigeoka (34) and Takahiro Hamada (37) of “WEST.” both announced their marriages simultaneously.</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> “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.</span></p>
<p> Behind this series of marriages lies the shift to the STARTO corporate structure.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “During the old Johnny&#8217;s era, it was whispered 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 when it comes to romance,” (ibid.)</span></p>
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<p> 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.”</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “The two have continued their relationship even after the reports. I had heard they planned to marry when Ayase turned 40, but it seems they postponed it for the sake of their fans. That’s because this year marks the sixth anniversary of ‘SixTONES’ CD debut.They hold the number 6—which is part of their group name—in high regard, and they have stadium concerts scheduled across the country from September through November. It’s said they decided against getting married before this important milestone.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Put another way, once the tour is over, there will be no more obstacles to marriage for Jesse. It’s likely they’ll tie the knot either after the tour or sometime in the New Year, following the group’s annual New Year’s Eve countdown concert.”</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" What about Ren Nagase, Kento Nakajima, and Ryuhei Maruyama’s weddings…?"></div>
<figure id="attachment_480298" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-480298" style="width: 1357px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d54f76d7"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/09/b0621884b43b10cfa8b71e4156d927ce.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-480298" class="wp-caption-text">In ’23, Maruyama was on his way to a live music show. He appeared at the entrance, where a shuttle was waiting, alongside the girlfriend that FRIDAY had exposed</figcaption></figure>
<h3> That idol who changed his mind</h3>
<p> Ryuhei Maruyama (42) of “SUPER EIGHT,” whose serious relationship with a girlfriend 19 years his junior was reported by FRIDAY in ’23, is also being speculated to be a potential candidate for marriage.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “On a variety show he appeared on in ’22, Maruyama stated, ‘As long as I’m doing this job, I’ve given up on marriage.’ However, since then, the former Johnny&#8217;s agency has been dissolved, and it seems his feelings are beginning to change.After all, following the aforementioned Tadayoshi Okura, Shingo Murakami (42) from the same group also married a non-celebrity woman in her 20s last year.Maruyama is scheduled to star in the semi-autobiographical stage play *water* from September through November, and it seems likely that a marriage announcement will be made at the end of the year, once this milestone production wraps up.” (Producer of a major network music program)</span></p>
<p> Attention is also focused on Kento Nakajima (32), who left “Sexy Zone” (now “timeless”) in ’24.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “In 2024, *Josei Seven* reported that Nakajima had traveled to the Vatican with former *E-girls* member Reina Washio (32).He had previously stated in a magazine interview that he ‘wants to get married’ and that ‘if I were to take someone special, I’d take them to the Vatican City State,’ leading many to believe his marriage was just around the corner. However, it seems the plans have been delayed slightly due to his busy schedule with his solo music career and acting work.Nakajima is set to embark on his first-ever Asian tour starting this August. He appears to be quite committed to it, so the wedding will likely take place after the tour ends.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Ren Nagase (27) of “King &amp; Prince” was also photographed spending the night with Minami Hamabe (25), but with the group currently operating as a duo, getting married now would be too risky.“Koji Mukai (32) of ‘Snow Man’ has also been the subject of reports about a passionate romance with a TV personality, but with a five-major-dome tour coming up in October, I don’t see him tying the knot anytime soon,” said the entertainment agency executive mentioned earlier.</span></p>
<p> A wave of weddings looks set to continue from the end of the year through the New Year.</p>
<figure id="attachment_480301" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-480301" style="width: 1605px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a7bfc862"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/09/8d5f9476f3b2641896501c45b9504b5d.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-480301" class="wp-caption-text"> Last year, Kento Nakajima sent a congratulatory message when Tadayoshi Okura of “SUPER EIGHT” got married. Maybe it’s his turn next.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_479084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-479084" style="width: 2343px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8cd8b763"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/e6cb2eb988c916f12ddbf1404c2259a9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-479084" class="wp-caption-text"> Shigeoka on the set of a drama in which he starred in 2021. In a comment posted on the STARTO website, he also announced the birth of his first child.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_479083" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-479083" style="width: 2185px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7d6d02f2"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/08/ec148ead8afb8fc539b294645a883809.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-479083" class="wp-caption-text"> On New Year’s Day 2024, it was reported that Kamenashi was in a serious relationship with Tanaka. Although rumors of a breakup circulated at one point, the couple tied the knot two and a half years after the initial reports.</figcaption></figure>
<p> From the September 11 &amp; 18, 2026, combined issue of *FRIDAY*</p>


 Takeo Kessoku (SixTONES) / Yusuke Kondo (Shigeoka & Kamenashi) / Shu Nishihara (Maruyama) / Ichiro Takatsuka (Nakajima)

 Following last year’s weddings of Tadayoshi Okura and Koichi Domoto, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (formerly Johnny's) is seeing a string of marriages among its talent in ’26 as well. After Yuto Nakajima, Kazuya Kamenashi, and Daiki Shigeoka, here are the three others rumored to be getting married—

[Full Article] Will the Marriage Rush Continue in the Second Half of &#8217;26? The Real Names of 3 &#8220;Former Johnny&#8217;s Idols Set to Tie the Knot Next&#8221;

[Full Article] Will the Marriage Rush Continue in the Second Half of ’26? The Real Names of 3 “Former Johnny’s Idols Set to Tie the Knot Next”

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