Ryoko Hirosue, Who is Spotted Strolling in Daikanyama, Seems Fully Motivated to Resume Her Activities

It’s been five months since the double adultery fiasco.

Now, she is well enough to enjoy shopping and lunch on her own.

Her smile was as if something had fallen from her mind. On a sunny autumn morning, a beautiful woman strolling elegantly in Daikanyama (Shibuya Ward). She is actress Ryoko Hirosue (43).

In June of this year, she and chef Shusaku Toba (45) had an affair, which caused quite a stir, and then she announced her divorce from Candle Jun (49). She has been on hiatus for five months and is quietly waiting for an opportunity to return.

 

“Two months after the affair was revealed, Hirosue was already ready to resume her activities. She was going to make a surprise appearance on stage with a singer with whom she had planned to collaborate before her hiatus, but I heard that her agency did its best to stop her. At the time, there was talk of a movie set in her hometown of Kochi Prefecture, and she really wanted to be in it,” said a source at the entertainment agency.

On the same day, Hirosue was in a 2.5-hour meeting at a shared office with a man and woman she was supposedly working with, and she seemed to be working energetically.

On the other hand, Mr. Toba, her partner in the affair, has already resumed his activities, posting videos of his appearances on his YouTube channel. There are plans to open a family restaurant produced by him in Harajuku (Shibuya Ward) next spring. In addition, there is talk of opening restaurants on the West Coast of the United States and in China in the future.

“He is aiming to expand his business overseas by opening both “common-style” and “upscale” restaurants to strike a balance between profits and brand power. However, until now, he has been appearing as a panda to attract customers, but this has been doomed by the affair scandal. It seems that Mr. Toba’s company is more concerned about the damage to his image caused by the affair than he is.”

“Nevertheless, Mr. Toba is basically a confident person. He has always had a yearning to expand overseas, and he probably thinks that the fact that it is harder for him to work in Japan is just another reason for him to try harder overseas.” (food and beverage industry official)

As if trying to shake the series of disturbances from his mind, Mr. Toba has been keeping himself very busy. He will be looking overseas from next year, but it seems that he has not given up on his relationship with Hirosue.

 

“She is still in contact with Mr. Toba. However, this is a hurdle for Hirosue’s return to show business. If the two are meeting while Ms. Toba’s domestic situation has not settled down, they could be said to be continuing their affair. If the situation is not completely resolved, the production and co-stars will be inconvenienced, so I don’t think the office will allow them to return.”

Furthermore, Hirosue is said to be moving on to a new stage of her career.

“She is thinking of moving her base overseas, thinking of her children, who are exposed to the eyes of curiosity in Japan. For this reason, she would like to restart her career as an actress.”

“I also heard that she received an offer for a photo book at an unbeatable rate of pay, but she immediately turned it down. Other offers are on hold, awaiting permission from the office. It seems that there is a difference of opinion between Hirosue, who is very motivated, and the office, which does not want to cause problems.”

Immediately after the affair was revealed, Hirosue looked plump. In the past, she said that she once gained weight on purpose to save work, but now she maintains the same good looks as before the affair.

“She is now being stopped from returning to work by her office, and it seems that independence from the office is also on her mind. However, it is also true that she feels indebted to her family for taking care of her and her family’s needs during the affair, and she is now following the firm’s wishes.”

In anticipation of the busy days that await her after her return, Hirosue took her time to stroll through a flower shop and bookstore before a meeting with her business partner. She smiled as she picked up a Christmas card lined up in the store, perhaps as a gift for her children.

After the meeting, she enjoyed Asian cuisine for lunch. Hirosue, who enjoys her “solitary” time without sunglasses, seems to have peeled off a little more than one or two layers of her skin as a result of the recent turmoil.

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From the December 8-15, 2023 issue of FRIDAY