Hitoshi Matsumoto

Downtown's Matsumoto announces shotgun marriage to ex-weathergirl

Monday 18th May, 12:45 PM JST

TOKYO —

Popular comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto has married a woman from outside show business and she is expected to give birth to a baby by the end of this year, his office Yoshimoto Kogyo said Sunday.

In the staement, Matsumoto commented, “I thought it would have been better to call a press conference, but decided not to because it’s a little embarrassing. “It’s a delicate time, so please let us alone as much as possible.’’

Tabloid newspapers said the woman Matsumoto married is Rin Ihara, 26, a former weathergirl.

Matsumoto, 45, formed ‘‘manzai’’ comic backchat duo Downtown in 1982 with Masatoshi Hamada, 46, and has been active in many TV variety shows.

He published ‘‘Isho’’ (Farewell Note), a collection of essays, in 1994 and it became one of the bestsellers of the year.

Matsumoto directed, produced and starred in the 2007 movie ‘‘Dainipponjin’’ (Giant Japanese).

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 46 Total Comments Show All

likeitis at 10:42 PM JST - 18th May

Sarge: OK, please give us a good translation.

Bun-in-the-oven wedding. A Stork-in-flight matrimony. Tying the knot with a finger in the bow.

Sorry, that was three. Oh, and they were not translations. But honestly, there are not any available. I mispoke earlier. We need a new term to describe this Japanese only term.
seesaw at 11:37 PM JST - 18th May

I could be wrong, but knowing this sort of dekichatta kekkon stories, they always ended up ...tolerating the rest of their lives or divorce. But again, J women are very tolerant people. She probably would continue to tolerate all his nonsense....as long as she has the monthly access to his fat pay checks...
veilside at 12:00 AM JST - 19th May

Ihara's 19 years his junior and got pregnant resulting in marriage. My wife's 17 years my junior and she wasn't pregnant. I still can't figure out why she married me.
northlondon at 12:32 AM JST - 19th May

My wife's 17 years my junior and she wasn't pregnant. I still can't figure out why she married me.

Don't put yourself down my man. The younger ladies always fall for an older guy. The older guys have life experience, know about good sex and are more patient. Older guys also make more money than younger guys.
veilside at 02:30 AM JST - 19th May

Older guys also make more money than younger guys.

But we're just as broke... lol
ca1ic0cat at 02:40 AM JST - 19th May

Going to be an interesting honeymoon, I guess....
motytrah at 02:58 AM JST - 19th May

Is there some rule where pretty idols and TV personalities have to marry comedians?
Sarge at 05:42 AM JST - 19th May

likeitis - I really prefer "shotgun wedding" to your other choices.

I imagine some Japanese fathers of their unmarried pregnant daughters might make it a "naifu wedding."
bdiego at 07:21 AM JST - 19th May

likeitis, you just gave three bad translations. Your problem with shotgun marriage is probably related to confusion over how it's used today even in the West. It used to mean one thing (forced marriage), but these days it means exactly the same thing as dekichatta kekkon (obligation marriage due to pregnancy). They're both idioms referring to the same phenomenon, and as idioms their meaning is entirely dependent on present usage.
zaichik at 08:07 AM JST - 19th May

But we're just as broke... lol

In that case, my dear, you must be a very nice chap.
Nessie at 04:37 PM JST - 19th May

Going to be an interesting honeymoon, I guess....

Partly sunny, becoming cloudy later on. Whinges at 5 to 10 nots.
kirakira25 at 09:59 AM JST - 21st May

Downtown's Matsumoto announces shotgun marriage to ex-weathergirl

Is there any other kind of marriage here?
andrewfx51 at 07:22 PM JST - 21st May

Matsumoto~! Out~!
jonnyboy at 07:28 PM JST - 21st May

Is there some rule where pretty idols and TV personalities have to marry comedians?

perhaps it helps to have a sense of humour
JpnDude at 05:33 PM JST - 22nd May

What is gonna happen with Tokiwa Takako? Weren't they secretly an item for years and years but he never committed to her?