Pregnant singer Hitomi marries actor

Saturday 12th July, 07:00 AM JST

TOKYO —

Singer Hitomi, 32, said on her official blog this week that she married actor Masayoshi Haneda, 31, on June 30. Hitomi, who is four months pregnant, said, “I’m surprised by what’s happening to me now but I’m happy, too. I will do my best in my new life.”

Hitomi said the two became friends while she was performing in her first stage play last August, and have been dating since January. She divorced a musician last November.

Latest 15 of 21 Total Comments Show All

bamboohat at 11:11 AM JST - 12th July

Ok, seriously, is there some legal or cultural or social stigma attached to kids being born out of wedlock? Or having a kid out of wedlock? I've read other threads, articles, boards where being married when the child is born (and seemingly ONLY when the child is born) is of the utmost importance, REGARDLESS of the social and financial status of the parents. Having two parents around while the kid grows up seems only be be of secondary importance. Seriously, what's the deal?
timorborder at 12:08 PM JST - 12th July

Don't want to get on a moral bandwagon about this one, however, you have to question this cycle of shotgun weddings, divorce, shotgun weddings, etc.
wanderlust at 12:50 PM JST - 12th July

Busy week, first MEGUMI, now Hitomi.

Big opportunity for family planning....
Crucades at 01:45 PM JST - 12th July

good to see they are getting married before the kid is born, they got morals
Cos at 02:41 PM JST - 12th July

Yes, it causes future problems for the child to be born out of wedlock in Japan.

The koseki system in Japan is rigid. If a child is born during marriage, the 2 parents have a koseki (a file at city hall), and the child is registered on it. Later, for names, inheritance, nationality or whatever, no problem. If a single mother has a child. There is "no father" for administration/school/company/future potential in-laws. That's for all life. Even if the father recognizes the child later, that will never be the same. There is a way for an unmarried father to recognize a child before birth, but it's as complicated, and not equivalent to normal koseki. If both parents are single, getting married is the easiest way.

That said, given the frequency of abortion in Japan, I don't think these stars actually got their babies by accident. It's just that without a baby, they wouldn't bother getting married and would just move in together. And well, in entertainment world, couples don't last much. That doesn't mean parents are not taking care of children. It seems they share (the factual) custody after separation much more than average divorced Japanese.
kimigano at 03:32 PM JST - 12th July

That said, given the frequency of abortion in Japan, I don't think these stars actually got their babies by accident.

I'm not sure. Look at the abortion numbers and the number of fertile women in their 20s-30s. The average woman thus has something like 3.2 abortions in her life. At some point, they get dangerous to do. No one wants to say it, but a lot of these girls who have had 4,5,6,7 abortions are infertile and that's killing the birthrate.
Pukey2 at 03:53 PM JST - 12th July

It's just that without a baby, they wouldn't bother getting married and would just move in together.

Yeah, stupid me. There I was, thinking people would marry each other out of love and not have to be pushed into it by a pregnancy!

The koseki system in Japan is rigid.

That's an understatement! I sometimes feel we're living in the middle ages. Either that, or some sort of immaculate conception seems to exist in Japan.
realist at 04:23 PM JST - 12th July

"Im surprised about whats happening to me" The quote of the century!! Duh - never heard of condoms, dear?
bamboohat at 05:29 PM JST - 12th July

Thanks Cos, I didn't know that.
Spiraling69 at 07:41 PM JST - 12th July

Pukey2 - thats not always the Japanese way. Abortion in Japan is epidemic. I have a sad story of what happened to me. Its been three years now and I'm still not fully over it, guess Ill never will be 100%. My Japanese GF was 6 months pregnant and I was in the process of getting married(paper work) when she left my place while I was sleeping. Her parents hated me. I didnt see her for another month and she wouldnt answer her phone, but the next time I did she wasnt pregnant anymore. She had to of got an induced birth/abortion. She brought my baby's ashes back to me in a little black box... I dont believe its legal in the US after the second trimester, but in Japan its a different story. I left Japan soon after this happened. Very sad...
GUNOT at 12:39 AM JST - 13th July

she's hot
outofmydepth at 10:09 AM JST - 13th July

who`s name will be on the koseki as the father???? as a "talento" will she face the same archaic rules as everyone else?
mayuko at 12:00 AM JST - 14th July

The average woman thus has something like 3.2 abortions in her life.

Do you mean, in Japan? Do you have a source?
chardk1 at 11:44 AM JST - 14th July

I asked my wife about why Japanese women don't go on the pill, and she told me it is because they are worried that it will be bad for their health. Because abortions are so good for you, I guess. In a lot of ways Japan strikes me as a really penny wise, pound foolish country.
Blue_Tiger at 06:47 AM JST - 15th July

I'm surprised some magazine hasn't called her "courageous" yet, in the same vein that Amie Namuro was dubbed after she did the exact same thing several years ago.

Tragic that in this day and age, pregnancy then marriage has become the accepted norm....