Model SHIHO

SHIHO announces marriage to former judo champion

Wednesday 11th March, 09:28 AM JST

TOKYO —

Popular model SHIHO, 32, announced on her blog Tuesday that she had registered her marriage to former judo champion and current mixed martial arts fighter Yoshiro Akiyama, 33.

The pair had been seeing each other since January 2007, and registered their marriage earlier this year. SHIHO said she will travel with Akiyama to the U.S. when he makes his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in July.

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Latest 15 of 32 Total Comments Show All

saborichan at 05:11 PM JST - 11th March

Someone solve the riddle: is it her STAGENAME or just a typo?
Nessie at 05:58 PM JST - 11th March

Why can't one of these celebs get a real stage name. Like CAPSLOCK or something.
LoveUSA at 07:21 PM JST - 11th March

The judo guy is awesome! She is very lucky... Congratulations on the good choice!
Anomaly_Jr at 08:32 PM JST - 11th March

seesaw - you'd never heard of SHIHO before today, right?

She's an actual model, not a talent - a real catch for anyone, rich dudes included.
Nessie at 10:35 PM JST - 11th March

Not even my CapsLock key is in all caps.
shouganaika at 11:43 PM JST - 11th March

I think she's desperate because she's passed 30 and has to marry/bear children, to please her parents and society, because all J women are required to do so. Many former models at my workplace ended up marrying salarymen because they simply have to get married. No Doctors, Lawyers, or Businessmen are around for them to date/get married to anymore....once they passed a certain standard age, eventhough they were once 'famous models'.... This is Japan!

I think you all missed the point...what I was trying to say is that, under normal circumstances, a J woman especially a model would only be looking for a rich man to marry. Comfortable future. The rich J men are not marrying a 32-year old. They would rather marry younger ones. Plenty of them around. SHIHO sounds desperate to me, because she's marry a Judo Dude who may be famous, but how much money does he have?

it's certainly your idea of something, not quite sure what though...but if it makes you sleep better at night to keep everything in tidy little boxes with all the little J men and J women doing what you expect them to then good luck to you.
cocorose at 06:01 AM JST - 12th March

What's so wrong that he's not Japanese? Obviously, she is in love with the man. She's only a model not a goddess. Get over it. Also, he makes a lot of money in Korea with commercials and other stuff from what I saw online. By the way, he has a Japanese passport because he gave up his Korean citizenship and changed his name. She and their future children shouldn't have a problem. Also, in this time and age, what's wrong with a woman marrying over 30? These days, women work to establish themselves for they want out of life before settling to creat a family. How can you expect J women to marry in their early 20's and not enjoy their individual freedom. They are similar age so that is really a fair deal. They both enjoyed their single days and created a career for themselves and now plan to create a family together. Good for them!
JeffLee at 07:17 AM JST - 12th March

the letter's are not separated by any punctuation marks so, it is not an acronym

I'm afraid you're wrong, Onewroldneppl. According to AP style and many other style rules, acronyms of 3 letters or more (UNESCO, etc) don't require periods.

I hope you don't teach English for a living.
thepro at 08:04 AM JST - 12th March

SHIHO is marrying AKIYAMA?
Triumvere at 09:15 AM JST - 12th March

30 years old = desperate?

What decade are you living in?
anon99 at 04:10 PM JST - 12th March

Someone solve the riddle: is it her STAGENAME or just a typo?

Can't confirm her real name but she's otherwise known as Shiho Yano

BTW, the man's name is Yoshihiro not Yoshiro.
jonnyboy at 04:36 PM JST - 12th March

shouganaika - i wonder how familar you are with japanese culture. do you have any single japanese friends in their late 20s or early 30s? marriage is pretty much all they talk about because it IS a big deal. they may want to stay single but their parents expect them to get married because if they do not do so they they will be seen by society at large as failed parents with failed children regardless of whatever else they might have achieved in their lives

this is very much still the case
bamboohat at 11:16 PM JST - 12th March

BTW, the man's name is Yoshihiro not Yoshiro

actually, the dude's name is Chu Sung-hoon according to the koreatimes.

Kind of funny in a way, she has one name, and he's got like six.

And what is exactly the difference between a supermodel and a talento? One's hot and ones' not so hot?
seesaw at 12:46 AM JST - 13th March

Anomaly Jr: I do know about SHIHO even before this news. She's just a normal J girl to me, nothing great. There's plenty of them on the street, only needed to be scouted. And she's not even 'mecha-kucha' famous, perhaps only famous of some sort....and good luck to you if she would want to marry you (even at 40)...unless you strike some lotteries to make yourself rich.

Shouganaika: I think you are naive about J women. Most J women (regardless of any profession) don't date just for the sake of dating. They plan their future well. They date a man if 'rieki ga aru'. You are lucky if you fall into their dating criteria. SHIHO is 32 and OLD for J women standard age for marriage. So she's in a hurry. The Judo Dude happens to be the only 33-year old around, who wants to marry a 32 year old J woman, when most 33-year old J men would rather marry a 25 year old one.

And as jonnyboy said, marriage IS a big deal in this society. And that's why also, most J parents even pay for their children's wedding expenses and ensure they and their family are financially secured too. They do all those just to make sure their children got married and live happily ever after. Marriage, children, family life are everything in this society.

And mind you shouganaika, this is a fact of life in J society, not a story I create to keep everything in tidy little boxes with all the little J men and J women doing what i expect them to do.

I think you are the one who needs the 'good luck' wish!...and not me.
ultradodgy at 01:22 PM JST - 13th March

Many people on this posting need to take a good whiff of fresh air. Sure, marriage is a big deal but I know plenty of folks in there 30s - and 40s - who are single and happy. There is certainly plenty of society pressure around this issue but as some others have mentioned it is by no means the only issue. Like it or not - and I suspect many Japanese men don't - the culture is changing.