Society | Jul 29

Ex-AKB48 star Oshima, Japanese actor Hayashi to tie knot

Jul 29 (Kyodo) - Yuko Oshima, a former leading member of the popular Japanese all-girl idol group AKB48, and Japanese actor Kento Hayashi are set to marry, the couple said Thursday.

"I am happy to be able to make such an announcement and would appreciate it greatly if you were happy (to hear it) too," the 32-year-old idol-turned-actor said in a statement released on her official website.

Oshima and Hayashi, 30, have co-starred in a sequel of the popular NHK drama "Scarlet," which aired between 2019 and 2020.

Born in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, Oshima started her career as a child actor and made herself known to the Japanese public and beyond after joining AKB48, a group known for having churned out consecutive million-seller singles.

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