News On Japan

Mixed Martial Artist Comments on Protege's Future Contracts

Mikuru Asakura Speaks on the Rise of Mizuki and Her Impact on His Future Plans

TOKYO - Professional mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura updated his YouTube channel on the 21st, addressing the criticism aimed at his protege Mizuki.

Asakura announced that Mizuki, who had become a topic of conversation, married a 33-year-old non-celebrity and was expecting a child. Due to the significant backlash Mizuki received, Asakura hastily posted a video titled "Regarding Mizuki-chan's Controversy."

Asakura, who had discussed the announcement of the marriage and pregnancy with Mizuki about ten times, explained, "I told her that the comments could get pretty harsh, but she still wanted to go through with the marriage with strong determination. So, I decided to respect her choice and support her decision."

As Mizuki is contractually obligated to continue appearing in videos, Asakura said, "She wanted to be honest from the start, rather than having viewers notice her pregnancy later on."

Mikuru Asakura: Regarding comments suggesting that her contract should be terminated, Asakura responded, "It isn't up to me whether to cancel the contract. I'm leaving it to Mizuki-chan, so if she wants to continue, I'll support her, and if she wants to stop, she's free to do so." However, he agreed with comments saying, "It would be a big problem if it weren't for this agency," and expressed his concerns about Mizuki's partner, saying, "I'm wondering what the other person thinks. They haven't even come to greet me."

Asakura continued, admitting he was very worried due to the short period of their relationship, but after hearing Mizuki's story several times, he believes that "she couldn't find anyone better than this person, and that he's a wonderful person." Asakura regards Mizuki as a colleague and a sister-like figure, saying, "As long as she's happy, that's all that matters." He also addressed third-party perspectives, "There are various opinions like irresponsibility, but within our circle, the only thing that matches those comments is what we think about the other person. Getting married and having a baby is a joyous occasion, and I hope everyone can celebrate with us."

Furthermore, Asakura clarified on behalf of Mizuki, who appeared on ABEMA's original love reality show "Don't Be Fooled by Flowers and Wolves" (2023), that she didn't have a boyfriend at the time of the show, so there was no overlap. Lastly, Asakura announced, "MAPROMOTIONS, the talent agency I run, is looking to put more effort starting from 2024. We are recruiting women with a strong desire to not marry and to become famous," and called for applicants with the goal of producing major actresses.

Born on April 18, 2000, Mizuki's special skill is doodling, and her hobbies include motorcycles and darts. After moving from her hometown in Hyogo Prefecture to Tokyo, she began her modeling career.

She caught Asakura's attention with her beauty and style, as well as her dreams, during his YouTube channel's luxury car taxi project. Her Instagram account gained 100,000 followers within five days of its launch, and she became a model and ladies' designer for the apparel brand MATIN AVENIR. In 2023, her appearance on ABEMA's "Don't Be Fooled by Flowers and Wolves" led to a surge in female fans, expanding her range of activities.

Source: MDPR

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Large Typhoon No. 25 was moving northwest over waters south of Japan at 3 p.m. on September 19 and is forecast to strengthen as it approaches Kanto and the Izu Islands from September 20 through September 21, bringing the risk of torrential rain, violent winds and further damage in areas still recovering from last year's typhoon.

A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.

Starbucks is considering selling a majority stake in its Japanese business, potentially valued at as much as $3 billion, or about 470 billion yen, as the U.S. coffee chain seeks to concentrate management resources on its struggling North American operations.

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

Japan's oldest record company is turning to artificial intelligence to reshape one of the country's most traditional musical genres, unveiling an AI-generated enka singer as part of a new label combining the technology with the distinctive vocal style of Japanese ballads.

Tsunaki Mihara, a guitarist who rose to fame in the 1960s with the Group Sounds band Jackey Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets and remained active in music for decades, died of kidney cancer at a Tokyo hospital at 9:02 a.m. on September 11. He was 80.

Switching from an iPhone to an Android device, or playing on both at different times, turns something as simple as buying PokéCoins into a surprisingly confusing errand.

In this video, we cover the performances taking place this month at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo!

Japanese pop culture has had fans around the world for decades, but social media has completely changed the way people discover it.

Hirokazu Koreeda's "Look Back" received more than 12 minutes of applause following its official screening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto's film Nelson, Did You Kill Anyone?, which is competing for the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy, received a standing ovation lasting about eight minutes following its official screening on September 4.

In this video, we cover the main acting traditions or kata for the scene Kumagai Jin'ya ("Kumagai's Battle Camp") in the history drama Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki ("Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani").