TOKYO - Japanese singer Minami Minegishi, a former member of J-pop girl group AKB48, has tied the knot.
The 29-year-old announced on social media on Tuesday (Aug 16) that she has married Youtuber Tetsuya Oyaizu, who is the leader of the popular YouTuber group Tokai On Air and known mononymously as Tetsuya.
"Tetsuya-san has always been there encouraging me and helping me to look forward despite my negativity" she wrote in Japanese.
"I began to look forward to waking up every morning after I met him. I came to think that I wanted to be with him forever."
Tetsuya, she said, accepts her past and flaws. She added that she appreciates the relationship and will cherish it.
Tetsuya wrote on social media that they have registered their marriage on Aug 12. He also disclosed that he has been her fan since high school.
They met through mutual friends and he found him attracted to her after a few meetings.
The couple also posted their orange-themed and fairy-tale like marriage photos on social media. Orange is Tetsuya's colour in Tokai On Air.
Minegishi debuted with AKB48 at the age of 13 in 2005 and is popular with fans for her sweet image.
She made headlines in 2013 after she shaved her head and issued a tearful apology on video for breaking the group's no-dating rule when she was caught spending a night at her boyfriend's apartment.
After 16 years, she left AKB48 in May 2021 - the last of the original members to do so.
