Comedian Shoji Tomoharu (33) and idol singer Fujimoto Miki (24) held a press conference yesterday to formally announce their recent marriage. The latest showbiz couple tied the knot in Hawaii on July 3 and registered their marriage at a municipal office in Tokyo on Saturday. “Mikiti” explained how she had needed two proposals before agreeing the marry. The first, last summer on the banks of the Tama River, hadn’t been dramatic enough. A huge Hello Kitty fan, “Mikiti” was bowled over when Shoji enlisted the help of her heroine for a second try at the San Rio Puroland theme park, and the match was made. Of course, matches made in showbiz heaven tend to be short-lived, so Shoji wasted no time in declaring, “I will be faithful.” To which his bride commented, “Everyone tells me that the showbiz world is full of temptation, so I’ll just have to trust him.” Referring to the traditional custom by which a woman shows that she knows her place, she added, “Rather than stay three steps behind him, I’ll keep him in line by staying one step ahead.” The Hawaii ceremony was a small family affair and the couple plan to hold a reception for all their showbiz friends in the autumn. Shoji is one half of the popular comedy duo Shinagawa Shoji, while Fujimoto is a former leader of Morning Musume (profile) She “graduated” from the Hello! Project shortly after she and Shoji got engaged in March.
• Meanwhile, Hello! Project announced at the weekend that young idol singer Arihara Kanna (16) has left the agency and retired from show business. She became a member of the popular group C-ute in early 2006 but had been on leave from February to undergo medical treatment for a bunion.
• Actress Esumi Makiko (42) announced on her website yesterday that she is currently 5 months pregnant. The star of many TV dramas, including Fuji TV’s “Shomuni,” Esumi was a divorcee when she married a director from the show in 2003. They had their first child in 2005.