The former AKB48 member (and current fashion brand founder) announced on social media that she’s gotten married and given birth to her first child. She’s 38 now, and both she and the baby are healthy. Classic low-key delivery—she kept the whole thing quiet until after the baby arrived safely.
For longtime fans who knew her as Kojiharu or Nyannyan, this feels like a full-circle moment. She was first-generation AKB48 and stuck around for an unusually long 12 years, only graduating in 2017 when she was almost 29. Even while she was still in the group she was already doing high-profile modeling work (including lingerie campaigns), and after leaving she fully pivoted into fashion. She launched her own brand, modeled for it herself, and eventually sold the company earlier this year for ¥3.5 billion (around $22 million).
There had been rumors for years that she was living with an IT entrepreneur in a nice Roppongi place, and most people are assuming that’s the guy she married. She didn’t name him in the announcement, though.
She also made it clear she’s not stepping away from work. The message was basically: baby and marriage are here, both of us are good, I’m grateful for the support, and I’m still as committed as ever to my career.
It’s one of those reminders that the original AKB era really is a previous generation now. A lot of those early members have moved into completely different phases of life, and Kojima did it while building a very successful business on the side. Congrats to her.
