Naoto Ikeda (32), one half of the comedy duo Rainbow, announced on his YouTube channel on August 7 that he has married Kana Sato (29), a former announcer at Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation. Sato left the broadcaster at the end of July.
According to entertainment outlet Oricon, Ikeda delivered the news as a surprise to his comedy partner, known as Jumbo, catching him off guard on camera. Ikeda also shared the announcement on his account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The report notes that the pair had joked about marriage in their comedy sketches in the past, making Ikeda’s on-camera remark that “this time, we really did get married” land as a knowing callback for longtime fans of the duo.
Who are Naoto Ikeda and Kana Sato?
Naoto Ikeda is a member of the comedy duo Rainbow and has built a following as a “beauty variety” personality, frequently appearing on TV segments focused on skincare and grooming tips aimed at a male audience. Last year, Rainbow reached the finals of King of Conte, Japan’s prestigious annual sketch comedy competition, for the first time in the duo’s career.
Kana Sato worked as an announcer at Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, a commercial broadcaster based in Osaka affiliated with the Nippon TV network, before stepping down from the role at the end of July 2026.
Author’s Comment
A comedian marrying an ex-announcer is basically a rite of passage in Japanese show business at this point, but I love that Ikeda couldn’t resist turning the reveal into a bit, complete with blindsiding his own partner on camera. That’s a man who understands his brand. Beauty-obsessed funnyman finally lands his King of Conte final and his wedding in the same year? Let him have his victory lap. I just hope Jumbo got a good reaction shot out of it, because from the sound of it, the poor guy had zero warning.
