Actress Haruna Kawaguchi (川口春奈), 31, has announced her marriage to Japan national team footballer Ko Itakura (板倉滉), 29, revealing in the same announcement that the couple is expecting their first child.
Kawaguchi shared the news on her official Instagram on August 2, writing that “there is also our baby in my belly.” She said the pair hope to build “a home filled with constant smiles, where we support each other,” a message that quickly spread across Japanese social media and topped entertainment news rankings within hours of the post going live.
Kawaguchi did not announce any break from acting. According to reports, she plans to continue her work commitments while consulting with her health as the pregnancy progresses, rather than stepping away from her career entirely.
Who is Haruna Kawaguchi?
Haruna Kawaguchi is one of Japan’s most recognizable television and film actresses, having built her career through a string of drama and movie roles since her teens. She gained international attention through the Netflix series First Love (2022), based on the Hikaru Utada song of the same name, which introduced her to a wide overseas audience alongside her already-established domestic fan base. Known for versatile performances across romance, drama, and comedy projects, she has remained a consistent presence on Japanese television for over a decade.
The announcement instantly became one of the day’s top entertainment stories, with fans flooding the comment section of her Instagram post with congratulations. Some of the online chatter even zeroed in on smaller details of the announcement itself, including the distinctive shape of Kawaguchi’s handwritten signature, which quickly became its own minor talking point across entertainment outlets.
Who is Ko Itakura?
Ko Itakura is a defender who has represented Japan’s national football team on the international stage, having built his career partly through stints with clubs in Europe. While primarily known within football circles, his profile has grown domestically in step with the Japan men’s national team’s rising international results in recent years, making him a familiar name well beyond the sport itself following this announcement.
Neither Kawaguchi nor Itakura has shared additional details such as a wedding ceremony date or due date for the baby. Given the scale of public interest in the couple, further updates are expected to draw significant attention from Japanese media in the coming months.
Author’s Comment
Well, would you look at that — Japan’s national team apparently drafts for chemistry off the pitch too. I’ll admit, ‘quietly engaged to a Bundesliga-caliber defender’ was not on my Haruna Kawaguchi bingo card, but here we are, and it’s honestly the most wholesome surprise this industry has handed me in a while. Naturally, the internet immediately moved past the actual news to analyze her handwriting like it’s a treasure map — give Japanese fans one signature and they’ll produce a full graphology thesis by dinner. What I actually appreciate here is the lack of drip-fed PR nonsense: marriage and baby, announced together, no hiding. Congratulations to them both — may her filming schedule and his transfer window never once collide.
