Japanese table tennis legend Ai Fukuhara, now 37, has confirmed that she has remarried a common man and is currently pregnant.
She shared her thoughts and feelings in an exclusive interview with Josie Seven.
"People say you shouldn't feel nervous about having a third baby anymore, but that's not true. Giving birth in Japan feels completely different from Taiwan, and I'm honestly confused," she said, gently touching her growing belly.
Fukuhara is a household name in Japan, having won medals in the women's team events at the Olympics twice. However, his personal life has attracted just as much attention in recent years.
Josie Seven discovered her remarriage in late 2025. When asked through her agency, she responded, "It's not just about me. Can we meet in person?" This was followed by an interview in a Tokyo hotel at the end of the year.
She said, "When we first started dating, I never thought about marriage. Even I'm surprised by how things turned out. But I'm really happy to have a new life and family."
In 2016, Fukuhara married Taiwanese table tennis star Chiang Hung-chih, known as the "Prince of Ping Pong". They lived in Taiwan, welcomed a daughter in 2017 and a son in 2019, but the marriage did not last.
Friends say life abroad and raising children without any support was difficult. The more he tried, the more the distance grew between him and Chiang. There were cracks in their relationship from the beginning, although she was determined to make it work.
By 2020, they decided to get a divorce. She returned to Japan with her children in early 2021. At the same time, news of her private meeting with a male acquaintance surfaced, leading to rumors of an affair.
The divorce was finalized in July 2021, followed by a lengthy custody battle over borders. A Taiwanese court granted joint custody, but disagreements persisted until a resolution was reached in March 2024.
During those turbulent years, the man now known as "Mr. A" stood by her side. Fukuhara spoke openly about her relationship and her pregnancy.
"First of all, I want to apologize. My actions caused distress to colleagues, Mr A's family, my own family,y and many others. I am truly sorry," she said.
She added, "It feels weird to talk about my personal life, but I don't want fans to misunderstand. Since it involves my children, I felt I had to explain it myself."
Their relationship began after their divorce in late 2021. Neither of thewase deciding about marriage, preferring to remain partners. But when Mr. A's family suggests marriage, he begins to believe it could work. They registered their marriage in early summer 2025, and soon after, she found out she was pregnant.
In her latest interview, she admitted that the pregnancy came as a surprise.
Still, many Japanese netizens weren’t convinced. Online comments poured in, criticizing her choices and questioning her motives. Here are some of the top reactions:
“Enough with Ai Fukuhara already.”
“If she’s active abroad, fine, but why keep pushing her here?”
“Feels like she only interviewed to justify herself.”
“Silence would have been better.”
Other comments accused her of being irresponsible, saying she rushed into remarriage despite having children and past custody issues. Some even called her actions selfish.
“She piled up excuses, but it’s still an affair turned marriage.”
“Her happiness seems to come before her kids.”
Others compared her to celebrities who married former affair partners, saying it’s a familiar pattern. While some admitted they couldn’t imagine such choices, they noted that for certain people, it feels like fate.
For now, Fukuhara’s remarriage and pregnancy remain hot topics in Japan, sparking both curiosity and criticism across social media.
