Sorry, girls, but Masaharu Fukuyama, one of Japan's most eligible bachelors, is officially off the market. The 46-year-old singer-actor married actress Kazue Fukiishi on Monday - the bride's 33rd birthday. "We had a friendship, which over the past few years, grew into a relationship," Fukuyama said in a statement faxed to the Japan Times. "We started to see each other as partners supporting each other's lives. I am hoping we will receive support from our fans and staff to create a happy family." Fukiishi added: "My sincere apologies for informing [you] about our marriage in a written letter I want to build a loving family filled with smiles." The couple, did not announce any wedding details, or whether Fukiishi was pregnant. Fukuyama began his career in 1990 with the single Tsuioku No Ame No Naka, and among his best-known songs is Sakura Zaka. According to The Straits Times, he has performed more than 400 concerts, and he is a top selling male artist in Japan, with record sales exceeding 23 million copies. Fukuyama has also excelled as an actor, starring as an eccentric physics professor in the 2013 acclaimed TV drama Galileo. He also featured in director Hirokazu Koreeda's switched-at- birth drama Like Father, Like Son, which won the Jury Prize at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival. Meanwhile, Fukiishi began her acting career at age 13. Rumors of a romance between the pair began in 2011, when Fukiishi was spotted visiting Fukuyama's apartment, but this was denied by both their management agencies. Cred: The Standard HK
