Kato Shigeaki of the idol group NEWS announced on the 10th that his first child has been born, making him the latest in a string of popular entertainers to welcome a baby in 2026, Sponichi Annex reported.
Kato, 39, posted the news on the official website of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT. He opened with a formal seasonal greeting before writing, "I am sorry to raise a personal matter, but I am writing to report that my first child has been born."
He announced his marriage in March 2024. According to people involved, his partner is a Japanese woman outside the entertainment industry.
A year of birth announcements
In January, actress Takahata Mitsuki and actor Okada Masaki each announced the birth of a first child on Instagram. In February, actress Triendl Reina announced her first child's birth on Instagram. Triendl had announced her marriage to actor Yamamoto Naohiro in January 2024.
In May, actor Kusunoki Go announced the birth of his first child through his agency, becoming a father at 51. Actor Inaba Yu and model Fujita Nicole, a married couple, also announced their first child's birth.
On June 15, Kaminoue Shota of the mood kayo group Junretsu and his wife, former AKB48 member and TV personality Yokoyama Yui, announced her first pregnancy in a joint statement. On June 29, singer and actor Kamenashi Kazuya and freelance announcer and actress Tanaka Minami announced their marriage and Tanaka's first pregnancy.
In July, TV personality Ikeda Miyu, known as "Michopa," announced the birth of her first child. Her husband is TV personality Okura Shimon. Actress Mitsushima Hikari also announced on radio that she had had her first child with model Asano Keisuke.
On August 7, actress Yamamoto Maika and Hiro, vocalist of the rock band MY FIRST STORY, announced their first child's birth. Hamada Takahiro and Shigeoka Daiki of WEST. announced their marriages at the same time, and Shigeoka also reported the birth of his first child.
In October, singer-songwriter Hoshino Gen and actress Aragaki Yui announced the birth of their first child. Singer Koda Kumi announced the birth of her second child. Her younger sister, singer misono, also revealed that she had given birth to her first child in the spring.