A-chan, one-third of the technopop trio Perfume, announced on November 11th that she has married a long-time friend and supporter.
The 36-year-old artist, whose real name is Ayaka Nishiwaki, shared the news through her official Instagram account, writing that her husband is “a best friend who knows so much about me” and “a fan who has supported me and Perfume from the bottom of his heart”. In the post, she expressed joy at fulfilling what she called a lifelong wish, adding, “It was always my dream to marry a fan. To my teenage self, congratulations! You did it!”.
A~chan also described how marriage fits into her sense of identity, saying she wants to “keep adding more wonderful words that express me” and to “grow into a person filled with even deeper love”. She wrote that she hopes to become “a superwoman who can share more smiles and energy with everyone”, while asking that fans respect her husband’s privacy as he is not a public figure.
Born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1989, A~chan formed Perfume in 1999 with Kashiyuka (Yuka Kashino) and Nocchi (Ayano Ōmoto). The trio made their major debut in 2005 under producer Yasutaka Nakata, helping define a new wave of J-pop through their precise choreography and electronically layered sound. Their 2008 single ‘Polyrhythm’ became a national hit and remains one of their most recognised songs.
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A-chan’s announcement follows the close of Perfume’s 25th anniversary year, which culminated with two nights at Tokyo Dome in September before the group’s planned hiatus, referred to as a “cold sleep”. Speaking to the crowd during those shows, A-chan assured fans that the pause was not an ending, saying, “We’ve already decided we’ll come back, just with a little makeover, powered up, in our own renewed way”.
A-Chans full statement:
“I have gotten married to a non-celebrity. We’ve been friends for a long time, and he’s my best friend who knows so much about me. He’s also someone who truly supports me and Perfume from the bottom of his heart—he’s a fan! (laughs) It was always my dream to marry a fan.
To my teenage self—congratulations! You did it! 🎊
I am A~chan, I am Ayaka Nishiwaki, and both my private and professional sides, all of it, make up who ‘I’ am. There’s no front or back; everything is me. If I were to express myself with hashtags, it would be something like:
#Perfume #歌手 #singer #dance #trio #Hiroshima #A~chan #talkative #cheerful #travel #sweets #beauty #healthy #woman #family…
there are so many, but among these, I’ve always felt that someday, naturally, words like #mother #mama #child #baby would become part of what shapes who I am.
I want to keep adding more wonderful words that express me, to grow into a person filled with even deeper love, and to become a superwoman who can share more smiles and energy with everyone🦸🏼♀️✨
I also want to strengthen and expand the circle of support around me, from those who have always supported me, to my beloved family team.
I would be truly grateful if you could continue to watch over me from here on out.
Also, since my partner is not a public figure, I kindly ask that there be no interviews or surprise approaches. Please also refrain from doing anything like that toward his family members… m(_ _)m ← nostalgic Heisei-era expression 🤗
If you were to describe A~chan with lots of #hashtags, what kind of words would come to mind? 🥰”
