Former Morning Musume member and TV personality Risa Niigaki announced that she is pregnant with her first child.
The 37-year-old revealed the news with her husband, Yasutake on her YouTube channel on 1 May, saying, “We have been blessed with a new life. I am happy that I can do this for all of you who have been supporting me.”
She added, “For me, becoming a mother has always been one of my life’s dreams.”
While she admitted to having some anxieties about the pregnancy, Risa revealed that she is now in her second trimester, and is mostly happy about welcoming her first child.
“For now, I just hope that the baby will be born healthy, and I will take care of my own body, so I would be grateful if everyone would watch over us warmly,” she added.
Her husband has also shared the good news on Instagram, writing, “I’ll be by Risa’s side, supporting her as she works hard every day, and I’m looking forward to the day we can meet the baby.”
Risa was part of the 5th generation of Morning Musume. Affectionately known as “Gaki-san,” she served as the 7th leader of the group before graduating in May 2012. After her divorce from actor Yoshikazu Kotani in 2018, she announced her remarriage to YouTube cameraman Yasutake Yamaguchi in June 2022.
(Photo Source: Risa Niigaki IG)