Former Morning Musume singer Maki Goto, 33, who has been married for five years, apologized on her blog this week for having an extramarital affair with a former boyfriend.
Goto posted the apology on Wednesday after the tabloid Shukan Bunshun published a story reporting that last year, she and her 28-year-old ex-boyfriend went to an Apa hotel on at least two occasions. The tabloid reported that the two had first met eight years ago and continued to interact through online games after breaking up.
In her blog, Goto admitted to having an affair with her former boyfriend, saying she had been careless and immature to do so. She apologized for betraying her husband.
Goto’s husband has sued the ex-boyfriend for 3.3 million yen in damages for causing Goto to be unfaithful to him, and has submitted Line messages between Goto and her ex-boyfriend as proof, to the court, Sankei Shimbun reported.
Some of the messages suggest that Goto was being physically abused by her husband and was even considering a divorce, which her ex-boyfriend claimed was justification for their getting together. However, Goto wrote in her blog apology that she had exaggerated what was a quarrel and that she regretted her choice of words.
In her apology, Goto said she “caused great pain to her husband and lacked responsibility as a mother and wife.”
She also wrote that after talking things over with her husband, he had forgiven her and they began to spend more time together as a couple. Goto and her husband have two children, a boy and a girl. She commented, “I will work together with my husband more than ever for the wellbeing of our children and family as a whole.”
© Japan Today
41 Comments
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papigiulio
What she did was not good but
Paparazzi? Stalking? I find this a kind of violation of privacy.
kohakuebisu
What she does should be no-one's business.
I say "should be" because she is apparently the winner of a "mother of the year" award. If celebrities are going to be given silly awards and hyped up as model citizens, then people who buy into those titles are going to make judgements on them. It goes with the territory.
itsonlyrocknroll
30,000 dollars damages for alleged enticement. Hell hath no fury like a husband scorned.
JeffLee
The men don't have names? why do they enjoy anonymity but not the female? one guy has even filed suit against the other guy. Why does JT choose to protect men's privacy but not the woman's? Unfair, much?
The various articles on this site railing for gender equality in Japan are just a tad hypocritical
TrevorPeace
I'd say the odds of her marriage becoming sexless are pretty good.
Meiyouwenti
A former pop singer had an affair with her ex-boyfriend, then confessed on her blog and her husband forgave her. Do I need to know that?
Garthgoyle
It mustn't be so awesome to be famous.
Ha! He caused her to be unfaithful. Yeah right... He's screwed, tho. Under Japanese law he's the one guilty.
A friend of mine cheated on his wife with some other chick, whom he's the one that started seducing her, initiated and continued with the game. And even tho he's the one that was playing all around, the chick he cheated with had to pay damages in court to the wife.
JJ Jetplane
In Japan, you can file a lawsuit against the person your significant other is cheating on you with as long as it is not a pay for play relationship. As for your spouse, you can file a lawsuit against them only if you are divorcing them because of the affair.
Japan has a history of apologizing for public figures that are caught having affairs. Resignations are also common.
Was she really being abused? Maybe. We don’t know. But there is a lot of stigma that follows divorced women in Japan and that is part of the reason they don’t necessarily file for divorce.
Chip Star
Alienation of affection is an archaic law that has no place in modern societies. The spouse is equally as culpable as the person they cheat with, so it's unjust to only punish the person that cheated with the spouse.
Chip Star
Of course the odds are good given a Japanese woman is a spouse in the marriage, but it has zero to do with the cheating.
thepersoniamnow
Stupid nonsense.
Live your life as you see fit! You only live once fools.
Once again Japan naming and shaming the ladies while men get a pass.
thepersoniamnow
Chip Star
Sorry, how on earth does that qualify as logic.
I used to be a doorman and I am always astounded at the ratio of people who want the person who their lover is with to be punished, hurt, etc.
Most of the time that person has never heard or seen of the other and has been lied to about whats going on too.
If ur girl or guy is out with another person, its not that persons fault. Its you or your partner, or the both of ya lol
lostrune2
Lol, so that's what happens when they're not allowed to have romantic relationships in their formative teen/young-adult years - they don't learn how to deal!
NCIS Reruns
"If I'm not near the boy I love I love the boy I'm near." Normal human behavior.
JJ Jetplane
@thepersoniamnow
This is one of the few times I can’t agree with you about men receiving a pass while women are shamed.
This particular area has constantly caused many men and women in Japan to issue public apologies and resign their positions.
A prime example was the man that fought the first major male politician to take paternity leave. When he was caught committing adultery he was forced to resign and issue a public apology.
The rule seems to be it’s okay and ignored as long as it doesn’t become public knowledge.
Ah_so
The apology should be to her husband only, not to the nation as a whole. She owes them no responsibility.
Again, an interesting example of the Japanese group psyche whereby what westerners see as a personal matter is made public to the extent that the supposed transgressor owes an apology to wider society.
AlexBecu
@Ah_so
She's a public figure known in Japan. That's like saying Taylor Swift, Brad Pitt, if they cheated, that doesn't remain a private matter. The world will find out about it.
Western countries live for gossip and have celebrities who became famous and still are for making a sex video.
oldman_13
Never heard of her.
Akie
Without bad men, there would be no bad women, as simple as that.
itsonlyrocknroll
Some of the messages suggest that Goto was being physically abused by her husband and was even considering a divorce, which her ex-boyfriend claimed was justification for their getting together. However, Goto wrote in her blog apology that she had exaggerated what was a quarrel and that she regretted her choice of words.............
I do believe Rudyard Kipling coined the phase in a verse, for the female of the species is more deadly than the male....... Maki Goto frankly behaved like a ruthless Jezebel. Maki Goto wound that ex boyfriend up like a clock........
ShavedNuts
Remember this story when your wife/gf says her ex's are just friends now and they can hang out with nothing going on. Yea right!
bass4funk
I’m surprised that she has o apologize to the public. Although she was wrong, I Doesn’t bother me, she needs square tha away with her husband, but I think her husband is worong for going after the guy, he should go after his wife, she made the conscious choice to be with her ex and go behind her husbands back.
SaikoPhysco
I can't believe her husband is suing for Y3.3 Million..... what is he a Pimp? So you're putting a monetary value, a price out there for sleeping with your wife. She should just divorce the guy right away. Sure she screwed up.... but his reaction should either be forgiveness or divorce.... not money.
Concerned Citizen
Maybe, as a pop star, she's a bit spoiled. Hopefully this will be a good lesson for her and she'll straighten her priorities out knowing that major concern here is the children. They deserve a loving and stable home.
I hope she keeps to her word that she will “......work together with my husband more than ever for the wellbeing of our children and family as a whole.”
Chip Star
The cheating spouse is just as culpable as the person with whom they are cheating.
Chip Star
Yikes.
Garthgoyle
For people saying the husband should go after her with a divorce, remember which gender gets the childs' custody 90% of the times after a divorce. He'd lose everything. The 3.3 million yen law suit sound like something he'll most likely win.
thepersoniamnow
JJJetplane
Let me expound.
I am aware of the things and points you bring up, and I yes I know that men are named too.
But do you see men crying and being shamed? I’ve seen many women even with shaved heads and stuff and issuing crying stuttering statements about their damaging the fabric of society.
thepersoniamnow
Nope Chip Star
If your girl comes to me while Im single I’m doing no wrong! She is
Chip Star
That is my point. Alienation of affection laws make it so you are doing wrong, which is ridiculous.
Luddite
This is a private matter, suing and public apologies are ridiculous and pointless.
smithinjapan
JeffLee: "The men don't have names? why do they enjoy anonymity but not the female? one guy has even filed suit against the other guy. Why does JT choose to protect men's privacy but not the woman's? Unfair, much?"
I kind of agree with you, save that this is only about Goto. I would ask why it's necessary for you to have their names at all. It's not like the article says, "Who could not be named", is it? I'm more than sure you could find this information very easily, and likely in her blog.
bass4funk: "I’m surprised that she has o apologize to the public."
She didn't. She chose to write about her private life in the blog. She may have felt pressured to do it following the article about her, but no one said she had to.
haiyai
Was someone looking for an apology from her?
Herman Gonzales