Less than three weeks after former yokozuna Masaru Hanada (Wakanohana) got a divorce, it was discovered that his ex-wife Mieko had an affair in the past. The newest issue of Weekly Gendai reported that in 2004, Mieko was seeing actor Kenji Aoki, who is eleven years younger.

The two met four years ago, when Aoki was dating another woman, from whom he had borrowed 2 million yen. Mieko paid off his debt, and she and Aoki began dating three years ago. Their relationship lasted for about six months.

The 27-year-old Aoki made his acting debut in 1997, appearing in television dramas and musicals such as "Prince of Tennis." He is currently a member of the four-man unit JACKJACK, and is also the vocalist of a newly-formed rock band called TRI△B.

On Monday, reporters approached Aoki after a JACKJACK event, and he confirmed the affair and apologized for the trouble. However, some members of the media feel that the timing of the announcement is suspicious, believing that Aoki may be using the incident as a publicity stunt.