Sports Nippon reports that singer Mika Nakashima, 25, and actor Masatoshi Nagase, 41, have broken off their relationship, despite rumors last year that they were soon headed for marriage. Like many other celebrity couples, it seems that their busy careers have caused them to drift apart.

The two met when they played siblings in the drama series "Shiritsu Tantei Hama Mike" in 2002. At the time, Nagase was married to actress Kyoko Koizumi, but he divorced in 2004. Shortly after that, he and Nakashima started dating.

Rumors surfaced in early 2007 that marriage was near, fueled by speculation from members of Nakashima's family. However, it appears that they gradually began seeing each other less frequently, and they finally broke up earlier this spring.