TOKYO (TR) – Aoi Harada, a popular Fuji TV announcer, is facing online backlash after claiming on a daytime variety show that an annual income of 20 million yen for a prospective husband is the “happiest” amount, reports Shukan Josei Prime (July 22).
Aoi Harada, 26, made the controversial remarks during the July 16 broadcast of the Fuji TV program “Pokapoka.” Harada, who joined the network in 2023 and regularly appears on flagship shows like “Mezamashi TV,” was participating in a segment exploring the personal values of guest athletes, including Paris Olympics judo gold medalist Natsumi Tsunoda.
When the topic shifted to the financial sense of a marriage partner, freelance announcer and MC Aika Kanda jokingly asked Harada, “You’d want someone making over 100 million yen, right?”
Harada quickly waved off the suggestion, saying, “No, no, I don’t need that much.” However, she then elaborated: “Recently at girls’ get-togethers, we often say that ‘an annual income of 20 million yen is the happiest.'”
“They might spend it wildly”
The comment caused an immediate stir in the studio. Comedian and co-MC Yuki Sawabe of Haraichi fired back, “20 million is a massive amount! Of course you’d be happy!”
Harada attempted to defend her stance, explaining her rationale. “My friends and I talk about how if it exceeds that amount, they might spend it wildly, which is scary,” she said.
According to the National Tax Agency’s 2024 statistical survey of private-sector salaries, the average annual income in Japan sits at 4.78 million yen. An income of 20 million yen is more than four times the national average, a bracket achieved by only 0.6 percent of the country’s salaried workers.
The stark contrast between Harada’s expectations and reality quickly ignited a firestorm on Japanese social media.
“She lives in a completely different world from commoners,” one user wrote. Others chimed in with comments such as, “She clearly doesn’t understand the average income,” and “Her sense of money is completely distorted.”
However, a minority came to her defense, noting, “She makes good money as an announcer, so it’s natural to expect that much,” and “There is no doubt you’d be happy with a high income, she’s actually hitting the nail on the head.”
Female celebrities
Discussing the ideal salaries of future spouses is notoriously dangerous territory for Japanese female celebrities. In the past, model Angelica Michibata drew similar ire for demanding a partner making 50 million yen, while former adult video (AV) actress Yua Mikami set her bar at 30 million yen. TV Asahi announcer Moe Tanaka also sparked a “mini-flame” when she asked for 10 million yen.
Conversely, former TV Tokyo announcer Kasumi Mori previously sparked outrage with a curveball answer, claiming her ideal partner would make just 1.03 million yen. Her reasoning — that he could become her tax dependent and stay home to “always keep me in a good mood” — proved just as inflammatory to the public.
