Adam Chen Quietly Got Married 3 Years Ago, But His Japanese Wife's Marital Status In Japan Is Still Single

Former Mediacorp actor Adam Chen, 49, quietly tied the knot with his Japanese girlfriend, 47, during the Covid-19 pandemic, after dating for 10 years.

But there's a twist.

In Japan, his wife is still officially single.

Due to the couple’s packed schedules, they have yet to make a trip to complete the necessary paperwork there.

Japanese citizens marrying a foreigner must register the marriage in Japan at a local municipal office for it to be legally recognised by Japanese law, even if already registered elsewhere.

“I checked, and it can’t be done at the embassy here. We must go in person. We are planning to fly to Japan in the next one or two months to get it done,” he shared in an interview with Zaobao during a set visit of the upcoming Mediacorp drama No Other Way.

“During the pandemic, everything was very unstable. My restaurant business was facing risks, and I felt I needed something more solid,” he said. It didn't help that his wife was on an Employment Pass, and from a legal standpoint, that offered little security if something went wrong.

“So, I told her, let’s get married,” he shared.

According to Adam, the wedding was kept simple, taking only three days for the registration and taking their vows.

Also, don’t expect a belated wedding celebration in Japan.

Adam says there are no plans to hold a wedding ceremony and is looking further than that.

He shares in the interview that the couple have begun planning their retirement life.

According to him, his wife’s hometown is in a rural area and doesn’t have Internet.

“It’ll be my second visit there. We want to take a proper look. If we plan to retire there someday, the house will probably need renovation,” he says.

As for kids, it seems to be a firm no, with Adam sharing in the interview that they have agreed not to have children.

“We discussed it before. Her career is taking off, and timing-wise it is not ideal. She is two years younger than me, and if we had a child now, it would already be considered quite late,” he says.

In other news, Adam, who is well known for his ventures in F&B shared during the interview that it has been two years since he has stepped away.

His last business was Sunset on 11, a rooftop café at Louis Kienne Serviced Residences at Havelock Road.

I’m being supported by my wife now!” he joked, sharing that he began helping at his wife’s marketing consultancy, and mainly handles operations and HR, while his wife focuses on business development.

In an 8days.sg interview back in 2018, the couple also ventured into the luxury watch market and opened Kee Watch.

Photos: Mediacorp, Zaobao, 8days