Shinjiro Atae, Japanese male idol, has coming out

Shinjiro Atae, a member of the Japanese group AAA, has come out.

On the 26th, Shinjiro Atae announced that he was gay through his social media. He said, "Today was a very special day for me. For years I struggled to accept a part of myself. After everything I've been through, I finally have the courage to open up to you all."

"It took me a long time to be able to say I'm gay. I couldn't even tell myself. But I realized that it's better to be true to myself and the people I care about, including my fans, than to live a life of never accepting myself." I hope that people struggling with emotions will find courage and know that they are not alone."

Shinjiro Atae said, "When I think of my work in the entertainment industry and the many things I am grateful for, the first thing that comes to mind is my relationship with my fans. I sincerely thank all of you who have been by my side over the past few years. Thank you to my family, friends, staff, and my fellow AAA members for their full support."

Shinjiro Atae is a member of AAA, a 5-member Japanese mixed group. He debuted with AAA in 2005 and released a solo album in 2016.

Reporter Kang Min-kyung, Ten Asia kkk39@tenasia.co.kr