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| J-Pop Star Koda Kumi Expecting Second Child as Major 2026 Tour Put on Hold. (Credits: Avex) |
Japanese pop mainstay Koda Kumi has confirmed she is expecting her second child, prompting an immediate halt to her 2026 touring plans and a withdrawal from upcoming festival appearances, her agency announced on Monday.
In a formal statement, Avex Management said both mother and baby are in good health, stressing that all decisions have been taken with wellbeing as the overriding priority.
The announcement brings a significant reshuffle to Koda Kumi’s 2026 schedule, with her nationwide arena run, Koda Kumi Live Tour 2026 ~Kingdom~, now postponed in full ahead of its planned June launch.
The tour, which was set to run through to October, had been positioned as one of her most ambitious live rollouts in recent years, underlining her continued commercial pull more than two decades into her career.
Alongside the postponement, Koda Kumi will no longer appear at Jigoro Rock 2026 supported by Nikaso in Oita this April or GREEN FLASH FES ’26 in Fukui at the end of May, both of which had been billed as major early-season festival draws.
Avex added that ticket refund details for the postponed tour will be issued in due course, while ongoing ticket ballot processes have been cancelled outright.
The agency also issued an apology to fans and organisers, acknowledging the disruption while reiterating that the artist’s condition required a cautious approach.
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| Avex |
Koda Kumi, now 43, first debuted in 2000 and quickly built a defining image around her confident, stylised pop persona, becoming one of Japan’s most recognisable female solo acts across Asia.
She married KENJI03 of rock band BACK-ON in 2011, with the couple welcoming their first child the following year. The latest announcement marks their second child after more than a decade.
Longtime fans have framed the news as a welcome personal milestone, with many praising Koda’s endurance in balancing a demanding career with family life.
Others, however, expressed disappointment at the tour delay, particularly given the scale of anticipation around the Kingdom concept rollout.
Some ticket holders voiced frustration over the sudden cancellation of ballot entries, though sentiment has broadly softened following confirmation that both mother and baby are doing well.
Within fan communities, there is also a wider recognition of the physical demands tied to live touring, especially for an artist known for high-energy stage performances.
Several commentators noted that stepping back now could ultimately preserve the quality of future shows, with speculation already building around a rescheduled tour timeline once her situation stabilises. The industry response has been similarly measured, with peers and insiders framing the move as standard practice under such circumstances.
Koda Kumi’s long-standing reputation for professionalism appears to have helped maintain goodwill, even as organisers adjust to the loss of a headline name across multiple events.
For now, attention shifts to when and how Koda Kumi Live Tour 2026 ~Kingdom~ might return, and whether its scale or concept will evolve following the delay. With no revised dates yet confirmed, the pause places one of J-pop’s most consistent live performers on temporary hold at a moment when demand remains clearly intact.
Will the Kingdom era come back bigger, or take a different creative turn entirely? And how will this pause reshape Koda’s next chapter?