Japanese singer Masahiko Kondo to be suspended from work for affair

Kyodo -- Nov 18

Veteran singer Masahiko Kondo has admitted to an extramarital affair and will be indefinitely suspended from activities as punishment, his management agency said in a statement released early Tuesday.

The 56-year-old singer, also known as Matchy, was "thoughtless" and "lacked awareness and a sense of responsibility" as an adult and married person, said Johnny & Associates Inc., one of Japan's most powerful talent agencies.

Kondo himself offered to step back from work, according to the agency, which has produced a large number of famous boy bands.

According to a report by the Shukan Bunshun weekly magazine that hit newsstands last week, Kondo had been in a relationship with a 31-year-old woman who runs a company making tailored suits.