By Kim Susan Se-jeong

Actress Norika Fujiwara, 40, broke up with her lover about a month ago, according to Sankei Sports, May 30.

Japan’s former beauty queen, well-known for her voluptuous figure and 171cm height, had been dating Makio Inui, 43, an analyst at a securities firm. They had even gone on a “practice honeymoon” in advance and were rumored to be getting married soon.

According to an insider, the formerly married actress declined her boyfriend’s request to accompany him overseas when he was transferred to a UBS branch in Hong Kong. The actress, who has been visiting areas affected by the earthquake in March last year, felt that it was not the right time to leave Japan.

The ex-couple’s relationship was first made public through a weekly publication last July. In October, the couple was sighted at the Narita International Airport, bound for Tahiti. It was even rumored that Inui had already proposed to Fujiwara, and that the couple had picked out a ring worth 7 to 8 million yen, approximately $100,000.

But an acquaintance of the actress said that Fujiwara had been hesitant to consider remarriage since she ended her three-year marriage with comedian Tomonori Jinnai in March 2009.

“I’ll think about having a personal life again after performances wrap up,” said Fujiwara at the press conference for the musical “Cabaret” in Tokyo, March 1. But if sources are correct, she broke up with Inui shortly after the statement.

Fujiwara had been busy with the musical throughout March and April. It is said that busy schedules were also one of the contributing factors to the breakup.

According to sources, Fujiwara who started her acting career with the film “Cat’s Eye” in 1997 said, “I want to focus on my work right now.”

The writer is a Korea Times intern.