Who is Yuta Watanabe’s wife Akiko Kuji and what does she do professionally: All you need to know

Yuta Watanabe’s wife Akiko Kuji has achieved a lot of success in her career. She is currently a freelance announcer and has also been involved in many other jobs and gigs, including acting and modeling.

Watanabe, on the other hand, is having success of his own in the NBA. The 6-foot-9 forward is having the best season of his career with the Brooklyn Nets. While he is just a role player, he could eventually get a bigger role on the team.

This article reveals all you need to know about Yuta Watanabe's wife, Akiko Kuji's personal and professional life.

Akiko Kuji, Yuta Watanabe’s wife, is a model

Akiko was born in Oshu, Japan, on July 13, 1994. Unlike her husband, who is 6-foot-9, Kuji stands at 5-foot-5. She's had an active career since 2013 and has achieved a lot of success.

Kuji entered the entertainment industry in 2013. Just a year later, she became an exclusive model for Non-No, a Japanese women's fashion and lifestyle magazine. She stayed with the magazine for three years.

Like the NBA player, Yuta Watanabe’s wife was born and raised in Japan (Image via Getty Images)

During her modeling job with the popular magazine, Akiko Kuji also gave a shot at acting. She made her debut as an actress in "Kin Kyori Renai," a Japanese television drama.

Akiko acted in three more television dramas, including "Koiko Focus: Aru Tenkōsei no Monogatari," where she had a lead role. Yuta Watanabe’s wife has also appeared in two movies and three commericals.

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When Akiko graduated from college, she joined Fuji Television as an announcer. She stayed with the company for five years before becoming a freelance announcer.

Yuta Watanabe’s wife met the basketball player in 2019 (Image via Getty Images)

Besides her career as an announcer, Kuji is still active in the entertainment industry. Despite spending her life in Japan, Akiko is familiar with English as her mother was a high school English teacher.

Yuta Watanabe and Akiko Kuji met in 2019 during the basketball star's interview on Fuji Television. After the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, the two got close and married in 2022.

Yuta Watanabe's NBA career

Yuta Watanabe made his NBA debut on October 27, 2018. In his first season in the professional basketball league, the forward played for the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds.

He spent two years in Memphis before signing a contract with the Toronto Raptors. The Japanese-born player had a slightly bigger role in Canada, increasing his production to 4.3 points per game.

Yuta has also played for the Japanese national basketball team (Image via Getty Images)

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Prior to the 2022-23 NBA season, the forward signed with the Brooklyn Nets. In 58 games in Brooklyn he played, he's averaged a career-high 5.8 points per game.

Yuta Watanabe stats in 2023-24 Season

For the 2023-24 NBA season, Yuta signed with the Phoenix Suns and in the 10 games he played so far, he has averaged a solid 5.8 points per game on nearly 50% shooting.