On June 30th, talento Yamamoto Mona announced that she has retired from the entertainment industry.

Yamamoto sent a fax to the media saying, "I apologize for this sudden announcement. I, Yamamoto Mona, will retire from the entertainment industry on June 30th." She thanked her supporters and continued, "From now on, instead of Yamamoto Mona, I will use my real married name. As a 35-year old woman, my steps are small, but I want to move forward one step at a time."

"Once more,�I thought about my past and future lifestyles," said Yamamoto. "What I can do, and what I need to do. I hesitated, but I found my own answers. I decided at the end of last year, that I will move towards those answers." She didn't announce what she will do hereafter, but she positively stated, "I want to pursue my life as a woman, such as marriage, work, and childcare," and wrapped it up saying, "To the people who supported Yamamoto Mona until now, thank you very much."

Yamamoto Mona was born on February 11, 1976 in Hiroshima to a Norwegian father and a Japanese mother. She was a news announcer for TV Asahi, and became a free announcer in 2005. Since then, Yamamoto has appeared on variety shows, radios, and entertainment events. In August 2010, she married a non-celebrity and announced, "From here on, I want to support him and build a happy family together."

Source + Photo: Oricon