Much-married star ducks the questions on romance

Koji Tamaki (centre) reckons a true singer never stops falling in love until he dies. And it seems the frontman for Japanese mega band Anzen Chitai means what he says: the four-time divorcee is in love again. In town to promote the band's 11th studio album Anzenchitai XI STARTS Matane as well as their Hong Kong concert in September, Tamaki was accompanied by his new love, actress Aota Noriko.

The 51-year-old singer-songwriter, whose fourth divorce was finalised in February, said he wasn't planning to tie the knot again.

'Been there, done that. [Marriage] doesn't mean much to me now,' he said.

Formed in 1973, Anzen Chitai was one of the most popular pop-rock bands of the 1980s, featuring Tamaki on vocals, with Yutaka Takezawa and Wataru Yahagi on guitar, Haruyoshi Rokudo on bass and keyboard and Yuji Tanaka on drums. In later decades, the group took frequent breaks to allow members to pursue solo careers, with Tamaki proving the most active and prolific.

At the publicity event in Hong Kong, Tamaki was joined by pop stars Alan Tam Wing-lun (left) and Hacken Lee Hak-kan (right). Both local singers had covered Tamaki's hits in Cantonese, and the trio performed a few of his songs to a room packed with appreciative fans.

Asked if his music might be inspired by his relationships with different muses, Tamaki deftly redirected questions to his local collaborators. 'Well, how many times have you guys married?' he asked.