Sharon Au surprises 'Japanese dad' on his 80th birthday

Paris-based Singaporean host and actress Sharon Au embarked on a birthday trip recently — not for herself, but for her "Japanese papa".

- Jan Lee

The 49-year-old star flew from the French capital — where she has been living since 2018 — to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa to surprise the patriarch of the foster family that had hosted her when she was a 17-year-old exchange student in Tokyo.

In a video posted on Instagram on March 13, Au can be seen walking up behind the man, whom she affectionately calls T-san, while he is in the middle of a family meal. Holding a present, she surprises him and wishes him happy birthday in Japanese. Taken aback by her sudden appearance, T-san, who turned 80 on March 11, let out an exclamation before hugging Au.