Japanese woman, 24, marries man, 53, her mother's long-time friend of the same age

A newlywed couple from Japan with a 30-year age gap has drawn widespread attention after appearing on a Japanese variety show called Shinkon-san Irasshai! (“Newlyweds Welcome!”), reported Oricon News.

The relationship between the 24-year-old Megumi and her 53-year-old husband Mizuki, who also happens to be her mother’s longtime friend, has surprised and fascinated audiences with its unconventional beginnings.

The pair live in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture, where Mizuki runs a local bar while Megumi is a stay-at-home wife.

According to the show’s staff, the two “sleep cuddled up together” and have a nightly ritual where he tells her one thing he liked about her that day.

Mizuki, who had lived alone for over 30 years and almost always ate out, ate a home-cooked meal, prepared by Megumi, for the first time in decades.

How they met

Their connection traces back three decades.

Mizuki first met Megumi’s mother at the bar that she worked at when they were both 23 and they soon became drinking buddies.

One day, Megumi’s mother asked Mizuki, who was 35, to watch over her five-year-old daughter.

"I have an errand to run, so please look after her,” she said.

“I thought she might become cute when she grew up,” he admitted, though she was “just a friend’s daughter” to him.

That was supposed to be the end of it.

In 2022 however, both of their paths crossed again when the daughter started working at her mother’s snack bar.

The husband, who was still a family friend, would often drop by and the three would drink together until morning, but neither Mizuki nor Megumi had any romantic feelings for each other at this point.

The turning point came around nine months after their reunion when Megumi mentioned wanting to see “Mission Impossible” and the both of them went without Megumi’s mother, who had overslept.

Mizuki, who was usually talkative, was quiet during the dinner they ate at a yakitori restaurant that day.

Megumi recalled being drawn to his quiet charm, calling him “cute, like a silent bear.”

From there, her affection grew into love. She would often invite Mizuki out for meals and frequently linked arms with him and told him, “I love you”.

She even posted a photo of them online with the caption, “My favourite person in the world.”

At the time, she initially insisted that her actions were just “oshikatsu” activities, as reported by ABC Magazine, which can be roughly translated to being a “stan” for an idol or celebrity.

When Megumi subsequently contacted her friend for advice, her friend asked her if she would be upset if he started seeing someone.

When she realised she would, Megumi decided to confess her feelings, and the two eventually began dating.

Mother’s disapproval

After they both began a relationship with each other, Mizuki eventually resolved to ask for the blessing of Megumi's mother.

However, before the husband could formally ask for her approval, Megumi blurted out, “We’re dating!”.

"I got excited and just said it on the spur of the moment."

The revelation shocked her mother, who later admitted she “wished Mizuki had told her.”

Though she allowed them to date, she was initially against their marriage.

About a year into their relationship, the husband decided to propose, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

He told his wife that if they were to register their marriage, he wanted to formally pay his respects to her mother. However, she brushed it off, saying there was no need.

On New Year’s Day, the couple went ahead and registered their marriage without her mother’s approval.

During the TV program, Mizuki read a letter addressed to his friend, now mother-in-law, expressing both his apology and gratitude.

“If I were her father, I definitely wouldn’t have allowed it,” he said candidly.

Netizen reaction

Netizens were divided on social media about the age-gap couple, with most expressing disapproval and also concerns about the mother having left her daughter with a man she had just met.

Others, however, expressed their support and gave their views on what an age-cap couple might realistically expect to face down the line.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="465"] Screenshot via Yahoo News[/caption]

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