"My Wife Is 9 Years Older Than My Mother": 20s Student Marries 60s Teacher, Promising to Care for Her Until the End

From Teacher and Student to Lovers... Married After Just One Year
Overcame Family Opposition to Achieve Marriage

A story about a female traditional dancer in her 60s and her male student in his 20s overcoming a 34-year age difference to get married has become widely discussed in Japan. After first meeting as teacher and student, their relationship developed into romance about a year later, and they officially registered their marriage last year.

According to a report by Hong Kong media outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) on April 24 (local time), the couple appeared on the Japanese entertainment program "Welcome, Newlyweds!" where they personally shared the story of how they came to get married.

The wife is a 60-year-old traditional dancer based in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and has been a veteran performer since childhood. She currently runs the theater troupe "Tsubaki," founded by her mother, and is dedicated to training the next generation in the field of "taishu engeki," a type of Japanese popular theater.

A story about a female dancer in her 60s from Japan (right) marrying a man in his 20s who was once her student has become a topic of discussion both domestically and internationally. Photo captured from South China Morning Post (SCMP)

After three divorces, she had avoided romantic relationships for about 20 years, believing that "there would be no more love" in her life. However, things changed when the then-26-year-old man joined her troupe. Although he had always been interested in traditional performance, family opposition had led him to give up on his dream until he happened to discover the troupe and decided to join.

The two, who initially interacted as teacher and student, grew closer during rehearsals. Their feelings for each other became clear when they played lovers engaged in a forbidden romance within one of their stage productions.

The woman was especially attracted to the man's appearance and proactive attitude, while the man found himself drawn to her presence on stage. He proposed to her at a fireworks festival, saying, "I will protect you for the rest of my life. Even if the day comes when I have to change your diapers, I will take care of you until the end."

Their union initially faced opposition from the man's family, as the woman is nine years older than his mother. However, as time passed, their sincerity was recognized. It is now reported that the mother-in-law considers her daughter-in-law like an older sister and that she gets along well with her sisters-in-law, with the family having accepted the relationship.

The couple's story has attracted attention not only on Japanese social networking services (SNS) but also on international platforms. While some online commenters have voiced concerns about practical issues, many others have offered their support, saying, "Age doesn't matter when it comes to love."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.