TOKYO (SCMP): After two decades of a loveless personal life, a 60-year-old traditional dancer in Japan discovered unexpected late-life love with a protege who is 34 years her junior.
In April, the couple made an appearance on the Japanese television show Welcome, Newlyweds!, but they chose to keep their true identities private.
The wife, a seasoned performer from Ibaraki in eastern Japan, has dedicated her life to traditional dance since childhood and currently teaches at Tsubaki, a local taishu engeki troupe.
Taishu engeki is a popular Japanese theatre form that merges traditional dance, kabuki, and emotional storytelling, often featuring male actors in female roles.
Established by the woman’s mother 40 years ago, Tsubaki once boasted around 50 members and toured Japan’s hot spring towns to perform.
Having been divorced three times, the woman had resigned herself to a loveless existence, spending over 20 years without a relationship – until a 26-year-old man entered her life.
An office worker with a long-standing admiration for taishu engeki, he had avoided pursuing it due to family objections.
His opportunity arose when he spotted the Tsubaki troupe’s sign, visited the theatre, and eagerly joined.
At the theatre, he first encountered the woman’s mother, whose striking hairstyle captivated him. He felt at ease only when the woman herself made her entrance.
Immediately, he was taken by her beauty, while she found him youthful and handsome.
They exchanged contact information and began their artistic journey together as master and disciple.
Just three days after he joined the troupe, the woman took the initiative, revealing her single status and expressing her interest in him.
Their connection deepened as they portrayed lovers trapped in a forbidden romance.
Watching her dance filled him with an instant attraction, and he later remarked that the moment he held her hand, he sensed she was “the one fate had chosen” for him.
During a fireworks festival, he declared his love: “I will protect you for the rest of my life. I will care for you in every way, even changing your diapers one day.”
Their relationship encountered challenges, particularly as the woman is nine years older than his mother, and his family initially disapproved of their union.
However, familiarity eventually dulled the family’s objections. In December last year, the couple officially registered their marriage.
Today, his mother views her as “a reassuring older sister,” while his younger sisters confide in her as a “second mother” regarding love and life.
Their love story has ignited conversations across Japan’s social media, with one netizen commenting: “One of the purest, most genuine loves I have ever seen. Age does not matter here. Her childlike smile still seems to soothe his soul.”
Another noted: “She does not look 60 at all. She is radiant, full of energy, and her skin appears youthful. That must be the magic of a lifetime on the stage.” -- South China Morning Post
