Back in October last year, a Thai couple made headlines for their 37-year age gap — the woman was 56 while the man was 19.
Now, another pair of lovebirds has the internet talking for a similar reason, and this time, they’re from Japan.
The couple got together after two fateful chance encounters in Tokyo.
What makes their relationship especially noteworthy is that the wife, 61-year-old Kurata Ritsuko, is 32 years older than her husband, 29.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
In fact, her husband is seven years younger than her son from a previous marriage.
Ms Kurata runs an Instagram page and a blog, where she shares about her loving relationship with her husband.
According to her blog, she first met her husband after picking up his phone at a café in Tokyo.
Referring to their relationship as one that started from a “fateful encounter”, Ms Kurata elaborated that they had another chance meeting on the train.
She explained that it was a “miracle”, since they ended up together despite there being many people and cabins on the train.
It is unclear when they started dating, although her first Instagram post featuring her “prince” dates back to 28 Sep 2020.
She was 58 and he was 26 at the time.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
Ms Kurata announced the news of her engagement with her mysterious younger partner through another Instagram post on 22 May 2021.
She also shared the happy news when they registered their marriage the following year, on 24 Dec 2022.
They apparently tied the knot two years and three months after their first fateful encounter.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
She likened their marriage to a dream, with “blue sky, blue sea, and a white chapel” bearing witness to their affection.
Despite their 32-year age gap, the couple gets along very well and goes on regular dates, visiting various spots together.
Amusement park dates in costumes seem to be a favourite for the duo, as Ms Kurata shared adorable pictures of their visit to Universal Studios Japan.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
They also dressed as Alice and the Mad Hatter from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ on their visit to Tokyo Disneyland.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
Like most other couples, Ms Kurata brought her then-fiancé to meet her friends over a meal.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
The couple has plans to take a trip to the Maldives in July.
Their astounding age gap has led to a rather unique situation — Ms Kurata’s son is seven years older than his stepfather.
Nevertheless, despite the unconventional family dynamics, Ms Kurata’s son and family seem to be very supportive of her relationship.
She has shared multiple pictures of the couple’s outings with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
They’ve even gone to a theme park together, with each couple sporting matching outfits.
Source: @chiwapara on Instagram
In an Instagram post, Kurata also revealed that the family will be travelling to Taiwan together in June.
The couple’s relationship is proof that age is just a number when it comes to love (provided that both parties are adults, of course).
It is heartwarming to see them living their best life despite the common notions around couples with large age gaps, as well as women with much younger husbands.
We wish them happiness and hope their relationship continues to blossom going forward.
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Featured image adapted from @chiwapara on Instagram and Instagram.
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