It all started with a lost phone at a cafe in Tokyo, Japan.
Now, a 63-year-old Japanese woman named Azarashi is married to a man a few decades her junior.
Azarashi, 63, met her current husband, 31, after she picked up a phone that had been left behind on a sofa in a Shinjuku cafe, according to Yahoo News Japan.
A while later, a young man came in looking for it. Azarashi returned the phone to him and thought that was the end of the matter.
However, fate had other plans for the both of them.
How Their Love Story Started
A week later, Azarashi spotted a young man who was taking the same train as her.
They both recognised each other and even got off at the same stop.The pair struck up a conversation and hit it off instantly.
From then on, the two would talk for an hour or two on the phone every evening. “From the moment we spoke on the phone, it felt like we were in love,” Azarashi recalled. “I’m not very good on the phone, but when I was talking to him, time flew by.”
On their first date at Tokyo Skytree, as reported by the South China Morning Post, the man had given her a handwritten letter that said: “Please be my princess.”
They would call each other prince and princess from then on till they were married.
Reveal of True Age
It was only a month into the relationship that they discovered each other’s true ages.
Azarashi said that her fans on social media had left comments insisting that her new beau must already be attached or married.
In order to counter this, the man showed Azarashi his driving licence and personal information.
That was when Azarashi decided to be open about her own age for the first time.
Mother-In-Law Did Not Accept Their Relationship
While Azarashi’s own son, who is six years older than her husband, supported their relationship from the start, her mother-in-law was a lot more resistant. Azarashi is six years older than her mother-in-law.
She had asked her son whether he would be alright with marrying someone who could not bear any children. However, Azarashi’s husband insisted that he did not want any.
Azarashi’s mother-in-law has gradually come to accept their unconventional marriage.
This year, she had even sent Azarashi flowers and a letter that addressed her as “princess” for her birthday.
Azarashi said that they are currently in their third year of marriage and still have “so much fun together”.
Current Versus Previous Marriage
There are things that are very different from her last marriage, Azarashi shared.
For example, she expected to do all the cleaning and cooking, but with her current husband, they split chores evenly.
This was something Azarashi had to get “used” to, as she had the mindset that housework was a “woman’s job”.
Being mindful of their age difference, Azarashi has also planned to hire a professional caregiver in the future.
Despite the mixed reaction to their marriage on social media, Azarashi continues to remain unbothered.
“We met by chance, but I firmly believe I’ve found the right person. As long as we’re happy, that’s what matters.”
AzarashiCall to Reflection
The story of Azarashi and her younger husband invites individuals to revisit their assumptions about love, compatibility, and what makes relationships succeed.
In many ways, their marriage affirms that love is not measured in years but in how people treat one another, how they share life, and how they support each other’s dignity.
As observers, friends, or family members, the role should be to support people’s choices rather than judge them based on age alone.
And for society at large, it’s an opportunity to broaden the understanding of what “normal” relationships look like—respecting diversity in love, and elevating kindness, respect, and mutual happiness as the true markers of what makes a successful union.
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