By Zoey Zhang

Copyright scmp

A 63-year-old Japanese woman has married her 31-year-old boyfriend, making her six years older than her own mother-in-law.
The pair, who lovingly call each other “Princess” and “Prince”, say their romance began with a chance encounter.
The woman, Azarashi, had been married for more than two decades before divorcing at 48 and raising her child as a single mother, according to the Japanese media outlet Chanto Web.

She tried dating apps and met a few boyfriends but eventually opted for a single life running a pet clothing business while caring for several dogs.
Azarashi said that in August 2020, she found a lost mobile phone in a Tokyo cafe.
When the young man who owned it came looking for it, she returned it.
A week later, they happened to be on the same tram, recognised each other and exchanged numbers.
Soon they were talking on the phone for more than an hour every night.

Azarashi said: “No matter what I talk about, whether it is work, daily life or hobbies, he understands. I could feel he was genuinely interested in me, and that made me happy.”
On their first date, the man gave her a love letter that read: “Please be my princess.”
They only discovered each other’s real ages a month into dating.
Reports said that Azarashi’s son, who is married with children and is six years older than her new boyfriend, supported the relationship from the start.

The young man’s mother, however, initially objected, as she was younger than Azarashi. She later relented on her son’s insistence.
The couple registered their marriage at Christmas time in 2022.
Three years on, they remain affectionate, share household chores and even run a marriage agency together.
Azarashi says they still call each other “Prince” and “Princess”.
Reactions to the relationship on social media have been mixed.
One online observer said: “Azarashi looks young, is confident, and financially independent. She truly deserves to be loved.”
Another said: “What if such a young husband might one day leave for someone younger, prettier and more accomplished?”
Azarashi said she accepts whatever the future holds.

“As long as we are happy now, that is what matters,” she said, adding that if he ever remarried, he would need to support himself.
As attitudes towards love and marriage grow more diverse, age-gap romances are drawing attention worldwide.
Also in Japan, a 23-year-old man fell for his 83-year-old classmate’s grandmother. The couple now live together with their family’s blessing.
In southeastern China, a businesswoman who married her Russian partner more than 20 years her junior revealed in June that she was expecting a baby.