Nobuya Kiyotsuka’s Unconventional Date Night Adventure from Azabudai Hills to an Unexpected Destination

On a drizzly early May evening, a man dressed entirely in black emerged from a high-class apartment in downtown Tokyo. He held an umbrella in his right hand, escorting a woman beside him to keep her from getting wet in the rain. The two of them got into a taxi waiting near the entrance and headed towards a new landmark in Tokyo, just a five-minute drive away.

 

On this day, the stylish beauty enjoying the date was the pianist Nobuya Kiyotsuka (41).

 

“Kiyotsuka, who received exceptional piano education from the age of five, won first place at the ‘1st Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA’ in 2000. He studied abroad at the Moscow Conservatory, one of the world’s three major music academies, and has since won numerous awards at domestic and international competitions. In 2019, he became the first male Japanese pianist to hold a concert at Nippon Budokan. Besides music, in 2013, he made his acting debut in the movie ‘Goodbye Debussy,’ and he has enlivened TV shows such as ‘Saké Talk’ and ‘Wide Na Show’ (both on the Fuji Television network) with his talk show skills, rivaling comedians. With his charming looks, he’s also been called the prince of the classical music world.” (Television station personnel)

 

In his private life, he married actress Eri Otoguro (41) in 2012, and they have two daughters.

 

“Kiyotsuka frequently posts pictures on his social media of dates with his wife and playing games with his daughters. The public perceives him as a loving husband and doting father.” (Advertising agency personnel)

 

However, rumors of infidelity with another woman have surfaced about him. So, who is this other woman? Music industry insiders who know Kiyotsuka keep their voices down.

A beautiful woman in Ginza who works as a hostess

“Once a hostess at a high-class club in Ginza, Ms. A has been in a close relationship with Kiyotsuka since around January this year. Kiyotsuka frequently visits the apartment where Ms. A lives, and it seems he even accompanies her when he has concerts in other cities.”

Let’s return to the opening scene. Kiyotsuka and Ms. A, who came out together from the apartment where Ms. A lives, headed to “Azabudai Hills Tower Plaza.” It’s a new celebrity hotspot in Tokyo with high-end shops and luxury restaurants lining the streets.

After getting out of the taxi at the entrance, they headed to a café on the fourth floor, peeking into apparel shops along the way. It seemed they had a lot to talk about as they spent just under an hour here. It was a confident date, seemingly uncharacteristic of a married man with children.

After leaving the café, Kiyotsuka and Ms. A moved to the adjacent “Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza.” Whether they had visited many times before or not, the two of them navigated through the complex structure of the building effortlessly. At times, they seemed cautious of their surroundings, walking about five meters apart unnaturally, but there were also moments when Kiyotsuka started taking photos of Ms. A with his smartphone in the grassy square, revealing their intimate relationship.

Later on, they briefly split up and then reunited. During this time, Kiyotsuka was approached by a duo of women.

“While bowing his head, Kiyotsuka exchanged words with the women for a while. They were probably fans of Kiyotsuka.” (Eyewitness)

After enjoying their date at Azabudai Hills for about an hour and a half, they returned together by taxi to the apartment where Ms. A lives.

He denies the affair 

Regarding this intimate date and the allegations of infidelity, the world-renowned pianist had this to say when interviewed by FRIDAY:

―― Are you in an affair with Ms. A?

“No, that’s not true. We are not in an affair.”

―― Then what kind of relationship do you have?

“I met her at a club in Ginza at the end of last year. There, I listened to her tumultuous life story. She mentioned wanting to work in the beauty industry in the future, and it seemed like she was doing the club job to save up money for that. So, I started accompanying her to concerts in other cities and entrusted her with my makeup and some secretarial work. She quit the club job shortly after meeting me.”

―― What about the date at Azabudai Hills?

“That day, we were going to an evening gathering, so we picked out some gifts to bring together. We had bought a lot of things at Azabudai Hills, so we went back to her place to divide them up. I was only at her apartment for about 15 minutes before leaving.”

―― Does your wife know about Ms. A?

“Yes, she does. She knows that Ms. A accompanies me as a beauty staff member to concerts, and I’ve also introduced her to people around me.”

While Kiyotsuka denied the affair, it’s undeniable that their relationship could easily be misunderstood. Perhaps the charismatic figure in the world of classical music has stretched his wings a bit too far.

From “FRIDAY” May 31, 2024 issue