The woman he is dating is a beautiful former beer vendor at Jingu Stadium… Yakult’s Reiji Ozawa’s “date with a commoner” was photographed!

It seems that behind the “resurrection drama” was the presence of a wife who supported his private life.

At the end of October, Reiji Ozawa, 26, a pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, showed up at a popular furniture store in Tokyo. He pitched in 40 games this season, the most of his career, and with six wins and 11 saves, he has emerged as the next ace reliever.

Ozawa was drafted second overall by Softbank in 2003 and entered the pro ranks. However, he was plagued by injuries and was out of the lineup in 2008.
However, he never gave up and changed his form to a sidethrower in his new position, losing his 150+ mph fastball but gaining stability instead. His quiet and serious personality is probably the reason why manager Takatsu (Shingo, 55) trusts him so much.

The “right-hand man,” who has made a splendid comeback, finished his shopping in about 30 minutes and came out with a rug mat in his left hand. Looking closely, you could see a woman with long brown hair snuggled up to him. The woman’s face, described by those involved as “taciturn and serious,” was relaxed all the time, as were her cheeks and mouth.

The kicker was “Ozawa’s fierce attack.

Who is this beautiful woman enjoying a date at the furniture store with Ozawa?

She is my girlfriend, Mr. A. She is the same age as Ozawa. She is the same age as Ozawa. She looks like the talented Yuki Kashiwagi and has a great style.

In fact, they used to work at the same place, and Ms. A was a popular beer vendor at Jingu Stadium until last year. However, she retired after last season. Ozawa, who had been interested in Ms. A for some time, took the opportunity to make a fierce attack on her. Thanks to his efforts, they started dating this year.

Coincidentally, on the same day, Ozawa’s contemporaries Yoshinobu Yamamoto (26) and Shohei Otani (30) won the World Series. While the whole of Japan was intoxicated by the accomplishment, Ozawa and Mr. A were in their own private world, as if they did not care about the noise and bustle. At another furniture store, they held hands without either one of them saying a word. When they finished shopping, Ozawa drove his beloved car into the city center.

The way he has performed this season, there is no doubt that Ozawa’s salary will go up. They are living separately now, but I hear they are thinking of living together. Perhaps the trip to the furniture store was in anticipation of that.

Tsubame’s next generation of relief aces should leap even higher with the support of his girlfriend.

From the November 22/29, 2024 issue of “FRIDAY