Urawa Reds’ Ryoma Watanabe Marries Former Oha Girl
Ryo Watanabe has been very active since his first year with Urawa Reds, and he has been active off the pitch as well!
The beautiful woman who assisted the new ace
Ryoma Watanabe (28) is a disciplined man.
He typically gets only one day off per week. By 8 AM, he’s already heading to Urawa’s training ground. His dedication is reflected in his play—last season, he recorded the highest total running distance in the league at 442.5 km.
“He made a name for himself in high school when Maebashi Ikuei finished as runners-up in the National High School Soccer Tournament. He left Waseda University to sign with FC Ingolstadt in Germany, making headlines as a reverse-import striker. In 2018, he returned to Japan, and during his time at FC Tokyo, his goal against Cerezo Osaka in 2023 won Goal of the Year,” says a soccer writer.
In January last year, Watanabe transferred to Urawa Reds. “Joining a prestigious club was a long-awaited move, and he must have had high expectations,” the writer adds. True to form, he shined with 6 goals and 5 assists—ranking 17th in the league—establishing himself as the team’s new ace.
But FRIDAY didn’t miss it—the presence of a stunning woman quietly assisting his success.
“I’m in a relationship with someone”
Watanabe resides in a luxury high-rise apartment in Tokyo. Despite its distance from his home base in Urawa, he chose this location because it has plenty of stylish pet-friendly cafés, according to an acquaintance. While the ace player devotes himself entirely to training and conditioning, it was former “Oha Girl” Nozomi Maeda (31) who was seen walking their beloved dog.
“Maenon was an exclusive model for ‘Pichi Lemon’ and ‘Popteen’ before launching her own fashion brand. Recently, she’s also been active as a YouTuber. Despite their busy schedules, they reportedly started dating around last summer and even took a trip to Hokkaido together,” says the same acquaintance.
After finishing an event, Maeda returned home to the high-rise. On another morning, she was also spotted leaving the apartment.
Then, on New Year’s Day, she made a heartfelt confession in a video:
“I’m in a relationship. I’ve always wanted my longtime supporters to be the first to know when I find someone special.”
From cohabitation to a quick strike toward marriage? When asked, Maeda’s agency responded:
“We consider cohabitation and marriage private matters and leave it up to her.”
With this perfect assist, Urawa’s new ace is sure to score.
From the February 7, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”
PHOTO： Shu Nishihara
