Ryo Katsuji’s Date with 11-Year-Younger Actress, 4 Years After Maeda Divorce

A skilled actor, without disguising himself, tours the sightseeing spots in Ise, Mie Prefecture, with just one other person

Around 1 million visitors annually flock to the Toba Aquarium in Mie Prefecture, one of Japan’s top attractions. On a weekday in mid-January, just after 4 PM, a couple emerged from the aquarium holding a paper bag from the shop and made their way to the exit.

“At the aquarium’s exit, a bar is installed to prevent people from entering from the outside, and it seemed to be heavy. A woman with a stroller was struggling to get out. Nearby, the couple held the bar open for her, and it turned out the man was Ryō Katsuji (38). He wasn’t in disguise, so we recognized him right away,” said a witness.

Afterward, Katsuchi and the woman entered a nearby café. While waiting for their drinks, they chatted closely, saying things like, “Let’s come back to Ise-Shima again” and “I’m a little hungry. Should we have waffles?”

Katsuchi, who married former AKB48 member and actress Atsuko Maeda (33) in 2018 and had a son the following year, surprised many when they divorced after just under three years. However, after the divorce, photos of him spending time with his ex-wife and son at an amusement park have earned him praise for maintaining a good relationship with them.

However, the fair-skinned, slender woman he was enjoying the aquarium date with was not Atsuko Maeda.

“She’s actress Kana Kita (27). She appeared in the NHK historical drama Kamakura-dono no 13-nin and Dōsuru Ieyasu, and played the heroine in the movie Shunga Sensei, where she gave a bold performance. She’s gaining attention as a young rising star,” said a talent agency source.

Any plans for remarriage?

What is the connection between the two?

“Katsuji and Kita co-starred in the stage play Housewife Tomoe Yoneda’s Six Skits to Boost Immunity, directed by Kankuro Kudo (54), which ran from November to December last year. Katsuji praised Kita’s performance, saying, ‘She’s incredible,’ despite it being her first time in a Kudo stage production.

It seems their bond grew quickly during this project. Although Kita is 11 years younger, their conversations soon became casual and informal,” said a theater insider.

A few days after their Toba Aquarium date, Katsuji posted a photo on his Instagram.

“With memories of our 2025 Ise trip (omitted). Went to the hot springs, hit the sauna, ate loads of delicious food—totally satisfying trip,” he captioned.

Are they dating? Are there plans for remarriage? When FRIDAY inquired with their respective agencies, both responded, “We leave their private matters to them.”

Their smiles speak volumes about their close relationship.

From the February 14, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”