<figure id="attachment_453821" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1645px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-453821"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="77e0add5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/01/713b6464562967b220247e6164e6bb75.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-453821" class="wp-caption-text">After finishing rehearsals for her starring stage play, Sawajiri returned home in a shuttle. Wearing a gray fluffy knit cap, she was radiating full-on charisma.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Serving Up Home-Cooked Love</h2>
<p data-start="222" data-end="377">The genius actress who marches to her own drum had quietly brought to fruition a devoted, ultra-long-distance romance while throwing herself into work—</p>
<p data-start="379" data-end="1121">In early January, after the New Year mood had settled and daily life was returning, around 7 p.m., a shuttle stopped in front of a high-end apartment building in Tokyo rumored to house many celebrities. The rear door slowly opened, and stepping out in casual black attire was actress Erika Sawajiri (39). Her gray fluffy knit cap made her look impossibly cute for someone in her late 30s, radiating an aura of charisma that couldn’t be hidden even with winter layers. For the past few days, the magazine had spotted her returning home at almost the same time. She was in the midst of rehearsals for her starring stage play Pygmalion—opening on the 20th of this month—spending her days commuting only between home and the rehearsal studio.</p>
<p data-start="379" data-end="1121"><strong>“Pygmalion is based on My Fair Lady and is still loved worldwide as a masterpiece of early 20th-century English theater. Sawajiri plays Eliza, a flower girl living in London. When it was made into a film in 1964, Audrey Hepburn famously played the role. For Sawajiri to land such a prestigious role in only her second stage debut shows her remarkable determination,”</strong> said a stage insider.</p>
<p data-start="1521" data-end="1906">While her career was gaining momentum, in her private life the magazine scooped her semi-cohabiting romance with a wild-type entrepreneur in 2023. By the following summer, rumors of a breakup were already circulating. About a year and a half later, she had thrown herself entirely into work as if dedicating all her private time—but recently, it seems a new relationship has begun.</p>
<p data-start="1908" data-end="2315">Around 9:20 a.m. the morning after the initial sighting, the same shuttle arrived at the apartment again. She was likely heading to rehearsal from the morning. A few minutes later, Sawajiri appeared wearing a luxurious white fur coat and stylish sunglasses. She balanced the look with casual black pants and a bag. On her head was her gray fluffy knit cap, apparently a favorite, seen on consecutive days.</p>
<p data-start="2317" data-end="2684">Just as one admired Sawajiri’s elegance and fashion sense, a tall man wearing a black cap and sunglasses appeared from the entrance. He had a wild aura reminiscent of Kazunari Ninomiya (42), wearing a jacket over a hoodie, giving a trendy modern impression. Carrying a large suitcase and paper bag, he got into the shuttle taxi that had just arrived and departed.</p>
<p data-start="2686" data-end="2908">This man is actually Sawajiri’s current boyfriend, referred to as Mr. A. Despite her extremely busy schedule with stage rehearsals, she spent the year-end and New Year holidays with him, even preparing home-cooked meals.</p>
<p data-start="2686" data-end="2908"><strong>“Mr. A lives on a remote island over 1,000 kilometers from Tokyo, works for a local company, and is 25 years old—14 years younger than her,”</strong> said a local resident.</p>
<p data-start="3079" data-end="3267">Their over 1,000-kilometer ultra-long-distance romance—like something out of a movie—has flourished. Sawajiri continues to pursue her path, fulfilling both her career and private life.</p>
<p data-start="3269" data-end="3471">The January 16 release of FRIDAY (Jan. 30–Feb. 6 combined issue) and the paid edition FRIDAY GOLD provide detailed coverage of how the two met, Mr. A’s identity, and even rumors about a wedding.</p>
<p>For more details and multiple photos, click here.</p>
<div data-friday-gold-link-url="https://friday.gold/article/393144" data-friday-gold-link-title="Erika Sawajiri's new boyfriend is &quot;14 years younger than her and lives on a remote island!" data-friday-gold-link-excerpt="They spent the year-end and New Year's holidays together and were full of happiness as they prepare for their starring role on stage! We even hear talk of a &quot;wedding in the spring.&quot; ...... The actress prodigy who maintains a &quot;self-possessed&quot; attitude is also working hard behind the scenes." data-friday-gold-link-thumbnail-wide="https://assets.friday.gold/friday-wp-production-assets/app/uploads/2026/01/01_KA1_3416-15103716138087.jpg/v/crop-faces:width=256,height=144/format:type=webp?Expires=4102444800&amp;Key-Pair-Id=K2H5GZZHVJCN4V&amp;Signature=I24psHDUepFpTZcE1YtVca80kdMq1KFW4TCOkKuDJ5VtZzsTnZqeV6ouJkjkMHM~t1iykIM0j1ImYfBj4nOiDRHh9e~HUiM1niFanaYwEkZeNSpDA7OdJiVaDGNYqzuYbEMGLjc1udgm3PYFt8mI8I00be0ALkiD0~QbrULH1rW9VLJCcIbpPiH8RjjwaN9HSZCV6vfyjsDQp2r~MKHxOyJsbueUNFiPOW4c5fqrHVnjcDPBq9oGd743YKtcdXeriROdUrcLg~aMiFkrw4qh3oUu0jYXFcNMNiO563SaAk-zh4jSaeUn8p6lYq2KHYCQ0YlINDbDvFwPPRkkWuNy1A__" data-friday-gold-link-thumbnail-square="https://assets.friday.gold/friday-wp-production-assets/app/uploads/2026/01/01_KA1_3416-15103716138087.jpg/v/crop-faces:width=105,height=105/format:type=webp?Expires=4102444800&amp;Key-Pair-Id=K2H5GZZHVJCN4V&amp;Signature=URG7SxaFlnKh0EnyPxECB14m3uSzGUYcsYzbcP0IaGWMEirAFsppgBmYrWaBRnjqKP5B~L0q03mFXS5yMyHKM2~0MD08z04Dygy6NEQdZjtsRyL8m74c9sD-8r9x0TaneMrTmL7vOY2g09AN4b04PoHMD6IPD2m0W0nWJvXz~QJelqPVfloZEXLaUhMIPY91C6yByxPUQVeRvvSmWOQe6woNW-Mke7KWF1GNRtLHeyDBL7R5BL4oVFqxr7iz59HS8y5tM7hmNxyoAH7FsKnL7M8nww4OC8lpJ6l8NzvVRQlA36T3Xga9LG97BL4gw-dJTSe--E7EgQYrJ5A9NvdFsQ__"></div>
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<p>From the January 30/February 6, 2026 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221;</p>
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 Takahiro Kagawa

 Erika Sawajiri is in the midst of rehearsals for a play in which she plays the lead role, which opens this month, and spends her days shuttling between home and rehearsal hall. Taking time out from her extremely busy schedule, she is in a serious long-distance relationship with her new boyfriend, Mr. A, who is 14 years younger than her.

[Exclusive] Erika Sawajiri Caught in Serious Relationship: Spring Wedding Rumors, New Boyfriend 14 Years Her Junior

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