<figure id="attachment_467773" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467773" style="width: 1780px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="541e5fa5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/22a6666b7aee1c194b4b6384e3634de5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467773" class="wp-caption-text">Kobayashi enjoys a date at Hakone Shrine in the early afternoon on a weekday without being afraid of being seen. He also has a gentlemanly side as he carries her bag.</figcaption></figure>
<h3> Catching a date with a slender beauty at a shrine!</h3>
<p> While he was sending off his &#8220;partner&#8221; to challenge the majors, the man had gained a new partner&#8230;.</p>
<p> It was late afternoon on a day when the professional baseball season had just started. A luxury car was parked at Hakone Shrine (Kanagawa Prefecture), one of the most popular power spots in the Kanto region, about a two-hour drive from Tokyo.</p>
<p> In fact, this car belonged to Tomoyuki Sugano, 36, a member of the Colorado Rockies, who has been playing in the Major Leagues since last season. However, the man who emerged from the driver&#8217;s seat was Seiji Kobayashi, 36, of the Yomiuri Giants, who has been a battery partner with Sugano for many years. His fashionable sunglasses and white pants coordination accentuated the freshness of his appearance. From the passenger seat, a slender beauty with beautiful brown hair resembling Akemi Dalenogare and a dog with fluffy fur also continued to appear.</p>
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<p> Kobayashi joined the Giants in the first round of the draft in &#8217;13. He has been one of the best catchers in baseball, boasting the league&#8217;s No. 1 rate of stolen base attempts for four consecutive years since 2004. He had been in a slump this season, starting the season with the second team, but on April 21, he was promoted to the first team for the first time this season against Chunichi and contributed to a win.</p>
<p> On that day, when he was off duty, Kobayashi seemed to have come to a power spot to nourish his energy. The two were walking around the area after praying at the temple grounds (Keidai), and Kobayashi seemed devoted, holding her bag as she pulled the dog&#8217;s leash and taking pictures of her as a photographer. After a while, when a light rain began to fall, they huddled together under a single umbrella, and a friendly atmosphere enveloped them. What is their relationship really like at &#8230;&#8230;?</p>
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<p><span class="strongInContent"> Kobayashi and his girlfriend met through a mutual acquaintance and hit it off right away. They started dating about six months ago and have been living together for about three months. She is an office worker in her 20s and supports Kobayashi with home-cooked meals, including studying nutrition. Before I got to know him, I was a girl who didn&#8217;t know anything about baseball, let alone the Giants. Of course, I hear that they are dating on the premise of marriage,&#8221; said an acquaintance of Kobayashi.</span></p>
<p> After visiting the shrine, the two went to Owakudani. They took pictures in front of the famous &#8220;black egg&#8221; monument. Kobayashi&#8217;s cheeks were relaxed as he looked at her happy face.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" She also responded briskly to a direct interview! Marriage Possibilities...?"></div>
<h3>We directly interviewed Kobayashi about their relationship!</h3>
<p> When we approached Kobayashi about their relationship, he gave us a relaxed smile and said, &#8220;Hello,&#8221; without a hint of disapproval. Next to him, holding his dog, was a woman I had seen on a date at a shrine.</p>
<p> &#8211;I heard that you two are in a relationship.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> He said, &#8220;(pointing toward her) Well, we are together now. Yes, we are.&#8221;</span></p>
<p> &#8211;Are you planning to get married?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> That&#8217;s, well, &#8230;&#8230; to come.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p> Kobayashi, who was carefully choosing his words as he watched her getting into the passenger seat, asked, &#8220;The car you are driving is Mr. Kanno&#8217;s, right? When I asked her, &#8220;The car you are driving is Mr. Kanno&#8217;s, isn&#8217;t it?&#8221; she relaxed a little and said, &#8220;It used to be.</p>
<p> &#8211;Lastly, now that you have been promoted to the first team, what are your ambitions for the future?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I will do my best to help the team. Thank you very much.&#8221;</span></p>
<p> After answering the last question, he put his dog in the backseat and got into the driver&#8217;s seat himself.</p>
<p> With the support of his girlfriend, the &#8220;most handsome man in the baseball world&#8221; was back on the field.</p>
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<figure id="attachment_467774" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467774" style="width: 1832px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="d2302f87"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/5e2fc521fb4582151e87b3009c545bf4.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467774" class="wp-caption-text"> She was wearing a warm fur coat on her head, and she was all smiles as she pointed at Kobayashi, who was looking at his phone. Her dog, on the other hand, is staring at us.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467775" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467775" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="623d9a62"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/13d53e71a5ff527a5c564144dbf0b0e9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467775" class="wp-caption-text"> Just walking along the lakeside is a picture-perfect moment for this beautiful couple. It was hard to believe that they had only been dating for six months.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467776" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467776" style="width: 1879px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="fadac1f5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/eb1006766d7a0e7d61fc3d20c615ff3c.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467776" class="wp-caption-text"> They responded with a refreshing &#8220;Hello&#8221; to our sudden direct question. Their dog again looked quizzically at the camera. &#8230;&#8230;</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467777" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467777" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e047d84f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/5accfbc07c1a32072132a104d21b0b49.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467777" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished photograph: Seiji Kobayashi of the Giants, living together with his new girlfriend, who supported his promotion to the first team.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467778" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467778" style="width: 1505px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8c74781e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/abeb8a1db49020ea8879b53ec516d3cf.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467778" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished cuts from the magazine: Seiji Kobayashi of the Giants, living together with his new girlfriend, who supported his promotion to the first team.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467779" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467779" style="width: 2326px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5006512b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/266e085c4bd5a42290014a0928437e82.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467779" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished cuts from the magazine: Seiji Kobayashi, the Giant, living together with his new girlfriend who supported his promotion to the first team</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467780" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467780" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="3cea6c20"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/f793c4f58ce2fe77f3da2c8a75b763b9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467780" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished cuts from the magazine: Seiji Kobayashi, the Giant, living together with his new girlfriend who supported his promotion to the first team</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_467781" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-467781" style="width: 1642px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="454744ff"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/05/2ef8914b6da289823c7666b31bd75b8f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-467781" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished photos of Seiji Kobayashi, the Giant, living together with his new girlfriend who supported his promotion to the first team.</figcaption></figure>
<p> From the May 15 and 22, 2026 issue of FRIDAY</p>


 Keisuke Nishi, Sota Shima (3rd photo)

 Seiji Kobayashi of the Yomiuri Giants, the most handsome catcher in baseball, has a new boyfriend! It was early afternoon one day after the start of the professional baseball season. This magazine witnessed Kobayashi on a date with a slender beauty at a Hakone shrine. When we directly asked him about it, he said...?

Seiji Kobayashi of the Giants had found a new “partner! Living together with his new girlfriend who supported his promotion to the first team

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