Giants’ Rising Catching Star Shinnosuke Yamase Goes Public With Romance With Older Female Celebrity

At a gathering hosted by an acquaintance

The man and woman, dressed in fresh-looking matching outfits, stood close together in Tokyo as sunset approached, exuding a relaxed and carefree mood.

At 6 p.m. in late July, a muscular man wearing sunglasses emerged from a luxury high-rise condominium in Tokyo. With an exceptionally broad chest and arms like tree trunks, he was the very definition of muscular.

That was only natural, because the man carrying a computer and wallet in one hand was none other than Shinnosuke Yamase (25), the Giants’ highly touted catcher known for his powerful throwing arm.

“Yamase, who is from Ishikawa Prefecture, formed a battery with Yasunobu Okugawa (25, currently with the Yakult Swallows) at Seiryo High School and led the team to a runner-up finish at Koshien before being selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. His throwing arm is regarded as one of the strongest in the NPB, and former Giants manager Shinnosuke Abe (47), who was also a catcher, had been coaching Yamase enthusiastically since his days as the farm-team manager.

He has gradually been getting more opportunities to start behind the plate for the first team, and this season he has shown signs of breaking out, including hitting the first home run of his professional career. With the Giants’ catching corps also getting older, Yamase is considered a candidate to become the team’s regular catcher of the next generation.” (Sports newspaper desk)

Despite the lingering summer heat, the identity of the beautiful woman pressing her slender body against Yamase and flashing a cheerful smile was…

“She is talent Chika Yamane (30). While still in high school in 2012, she reached the final round of the Horipro Talent Scout Caravan and signed with Horipro after the competition. Because her parents were huge sumo fans, Yamane herself is known as one of the biggest sumo enthusiasts in the entertainment industry. In addition to appearing on sports and variety programs, she also writes a regular sumo column for a newspaper.” (Same source)

Yamane wore a black T-shirt with light-gray sweatpants, while Yamase was dressed in a plain black T-shirt and light-gray shorts. Despite sunset being just around the corner, the two strolled through the streets wearing sunglasses as part of their matching outfits, radiating an unmistakable aura of happiness.

“These two are seriously dating. I hear they met at a gathering hosted by an acquaintance earlier this year and started dating afterward. Yamane also loves baseball and was a Giants fan, so they seem to have hit it off.” (A person acquainted with Yamase)

Our magazine spotted the two again about five hours after the scene described at the beginning. Just before midnight, Yamase was carrying the same computer and wallet as before, along with a supermarket plastic bag in his left hand, while his right hand held a bag containing toilet paper.

After walking home together for a while, the powerful-armed catcher, one of the strongest in the baseball world, was led by his battery mate and safely made it home to their love nest. His calm, unhurried gait was reminiscent of a married couple who had been together for many years.

We contacted the Yomiuri Giants and Yamane’s talent agency regarding their relationship and plans to marry, but neither side provided a response by the deadline.

Yamase may have had his heart stolen by Yamane in his private life, but the two also formed a formidable battery on the baseball field. With the support of his older girlfriend, can he establish himself as a first-team regular and use his powerful throwing arm to shut down one stolen-base attempt after another?

The August 20 issue of “FRIDAY,” dated September 4, and the paid edition “FRIDAY GOLD” provide details about the changes in Yamase that have taken place since the two began dating.

For those who would like to see the full details and additional photos, click here↓

From the September 4, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”