Shinnosuke Yamase, the Giants’ Promising Catcher with a Powerful Arm, Is “Seriously Dating an Older Female Celebrity”! The Happy Couple Spotted in “Matching Outfits”

“At a party thrown by an acquaintance,”

Dressed in matching, fresh-looking outfits, the man and woman stood close together, exuding a relaxed atmosphere as sunset approached in Tokyo.

At 6:00 p.m. in late July, a burly man wearing sunglasses emerged from a luxury high-rise apartment building in Tokyo. With his extraordinary broad chest and arms like logs, the phrase “muscular” fits him perfectly.

And no wonder—this man, holding a laptop and a wallet in one hand, is Shinnosuke Yamase (25), the Giants’ promising catcher with a powerful arm.

“A native of Ishikawa Prefecture, Yamase formed a battery with Yasunobu Okugawa (25, currently with the Yakult Swallows) at Seiryo High School. After leading the team to a runner-up finish at the Koshien Tournament, he was selected by the Giants with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft.His arm—one of the strongest in the NPB—is highly regarded, and former manager Shinnosuke Abe (47), who was also a catcher, has been enthusiastically coaching Yamase since his days as the farm team manager.

“He’s gradually getting more opportunities to start behind the plate for the first team, and with his first professional home run this season, he’s showing signs of a breakout year. Given that the Giants’ catching corps is aging, Yamase is being touted as a candidate to be the next starting catcher,” said a sports newspaper editor.

Amid the lingering summer heat, a beautiful woman presses her slender body close to Yamase and flashes a cheerful smile…

“It’s TV personality Chika Yamane (30). In 2012, while still in high school, she advanced to the finals of the ‘Horipro Talent Scout Caravan’ and signed with Horipro after the competition ended.Since her parents were avid sumo fans, Yamane herself is known as one of the entertainment industry’s foremost sumo connoisseurs. While appearing on sports and variety shows, she also writes a regular sumo column for a newspaper,” (ibid.)

Yamane wore a black T-shirt paired with light gray sweatpants, while Yamase sported a plain black T-shirt and light gray shorts.Despite the sun being about to set, the two strolled through the streets in “matching outfits”—complete with sunglasses—radiating an aura of happiness.

“These two are in a serious relationship. I’ve heard they met at a drinking party hosted by a mutual acquaintance earlier this year and started dating. Since Yamane is a baseball fan—and a Giants fan, at that—they seem to have hit it off right away,” said an acquaintance of Yamase.

Our magazine spotted the pair again about five hours after the scene described at the beginning. Just before midnight, Yamase—still carrying the same laptop, wallet, and plastic grocery bag in his left hand—was seen holding a bag of toilet paper in his right.

After walking home for a while, the catcher—renowned in baseball circles for his powerful arm—was led by his “partner” and safely “tagged in” at their love nest. Their stride was as calm and composed as that of a long-married couple.

We contacted the Yomiuri Giants and Yamane’s agency regarding the couple’s relationship and marriage plans, but neither responded by our deadline.

In his personal life, Yamase has had his heart stolen by Yamane, and the two have formed a powerful battery. With the support of his older girlfriend, will he be able to secure a spot on the first team and use his natural strong arm to thwart stolen base attempts one after another?

The September 4 issue of “FRIDAY,” on sale August 20, and the paid version “FRIDAY GOLD” detail the “changes in Yamase” that have occurred since they began dating.

Click here to view the full article and multiple photos ↓

From the September 4, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*