[2026 Romance Roundup] Yusuke Narita & Ringo Shiina: The “Unlikely Couple” Sent Shockwaves Through the World!
First Half of 2026: A Comprehensive Look Back at Love Scandals PART 2—All the “Red-Hot Date Spots” Revealed!
〈As a special midsummer feature, FRIDAY is revealing all the “caught in the act” moments involving big-name celebrities that the magazine has reported on during the first half of ’26! *FRIDAY*, July 17 & 24, 2026 issue Let’s take a look back at the reports on the romance between Yusuke Narita (40) and Ringo Shiina (47) featured in this issue〉
A National Artist and a Charismatic Economist on an Intimate Date!
In July, FRIDAY reported on a jazz concert date between national artist Ringo Sheena (47) and Reiwa-era charismatic economist Yusuke Narita (40) at “Blue Note Tokyo” in Tokyo.
After leaving the venue together, the two boarded a pre-booked limousine at different times and headed to Shiina’s apartment.
On another day, Narita made an incognito visit to the final day of Shiina’s live tour, held in Takasaki City (Gunma Prefecture). After the show, they returned to the same city hotel, and the two did not emerge that night.
It appears the two met during a dialogue published in the monthly magazine *Bungeishunju*, which went on sale last December. Narita confessed that the first concert he ever attended with money he had earned himself—at the age of 14—was one of Shiina’s, and that she was also his first musical influence.
Taking this interview as an opportunity to grow closer, Narita wrote the liner notes for Shiina’s album, and in May, he signed a management contract with “Kuro Nekodō Co., Ltd.,” the company Shiina heads. Their relationship had evolved beyond that of mere business partners into an intimate one.
Shinomi is in a common-law marriage with video director Yuichi Kodama, while Narita is married—though he has publicly announced that he and his wife are living separately. However, the two do not seem fazed by FRIDAY’s article alleging a “mutual affair.”
“Shinomi and Narita don’t seem bothered by the reports. While their agency has avoided making explicit statements about the affair, they’ve always been the ‘do-it-my-way’ type. I don’t think their relationship will waver no matter what people around them say,” said an executive at a talent agency.
Perhaps their unwavering way of life, even as they grow older, is their greatest charm.
From the September 4, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*