FULL STORY: Giants Catcher Shinnosuke Yamase Caught in Serious Relationship With Older Female TV Personality

Holding a roll of toilet paper in one hand, he heads home to their love nest

The man and woman, dressed in refreshing matching outfits, walked close together through Tokyo as sunset approached, giving off a relaxed, carefree air.

At 6 p.m. in late July, a muscular man wearing sunglasses emerged from a luxury high-rise condominium in Tokyo. His exceptionally broad chest and tree-trunk-like arms were the very definition of a muscular physique.

And for good reason: the man, carrying a computer and wallet in one hand, was none other than Shinnosuke Yamase (25), the Giants’ highly regarded catcher with a 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 the runner-up finish at the Koshien tournament before being selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2019 draft. His exceptional throwing arm is highly regarded even within the NPB, and former manager Shinnosuke Abe (47), who was also a catcher, coached Yamase enthusiastically from 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 hit his first professional home run, showing signs that he could be on the verge of a breakthrough. With the Giants’ catching corps also getting older, Yamase is regarded as a candidate to become their starting catcher of the next generation,” said a sports newspaper desk editor.

Despite the lingering summer heat, the beautiful woman pressed her slender body close to Yamase and flashed a cheerful smile. Her identity was…

“It’s talent Chika Yamane (30). While still in high school in 2012, she advanced to the finals of the ‘Horipro Talent Scout Caravan’ and signed with Horipro after the competition. Because both of her parents are avid sumo fans, Yamane herself is known as one of the biggest sumo enthusiasts in the entertainment industry. Alongside appearing on sports and variety programs, she also writes a serialized sumo column for a newspaper,” the same source said.

Yamane paired a black T-shirt with light-gray sweatpants, while Yamase wore a plain black T-shirt with light-gray shorts. Despite sunset being just around the corner, the two strolled through the city wearing matching sunglasses as well, their coordinated outfits giving off an unmistakable aura of happiness.

“These two are seriously dating. I hear they met at a gathering organized by an acquaintance earlier this year and began seeing each other. Yamane is also a baseball fan and has supported the Giants, so apparently they hit it off,” said an acquaintance of Yamase.

He openly told those around him, “I’m serious about her, so I’ve stopped fooling around.”

Apparently, before starting his relationship with Yamane, Yamase was known as one of the biggest partygoers among the Giants’ younger players.

“He is close with players such as Ryuusei Takeoka (25) of the Yakult Swallows, who is the same age, and teammate Riku Masuda (26), and they frequently held gatherings with women at restaurants in Tokyo’s Minato Ward that are popular with Giants players. Apparently, he even dated a gravure idol he met at one of those gatherings.

However, after he began dating Yamane, he apparently stopped going out for drinks or on dates with other women. He would brag to those around him, saying, ‘I’m dating an older woman in show business, and because I’m serious about her, I’ve stopped fooling around.’ Apparently, he is completely smitten with her and can’t say no to her (laughs),” the same source said.

FRIDAY 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 well as a supermarket plastic bag, in his left hand. In his right hand, he was carrying a bag of toilet paper.

After walking home for a while, the elite catcher with one of the strongest throwing arms in baseball was led by his partner and safely made it home to their love nest. His calm, unhurried gait was almost like that of a married couple who had been together for many years.

“FRIDAY” contacted the Yomiuri Giants and Yamane’s talent agency regarding the couple’s relationship and their plans for marriage, but neither party provided a response by the deadline.

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

From the September 4, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”