[Full Text Published] A Marriage Born of True Love… Seiya Watanabe, the “Future No. 4 Hitter” of the Seibu Lions, Goes on a Romantic Date

A Yakiniku Date with My Beloved Wife

A couple walks hand in hand under the neon lights of the downtown district, far from the stadium spotlights—Even dressed casually in a T-shirt and shorts instead of his uniform, the strapping young man with an impressively built physique is Seiya Watanabe (24) of the Saitama Seibu Lions.

“Selected as the second overall pick in the ’24 draft, he joined the team from Osaka University of Commerce. With a 50-meter dash time of 6.0 seconds flat, a strong arm capable of throwing 110 meters, and 12 home runs this year, he’s a promising prospect who excels in all three aspects of the game: running, hitting, and fielding.
He is the first player in the franchise’s history in 39 years—since Kazuhiro Kiyohara (59)—to hit double-digit home runs in two consecutive seasons starting as a rookie. This season, he has been entrusted with key spots in the lineup, such as the No. 3 or No. 5 spot, and is expected to be a ‘future cleanup hitter’” (Baseball magazine reporter)

Beside this young lion stood a beautiful woman who resembled actress Fuka Koshiba, snuggled close to him. Watanabe took the woman to a yakiniku restaurant famous for its Kuroge Wagyu beef.

Along the way, the two walked arm in arm, their faces close together as they enjoyed their conversation. Their lovey-dovey behavior was so obvious it made even onlookers feel a bit embarrassed. Although the downtown area was bustling with people during dinner time, they showed no signs of trying to hide their relationship. They carried themselves with confidence.Who exactly is this beautiful woman who has captured the heart of the young star player?

“She’s Ms. A, Watanabe’s ‘beloved wife.’ Although it hasn’t been made public, I’ve heard that Watanabe is actually married. Ms. A is an ordinary woman from Hiroshima, just like him. The two started dating in middle school and have reportedly never broken up.
Watanabe is especially head over heels for her. Even while he was attending a top baseball high school and living in a dorm, they kept in touch regularly,” said an acquaintance of Watanabe’s.

In the game the day before this yakiniku date, Watanabe had smashed a spectacular home run over the back screen to score the first run of the game. Perhaps the two of them raised a modest toast just for themselves that day. After finishing their meal, Watanabe emerged from the restaurant with a satisfied smile.

On the way home, Watanabe and Ms. A naturally found themselves holding hands. They got into his car, which was parked in a nearby coin-operated parking lot, and drove off to their “home”—a place just for the two of them.

Is it true that Watanabe’s devoted love, which had lasted since junior high school, finally bore fruit when he married Ms. A? When interviewed by FRIDAY, a team spokesperson replied, “As this concerns a player’s private life, we will refrain from commenting.”

This season, scandals have been plaguing Japanese professional baseball. With the Hiroshima Carp, Ryutaro Hazuki (26) was found guilty of using the banned substance “etomidate” (commonly known as “zombie tobacco”), and all players suspected of involvement are currently assigned to the second or third teams (as of September 29).With the Giants, Shinnosuke Abe (47) resigned as manager after being involved in an assault incident. Furthermore, Hanshin’s Ryoto Ihara (26), who was reported in the September 4 issue of *FRIDAY* for an incident involving an assault on a woman while heavily intoxicated, was demoted on the day the magazine went on sale.Amid growing scrutiny of baseball players’ ethics, Watanabe’s earnest and genuine demeanor is truly touching.

For the sake of the baseball world and the fans, I hope this will be a year of great strides for him, both on and off the field.

From the October 16, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*