They say age is just a number, and love has no boundaries.

All of the above seem to ring true for a couple in Japan, where a 27-year age gap proved no obstacle for a former idol in marrying a much-older fan.

Singer Yuki Tomoe first met her husband Mitsuo when she was 17 and he was 44, according to Nikkan Spa.

The year was 2020, and Tomoe had debuted as a new member of an idol group in Osaka.

Mitsuo, who had been a fan of the group from before, was smitten when he first saw Tomoe, reported Sina.

"The moment I saw her, I felt like I was looking at a sparkling, shiny rock," said Mitsuo. "Even though she was new, her performances were amazing, and very cute."

Though he was based in Oita, he would travel to Osaka every week to catch her performances, and would never miss the online live events either.

Soon, Tomoe began noticing Mitsuo as well.

"I feel like he is different from other fans. I can confide in him and talk to him about my troubles that I would never tell anyone else.

"Once, he wasn't there at our concert. I thought it was weird as he always came, and I started looking for him onstage. Without him in the audience, I felt empty. From that moment on, I realised I seemed to like him."

Tomoe took the initiative and eventually confessed her feelings to Mitsuo.

Mitsuo said he never thought the day would come. "After all, I'm just a fan. If an idol says they like you, maybe they only like you as a fan. I couldn't believe it when she said she liked me as a person... So I said, 'let's start dating then!'"

'Hard to believe'

Tomoe left the idol group around the same time they started dating, reported Sina.

Because of their age difference, those who knew the pair disapproved of their relationship.

Mitsuo's friends and colleagues were envious and worried for him, and warned that he might be getting scammed as their relationship "was hard to believe" since Tomoe was "so young and cute".

But just one week into their relationship, Mitsuo decided to take it up a notch instead - and paid a visit to Tomoe's parents.

Tomoe's mother and Mitsuo are both 47 years old.

When they met, the mother was nervous and asked: "Do you two have plans to get married?"

Not expecting the question, Mitsuo said they had been dating for only a week, and hadn't even considered marriage.

To which Tomoe's mother replied: "What? You two are still dating even though you have no plans to get married?"

Flustered, Mitsuo could only reply, "Is it okay then [if we get married]?"

To win the trust of Tomoe's parents, Mitsuo wrote them a letter of assurance which listed a few promises, according to Sina.

One such promise was that Tomoe's parents would always be informed when they go out on dates, so as to ensure her safety.

After a while, Mitsuo eventually won over Tomoe's parents.

Tomoe has since moved to Oita and the two are currently on their honeymoon in Japan.

The couple frequently posts on their social media accounts about their relationship. Their TikTok account has over 300,000 followers.

To relive the good old days, Tomoe performs for Mitsuo in their bedroom.

He sways along with a glowing light stick.

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This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.