Former AKB48 idol Yuko Oshima reported to be dating foreign boyfriend

In what may be every foreign otaku’s dream come true or the stuff of nightmares, Yuko Oshima has been snapped by the lens of a tabloid photographer on an intimate date with a foreigner.

The lucky man is apparently an American. (Incidentally, Oshima is herself a quarter American, which may or may not be relevant.) The couple were followed while they walked arm in arm in Tokyo, with Oshima wearing a face mask as is common for celebrities. They had attended a showing of the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which is a mega hit in Japan.

The tall and bearded boyfriend was also reportedly spotted leaving Oshima’s apartment building. The tabloid Weekly Friday suggests that Oshima’s time studying in America from 2017 to 2018 has affected her tastes in men and let to her meeting her lover.

This is the first interracial relationship between an AKB48 idol and foreigner that we know of (correct us in the comments if we are wrong).

Since leaving AKB48 in 2014, the 30-year-old Oshima has made a decent stab at an acting career, landing some lead roles in films and TV dramas.

Atsuko Maeda, Oshima’s former AKB48 peer who has also established herself as a serious actor post-AKB, got married last year and recently gave birth to a child.

On the other hand, Mariko Shinoda, who seemed unable to carve out a full career when she left the group, announced her marriage in February.

According to the Friday scoop, Ohima has been to a sushi restaurant with her father and boyfriend, indicating that the relationship is serious enough to merit a parental introduction. Could Yuko Oshima be about to follow Shinoda and get hitched to a gaijin?