I became a grandfather at the age of 27 and was moved by the story of 11 members of a large family
Aug 22, 2025
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According to Hong Kong media South China Morning Post, Masashi (27), a Japanese truck driver, is the head of a large family of 11 people, including his wife, children, and grandchildren.
His story has also been introduced in popular Japanese TV programs.
Masashi first met his 39-year-old wife, Rika, 12 years her senior, 11 years ago.
He fell in love with the charismatic nature of single mom Ricka, who has three children while working at a gas station at the age of 16.
He was married after a long courtship and now has an eight-year-old son.
Rika's youngest daughter is 12, and her eldest daughter, Yuriyna, is 21, and she is already a mother of two.
Yurina was pregnant at the age of 16, but she hesitated to give birth under social pressure. In response, Rika said "You're still a child, too. Don't carry everything on your own. I'll help you. She encouraged her daughter by saying, "Let's have a baby..." and Yuri-na gave birth to a son and a daughter one after another. Yurina is single, and no information about her job or boyfriend is known.
Rika's eldest son, Kato, is 17 years old and has two children with his girlfriend of the same age, living together in Masashi's house.
Masashi's family consists of a total of 11 people, including three new children, a biological son, four grandchildren, and a future daughter-in-law.
The family's story made a big splash on Chinese social media, and the related video has more than 1 million views.
Some netizens were concerned about legal issues related to underage pregnancy, but the family did not express any position on this.
Japan raised the age of sexual consent to 16 from the previous 13 in 2023, and sexual conduct with under-18s is prohibited if it is considered 'inappropriate conduct'. However, exceptions are granted for engagements or true love relationships.
In fact, the Masashi family's life is tight.
Masashi earns 250,000 yen (about 2.36 million won) per month as a truck driver, and his wife Rika works part-time at a motorcycle store and receives 80,000 yen (about 750,000 won) per month.
In addition, 45,000 yen (about 420,000 won) is provided by local governments as child rearing allowances.
However, Masashi said she was happy to stay with her family.
He said "I'm happiest when I come back home with my family after a long day" and Rika's son Kato added "I'm happiest when the whole family is together"
Netizens are saying "He's a real man. I am responsible for the whole family because I love my wife", "It's nice to see that the family is doing well. I hope the children grow up healthy."
On the other hand, some "This family seems to think too easily of the child. Adolescent pregnancy should not be glorified. It is not desirable for children who are not yet mature to become parents."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
