Ever since Haruki Imaoka watched the popular American TV series "Beverly Hills, 90210," he had dreamed of marrying a good-looking Western girl. When he went to Los Angeles for college, he met local resident Laura Beltz in May 2004, and they hit it off right away.

After Haruki finished his studies, the couple spent five months apart when he returned to his hometown of Osaka to work to save up for an engagement ring while Laura pursued her master's degree in anthropology at California State University, Northridge. After getting her degree, she joined Haruki in Japan in August 2007. They married in December 2007 and now live in Kita Ward, Tokyo.

Now they share not only a home but a workplace, too. Haruki, 24, is a senior majoring in economics at Temple University, Japan Campus, while Laura Beltz Imaoka, 27, is a student services coordinator there.