Cristiano Pozzi, 37, born and raised in the Lake Como area in northern Italy, and Akiko Kobayashi, 36, from Tokyo, first met in 2003. Cristiano, a chef at an Italian restaurant, and Akiko, owner of a nail salon in Akasaka, were introduced to each other in Tokyo by a mutual Italian friend.

They dated for a year, but Cristiano went back to Italy after his contract with the restaurant expired. His promise that he would soon return to Tokyo did not materialize and Akiko thought that their relationship had ended. But two years later, Cristiano finally came back to Tokyo and found a job at another Italian restaurant.

The couple got married in 2008, and their son, Oscar Aguri, was born the following year. The family now lives in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo.