Yuri Ebihara and Ilmari

Ebi-chan and Rip Slyme's Ilmari reportedly dating

Saturday 30th May, 03:00 AM JST

TOKYO —

Tabloid media on Friday hinted that love is brewing between popular model Yuri Ebihara, 29, popularly known as Ebi-chan, and Ilmari, 33, from the hip-hop group Rip Slyme.

According to sources, the two paired up starting in April, and started off Golden Week with a visit to Ebihara’s hometown of Miyazaki to meet her parents. While on the trip, the couple visited Aoshima Shrine, a sightseeing spot famous for being dedicated to the god of matchmaking and marriage.

An issue of the weekly magazine Friday published photos of the date on Friday. According to the article, the pair showed up to the shrine in matching black hats with Ebihara’s mother, her younger twin sister and the sister’s husband.

Ilmari was born to a Japanese father and a Finnish mother. He began dating actress Maho Nonami, 29, in 2004, and the two began living together in 2007. Everyone believed marriage was in the air, but the pair broke it off at the beginning of this year. Sources say it was after the break up that things began to heat up between Ilmari and Ebihara.

Regarding the relationship, Ebihara’s management agency stated, “We’ve been told that he’s one of her close friends.” Ilmari’s management replied to inquiries by saying, “He’s an adult and can take care of his own private life.”

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Latest 15 of 29 Total Comments Show All

Disillusioned at 03:35 PM JST - 30th May
Must be a dude.

Soon to be a whimp!
- Prawn slime! Love it!
LoveUSA at 05:01 PM JST - 30th May

He is handsome, symphony of the genes of Japanese father and Finnish mother, soo hot/, celebration of the beauty of multiracial genes.
oberst at 05:29 PM JST - 30th May

slime the shrimp !!
dishdash at 07:48 PM JST - 30th May

You people with your obsession with halfs. If you have lived long enough in Asia or have multiracial friends you would know its hit and miss. Either they come out good looking or a little odd. Just wish Ebi Chan and IImari all the best and leave the racial make-up out of it - but I do like the "finnish" what he started comment!
Betting at 08:18 PM JST - 30th May

"Ilmari’s management replied to inquiries by saying, “He’s an adult and can take care of his own private life.”

One of the best comments in the Entertainment section to date.
LoveUSA at 10:02 PM JST - 30th May

You people with your obsession with halfs. If you have lived long enough in Asia or have multiracial friends you would know its hit and miss.

the obviously he is a hit. Lovely lovely.
WilliB at 11:59 PM JST - 30th May

Any female Ebi offspring should be pretty, anyway.
Sarge at 12:05 AM JST - 31st May

What about any male Ebi-chan offspring?
XXXXX at 01:49 AM JST - 31st May

sigh() some things don't change
LoveUSA at 09:29 AM JST - 31st May

why not all the man look like him...everybody will be handsome then
northlondon at 03:03 PM JST - 31st May

Soon to be a whimp!

Yeah and whimps like Ilmari have money from successful music careers and girlfriends like Ebihara, where you for example don't. I'd rather be the whimp thank you.
herefornow at 06:41 PM JST - 31st May

northlondon -- So, the measure of a man is whether he has money and a good-looking girlfriend -- huh? You've been in Japan too long. You're standards are slipping.
northlondon at 09:46 PM JST - 31st May

herefornow, this Ilmari guy is getting abuse for managing to bag Ebihara, which is ridiculous. How many of us idiots sitting at home and posting comments on a website are going to bag a woman like that ? And let's be brutally honest. A man who does well career-wise means a man who is financially comfortable. Someone who can retire without any worries and provide for his children. And successful men get the best choice of women to settle down with. Which means the pretty ones as opposed to the ugly ones. And with that comes good-looking children. So I'm not really sure what your argument is to be quite honest.
herefornow at 05:34 AM JST - 1st June

northlondon -- I didn't make an "argument". I just responded to your silly comment, based on juvenile logic, which is why you must love Japan so much. Equating money and looks with not being a "whimp" is foolish. For all you know he's a little spoiled, Mommy's Boy like many J-guys his age, and will make a lousy husband and father, despite the looks and money. You have no idea if he has any real character or not.
1keiron at 07:28 AM JST - 5th June

You have no idea if he has any real character or not.

Neither do you so wind your neck in. You have no idea what the average Japanese man goes through at his age. Why are you on this website? Do you think Bashing Japanese people and Japan with you constant trash talk will actually get your somewhere in life?