Some four decades ago, a couple of Japanese art students fell in love while going to school in Tokyo. Soon, they got married. He got a job in design and marketing, and she became a stay-at-home mom.
Fast-forward 38 years. Now the married couple Tsuyoshi and Tomi Seki are both in their 60s and retired, but by the looks of things, they’ve just gotten started in their “second life.” And their iconic, adorable fashion sense has made them famous around the globe.
The couple, who literally wrote the book on how to celebrate married life (two books actually), started getting noticed when their daughter started posting adorable photos of them wearing matching outfits on Instagram back in 2016.
Soon, the cute retired couple had become a hit in Japan, and the pair decided to launch their own Instagram page, which they named after their childhood nicknames, Bon and Pon, combined with the date of their marriage, May 11. Hence, BonPon511 was born. To date, the duo have garnered over 760,000 online followers.
“We’re overwhelmed by the number of comments, although we’re unable to understand all of them,” Tsuyoshi told The Guardian. “But we’re extremely grateful to everyone who takes the time to post.”
Every day, the couple pose in a variety of matching outfits, whether it be a lazy day at home or a trip to the local grocery store. With their Instagram success, their matching attire has gotten to be well-planned each time.
“But it’s not just about coordinating our clothes,” husband Tsuyoshi adds. “We try to choose outfits that complement our surroundings.” The photos are taken with a simple iPhone on a tripod.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmC146hjke1/
However, the couple insists that their outfits need not cost much. Hardly coveting high fashion, they happily confess that they shop at common, inexpensive Japanese supermarkets, Uniqlo, and other ordinary outlets.
“Of course we’re happy to be described as style icons in the media, but that’s not really how we see ourselves,” Tomi told The Guardian. “We wear simple, inexpensive clothes that anyone can buy.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BksIGS-DyXg/
Since they began posting, the iconic duo have been published in magazine and newspaper articles in Japan and elsewhere. Tsuyoshi and Tomi have also collaborated with a designer to produce an array of clothing and accessories for Japanese department store Isetan Mitsukoshi.
The happily married retired couple also shared their message for staying happy together in their two books celebrating marriage, one of which is all about a “second life” after retirement.
“Now we’re on our own and finally have the time to do all the things we didn’t have the time to do when we were raising a family and working,” said Tomi. “We want to show that retirement can be a lot of fun, especially if you find something you enjoy doing together.”
Enjoy a few more samples of their adorable, matching ensembles:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeznKaaDpnO/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkHjV-WDk9p/
