Nozomi Sasaki & Ken Watabe’s Wife-First New Year’s Party

“Is she an actress?”

It is not surprising that passers by on a shopping street in Shibuya Ward would turn to look at them with that look. The person radiating an overwhelming aura of beauty and good looks that is obvious even through a mask is none other than Nozomi Sasaki, 36.

However, few people notice the man walking at an unobtrusive distance. Following her with a downcast look in her eyes is her husband, Ken Watabe (52).

One day in mid-January, just after noon, the two contrasting couples entered a monjayaki restaurant together. The restaurant was rented out, but there were a few visitors after that.

What was going on in the restaurant?

“On this day, a New Year’s party was held with Watanabe’s junior colleagues from his agency. Around six people attended, including Yosuke Omizu (42) from the comedy duo ‘Rubber Girl’ and Tetsuya Ikeda (42), a comedian who loves high school baseball.

I thought Watanabe would passionately share his New Year’s resolutions in front of his juniors, but he barely talked about work in front of his wife. Even so, the party was lively, and after finishing the second round, the Watanabe couple left around 8:30 PM” (Entertainment industry insider).

In January, Sasaki will start a drama series “Jigoku no hate to dake” (TBS), in which she will play the lead role. Sasaki is also active in a wide range of other activities, including serving as MC for a quiz special program and modeling for a magazine.

Watanabe, on the other hand, has only appeared in terrestrial TV dramas, but the number of his appearances has not been very large. The two are clearly divided in their entertainment activities, but even at home, Watabe seems to be devoted to supporting the mainstay of the family.

The rules imposed on Watanabe within the marriage

“Four and a half years after Watanabe’s infidelity scandal, various rules have been established between the couple. Watanabe is completely banned from staying out overnight, even for work. Additionally, once a week, Watanabe takes full responsibility for childcare, and Sasaki has a day where she can freely do as she pleases. However, during busy times, Watanabe actively takes on childcare duties. Thanks to such devoted behavior, it seems the couple’s relationship is not bad” (Entertainment industry insider).

For about a year after the affair, Watanabe’s income was almost zero. The disparity between the couple has often been reported, as evidenced by their part-time jobs at the Toyosu Market (Koto-ku, Tokyo) and a tavern in Azabudai (Minato-ku, Tokyo), but there are signs of success in areas other than their entertainment activities.

“His online salon, which he operates, has around 400 subscribers. At a monthly fee of 980 yen, this alone generates an income of 400,000 yen per month. Additionally, his business communication-themed lectures are priced at 400,000 yen per session, and despite the high price, they have become quite popular. His YouTube channel has 440,000 subscribers, and his annual income likely exceeds 10 million yen.

However, Watanabe himself seems to be telling those around him that he wants to prioritize family time, and he is not fixated on his entertainment career. His wife-first attitude will likely remain unchanged moving forward” (Entertainment industry insider).

He takes three steps back and follows. The unique distance they showed on their way to the restaurant may be comfortable for both of them.

From the February 7, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”