Ryuta Watanabe’s Life with Three Wives and Children

“The Freeloader’s Repayment”. This is not a parody of an old folktale. These words embody the very life of Ryuta Watanabe (37), who lives a polygamous lifestyle in Hokkaido.

Once, he lived as a live-in freeloader, supported by his partners. Eventually, he evolved into a traveling freeloader. Now, he has built a polygamous household while earning ¥1.25 million per month as a social media influencer on platforms like SNS and YouTube.

At first glance, his family may seem complicated, but according to him, it makes sense.

“Currently, under one roof, I live with my first wife, Yosaki (24), my second wife, Ayaka (37), and my third wife, Chiharu (28). We also have Hisaki’s child, Ema (2), and Chiharu’s child, Toa (1), making a total of six people. Moreover, Chiharu is pregnant with twins, so our family will be growing this spring.”

But that’s not all. He also has a fourth wife, Chihiro (27), who lives separately, along with a 25-year-old girlfriend. Additionally, he has six other children from different mothers outside of these four wives.

Most people would question, “Is this really sustainable?” However, for him, polygamy is an efficient and rational family structure.

“In a monogamous relationship, people tend to expect too much from their partner, leading to imbalanced responsibilities and one person often being overburdened. But in a polygamous household, responsibilities are shared, and everyone can contribute in their own way.

For example, Hisaki is in charge of cooking, Ayaka takes care of cleaning and laundry, and the pregnant Chiharu helps within her limits. In our household, we follow a simple rule: ‘Whoever wants to do something, does it.’ That way, no one feels overwhelmed, and we can all live comfortably.”

Their lifestyle, where each person brings their strengths to the table and supports one another, challenges the conventional idea of family.

The full interview, detailing how Watanabe started his polygamous lifestyle and how it has evolved, is available in the January 31 issue of “FRIDAY” (February 14 edition) and the paid edition FRIDAY GOLD. It also includes multiple photos and insights into the wives’ personalities.

For more details and additional pictures, click here: ↓

From the February 14, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”