Polygamous Freeloader Ryuta Watanabe Wants to Surpass Tokugawa Ienari the 11th Shogun

Words from his parents

On this day, Chiharu, the third wife of Watanabe, who was also present for the interview, reflected on how they met.

“Our meeting was through a dating app. When I looked at his SNS, there were so many photos that seemed like they were taken by someone else, and I thought, ‘There’s no way he took these himself.’ I confronted him, asking, ‘You have other women, don’t you?’ But there was something mysterious about him, and I was drawn to him.”

At the time, Chihiro and Hiyaki were living together with Watanabe, and later, Ayaka and Chiharu joined, gradually forming Watanabe’s polygamous family. However, it wasn’t a smooth journey, as Chihiro struggled to adjust to the new life and eventually lived separately.

“My parents found out about our lifestyle through YouTube and got really angry. They misunderstood and thought, ‘Our daughter has been taken by a cult!’ They barged into our house, shouting, ‘Give our daughter back!’ I thought I was doing this of my own free will, but I realized that ordinary people just can’t understand this.”

Chiharu shared the struggles she faced during that time.

“I told them about my pregnancy, but at first, they just ignored my message. I sent a follow-up message on my mom’s birthday, and I finally got a reply. But she said, ‘I think it’s better if we don’t meet right now.'”

Despite his parents’ opposition, Watanabe explained why he continued to live in a polygamous family.

“‘The Freeloader’s Gratitude’ is an important theme for me. I want to make the wives who have supported me happy.”

After living as a freeloader for many years, Watanabe now returns the favor by using his income from SNS to support his family. He’s also eager to expand his household and is currently planning a “Fifth Wife Audition.”

“Until now, I’ve received DMs from people saying, ‘I want to be a wife.’ But many of them lose interest quickly. This time, I want to be more selective and carefully choose new members. If it goes well, a sixth or seventh wife could be possible.”

Although his lifestyle may be difficult to understand, could there ever be a day when society will celebrate it?

The third wife is pregnant with twins

From the February 14, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”