Ken Watabe Faces Stern Backlash From TV Industry Despite Wife Nozomi Sasaki’s Public Support

After a suspension lasting one year and eight months

Nozomi Sasaki (37) spoke on television for the first time about her husband, Ken Watabe (52) of “Unjash,” and the multipurpose toilet affair he caused in 2020, which has drawn public attention.

On July 2, Sasaki appeared as a guest on Isshū-kai de Shiranai Hanashi (Nippon TV) and spoke about the incident involving Watabe, saying:

“I still haven’t forgiven him yet.”

She revealed that she is still observing the situation.

She also candidly shared that although many people around her advised divorce, she held back for the sake of their child. At times, she showed expressions of confusion and anguish, but she reflected on those events with a smile, showing viewers her sincere concern for her child and family, and her determination to move forward—a stance that impressed many.

“The affair reported by Shukan Bunshun in June 2020 was shocking. Watabe used a multipurpose toilet and allegedly gave 10,000 yen as a tip to multiple women. At that time, he stepped down from all his regular programs and entered a suspension that lasted one year and eight months,” said a wide-show insider.

On social media, praise for Sasaki has poured in, and her public image has skyrocketed.

Meanwhile, Watabe has partially returned to TV but has not appeared on nationwide terrestrial programs. His activities are mainly on online shows, with the most popular being his YouTube channel titled “Unjash Watabe Dreams of Appearing on a Terrestrial Gourmet Show and Scouting Locations.”

Launched two years ago, the channel has nearly 500,000 subscribers. As the title suggests, Watabe still dreams of returning to terrestrial TV. The content is mainly a food-report program.

If watched casually, it is quite entertaining as a food show. However, while the initial videos reached nearly 1 million views, recent videos are only getting around 100,000 to 200,000 views, possibly because the novelty has worn off, indicating slower growth.

Now, while Nozomi Sasaki’s candid revelations boosted her own public image, it’s natural to wonder whether they helped restore trust in her husband, Ken Watabe.

Regarding Sasaki’s TV appearance, Watabe revealed in a YouTube video that although he did not watch it live, he had been in close communication with the production team after Sasaki received the offer to appear, and he noted:

“The news was huge, and the response was amazing.”

Watabe’s name never comes up in production meetings

Even on Watabe’s own YouTube channel, the comment section overwhelmingly praised Sasaki:

〈Thinking of her family and not rushing into divorce, Ms. Nozomi really is admirable〉

〈Nozomi Sasaki is stronger than she looks〉

Mixed among these comments was also:

〈Hopefully this will be the chance for him to return to TV〉

But nearly a month after the broadcast, has the “Nozomi effect” actually helped? According to a producer at a major network:

“Her popularity certainly rose. But that doesn’t translate to Watabe. On social media, many people say, ‘If his wife has forgiven him, that’s fine,’ but that doesn’t mean he can return to TV. Viewers haven’t forgotten his affair, and many still feel, ‘I don’t want to see him on TV.’ If we cast him and complaints arise, it’s problematic. Considering sponsors too, no one would risk casting him.

Watabe’s name never comes up in production meetings. He hopes to return via a gourmet show, but many viewers are housewives, and he still has a negative image with them. Also, given current high living costs and people cutting back on dining out, there’s no plan to launch a new gourmet show featuring a talent doing food reports. Frankly, we don’t feel the need for him as a talent right now.”

It seems that even with the support of his wife, it will still take considerable time for his career recovery to take effect.