[All Men Must Read!] Marina Watanabe Opens Up About Menopause and Women’s Mood Swings

Writes about her experiences with menopause in a book

“Thank you for having me today. Feel free to ask me anything.”

The woman entering the interview room gives a cute smile and a polite bow. She looks much younger than her actual age. This is talent and mother of two, Marina Watanabe (54).

“Well, I definitely feel my age. My body has become drier, and perhaps my saliva secretion has decreased, so my mouth feels dry, and I notice the sound of my lips when I speak. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, my ankles feel stiff. When it hurts and I have to crawl along the wall to get to the living room, my mother, who is over 80, laughs and says, ‘Worse than me, isn’t it?’”

Menopausal women face hormonal imbalances, aging, and family troubles. Watanabe compiled her own experiences with these challenges into her new book, Fukigen Bakari na Watashitachi (We’re Always Moody, Kodansha). She speaks candidly:

“About six years ago, I went to a live concert by singer Maki Nomiya with my friend, model Takami Matsumoto. After the concert, we had a meal together at a Chinese restaurant in Akasaka, Tokyo, drinking Shaoxing wine. We laughed and shared stories—someone fractured a bone during a bowling tournament, another found her female hormones depleted after a gynecological checkup.

Nomiya-san is ten years older than me, Matsumoto-san five years older, and they said, ‘This must be menopause.’ I thought it would be great if women, as they age, could openly share and discuss these issues like them. That led to the creation of a project called ‘Adult Women’s Society.’ The publication of this book came from the same idea.”

Feeling miserable in a desert-like state

When she first entered her 50s, Watanabe barely paid attention to menopause. But as part of the “Adult Women’s Society” project, she measured her hormone levels—and was shocked.

“Almost nothing was left. A completely dry, desert-like state! Even though I hadn’t reached menopause yet, I felt utterly miserable. I started feeling uncomfortable for no reason at times. Normally, I wouldn’t care, but just seeing my husband (talent Jun Nagura) lazing on the sofa would irritate me and bring me down.

‘Here it comes! Menopause has arrived!’—I strangely felt validated. Menopause isn’t just a woman’s issue. For the sake of maintaining harmony at home and in marriage, I want men of my generation with partners to understand these unique physical and emotional changes in women.”

Men should take the candid confession of the former super idol seriously.

The July 25 issue of FRIDAY (August 8–15 double issue) and the paid version FRIDAY GOLD feature Watanabe’s detailed stories of family-related irritability, along with rare photos from her debut days.

For more details and multiple photos, see here ↓

Marina Watanabe (Author), Fukigen Bakari na Watashitachi (“We’re Always Grumpy”) (Kodansha) – now on sale!

From the August 8-15, 2025, issue of “FRIDAY”