Satsuki Ariga’s ex-husband, former Fuji commentator Kei Wada, has died.

Kei Wada, former commentator for Fuji Television Network and ex-husband of the late Satsuki Aruga, died of acute heart failure at his home on June 26 this year at the age of 68.

Mr. Wada was known for his soft-spoken, easy-to-understand news commentary as a reporter in the political affairs section. He spent his school days from Gakushuin Junior High School to university, and was an unusual type of person who was able to get into politics because of his good upbringing.

It was in 2002 that she took the world by surprise. She married Aruga, an announcer who was at the peak of her popularity at the time. This was a hot topic, partly because of the 13-year age difference. However, they divorced in 2006. “While being bashed for “finding out she was pregnant right after we decided to split up, and marrying her with the intention of going to jail” and “keeping separate bedrooms for a long time,” she remained silent, saying, “I don’t talk about any personal matters.

When he retired, he supported the American football team of his alma mater, Gakushuin University, even though he was not an alumnus of the team.

“He once showed up in a classic sports car, leather jacket and sunglasses, and brought a lot of cakes and other food to the club members. At first, I thought he was a strange man, but he was at every game. He also gave us advice on finding jobs for the students. I can’t thank him enough.

Although he was physically weak and not good at sports, he wanted to play football when he entered university, but his parents discouraged him from playing, saying that it was a sport where injuries were common. He may have entrusted his dream, which he could not fulfill in his youth, to his juniors.

According to a Fuji TV official, after Aruga’s death in 2018, he took his eldest daughter, who was living with him, to study in the United States, just as he was looking forward to her future.

When I checked with Fuji Television’s Public Relations Department, they said, “(Mr. Wada) passed away on June 26, and his ashes have already been laid to rest. In accordance with the wishes of the bereaved family, we have refrained from announcing his death. If Mr. Wada were still alive, today, September 13, would have been his 69th birthday. Mr. Wada, who kept a clear line between his work and private life, passed away peacefully before his 69th birthday.