Hokkaido: A 36-year-old man in Japan, Ryuta Watanabe, has four wives and two girlfriends and he aims to be the “God of Marriage” by fathering 54 children. He lives in Hokkaido and has not worked for 10 years. He is a househusband, cooking, doing housework and taking care of the children. He relies on the salaries of his partners.
Watanabe’s relationships with his wives are common-law in nature, meaning they share responsibilities and live together like a married couple without formal registration. The household expenses total around 914,000 yen (about Rs 5.1 lakh) per month, which are divided among his wives and girlfriends.
Watanabe has a fourth wife, aged 24, but they are estranged. He met his two girlfriends through social media. Six years ago, after being dumped by a girlfriend, Watanabe turned to dating apps to find new partners. He is a father to 10 children and lives with two of them, Japan’s Shueisha Online reported.
On the Japanese TV show Abema Prime earlier this year, Watanabe expressed his love for women, stating, “As long as we love each other equally, there won’t be any problems.”
Each wife has her own room and Watanabe rotates sleeping with them each night. Watanabe claims to have sex more than 28 times a week. He said that his wives don’t feel jealous and getting along with each other like friends.
He aspires to break the record for the most children fathered in Japan. He said, “I want to have 54 children so my name will go down in history. I’m still looking for new wives.”
Although polygamy is illegal in Japan, Watanabe’s unconventional lifestyle has drawn attention on social media. Some commentators raised concerns about the ability of his children to form close relationships with him, while others respected his family’s choices.
