Man with 4 wives, 2 girlfriends hoping to become 'god of marriage' with 54 children
A Japanese man appears to be setting his own standards as the "god of marriage" in the making: having four wives and two girlfriends, living off of their income, and fathering 54 children down the line.
The South China Morning Post reported that the wives of Ryuta Watanabe, a 36-year-old from the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, are common-law in nature. (Polygamy is illegal in Japan.)
They're recognized as partners in a marriage-like relationship without formal registration and are based on long-term cohabitation and shared responsibilities.
Watanabe is already the father of 10 kids, living with two of them, and three of his wives. He's estranged from his fourth wife.
He hasn't worked for 10 years and is entirely dependent on his wives' salaries. He does the household duties, including cooking, and takes care of the children.
Household expenses amount to about 914,000 yen (P350,000) monthly, split between his wives and girlfriends, whom he met on social media.
“I just love women," Watanabe told local television show Abema Prime. "As long as we love each other equally, there won’t be any problems.”
He noted that his wives each have their own rooms, and he rotates sleeping with them every night.
Watanabe boasted of having sex over 28 times a week, claiming his wives never get jealous as they "get along well like friends."
He's looking to break the record for fathering the most children in Japan. Tokugawa Ienari, a shogun who died in 1841, reportedly fathered 53 children with 27 concubines during his reign in the Edo Period.
“I want to have 54 children so my name will go down in history," Watanabe said. "I’m still looking for new wives.”
