Ryuta Watanabe, a Japanese YouTuber from Hokkaido who reportedly dated several women and was living with three wives and 11 children without registering any of his marriages, recently shared a life update that he is living in a car with only 110,000 yen (approximately $695–$707 US dollars) out of his entire assets, South Korean news outlet Seoul Shinmun reported (loosely translated in English), citing the online media Netorabo introduced on Japan’s largest portal site, Yahoo Japan.
Watanabe, whose primary source of income has been YouTube content, garnered massive attention in the last few years, especially after he revealed that he has 11 children and once lived as a “family of eight” with three wives and four children. Japan does not allow polygamy, and it is pertinent to mention that all his wives were in fact partners without registration.
Watanabe’s YouTube revenue began dropping sharply
Things began changing after Watanabe landed in trouble as his YouTube revenue recently plummeted. According to Seoul Shinmun’s report, translated in English, tumbling income from digital content made it really hard for him to cover living expenses, drawing curtains on his polygamous lifestyle.Watanabe’s first and third wives left
With dropping YouTube income and tough times staring at Watanabe, his first and third wives returned to their respective parents’ homes with their children, Seoul Shinmun reported. Only his second wife, who has no children, reportedly remained with Watanabe.
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Watanabe faces backlash online
Watanabe stated that “when my income increases, I will divide the child support and pay it to the children,” as quoted by the South Korean news outlet. The YouTuber drew flak for his reported statement, with many people online in Japan criticizing him, saying, “The problem isn’t polygamy, but irresponsibility.”
The majority of comments posted on Yahoo Japan were not about the polygamous family structure itself, but they pointed towards the problem of having children and expanding the family when couples were not even prepared to shoulder the financial and emotional responsibilities.
“Polygamy may be a personal choice, but with children, money and communication should be the top priorities,” a user said, as quoted by Seoul Shinmun. “It’s irresponsible to act solely on desire.” Another commenter responded, “The only real victims in this situation are the children,” the user further stated.
Some users even criticized, “The mindset of dividing child support payments as soon as you start earning money already casts doubt on your qualifications as a parent.” Japanese social media users raised their voices, saying, “Regardless of family structure, the moment the burden is shifted to the children, the most vulnerable members, that choice cannot be justified.”
Watanabe escaped cash reliance on wives in 2025
There was a time when Watanabe, the polygamous man, had relied entirely on the finances of his wives. In October 2024, reports from several Japanese media outlets claimed that he led a polygamous gigolo life in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
In February 2025, SCMP reported that he achieved financial freedom after he said that he started earning 1.25 million yen (approximately USD 7990.74) each month as an influencer.
The SCMP report also claimed that back in February 2025, Watanabe also had three pet dogs and two lizards, and his third wife, Chiharu, was expecting a pair of twins. He reportedly also had a fourth wife who lived separately and had an on-and-off relationship with him. As of February 2025, he was also dating several other women.
Watanabe’s wives bore expenses before his YouTube income
All the household expenses were borne by the women. Watanabe proudly called himself a “himo otoko.” It is a Japanese term that refers to an able-bodied man who is financially dependent on a woman.
Watanabe’s part-time jobs and YouTube debut
Watanabe dropped out of secondary school, according to the SCMP report. He claimed that he tried more than 20 part-time jobs, including mover, cleaner, waiter, and male host. All of his jobs lasted for just a month, and he said that he was born to be a gigolo.
In February 2024, Watanabe stepped into the world of digital content in February 2024 when he debuted as an online influencer, setting up personal accounts on various social media platforms. In the first video that he posted online, he stated that each of his three wives would be responsible for an account.
Watanabe earned 1.25 million yen from his online channels, the SCMP reported, citing Shueisha Online. He also started a company in May 2024 and planned to expand his business and sell clothes and hair care products.
On his social media accounts, he recorded his family’s polygamous life, and all the videos were filmed by Watanabe himself. He also conducted online interviews with applicants to be his fifth wife.
Watanabe wanted to have 54 children
According to reports, he once dated up to 16 women at the same time and revealed his dream of fathering the most children in Japan.
The YouTuber wanted to have 54 children and break the record of Japanese shogun Tokugawa Ienari, who had 53 children with 27 concubines. He told Shueisha Online that he was considering donating to a sperm bank to fulfill his dream, according to the SCMP.
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