entertainment

Japanese comedian apologizes for his many 'multipurpose toilet affairs'

37 Comments
By SoraNews24

Earlier this year, the entertainment world was shocked when comedian Ken Watabe was caught in an extramarital affair.

But what made this scandal extra-juicy to the media was that he had multiple illicit rendezvous with different women, and exclusively inside multipurpose bathrooms. These kinds of restrooms are found all over public places in Japan like government buildings and shopping centers. They are genderless, intended for individual use, and provide a bevy of added functions as well as ample space to cater to all types of differently abled people.

In Japan they are called tamokuteki toilet or “multipurpose" toilets as here the more direct nomenclature is preferred to euphemistic terms like “restroom” or “bathroom.” For parents of small children too these places can be a godsend, which also makes what Watabe did just that much more vomit-inducing.

According to reports, after hitting it off with various women he met on separate occasions while out and about, rather than one of Japan’s many discreet love hotels, or even a regular hotel, he would arrange to meet them in a multipurpose toilet in various Tokyo locations.

There he would proceed to get it on with them, often abusing the restroom’s handy shower faucet features to clean up after. He allegedly would also slip them a 10,000-yen bill afterward – an odd move that’s equal parts considerate and insulting.

These “multipurpose toilet affairs,” as they were dubbed by the media, came to light in early June when the tabloid Weekly Bunshun ran an exposé. A few days later Watabe issued an apology through his agency and said he would take a break from show business.

For the past six months he remained quiet, likely mending ties with his wife with whom he has a two-year-old son, as well as his partner in the comedy duo Unjash, Kazuya Kojima, whose career he had also dragged down considerably.

Then, out of the blue, Watabe re-emerged on Dec 3 for his obligatory apology press conference. This is where the subject of a scandal is unceremoniously paraded in front of reporters and is expected to shed tears while giving a lengthy, polite mea culpa. Their bow is also also timed and measured for depth to ensure sincerity.

▼ The full press conference

After a bow that hit the 90 degree mark and lasted a good ten seconds, Watabe fielded questions from reporters which could be paraphrased as essentially “How dare you?” and “Just who do you think you are?” The highlight question was “How will you use multipurpose toilets from here on out?” to which he replied, “I think I don’t deserve to use one.”

Whether the apology was successful ultimately relies of the response from the public, so let’s see what they had to say:

“I wish they let Kojima be one of the reporters.”

“I wanted to hear if he regretted tarnishing the reputation of multipurpose toilets. Why did no reporter ask this?”

“Why is he doing this now?”

“That was terrible. He thinks he can just say sorry and pretend like nothing happened?”

“Does anyone really want to see this piece of garbage on TV anymore?”

“Time to find a new line of work.”

“The image of him as a toilet adulterer has taken root. It will be hard to see him on TV and not think about that.”

“He said he already apologized to his family and co-workers. Who is he apologizing to now?”

“He seems very immature.”

Not a great response overall, but the reason for spite likely stems from the timing of this apology. On Nov 22, Hitoshi Matsumoto confirmed that Watabe would be staging his television comeback on comedy group Downtown’s annual New Year’s holiday marathon of "Gaki no Tsukai," a comedy show well known overseas for its segments where the cast try not to laugh.

The nearness of this press conference to the air-date of his return rubbed some the wrong way and suggested it was either a coldly calculated career move or possibly even done against his will at the behest of the show producers.

Regardless, Watabe made his public toilet and now he has to lie in it. Affairs are one thing, but bringing a term like “multipurpose toilet affair” into the national lexicon is an especially deep hole to dig oneself out of.

Source: Oricon News, Hachima Kiko 

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Foreign comedian Atsugiri Jason’s hot take on Japan’s apology culture has netizens abuzz

-- Hotel guest posts picture of hilarious ‘how not to use the toilet’ instructions【Photos】

-- Japanese netizens support foreign comic after one Japanese man’s discriminatory remark

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

37 Comments
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No one business outside his wife, who obviously could not satisfy him.

Who are the lowless reporters to have not respected his privacy ?

Having sex in a multipurpose toilet, what is the problem if adults both consents ???

Whores everywhere like in many countries.

Many people dream of having sex in a toilet plane. So what ?

Demography down the drain.

-11 ( +9 / -20 )

Classy guy. Ugh.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Betrayal, his wife must feel. It’s time people like him acknowledge their vent follow their heart without hurting others. It’s not fair on those that trust..

1 ( +5 / -4 )

I'm fed up with celebrities' public apology as a purification ritual to start over, especially when it comes to extramarital affairs which never constitute a criminal charge. It doesn't matter how much he's serious or sincere at the press conference. Far from newsworthy.

16 ( +17 / -1 )

Well, they are called “multipurpose”... But I’m not sure this kind of use was what the designers had in mind.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

Disraeli hit the nail dead center.

Apologies only account for that which they do not alter

These two paragraphs are “monty pythonesque”, in analyzing the mathematical mea capla,  to gauge an obtuse angle of regret. I want to see that head tickle those trainers Wantabe san, then all is forgiven.

Then, out of the blue, Watabe re-emerged on Dec 3 for his obligatory apology press conference. This is where the subject of a scandal is unceremoniously paraded in front of reporters and is expected to shed tears while giving a lengthy, polite mea culpa. Their bow is also timed and measured for depth to ensure sincerity.

After a bow that hit the 90 degree mark and lasted a good ten seconds, Watabe fielded questions from reporters which could be paraphrased as essentially “How dare you?” and “Just who do you think you are?” The highlight question was “How will you use multipurpose toilets from here on out?” to which he replied, “I think I don’t deserve to use one.”

Best before attempting the public display of remorse, spend six months visiting the Gym, your career could depend on that bow angle.     

Ken Watabe, fork tongued, Amende honorable, is meaningless lounge lizard drivel.

In Tatamokuteki toilet no less, Watabe wife should demand a pound of flesh…

One pound of flesh, no more, no less. no cartilage, no bone, but only flesh.

That’s a sincere apology.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It takes two to tango.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The multi-purpose toilets are very good for a quicky.

I see no harm in that.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

If Watabe saw fit to purse his caddish extra marital affairs, at least have the gallantry to wine and dine in the palatial surroundings of a hotel suite, with room service, champagne on ice. Not next to a toilet roll and hand sanitary dispenser.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

No reporters asked for video or photos?

After all, who hasn't used toilets for alternate purposes from time to time?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Come on now, can any of us guys say we’ve never done that with our partner for the thrill? It’s the fact that he was cheating and essentially paying for sex which is more creepy than just getting it on in the toilet

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Simple: You are famous, get many women, love sex. Don't get married!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Perhaps if Watabe feels such remorse, that his conscience dictates the necessity to refrain using the public convenience.

Maybe the best course of action to purge his soul would be to volunteer six months of his time cleaning them.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I'd be really p****d off.

Or worse. (Number two).

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Surely the word “comedian” should’ve been in inverted commas instead

2 ( +3 / -1 )

His private life. His business.

the multi-purpose toilet closest to my house is very clean and has a bed with a full size mirror...hehehe.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

WHY THE SPOUSE DOESN'T DIVORCE ?

°

He is a sick man. And this is more and more evaluated as a grey wedding and a grey family. This is a scam for show. And the spouse in general is under stress duress, rape psychology signals as in all surprise rape victim if the sex contexte is not consensual.

She should divorce to he get the house, the child custody, and the 80% money check. Then once she got it all, she can freely think about forgiveness and reconstruction. He will be laid off so she should go through a definitive break loose.

People need to divorce and start to act seriously in extra couple affairs. Mariage or couple is about love. Family is not mariage, it is about love. And you should know that babies often occurs when the women or the men when to break up. Men forgot condom, and women their pills more often than never.

So divorce and separation is clearly an important psychology social step to promote. as much as love couple in a country lacking children.

°

NadAge

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Build 'em up and knock 'em down syndrome. And whose business is it, anyway? Did he kill anyone?

*the entertainment world was shocked when comedian Ken Watabe was caught in an extramarital affair.But what made this scandal extra-juicy to the media

which also makes what Watabe did just that much more vomit-inducing.

rather than one of Japan’s many discreet love hotels, or even a regular hotel, he would arrange to meet them in a multipurpose toilet in various Tokyo locations.

There he would proceed to get it on with them*

Lol, the fake outrage from Sora.

Whether the apology was successful ultimately relies of the response from the public, so let’s see what they had to say

Yeah, right.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Didn’t he make it a crime when he paid them 10,000¥?

Multipurppose toilets????

A total lack of class!!!!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Needless to say a quicky lasts far less than some old lady bei'g clogged...in both cases you dispose of body fluids, which is the intent of a toilet.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Needless to say a quicky lasts far less than some old lady bei'g clogged...in both cases you dispose of body fluids, which is the intent of a toilet.

Women aren't toilets.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

There is a Korean Actor who is obsessed with toilet and women in toilets. I think he is behind bars.

What and who is celebrity? That I don't know.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Well... the guy did his job as a comedian and gave everyone a laugh. Too bad he couldn’t take his wife as seriously as his profession. Maybe it’s a western thing but most of the western comedians I like are actually incredibly smart and graduated from top notch universities. Rowan Atkinson, Jon Stewart, John Cleese, etc. Japanese comedians seem to have no class. The only exception is Patrick Harlan who graduated from Harvard but he’s not really Japanese.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I find it appalling that the men can return but the women cannot. What a disgrace.

Comedy here is definitely a cultural thing. I cringe everytime I see someone get hit on the head, pushed into a tub of boiling water or have their private parts dinged. Shameful, but it is not my culture.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No one business outside his wife, who obviously could not satisfy him.

He obviously has a sexual compulsive disorder, added with his celebrity status makes it easy to find women willing to have sexual relations with him.

It has nothing to do with his wife who is an A-list model/actress.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I think a lot of people don't understand why a public apology is necessary, so I will explain here.

Most comedians (芸人) in Japan work in a company, like him. It's not the West where it's normal to do it with many people, it's strange to do it with more than one person (wife) , especially if you are paying them to do it with you. This has adds a negative image to the company he works for, so he needs to apologise for that.

The reporters asking the questions were dumb, but he chose the reporters to come to the interview he set up, so it's really on him.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Gosh! The best he can do for a venue is a public toilet! So he puts lovemaking on the same level as taking a dump! How romantic!

NOT!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Needless to say a quicky lasts far less than some old lady bei'g clogged...in both cases you dispose of body fluids, which is the intent of a toilet.

Women aren't toilets.

They better get c-dumps another name

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

leo:

It's not the West where it's normal to do it with many people, it's strange to do it with more than one person (wife) , especially if you are paying them to do it with you.

You're delusional if you think affairs and prostitution don't happen in Japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This guy is bad? What about the women who met in the bathroom? Who decided to have sex with him in that condition and cirmustances.... Oh wait. This is about judging men while giving women a pass. My bad.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Multipurpose toilets? I thought toilets only had one purpose.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A filthy place to have sex. A good indication of the low level of those involved.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I had to look this fool up. Who?

But then I saw who he was cheating on......Nozomi Sasaki? What an idiot.

Bye Bye to you, never was comedian.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Multipurpose toilets? I thought toilets only had one purpose.

That was my impression, too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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