Hikaru is one of Japan’s biggest YouTubers. Before becoming a YouTuber, the half-blond looker made good money hawking get-rich-quick-style informational videos. Realizing that people didn’t hold such work in high esteem, he switched to making lighthearted entertainment instead.
He’s been quite successful at it. Until recently, Hikaru had amassed a following of five million subscribers.
I say “until recently” because this week, the online talent lost over 100K followers in a day.
What did he do? Did he sexually assault someone or harass an employee? Urinate on a torii gate? Insult Ohtani Shohei?
None of the above. Instead, Hikaru posted a video with his wife, Shingeki Noa, in which the two revealed that they’re in an open marriage.
Hikaru and Noa are already somewhat outside of the mainstream of Japanese culture, with Hikaru being a pro YouTuber and Noa the owner of a cabaret club in Osaka. Cabaret clubs are the female equivalent of host clubs, where young, attractive women drink with and entertain a largely male clientele. Noa, on top of likely having Seen Some Shit in her line of work, likely has a naturally more liberal-minded way of thinking. You have to in order to work in Japan’s nightlife scene.
So it’s not surprising – to me, at least – that these two would be open to ideas outside of the mainstream, such as ethical non-monogamy (ENM).
It was obviously a surprise to Hikaru’s viewers, though. The star lost 120,000 followers in the span of 24 hours. The video currently has 3.5 million views and a stunning 53,000+ comments. Most are negative.
“The cringiest scandal in YouTube’s history,” one wrote. “100% disgusting,” said another.
This repulsion is even built into news coverage of this “scandal.” A story from LiveDoor news described Hikaru and Noa’s arrangement as 「浮気OK」(uwaki OK; affairs allowed). But what the couple is doing is the opposite of an affair. They’re not “cheating” – they’re being open and honest with one another about their relationships outside of their marriage.
This is all pretty rich when you consider how many people in Japan are having sex behind their partner’s backs. Indeed, it’s almost tolerated. Just don’t get caught – or talk about it, at all, ever.
Is it cheating to go to a soapland? Survey says…
First, let’s kick off with some data. How many married people in Japan cheat on their spouses?
Turns out that’s not an easy question to answer. There’s also a fair bit of disagreement on what constitutes “an affair.”
