Mistresses of Married Men in Japan Are Hiring Detectives to Investigate Wives

A new type of private investigation is attracting attention in Japan: mistresses of married men are reportedly hiring private detectives to find out information about their partners’ wives.

The topic gained attention following a series of reports about the alleged relationship between 27-year-old actor Ryoki Miyama and 33-year-old actress Maria Kano. The two worked together on the musical adaptation of Crash Landing on You and became the subject of a report by Shukan Bunshun.

According to the reports, the two allegedly met privately during the production. Maria Kano’s agency confirmed that she spent time alone with a fellow cast member, but said the purpose was to deepen her understanding of her character. The agency also acknowledged that the decision was inappropriate and issued a warning to the actress.

Detectives Are Receiving Increasingly Strange Requests

The case ended up drawing attention to a practice that, according to people in the industry, may be becoming more common.

A private investigator posted on X about requests made by women who are involved with married men. Some of the requests reportedly involve finding out what the wife looks like, where she works, and even whether she is also having an affair.

But what stands out the most are the requests involving the couple’s children. Some clients are reportedly interested in finding out which schools or kindergartens the children attend.

And there is an even more extreme request: documenting the moment when the husband himself enters a hotel with his mistress. The idea would be to create undeniable evidence of the relationship and use it to pressure the man into getting a divorce.

Why Do Some Women Want to Force a Divorce?

Writer Haruame Hibi, who specializes in relationship issues, believes this change may be connected to women’s greater financial independence.

According to her, in the past, a woman involved with a married man might have expected him to leave his wife. However, a potential divorce could also mean alimony and other expenses that would significantly reduce the amount of money available to the couple.

Today, some women who can afford to pay for a private investigation may also have the financial means to support their partner if he gets divorced.

In other words, instead of waiting for the man to make a decision, some of them may be willing to do whatever it takes to speed up the process.

Affairs Are Becoming Increasingly Risky

Besides the wives, children, family members and even private investigators can end up getting caught in the middle of the situation. A survey cited by the report indicates that approximately one in three married people admits to exchanging secret messages with someone of the opposite sex through social media or apps.

In the case of Ryoki Miyama and Maria Kano, it is important to point out that reports of a romantic relationship came from Japanese media reports. What was officially confirmed was that Maria spent some time alone with a fellow cast member, while her agency described the decision as inappropriate.

source Nikkan Gendai via Tokyo Reporter