Japanese man dates 35 women for birthday gifts

Meet Takashi Miyagawa. This 39-year old sought out his girlfriends through his work in a marketing company. He targeted single women over 35 years old, pretending each time that he was interested in being in a committed relationship with them. One can assume he chose his girlfriends that were over a certain age who would presumably do anything to find a husband.

One woman revealed that Miyagawa kissed her on their second date, a less than customary custom in Japan. She said:

I told him: ‘I don’t want to do that unless [you] are someone who wants to get married and really be with me in the future.’ He responded, ‘I’m serious. I’m going to be with you for the rest of my life.'

The multi-faced boyfriend

His actual motivations, though, were far more materialistic. He was after the birthday gifts that these women would procure him. He gave all 35 women different birthday dates. One of his girlfriends thought his birthday was on 22 February, while another thought it was in July. His real birthday is thought to be 13 November.

And his tactics worked quite well, as he was showered with presents, totalling an estimated 100,000 yen (£668), including a £200 suit.

The union of wronged women

Eventually, some of the women realised something was amiss. They reached out to one another and formed a victims association. In the end, they got in contact with the police in February, according to local media. He has now been arrested on suspicion of fraud.

The story has elicited a mixed reception online. Some condemn him for taking advantage of lonely people, while others can’t help but confess a reluctant admiration for somehow being able to juggle 35 different relationships at the same time.