It’s been almost a decade since that infamous infamous press conference by Ryutaro Nonomura. A relatively unknown Hyogo Prefectural assembly member, he suddenly became an internet sensation in 2014 after he wailed, sobbed, uttered nonsensical phrases and banged the table in response to questions about his profligate use of public money for personal use. Nonomura was dubbed Japan’s “weeping politician,” and his melodramatic, rumbling apology went viral with one posting of the video garnering more than 2 million views.
A New Career for Ryutaro Nonomura
In 2016, the disgraced former assemblyman was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for four years for expenses fraud. He has kept a relatively low profile since then but has been back in the news recently due to his new business endeavors. Nonomura is now offering online consultation sessions, starting at ¥50,000. This includes relationship counseling. According to his page on the services purchasing platform, Coconala, “the biggest benefit is that you can confide your worries to a celebrity.”
On his X page, Nonomura recently wrote, “I will solve your serious worries about love, heartbreak, and marriage,” adding that he has “a lot of experience” in these areas. The 57-year-old former politician also started a romance radio show on an audio distribution app titled “Ryutaro Nonomura’s Love Story Channel.”
About Ryutaro Nonomura
Born in Osaka in 1966, Nonomura worked as a civil servant before deciding to become a politician in 2007. After running for office four times and losing, he was eventually elected to the assembly in Hyogo in 2011. His political career ended three years later, however, due to a financing scandal. According to media reports, he spent around ¥3 million on 195 trips to four locations, including one hot spring resort he allegedly visited 106 times. That was what led to his hysterical apology. “I just wanted to change the world,” he screamed. “I’ve staked my life… you just don’t understand, do you?”
