Did You Know: You Can Rent A 'Dad' For The Day In Japan To 'Teman' You
Healing daddy issues?
By Tamara Jayne — 01 Apr 2024, 12:15 PM
Renting is so common in Japan that its scope extends well beyond apartments and houses
It's not uncommon to find services that rent companions for platonic outings, such as going to the museum, grabbing a coffee, or even participating in a hobby together.
These companions can serve as a listening ear without any romantic expectations.
You can even rent an actor to play the role of a family member for weddings and events.
Image via Society/Unseen JapanNow, Japan also offers services where you can rent a 'dad' for the day
Some people might feel a lack of a father figure in their lives, and these sort of services address that.
For example, Ossan Rental is a company that offers companionship from middle-aged men (affectionately called ossan in Japanese).
While not specifically dads, they provide a friendly and experienced presence. You can hire them for conversation, outings, or even help with tasks.
One woman recently tried out this service and detailed her experience in a video
TikTok content creator Tyen Rasif explained that when she was 11, her own father had walked out on her, which inspired her to rent an older man to spend the day with.
Tyen shared that she flew to Tokyo and rented a 63-year-old man named Mr Natori, who has lived abroad in China and Singapore for over 20 years.
In her video, she showed them visiting different tourist sites in Japan and having a chat over matcha, as he offered her some life advice
Natori shared that the most interesting request he received was when an actress hired him to watch her perform on stage.
"As a young girl seeing my friend's dads watch their concerts, I can see how this is healing," Tyen explained in her video.
Natori also revealed that 20% of his customers are usually males seeking an older tour guide rather than younger ones because they feel it's "safer".
Natori went to explain that he'd rather spend his time helping people instead of going into retirement
According to his description, Natori speaks English, is a qualified elementary school English teacher, and has two dogs and two birds because he loves animals. It also states that he is happy to accompany you for movies, café-hopping, museums, amusement parks, and various other activities that don't require physical labour.
You can chat about love, marriage, cheating, divorce, moving abroad, studying abroad, pursuing higher education, work, changing jobs, and similar topics.
His rental fee is 1,000 yen per hour (RM31), and you are required to pay for all entrance fees, travel expenses, as well as food and drinks.
