I strongly oppose the condom proposal by Representative Kida, who claims he doesn’t wear condoms himself while suddenly calling them good manners.

Kida, the representative, will answer this one. Hey, Maezawa! Apologize! Someone took the trouble to ask such a great question—one that could really boost the page views—and you responded with a downright negative answer! Wait a minute, Maezawa… are you a no-condom guy? I apologize on Maezawa’s behalf. I love discussions about condoms, so please keep those outrageous questions coming. Mr. Saito’s and Joe’s answers are both outstanding, leaving absolutely no room for me to add anything. There is one thing I’m curious about, though: “I consider this a design flaw in the system, as it takes away one of the few comparative advantages held by female members in their late 30s and older.” Does that mean, “I choose women around their 40s because they’ll let me do it without a condom”? That’s news to me. Dating clubs = dating clubs = free love = personal responsibility ≠ a society bogged down by ridiculous government regulations Freedom > common sense Exactly! We’ll do our best to make sure things don’t become burdened with pointless regulations! Did you get that, Maezawa? That said, I can’t agree that dating clubs are simply “free love.” We take copies of both parties’ identification and have extensive rules in place. The idea that the two people can do whatever they want on a date applies only when both parties consent. If one person doesn’t consent, there’s an implicit pressure of, “The club knows who you are. If your behavior is malicious, we’ll have you leave the club and report you to the police.” That’s fully managed dating. I believe dating clubs exist because they offer at least some reassurance that you won’t be killed or blackmailed. For women, is there really any benefit to joining a dating club where they might be penetrated without protection by someone they are instinctively uncomfortable with? As Joe points out, there should be no benefit to joining a dating club without any female members, either. So, please enjoy meeting people with peace of mind at Kida’s supposedly “ridiculously overregulated” club.

Joe, who is not only lacking in common sense but also conveniently ignores his own faults, would like to offer his opinion, if I may. Even if “free love” is the fundamental principle, I personally believe that complaints from female members about the use of condoms could potentially shake the very foundations of the dating club. If the female members leave, naturally the male members will disappear too, and the business will be finished. I do agree that Kida-san’s comment was unnecessary, but we Kida fans consider those unnecessary remarks part of his charm, so it’s a bit of a dilemma. Wait—are you saying the person who asked this question isn’t a fan at all?! Even so, please try to give him some leeway. It’s tough being a fan too.

Maezawa here. > “Freedom takes priority over common sense.” Huh? Wait a minute. I’ve never heard anything like that. If freedom always took priority, society would be thrown into chaos. Society simply wouldn’t function. For example, imagine a restaurant without separate smoking and nonsmoking sections, where smoking isn’t prohibited. One person smokes away, saying, “It’s my freedom to smoke.” The person sitting next to them dislikes cigarette smoke. They might even have a medical condition where inhaling smoke could cause breathing difficulties and put their life at risk. In that case, they might say, “I have the freedom not to inhale cigarette smoke, so please don’t smoke. Having you sit next to me infringes on my freedom.” Both sides are exercising their freedom, but because those freedoms conflict, if one person’s freedom is respected, the other person’s cannot be. If both keep insisting on their own way, it may even lead to an argument. That’s why we have manners—we’re taught to consider other people’s feelings, aren’t we? There are also local rules for people who can’t follow basic manners, such as rules established by a club. And for matters that cannot be enforced through those means, we have laws. In the first place, common sense is something that has been slowly and carefully cultivated over a long period of time. It has become acceptable to a large number of people. If it were supported by only a minority, it would have been difficult for those rules to remain in place. Its broad applicability makes it more convincing and helps restrain people from acting recklessly. These days, perhaps more adults like the person asking this question are ignoring common sense in public places. Their argument is probably: “Why should I have to put up with it?” Then they eat, drink, talk loudly, or satisfy their sexual urges according to their own feelings and desires. As a result, the considerate people who follow society’s rules are inconvenienced and forced to put up with it. Why should the people with common sense be the ones who have to endure it? If something makes you uncomfortable, perhaps you need to clearly tell the other person that it is making you uncomfortable. Otherwise, they may not realize it and will apparently continue doing it indefinitely. Having common sense and being gentlemanly are requirements for membership.

I’m Saito, a column writer♪ Since it’s just one person’s opinion—not a regulation or a rule—I don’t think you need to worry about it too much. As you said, this is about free-form dating, so I think it’s best left to the man and woman to discuss. Even if you set rules, people who prefer things “raw” will still prefer things “raw,” I suppose… If this were conducted among around 1,000 members of a dating club, I imagine there’d be quite a few inquiries. Maybe it’s worth considering as an advertising expense? Haha.