I want to focus seriously on my university studies, but I’m dreading having to work part-time just to make money, so I’m considering starting papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan).

If you genuinely like older men, there’s plenty of demand for you even as a college student. If not—or if you’re only doing this for the allowance—keep in mind that you may end up having unpleasant experiences. As for the going rate, it varies from person to person, so I think it’s best to judge based on the man you’re dealing with. First, decide whether you could see things developing into an adult relationship (intimate) with him. If you think you could, and the allowance he offers isn’t unreasonably low, it may be worth accepting at first. After that, meet a few other men as well. If you find someone better who offers a better allowance, you can simply say goodbye to the previous man. Very few men are seeing only one woman, so you don’t need to feel guilty about saying goodbye. Also, it’s better not to limit yourself to just one man. You never know when a man might cut things off, and if you have only one supporter, you could suddenly find yourself in financial difficulty if you have an unpleasant experience and want to end things. If you meet two or three men about once a month, you may be able to receive your target amount more steadily. Good luck.

You may be lucky enough to meet someone wonderful early on, but if not, working a part-time job might actually offer better value for your time and money. Before joining a club, I used an app and met more than a dozen students, but I never saw any of them more than once. In my case, I seem to be more compatible with women who have work experience, in terms of looks, personality, and having more topics to talk about. So I stopped making offers to students, and I don’t offer to students through the club either. On the app, there were quite a few women who made money solely from first meetings. I doubt many men on the club side intentionally arrange meetings only once, but there are overwhelmingly more women than men, which means there’s a lot of competition. So I imagine maintaining an ongoing relationship can be very difficult.

That’s a good question. I think your approach to these relationships is a good one. I met my partner when she was still a student. We’re exclusive with each other, and there’s an age gap of more than 40 years. She has started working now, but we’re still together—this is our fourth year. The total amount I’ve paid her is about the cost of a modest family car. Since she’s now a working adult, I thought our relationship might be coming to an end, but she shows no sign of getting a boyfriend and wants to continue while she works toward earning her qualifications. I’m happy with having just one partner, too, so I think we’ll probably continue for a while longer. That said, choosing the right partner is important. Dating clubs generally involve seeing multiple partners, so you have to find someone there who wants a long-term exclusive relationship. The club’s data may suggest that many male members see only one partner, but I suspect that relatively few maintain a long-term relationship with the same person. That’s partly because of how dating clubs work—you can’t help wanting to make new offers, haha. Still, such people do exist, so if you can stay with the same partner for a year, I think there’s a good chance it can continue. There are also things you won’t know until you actually start seeing someone, so I think it’s best to begin by narrowing your search to people who are open to a long-term relationship.

There’s a lot of demand for college students, but there are also plenty of mismatches, so I think the rate of arrangements continuing is fairly low. Among the women at my club, none of those aged 18–22 have maintained an ongoing arrangement. The amount you’re hoping for should be quite achievable. With college students, some papas will even give ¥40,000 or ¥50,000 for dinner only once a month. You also seem to be looking for dates only, so it’s not impossible. As for the going rate, the allowance a papa offers varies widely, and when it comes to female college students, that range becomes several times broader. It may be best to wait and see, and not say too much about the amount you’re hoping for—you might find someone who offers far more than you expected. Whether you end up finding an ideal supporter or not… maybe it’s luck, or perhaps it depends on you.

If you’re in your early 20s and open to an adult relationship (intimate), earning 100,000 yen or more a month with two or three meetings should be вполне possible. A height-minus-weight figure of 109 gives the impression that you’re slightly on the heavier side. Facial features are a matter of personal preference, so it’s hard to say across the board. If you’re an E cup or larger, that gives you an advantage. Age is also a matter of preference, but among women in their early 20s, some people care whether you’re a student or working—someone who graduated from a vocational school at 20 would count as a working adult. Those who avoid students are often concerned about basic adult qualities, such as whether you can hold a proper conversation and keep appointments, including meeting times. If you’re different from that image, you should make sure to highlight it. I think the average allowance for a pay-per-meeting arrangement is around 50,000 yen, but this is a world where controversial topics bring out a lot of seemingly crazy people, so ultimately, use your own judgment. This is something you should think through carefully. Of course, getting more money is always preferable, but if you’d be happy with 40,000 yen from a good person, it may be better to hint at that. Naturally, asking for less makes it easier to attract people. This is a world where the wholesome, refined type is popular, so saying, “I only want to date one man,” is a plus. On the other hand, expecting the same from men can come across as demanding, so you should think carefully about whether to emphasize that point. Generally, it’s not too late to discuss anything complicated after meeting and getting to know each other. I think the basic approach is to say only appealing things at first, keep the door open, and attract as many prospects as possible. The other thing you might be debating is whether to choose Type C or Type B. If you’re okay with intimacy during the screening process while selecting a good person, then C; if not, B. Some say C is easier for attracting people, but the clientele seems to be quite different, so you should consider which is better for you, including what happens afterward. Taro