Can’t I do papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) if I take a general-track position? Are there really that few women who work hard in a general-track job, have a boyfriend, and also have a papa (a male supporter)? I’m starting to think about what I want to do for a living in the future, but looking around, it seems that the more highly educated people are and the better the companies they join, the longer their hours are and the more they work like corporate slaves. My boyfriend graduated from the University of Tokyo and works for a major company, but he gets home on the last train almost every day. Someone I know who became a bureaucrat is also worked like a draft horse, and come to think of it, the salaryman papas (male supporters) on Universe are working overtime every single day too.
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Both of my parents are business owners, so I honestly don’t know, but do company employees really have to work so much that getting home on the last train every night is considered normal?
All my friends who found jobs after graduating from universities with deviation scores around 45 work at laid-back companies and leave on time every day.
If I job-hunt for a general-track position at a good company, will I have no choice but to graduate from papa-katsu?
To be honest, I’m making quite a lot of money easily through papa-katsu, so I’d hate to quit just like that.
Would it actually be smarter to find a job at a laid-back small or midsize company, or in an administrative-track position, so I can continue papa-katsu and earn a decent amount on the side?
Your friend may be different, but not every company that looks “white” from the outside is all sunshine and roses.
Some are what you might call “hidden black companies.” At first glance, they look like white-collar companies where even someone with average academic credentials can get hired and leave on time. In reality, though, they offer no opportunities for growth. Even as a new graduate, you may be given nothing but window-seat-type work, with no sense of fulfillment and no chance to develop—only to find yourself turning 30 in a somewhat terrifying environment. Yet from the outside, everyone says, “It’s such a great, employee-friendly company!”
In companies like that, it becomes completely normal for women in their late 20s and older to complain, “I just want to get married and quit already.” I wouldn’t want that.
So my recommendation is to job-hunt while you can still leverage your new-graduate status, join a company with as many capable peers as possible, work hard, and do papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) on the side—while making sure your papa (a male supporter) understands how hard you’re working.
If he’s understanding, he should say, “You’re doing your best,” and give you a generous allowance even if you don’t have many dates. To meet that kind of papa, make sure you live each day earnestly and responsibly, including your job search.
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We live in a competitive society.
If you don’t want to lose out, you have no choice but to work hard. Unpaid overtime and catching the last train are just part of everyday life.
Basically, you do the work you’re given, explain yourself to your company and superiors, receive evaluations, and work to establish your position.
Those who can’t do their jobs or receive poor evaluations gradually fall behind.
Since everyone is competing with roughly the same abilities and in similar circumstances, we’re all desperate to keep up. From my perspective, people who leave exactly on time are probably the ones falling behind（笑）
In the middle of a life like that, you sometimes want to chat with a cute girl, have a few drinks, and enjoy some intimate time too, right?
And I think women feel the same way—not just men.
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In the long run, a career-track position at a major company is probably the safer choice.
Even though it’s not valued quite as highly as it used to be, stability still matters. You may occasionally have to catch the last train when you’re young, but once you reach a certain position, you can earn a decent income without working too hard.
Of course, depending on the company’s performance, you could become a target for restructuring. But compared with taking it easy at a small or midsize company or in a clerical position, you’re more likely to end up in a bad situation.
Even in career-track positions, with only a few exceptions, you generally get your weekends off, so you can still do plenty of papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan).
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Why make it an either-or choice? Why not become the queen of papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) while working your butt off in a general career-track job?
It’s simply a matter of stamina, so if you train your body and enjoy the best of both worlds, you wouldn’t have to ask such a boring question. I’m the type to do everything at once, and it’s working out fine for me.
If you assume you can’t do it, you won’t. If you assume you can, you can.
The moment you start thinking you have to choose one or the other, you’re guaranteed to lose either way. Do both. Chase two rabbits and catch them both.
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The only part that feels a little off is the claim that someone from a university with an academic score of around 45 is working in a white-collar job…
Generally speaking, people who’ve truly succeeded are the only ones willing to tell you the truth.
You haven’t looked into every one of your classmates who went to a university with an academic score of around 45, so your theory doesn’t really hold up.
I’m from the Showa era, but until around my thirties, it was normal to work like a draft horse.
From your forties onward, the idea is to live off the savings you’ve built up by then—in other words, your professional skills.
Anyway, if there really are small and midsize companies with good working conditions, why not work hard to get into one of those…?
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I’m a salaried employee. I’m technically a manager in title only, so the very concept of “overtime” has disappeared—I just work until the job is done.
Still, I’d rather work hard and earn more than be paid less without even being given that much work. So that’s the option I choose.
It’s not about which choice is smarter, best, or better, nor is one choice more admirable, impressive, or intelligent than the other. It’s simply a matter of which one you choose. Just a choice.
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There are people who graduated from a four-year university, never got a regular job, made 100 million yen through M-themed adult services, and now live a relaxed life.
However you make your money, the person who earns wins. Make papa-katsu your top priority.
You only get one life—why waste it ending up as a corporate wage slave?
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Generally speaking, that’s true—not just with papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan).
What makes someone happy? Especially nowadays.
Which choice suits you? Some people are simply suited to certain things, while others aren’t…
On last week’s episode of Matsuko Deluxe, they featured someone who graduated from the University of Tokyo, joined Marubeni, but quit because they found seasoned eggs more appealing…
Some people are impressed by graduating from the University of Tokyo, while others aren’t. Everyone has different values…
Some people are suited to top companies or careers as bureaucrats, while others aren’t. I’m absolutely not suited to them. Everyone has their own life.
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