Question.

Directors like Sion Sono and Hideo Sakaki have really been taking advantage of people through casting-couch arrangements. It might be worth it if it led to becoming a top-tier celebrity, but that seems highly unlikely.

As for pillow work itself, that’s entirely up to each individual. But the reality is that people with little real power are often the ones who try to make themselves look important and hint at pillow work. I hope you’ll develop the ability to see through that. Also, unlike in the past, television’s influence has declined. Unless you use media other than TV effectively, you won’t get results. There are plenty of girls who have never done pillow work or appeared on TV, yet are better known than mediocre celebrities and earn vastly more. Especially among young people today, many don’t watch TV at all. Seriously, are you really a woman in your 20s? lol If that’s true, people with your way of thinking are especially easy to deceive, so be careful. It’s me.

The whole idea of “using sex to get ahead” feels incredibly outsider-ish to begin with. That world is basically made up of countless attractive women working hard because they want to make it, and a small number of men who can create opportunities for them to break through. So, structurally speaking, harassment is bound to occur. Everyone from that generation knew about J, which became such a hot topic. And it wasn’t just J—everyone was doing it. It still happens all the time. There may be women who understand all of that and still try to use sex as a weapon to seize opportunities. But I think most of them, desperate to grab one of the few chances available while under pressure from sexual harassment, ended up doing something like, “Just a little bit, okay? @ Cha Kato.” And even if they’re able to think of it as “just a little bit,” that’s still the better-case scenario. They get cornered when they’re alone with someone in a private room, and if they refuse, they may be told something like, “I’ll kill you.” When applying for auditions, you have to provide your real name and contact details, so having all your personal information in their hands makes that pressure incredibly intense. A woman I was dating was involved in show business, and one day the subject came up somehow, and I learned that she’d experienced this. She laughed and said, “Well, I’m the weaker one here, so there’s really nothing I can do, right? LOL” I assumed she was okay with it, but after I got home, I started feeling that something was seriously wrong. I messaged her, saying something like, “You should refuse that kind of thing. I’ll support you 100%, using every connection I have, both publicly and behind the scenes.” But she told me it wasn’t that simple, and explained the kinds of things I mentioned above. “Are you really okay with that?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” “Okay… you’re strong.” “I only pretend to be strong.” At that point, I gradually stopped knowing what to say, so I ended up telling her, “Got it. Then let ◎◎-chan handle things in whatever way works best for her, and I’ll do my best to make you laugh with stupid jokes whenever you need a change of pace（笑）.” She replied, “Yeah, thank you♡,” and that was how the conversation ended at two in the morning. To answer the question: of course I hated it, and of course I was shocked. But if it’s someone I’ve fallen for, that’s not a reason to break up. At the time, I realized again that loving a woman means accepting her circumstances as well. And through that whole exchange, our relationship grew deeper. People who’ve never faced a situation like that will probably say all sorts of things, but I think that if they actually found themselves in it, most men would reach the same conclusion I did. Taro

If she were a PJ or a friend with benefits, it wouldn’t bother me at all. But if she were my wife or girlfriend, it would be a dealbreaker, and I’d end the relationship. I do whatever I want through this activity, but please chalk it up to the ego of a man from the Showa era. That said, I prefer women who are more grounded, so I probably wouldn’t marry or date an aspiring entertainer.

If she has to sleep her way into getting work, I’d think she probably won’t make it in show business anyway, so she’d be better off quitting. As for whether I’d dislike her, it wouldn’t be the woman herself so much as blaming my own poor judgment for dating or marrying someone like that. If she’s a papa-katsu girl, she can do whatever she wants, I suppose. If she became famous, I might accidentally let it slip over drinks: “Oh, so-and-so used to sleep her way into jobs too, but she became famous, didn’t she?” Though I don’t drink, so I wouldn’t know. Marika

Isn’t papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) basically the same thing? Since what women get out of it is either work or money, I don’t personally have a problem with it. I think women should be free to do what they want. It’s one of the advantages women have, so they should make the most of it—along with luck and ability—to get what they want (as long as it doesn’t take a mental toll, haha). Personally, though, I assume it would be expensive, so I don’t make offers to women in the entertainment industry.

When I was in my early thirties, I had an allowance-based relationship with a woman like that. At the time, I figured she was worth seeing because she wasn’t very bright, but she’d come whenever I called and put in the effort in bed. I couldn’t imagine making her my girlfriend, let alone marrying her. These days, I wouldn’t have sex even for free with a woman I find boring. So regardless of whether there’s an allowance involved, I have no interest in seeing women who talk about wanting to appear on TV or break into show business.