I recently read that it’s better to sign an agreement when entering into an arrangement.

Thank you for your question. I’m sorry if I’ve misunderstood your question, as I couldn’t find the article about the contract. I’ve heard that mistress contracts are invalid because they violate public order and morals. I also often hear about papas who don’t know this harassing women with repeated calls demanding their money back, only to be arrested for intimidation. So I’m sorry, but I can’t provide a template. The contract I recommend would read as follows: Dear beloved ○○, You have given me a reason to live. I feel terribly sorry that, due to my circumstances, I cannot marry you. If my spouse discovers our relationship and you are asked to pay compensation, I solemnly promise to cover the full amount myself. If you get married, there will no longer be a place for me in your life. I will transfer ¥4 million to you as a wedding gift and will never contact you again. From your papa,

If he’s married, wouldn’t leaving written evidence behind actually create more risk? Papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) is already such a gray area, so drawing up a contract seems difficult in the first place.

Since this is basically just toilet graffiti, if you really are a “cautious papa,” you should consult a lawyer. A lawyer would probably tell you something like this: Papa-katsu itself carries risks, and the very idea of getting a contract from the woman isn’t exactly tasteful. So you’d be better off staying away from papa-katsu altogether. You’re worried about the Prostitution Prevention Law, right? That said, it’s hard to imagine a papa in papa-katsu being prosecuted in a criminal case for violating that law. If you’re concerned, look into what kinds of conduct the law actually penalizes. As for the authorities—or, strictly speaking, the judiciary—let me explain what would happen if a contract related to papa-katsu were produced: It would be civilly invalid as contrary to public order and morals. Even if you tried to claim a breach of contract and demand that the allowance be returned, you wouldn’t be able to recover it as a payment made for an illegal purpose. It would have absolutely no legal effect. If anything, the authorities would probably look at this “cautious papa” and think, “What an incredible monster—he actually made a contract for papa-katsu.” Now let’s consider whether it would have any effect in relation to the police. Police officers deal with real-world events and facts—sometimes even confronting people who are causing trouble with firearms, regardless of whether they graduated from some prestigious physical-education university. Showing a police officer the contract won’t make them say, “I see, then you’re innocent.” They’re concerned only with what actually happened in reality. Regardless of whether there’s a contract, if the conduct or facts amount to a criminal offense, they’ll be subject to investigation and enforcement. They might look at the contract and think: “This man was giving her money in exchange for sexual activity. He even drew up a contract and used psychological pressure or threats to force her into it. The contract itself could be evidence of those threats.” It would be better not to show the contract to the police. Incidentally, when a contract is made for a sale, the buyer generally tries to delay payment as much as possible—for example, by paying only after inspecting and approving the item, or simply by paying in installments. That’s in the buyer’s interest. So if a papa who pays an allowance draws up a contract, what benefit is there for him? Probably things like delaying payment as much as possible, or not paying if the “service” doesn’t meet his standards or satisfy him. My advice is this: if you’re genuinely worried, you should stop doing papa-katsu altogether. And if you have various concerns, rather than asking on a message board like this, why not pay a few tens of thousands of yen a month to retain a lawyer you can consult? That’s about the same as one pay-per-meeting allowance.

Karasaki from Universe Club’s Yokohama branch here. Prostitution is defined as “having sexual intercourse with an unspecified person or persons.” Therefore, the club does not arrange prostitution. Whether or not a contract is drawn up does not change whether something constitutes prostitution. Please understand that the club does not provide a contract template either.

As the name suggests, papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) is about making the other person feel good and fulfilled. I think you should decide based on whether you’re prepared to engage in it in a way that won’t leave the other person feeling uncomfortable or regretful afterward. Just as there are many people suited to the service industry, there are also plenty of papas who genuinely enjoy making their partners happy. You’ll be entering a world that includes men like that. A contract can be formed verbally, and even if there is a written agreement, it may not necessarily be valid if the person didn’t truly consent to it. Later on, it’s also possible for someone to feel that, while they weren’t exactly forced, they went along with it reluctantly and against their true wishes. Especially when it comes to relationships between men and women…

If you feel the risks are really that significant, I don’t think you should get involved in an arrangement that includes an allowance. In court, whether something is considered prostitution seems to be determined by the actual nature of the relationship between the man and woman. So it doesn’t appear that legality is decided solely by whether there’s a written contract or whether real names are used.