Two years ago, I lost my American spouse to illness. Since we had no children, I returned to Japan.

I’m probably one of the few older female members. From the way you write, I imagine you’re both intelligent and beautiful. Trying something new takes courage, and isn’t that amazing in itself? There are also people who say, “It’s not all about being young.” I’m truly glad I found the courage to go to the interview. Meeting someone who treats me affectionately as a woman changed my life. You should definitely go to the interview. I really like the staff—they’re all very pleasant♡ (I’m not affiliated with the site.)

I don’t think the kind of partner the questioner is looking for can be found through a dating club. The reason is that allowances are part of the arrangement at dating clubs. From the man’s perspective, even if she seems to genuinely enjoy spending time together, there’s always a part of him thinking that she’s only doing it for the allowance anyway. Personally, I’ve come to see the allowance as compensation for a woman putting up with dating a younger woman—well, more like compensation for the woman’s side of things. That said, once I’ve moved on from anything sexual, I do sometimes think that romance later in life could be nice. However, I feel that the woman’s intentions would be different, so I wouldn’t look for someone through Universe Club. For example, I might try looking for someone to enjoy shared hobbies with.

Question 1 Originally, I don’t think women over 40 were really anticipated, but as Universe has been around for more than a decade and its male members have also gotten older, it feels like the upper age limit for women has effectively disappeared. Once I’m in my 70s, I may start making offers to women closer to my age. Question 2 The odds are probably higher that you won’t receive any offers at all, but there are hardly any women of that age competing for attention. If you happen to meet a specific need, you might receive offers fairly consistently. Question 3 Basically, yes. I think there is generally a dynamic where men prefer younger women, while women prefer older men. When you look at sports, many of them peak in your 20s. However, you can enjoy sports at any age, and in some cases, they may even be more enjoyable after retiring.

Q1 There does seem to be an age limit (45, perhaps?), but since quite a few women are older than that, I think there’s still a possibility. Probably. Q2 I don’t know whether there are any general offers, but I personally have never made an offer to anyone over 50. Universe Club probably isn’t targeting women of a more mature age, so unfortunately, they may be categorized as a minority—not only in terms of rank, but also in how they’re treated. Q3 My impression is that the men aren’t necessarily looking only for young women. I suspect there are certainly some male members who are naturally attracted to more mature women. That said, as I mentioned, women in that age group are a minority, and the club isn’t specifically catering to them. There’s no problem with registering, and you may even find a wonderful partner, but if you’re going to invest your time, somewhere else might be a better option. It would be nice if Universe created a site for seniors, too. I think demand will only continue to grow from here. A friend of mine runs a luxury nursing home. It’s a facility for wealthy people, but according to my friend, even refined women lose all sense of shame and propriety when it comes to romance there. Quite a few counseling sessions are about romantic problems, and apparently the older men tend to become like innocent virgins, while the older women become very sexually assertive. As you suspected, romance can give you the strength to live no matter how old you are. Apparently, when people actually become a couple, the men tend to show more noticeable changes—for example, their hair may turn black again even without dyeing it, and they may even start growing a little hair back.

That sounds like it was really tough. My heartfelt condolences for your darling. RIP **Question 1** I don’t think you’ll automatically be rejected just because your age is the only thing that falls short of the membership requirements. I think it comes down to how you present yourself in your application and how you do in the interview. **Question 2** There are fewer older female members, and relatively few male members who want to date older women, so I interpret that as meaning the offer rate is lower. That said, there will always be a certain number of male members looking for older women, so it’s easier to secure a top position. You also have fewer rivals. On the other hand, there are lots of women in their twenties. There’s more competition, and it’s easier to get lost in the crowd, so I think that can be difficult in its own way. **Question 3** Exactly! In Europe and the U.S., there are so many older people who really shine, both in their fashion and their inner qualities. It’s such a waste that Japan has this common peer pressure insisting that older people must dress and act modestly. Please help change those unfortunate attitudes. It’s me.

Please paste the Japanese text from those pages, and I’ll translate it into natural English.