I’m a 46-year-old housewife, and I’m interested in papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan). I’m not particularly confident about my looks, and I feel like my age might make things difficult. If I went to an interview, would I be rejected?

There’s no harm in reaching out, so even if you feel it might be hopeless, I think you should give it a try. Rather than regretting not trying, you’ll find it easier to move on if you make the attempt and it doesn’t work out. Lately, I feel like more people in their 40s and 50s have been registering. Even now, I think you can improve your chances by taking care of your appearance. If you have a belly, work on slimming it down. Take care of your skin. Give it a year, and I think you could make a lot of progress. People in their 40s these days can be very attractive. You absolutely still have a chance. That said, be prepared for offers from people considerably older than you—perhaps in their 60s to 80s. If you’re comfortable with that, I think it’s worth making the effort. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m rooting for you!

A few years ago, one of the female respondents said: “Older women are in demand, so why doesn’t Universe offer this as well?” But President Kida never took action. There’s no doubt that there’s demand. I think it ultimately comes down to how it’s managed, but Universe Club doesn’t seem to have many employees—including the president—who are attracted to older women, so it may be difficult. Apparently, there are dating clubs that specialize in mature women. If you register with one of them, you may receive quite a few offers. > Will I be rejected if I go to the interview after all? It seems they sometimes enforce their age guidelines strictly and sometimes don’t. I also feel that the age requirements on the official website may have been changed without any internal announcement. Why not just apply casually and see what happens? Before worrying about rejection, the first question is whether you’ll even be invited to an interview. But if you make it to the interview, the rest depends on your own appeal. If you’re an attractive woman, you can still register in your 40s.

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say this, but the oldest woman currently registered with Universe is in her 60s. Compared with the past, you now see quite a few women in their 40s and 50s as well. It’s basically turned into a mature women’s club, haha. Actually, I suspect President Kida may be into mature women too, haha.

You’re absolutely right, Maezawa-san. By the way, I just checked the Patro members’ page, and age-wise, it looks like I’m still well within the acceptable range（笑） Universe (Patro) seems to look after everyone, young and old alike. As an old guy myself, I’m grateful（笑）