Universe Club isn’t described as a high-end dating club, is it?

Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office will answer as well. > It doesn’t say that Universe Club is a high-end dating club, does it? That’s correct. If a staff member mistakenly describes it as “high-end,” Kida immediately instructs them to remove it. Universe Club’s position is that it isn’t a high-end dating club, but an ordinary dating club. > I saw this in another question, but from a female member’s perspective, would offering 10,000 yen for dinner and an additional 30,000 yen for an adult relationship (intimate) seem out of place? As for Dinner 1, the rule is that the first date includes a meal, and the man gives the woman 5,000–10,000 yen. In fact, most men give the woman at least 10,000 yen. (It seems that men only give 5,000 yen when they weren’t particularly interested in the woman.) So I don’t think anyone would feel that 10,000 yen for dinner is out of place. As for how 30,000 yen for an adult relationship (intimate) would be perceived, that’s really a matter between the two people. If both are satisfied with the arrangement, there’s no problem. Generally speaking, however, not only women but also other male members would often feel that amount is a little low… Also, if you want to build a long-term relationship with a woman you like, she is probably receiving offers from other men as well. So, objectively speaking, it’s easy to imagine that you would end up at a disadvantage. > I thought the difference between apps and clubs was the level of trust in the other person and how communication works before dating. Am I mistaken? You’re right. Both male and female members present identification to the club, so the level of trust is completely different. > I think I can offer more than that in allowance, but I’m wondering whether I’m actually at the level where I should join the club. If you’re able to offer more than that in allowance, I don’t think there’s any problem. If you can afford to offer more but simply don’t want to, I think it would be a good idea to join, go on some dates, and see how it goes. Through that experience, you’ll gradually learn what level of allowance helps you get along well with women. If you’re unsure, I think it may be better not to join—but there are also things you won’t know until you try. If you have enough financial leeway that it won’t affect your everyday life, I think it may be worth joining and experiencing a few dates.

I’m Gaku, a male member. I’d say it’s best to join and give it a try first. Rather than worrying without doing anything, try it out—and if it doesn’t work, move on. Before COVID, in the Tokyo area, a total allowance of ¥40,000 tended to be unpopular with women. But once it reached ¥50,000, things changed suddenly, so I think the break-even line was somewhere between ¥40,000 and ¥50,000. I wonder how things are after COVID. Even before COVID, a total of ¥40,000 probably had decent value outside major cities. Since the amount is kind of borderline, I feel it ultimately depends on the man’s appeal.

I’m Rin, a female member. I see this as a place where people can meet after gaining trust and peace of mind through screening by a third party. As for the allowance, if that’s your primary goal, you might feel like, “That’s so little!” But ultimately, it also comes down to whether you’re compatible with each other. Like Meg, I’m not doing this solely for the money, so I don’t necessarily see people who offer the highest amounts. There may be more women from a variety of professions joining in the future, but I don’t think those who start assuming that low offers should be acceptable will do well. It means they’re taking advantage of the other person’s situation. Medical institutions that have been forced to make sacrifices and bear burdens in so many ways are seeing losses in the hundreds of millions of yen across the board. Bonuses have been canceled, salaries cut, temporary and contract workers have been laid off or put on leave, and even permanent staff have been asked to volunteer for retirement. Some women may start coming into this field from there as well.

I’m Meg, a female member. You’re not wrong. For me too, the difference between apps and dating clubs comes down to one thing: reliability. You can edit app photos however you like, and say just about anything, after all. A dating club, however, is a place where you can register only after being screened by a third party—especially the women. Some female members genuinely need a certain amount of financial support, while others, like me, don’t really care that much about the allowance. Everyone is different, but as Flag Maker says, with option ③, many women might find themselves thinking: “Wait… that’s not much…” Why not knock on the door of a dating club just once, if only to see what’s inside?

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. > I thought the difference between apps and clubs was the level of trust in the other person and how you communicate before dating. Am I mistaken? I don’t think you’re mistaken. > Do female members generally see the difference as being about the allowance? I think quite a few women do. However, whether that expectation is actually backed by their own abilities is another matter... Everyone has different preferences, so it’s hard to say. That said, we’re all at a dating club for our own reasons, so I think it’s best to consider the club as a whole—including the allowance and those other factors. As Paper Airplane mentioned before, I think the barrier to actually joining is quite high for women. Even a gray-haired old guy like me had to work up the courage to take the plunge... (laughs) I think it’s best to take everything into account and make an overall judgment.

I’m Paper Airplane, a male member. If you’re already hesitating, it may be best not to join. There are certainly cases at the club where the amount you mentioned would be the going rate, and there’s nothing wrong with using that as your standard. However, unless you can look forward to the excitement of offering 50% more, twice as much, or even more to a woman you really like (three or four times more for someone truly one-in-7,000), I don’t think you’ll get much benefit from joining. You’ll also be compared with other men, so if you’re already thinking about how it differs from an app, it seems your finances and popularity may not be quite up to it.

I’m Basil, a male member. I’ve had quite a few arrangements where the total was 40,000 yen, including an adult relationship after dinner. With freelancers and others still struggling to find work, I think there are plenty of women with decent profiles who would agree to that amount. Not that I’m Okamura or anything. P.S. I ran out of time yesterday and couldn’t finish writing, so I’m revising and adding to my answer. If the going rate is said to be 30,000–50,000 yen, the average is probably close to 50,000 yen, since a small number of exceptionally high-end supporters, such as Sozetsu, sometimes offer unbelievable amounts. However, I think the median is lower than that. In my case, none of the women I continued seeing for 40,000 yen ever asked for an increase, regardless of what they may have felt privately. The amount in the question doesn’t seem low enough to be considered taking advantage of someone, as Rin put it. This isn’t an upscale club, after all.

I’m Flag Maker, a columnist. Hmm… It probably depends on the quality of the male members and the women’s expectations. It really varies from case to case. I think a total of ④ or more should be fine. It’s only a slight difference, but for some reason ③ in total tends to get a poor response.