I’m 51 and a Platina member.

Universe Tokyo’s Mamiya here. Even I, who’m actively doing mama-katsu, feel very hesitant about making a move on someone barely into his twenties, so I think I understand how you feel. As for teenagers, I can’t even bring myself to contact them yet (lol). I recently studied how education differs between generations, so I thought I’d share what I learned. The people you’re currently targeting are apparently 18–26-year-olds, known as the “Satori generation.” They were educated to develop the ability to think for themselves and take action. Since they grew up during an economic downturn, they tend to be thoughtful rather than overly assertive, while each having a unique personality. People in their fifties are called the “New Human” generation. They received an education focused heavily on academic achievement, and seem to be an optimistic, energetic generation as a reaction to that. I’m not quite sure what the point of all this is, but I think you can break through if you develop the ability to understand the other person. If you manage to break through, I might try my hand at dating someone in their teens too (sweat).

I’m Saito, a columnist♪ Wasn’t it simply that the amount didn’t work for her? I get the impression that students, more than anyone, will be willing to go along with almost anything if the allowance is right. The smarter university students, though, are very aware that their time is limited. This may come across as misleading, but I feel that Platinum is actually the most troublesome tier. Gold is the tier where women are self-aware enough to think, “I’m not that cute,” while Black is the tier where they’re humble enough to realize, “There are lots of beautiful women on my level, so the competition is fierce.” Platinum, caught between the two, is the “I’m pretty attractive” and “high-maintenance” tier—that’s how I see it. So, as a change of pace, I sometimes register as Black and meet a few women who don’t get many requests. I often end up having incredibly good relationships with them that last a long time. The beautiful Platinum women who can be met for less and receive a flood of offers may be more trouble than they’re worth. That’s just my personal opinion.

I’m Kazu, a male member. Something just occurred to me, so I thought I’d write it down. Back when I used to go to group dates, both my male and female friends told me that it’s important not to try too hard or tense up. Getting feedback like this is important, so taking Mac’s advice, I think it would be a good idea to ask a woman you’re currently seeing, “What was your impression of me around our first date, and what do you think I should improve? I won’t get offended, so please be honest.” If you’re as humble as the person asking this question, a woman you’ve met several times will surely be willing to tell you. If she’s older than you, she’ll probably give you advice on things you can actually improve, rather than pointing out things you can’t change.

I’m a male member, Seattle. Bad breath is important to address. A tongue scraper is a must. A simple but often overlooked trick is to keep chewing gum or sucking on sugar-free candies. For body odor, carry deodorant with you and use it often. I really admire how humble the questioner is.

I’m a confused man in my 60s. I first approached her when she was still 18, and today she turned 20. She’s Type A, and since I couldn’t take responsibility for an adult relationship (intimate) until she turned 20, we’ve continued seeing each other up to today. Although she says she absolutely prefers dating older men, she has a boyfriend around her own age and apparently is intimate with him… just not with me, haha. According to her, my role in her life isn’t about the allowance. I’m someone who can show her a world she can’t see for herself and that her boyfriend can’t show her. I’m not trying to somehow turn this into an adult relationship (intimate). I’m just taking things naturally, suggesting things like, “Want to try something like this next time?” or “Would you like to meet and talk with someone like this?” and letting her experience various things. I’m playing the long game, hoping that one day she’ll think, “Maybe I wouldn’t mind being intimate with this confused man in his 60s…” I’m not looking for a short-term adult relationship with a woman in her teens, so maybe that’s why I’m drawn to Type A… haha.

I’m columnist Fuu. Wanting an adult relationship (intimate) with someone under 20—that’s one of the biggest appeals of this activity, isn’t it? Since you’re doing papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), you’d like to give it a try. Judging from your personality as it comes across in your post, and assuming you’re in your late 20s and reasonably attractive, I can’t help wondering whether the issue was with the person you happened to approach—or whether you were simply unlucky. How many people have you tried with? If it’s only around two so far, don’t get discouraged. Try a few more times, and you may well succeed. I’m in my late 40s, a little younger than you, and I’m an unattractive, unpopular middle-aged guy. Even so, I’ve somehow managed to have an adult relationship with several people under 20—about four, if I remember correctly. Of course, they’re so young that it’s difficult to find things to talk about, and I have to work hard to match their energy. They can also lead me around by the nose. All four of the last-minute cancellations I’ve experienced were from students. Some girls treat papa-katsu like a part-time job and don’t take it very seriously. They’re young, after all. I also exclusively choose Type C, but looking back, the three people I couldn’t have an adult relationship with were two students and one woman in her early 20s. I’m writing about this in the column currently posted, so please take a look if it helps. With underage girls, it’s often the “starfish” type, but the moment of penetration can give you a sensation as if the cells and genes in your body are surging. The younger they are, the stronger that feeling is. However, after two years in this activity and experiencing a range of ages, I personally find women aged 23–28 offer the best balance and are more satisfying than underage girls. I hope you have a good encounter.

I’m male member BB7. I’m just a little older than you. When I see an unpopular, middle-aged guy talking with young women his own age, the things that make me think, “Yeah, this is hopeless,” include: Leaving aside poor hygiene, body odor, and excessive ear or nose hair: - Bragging (even stories about business success may come across as bragging) - Lecturing like a schoolteacher - Going on about “When I was young...” - Being tactless (speaking loudly, spraying saliva, having a vulgar laugh) - Dismissing women’s hobbies and interests with “I don’t get it” - Going on and on about politics or economics—topics the woman isn’t interested in—even when she clearly isn’t listening - Never complimenting the woman - Focusing on her shortcomings rather than her strengths and offering unsolicited “advice” - Sexual harassment or touching her excessively - Looking at her with the leering gaze of a sexual predator That’s about it. In other words, becoming an old, out-of-touch man. If none of these apply to you, I apologize, but I can’t really say. Please consult your local branch.

I’m Paper Airplane, a male club member with zero sense of style, zero sense of humor, and zero conversational skills. I make offers to women around 20 and under without hesitation. I’ll tell you what I’ve done since I was around your age. The thing I was most concerned about was bad breath. If you’re worried about it, you can’t meet someone with confidence. So I went to a dental clinic specializing in bad breath. It only costs a few tens of thousands of yen, so I highly recommend it. When you first go, they’ll tell you that your breath smells like a dirty rag, a sewer, or a drainage ditch. After going a few times, I asked my longtime girlfriend—who had constantly complained about my breath—to check it with her nose just one centimeter from my mouth. It went from “terrible” to “odorless,” like one of those fresh-breath commercials. I used to be told by my wife that I smelled bad, but eventually I started noticing her bad breath instead. When I pick up a woman around 20 by car, I can even tell when she has stress-related bad breath the moment she gets in. I can say, “Something stressful must have happened today, huh?” and suddenly the conversation clicks. Once you stop worrying about bad breath, you become much more positive. You can taste even the ingredients on their own and enjoy food more. You also become better at noticing subtle differences in flavor, which gives you more confidence when choosing restaurants to visit with women. As for my hairstyle, I go to a salon and leave everything up to the stylist without making any requests. For clothes, I generally wear what my wife chooses. And on dates, I take a shower before I go. Also, when dining with a teenager, even on the first date, it might be better to go somewhere she wants to go rather than somewhere upscale. Looking back, when I went out to eat with girls aged 18 to 20, the places they wanted to visit were completely different from the restaurants I went to with women in their early 20s through 30s. I’ve never once taken them to a restaurant I had planned or to one of the nice places I had prepared. I suppose there isn’t much need to go to an excellent or high-end restaurant. When you let them choose, you end up following them to casual, fast-food-type places—which feels a little odd for a club, but is refreshing in its own way. And if you ask where they want to go that day, they’ll come up with endless ideas. Even if you don’t think of anything yourself, they’ll tell you where they want to go and what they want to do. If you simply eat what they want, go where they want, and do what they want, the conversation will naturally keep flowing—even if you’re a quiet man. They’ll be having fun, while you just listen and watch. As for the allowance, some girls will tell you if you ask what they want, while others won’t. Even the ones who could say didn’t usually ask for very much. I don’t think you’ll be far off if you make the offer yourself. Teenagers are at the age where they’ll laugh if a chopstick falls over, so even if you don’t say much, the conversation and laughter can continue. Rather than trying too hard, I think it’s better to relax and let yourself go along with her. They’re also a generation that will be delighted by even a 2,000- or 3,000-yen tip. (My daughter would be thrilled with just 300 yen.) When shopping, they can buy several outfits and pairs of shoes for 10,000 or 20,000 yen. I think it’s important to share the value and small joys of those things with them. Throwing money around is likely to make them uncomfortable, so it’s also important to interact with them sensitively. And considering the age gap, you may constantly wonder and worry whether everything is okay. It’s important not to try to confirm that, and asking questions like these isn’t a good idea either: “You’re okay with that, right?” “We’re going there, okay?” “Is it okay if I do this?” “Are you sure this is all right?” If you ask questions that only allow the woman to answer, “Yeah,” “Yes,” “It’s fine,” or “Not at all,” she’ll feel uncomfortable. From her point of view, you’ll just come across as a clueless guy who completely misreads the situation.

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. I haven’t made offers to anyone that young very often, so I can’t really speak from a position of authority. Since you said that “they didn’t accept me for who I am,” I assume you did at least some self-promotion. It may vary from person to person, but when it comes to developing an adult relationship (intimate), I don’t think self-promotion is necessary. You don’t need them to like you right away. For starters, it’s enough if they don’t dislike you. I’ve written my personal thoughts on this in the column below, so I hope you find it helpful: https://universe-club.jp/column/survivehimote

I’m Date◎Yume, a male member. > I hesitate to approach female members who are working adults aged 20 or under, or who are students. What do you all think? I understand how you feel. Actually, I used to feel the same way（笑） When there’s a big age gap, I somehow hesitate, wondering if we’ll really click. Because of that, I tended to approach women who were a little older than average (though my sample size is small). But then I had one bad experience after another with women who, despite being old enough to know better, made outrageous demands or seemed suspicious of misrepresenting their relationship preferences. So I told the club, “Please introduce me to any woman who might be a good match for me. I won’t complain.” The woman they introduced was over 40 years younger than me—and even I was shocked! She looked incredibly young and cute. When I asked, “Are you okay with dating?” she replied, “Yes!” It made me wonder what all those previous women had been about. In my experience, it really depends on the woman. The women I’ve met so far seemed less interested in my personality and more like they were thinking, “He’s an old guy, so I’d rather have someone younger and more physically firm.” That said, I heard later that women can somehow tell whether the man in front of them is physically firm or not. So perhaps it’s important to maintain a level of firmness that can compete with younger men（笑） (“Firmness” is just a metaphor（笑） Sorry.) As for communication, I think it’s best to start by talking broadly about things related to your everyday life. Then, if you talk a little more about topics that interest you, I’ve found that the other person tends to open up as well. After meeting two or three times, you’ll be fine. Once you get used to each other, it becomes fun! You’ll be saying things like: “Why are you talking about gifts when you’re lousy in bed?” “Women have all kinds of expenses, you know!” P.S. “Firmness” means the sense of security women feel.

Maezawa from the CEO’s Office here. > “I’ve never managed to develop things into an adult relationship (intimate).” Hmm, I can’t really tell what you talk about, how you invite them, or what kind of restaurants you choose, so I can’t say what the problem is. First, have dinner somewhere that costs around ¥30,000 for the two of you. There’s a good chance the person asking this question isn’t very interesting to talk to, so let the other person do the talking, about anything. Once dinner is over, try directly asking about the allowance: “Would ¥50,000 work for the rest of the evening?” (I’d normally say the amount is up to you, but if things haven’t been going well so far, I think it would be better to offer a higher amount.) If you’re having dinner at a hotel restaurant, you could say you’re going to the restroom, reserve a room on the spot, and head there together afterward. Just make sure everything is prepared in advance so it doesn’t take long. Wouldn’t something like that work?