I have a question about offers from out of town. (I’m a different person.)

I’m Maezawa from the president’s office, and I’ll answer this as well. Thank you for your question. > Are there really many cases where someone travels all the way here, taking three hours one way (six hours round trip?), only to have dinner? It does happen, although I wouldn’t say it happens frequently. Since this is a form of free romance, being turned down is naturally something that can happen. That said, some gentlemen say they’ve almost never been turned down at a first meeting, even when they aren’t from far away. From their perspective, they may assume they won’t be rejected. But that’s because they choose good places for dinner, wear clean and pleasant-looking clothes, and keep the conversation enjoyable during the meal—in other words, women need to feel, by the same standards as ordinary dating, that this is a man they can trust. Some women may also feel bad about turning someone down after he has traveled a long way. In those cases, they may go along with it unless the man is exceptionally unpleasant. But not every woman thinks that way, so you may still be turned down. To begin with, I don’t really understand why anyone would assume they won’t be rejected simply because they’ve come from far away. Whether someone lives nearby or far away, they still have the right to say no.

I’m Kazu, a male member. > Are there really many cases where someone travels three hours each way—six hours round trip—to come all that way just for dinner? I’m not sure whether it happens often, but I do think it’s possible. The rule is “actual transportation costs plus the club’s standard travel allowance,” so as long as that’s followed, it probably wouldn’t be considered a violation. Come to think of it, a woman I’m seeing once told me that she had declined an offer from a man who lived far away because she was worried about whether things would progress beyond dinner and whether the allowance offered would be sufficient. Men making offers should probably include a note about any additional gratuity when sending the offer. I just checked, and when I made my offer, I wrote: “I understand that the standard transportation allowance, the Shinkansen fare, and compensation for the time and effort involved in traveling will be provided.” It was my third offer after joining, so the wording was rather clumsy, and I didn’t specify how much the compensation for the travel burden would be. Even so, this Type B woman accepted my offer. (Since it was my first date with a Type B woman, there was no adult relationship or allowance after dinner.) Since it’s unclear whether there will be any additional gratuity, or how much it might be, if you’re the woman asking this and you’re concerned, it may be best to check through the club. I don’t think the Universe staff would advise on the allowance itself, but they might be able to discuss additional compensation for long-distance travel.