I’ve only just joined the club.

I’m Maezawa from the President’s Office, and I’ll answer this as well. Thank you for your question. If you’ve only just registered and aren’t sure how much to offer, I recommend asking the woman directly at first and deciding on the allowance through discussion. You may worry that she’ll name an excessively high amount and you’ll end up overpaying, but 90% of women won’t do that. As you go on more dates with different women, you’ll naturally start to get a feel for what amount is likely to work. Once you reach that point, you’ve finally graduated from being a beginner. At the next stage, your experience will give you a sense of how much you need to offer. But this is actually where things get difficult. When you meet a woman you really like, you may offer too little, and then lose contact after the second or third meeting onward, leaving you wondering what went wrong. That’s the intermediate stage. In reality, the women you like are often popular with other men too, and you may not realize that your allowance is relatively low. You end up wondering, “Why isn’t it working anymore when everything had been going so well?” Once you can overcome this stage, you’ve officially become an advanced dater. Some men remain stuck at the intermediate level for a long time, while others suddenly make it all the way to the advanced level. I think the difference comes down to whether you can avoid assuming that you’re right, properly consider what went wrong, and apply that lesson to your next experience. Since you’re still a beginner, I recommend offering the allowance the other person asks for. As you listen to the women and learn more about their perspectives, I think you’ll gradually start to understand what to do. After a while, you may begin to see something resembling the going rate, but even that is actually an illusion. Best of luck in your search for the truth.

I’m Gaku, a male member. I travel to various regions for work, but before COVID, rates in Tokyo were definitely the highest. There were quite a few women on the apps who seemed to expect at least 100,000 yen. I stopped using the apps, so I wonder what things are like after COVID. I’ve tried a monthly arrangement before, but it became a little awkward, so now I stick to pay-per-meeting. I start with the same allowance for women I meet for the first time, whether they’re on a black or standard plan. If we’re compatible and continue seeing each other more than a few times, or if we spend the night together, I increase the allowance.

I’m Kazu, a male member. I meet women on a pay-per-meeting basis. If the relationship continues for a long time, I might consider agreeing on a monthly arrangement, but I think it’s better to avoid monthly arrangements because things can get complicated, such as disagreements over how often you meet. I also feel that many women would find it burdensome if a man brought up a monthly arrangement from the very first date. Market rates aren’t really helpful. For now, you can probably assume around 30,000–100,000 yen per meeting. An allowance is like an emotional condom, so there’s no need to obsess over its thickness. I’ve heard that 30,000 yen is the going rate on apps. Some women say they might consider it for 30,000 yen, while others say they don’t want that because it’s no different from using an app. As for 100,000 yen, that’s simply the highest amount I’ve personally heard of. I’ve just never met anyone at Universe who asked for 200,000 or 300,000 yen—though there may be women who do. Not knowing how much to offer is only an issue at the beginning. After making offers to a certain number of women, you’ll start to get a sense of what amount they’re likely to accept and what you’re comfortable paying. Personally, I generally meet women for 50,000 yen per meeting.

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. There is, in fact, a going rate. But… hmm, how should I put it? It really depends on the man you’re dealing with. If you want to meet a good man and continue seeing him, you’ll need to keep putting in effort—even when it doesn’t immediately pay off. If you get too hung up on the going rate from the start, you may lose sight of what really matters. First, focus on handling each encounter carefully and continuing to come out on top. That way, you’ll eventually be the one with the choice of whether to continue the arrangement, and I think you’ll have more success in the long run. “Hard work doesn’t always lead to success. But everyone who succeeds has, without exception, worked hard.” — Chairman Kamogawa, *Hajime no Ippo* For now, go out onto the battlefield armed with nothing but a single spear. P.S. Oh! I got it wrong! This was a question from a man, haha. I thought I’d written a pretty decent answer, but I completely misunderstood it. I agree with Kazu’s answer…