Universe Tokyo’s Mamiya here.
A full loop around the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway must have been quite an experience!
I feel like some men can only really be themselves—or “be a man”—inside their cars. At unfamiliar restaurants, they can’t act naturally, and I think that actually makes things more difficult for them.
Our staff often confirms, “Would it be okay if he picked you up by car for the first date?” and many women are fine with it. However, it only tends to work when the gentleman is especially generous.
Maezawa from the President’s Office here.
Thank you for your question.
> This isn’t normal, is it?
No, it isn’t.
At Universe, the initial arrangement is for you to have a meal first on the date and see how well you click.
So we don’t approve of going straight to a drive. A drive falls under自由恋愛, or a personal relationship outside the club’s arrangements, so it may be possible after the two of you have had a meal and mutually agreed to it. Depending on what you both agree to, an additional allowance may also be required for a drive.
That said, since it sounds like he did properly ask you, it may simply be that he intends to go for a meal but was asking just in case you might agree to a drive.
In that case, I think it would be best to clearly turn him down.
For example, you could say:
“I was told the first date would be dinner, so I’d prefer to have dinner.”
If he still says something like, “Don’t worry about that—let’s go for a drive,” and it turns into a drive right away in a way that feels almost forced, then he is misunderstanding the arrangement, and the club can issue him a stern warning.
Also, please leave negative feedback in the post-date questionnaire. (It’s best to state only the facts and avoid putting too much emotion into it.)
If three women submit negative feedback about him, the rules state that he will be forced to leave the club.
You may be worried about saying something like that because you don’t want to ruin the mood. However, if you already feel that you don’t click at this stage, continuing to see him will likely become stressful for you.
In that case, I think it’s better to be clear, even if it affects the atmosphere. Besides, if he is a decent man, I don’t think the mood would be ruined by something like this.
I’m Tetsu, a male member.
Drive dates are certainly an option, but I think women may feel uncomfortable getting into a car with a man they’re meeting for the first time. Personally, I try to avoid having women I’ve just met ride in my car whenever possible.
These days, I sometimes see women indicate on their profiles whether they’re okay with going for a drive or not. So if you’re concerned about it, I think you can just ask the branch staff.
