Maezawa from the President’s Office here as well.
Thank you for your question.
After reading the Q&A box and contacting the staff, you were told, “That’s just something Maezawa says on his own,” weren’t you?
I’m sorry.
Basically, I don’t answer based on my own personal interpretations. I always have a solid basis for what I say.
> Is it really against the rules to pressure a woman to leave the club?
It really is against the rules.
The problem, however, is that even when a woman tells the club that a man pressured her to leave, the man will simply be asked about it and say things like:
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I’m sorry if it came across that way.”
“I’ll be more careful about how I word things in the future.”
And then the matter just ends with those excuses.
They’ll also tell women, “Don’t go tattling,” or tell future partners, “Don’t tell the club about this.” Some even threaten them by saying, “I’ve had dinner with the president of Universe, so you’ll be in serious trouble if you say anything.”
(In reality, there are no members who could influence your activities with the club, so please don’t worry.)
It’s a real mess.
I’d like to do something about it, but it can be difficult ＞＜
By the way,
the membership terms listed on the members-only page for men are as follows.
Universe Club Membership Terms
January 7, 2019
### Eligibility
Membership is limited to gentlemanly men who have steady employment, are willing to provide the club with their real name and contact information (mobile phone number), and have sufficient emotional and financial leeway.
If a member is confirmed to have been arrested or indicted during their membership, their members-only page will be frozen until their innocence is established. If they are found guilty, they will be expelled from the club, and the membership fee cannot be refunded.
We do not accept applications from members of organized crime groups or anyone similar.
### Date Arrangements
We will send you your login information for the members-only site. Please notify the club of the woman you would like to meet, your preferred date, and other details.
Once the date has been finalized, an arrangement fee will be charged and must be paid by the day before the date. If payment is not received, we may cancel the arrangement, suspend access to your members-only page, and charge a late fee.
### Cancellations
Please refrain from canceling or switching to another woman after a date has been confirmed.
If a woman contacts you to cancel after the date has been confirmed, you may choose one of the following: rescheduling the date, arranging another date with a different woman, or receiving a refund of the arrangement fee in points.
Arrangement fees cannot be refunded in cash.
### From the Date to the Relationship
On the day of the date, the woman will call the man’s mobile phone directly from the meeting place. In some cases, the call may come from a withheld number.
At the date, please be sure to give the woman transportation money in advance (a thank-you payment of ¥5,000–¥10,000).
If the two of you decide to pursue a relationship, be sure to exchange contact information. (The club cannot provide it on your behalf.)
### Membership Expiration and Suspension
When renewing after your membership expires, a membership fee will be required. (If you rejoin within one month of leaving, please consult us.)
Suspending membership (extending the membership period) is generally not possible. However, in the following cases, the period may be extended or carried over for up to six months:
A. You are physically unable to go on dates because of a long-term overseas business trip or similar circumstances
B. You are physically unable to go on dates because of a long-term hospitalization or similar circumstances
In these cases, you will not be able to view your members-only page during the applicable period.
After you return, your membership period will be extended once you submit documentation proving that one of the above circumstances applied.
### Prohibited Conduct
Anyone found to have engaged in any of the following will be expelled from the club, and the membership fee cannot be refunded.
- Illegal acts, including secretly photographing or recording someone, suggesting paid sex, or any conduct the club deems inappropriate for a member
- Verbal abuse, violence, harassment, stalking, or pressuring another member or staff member to leave the club or resign
- Publishing or forwarding members’ images or personal information online, or allowing non-members to use them
- Giving a third party, including female members, a member-issued ID or password, or information learned through the club
The rest has been omitted.
### P.S.
> Aren’t the terms also posted on the smartphone page for women?
The women’s page has separate terms for women, so the content is different.
Some of the prohibited conduct listed for men may not be included there.
The women’s page contains rules along the lines of:
“Under no circumstances will I cancel on the day of the date. (A same-day cancellation of an arranged date will result in immediate expulsion and may be subject to a claim for damages.)”
I’m Kazu, a male member.
It really is a violation of the rules—provided it involves coercion.
The membership rules list the following as prohibited conduct: verbal abuse, violence, harassment, stalking, and forcing members or staff to leave the club or resign. These rules are available anytime on the men’s members’ page, and they were also explained during my interview when I joined.
So this isn’t just Mr. Maezawa’s personal interpretation.
If you calmly write down the facts in the survey and submit it, at the very least, it seems likely that a record will be added to the male member’s file at the club, even though members can’t view those records.
I think the key question is whether it counts as “coercion.” When staff caution him, the man might respond, “I didn’t mean anything by it. I only asked if she could see me exclusively.” Unless there’s clear evidence that it was coercive, the staff probably won’t be able to press the matter much further. That’s why I think evidence is necessary.
If there is evidence—or even without evidence, if he approached her in an outrageous manner—it might be possible for the staff to issue a warning. But unless it leads to multiple warnings, I don’t think it would result in forced expulsion.
Immediate expulsion would probably be limited to criminal acts such as documented violence, stalking, or secretly filming someone.
Since you said, “It must be nice to be able to make the man realize how much trouble he’s causing,” you may feel that the club is unreliable because it won’t actively intervene.
However, there are probably women as well as men who want their partner to see only them. But what the club does is arrange dates. Anything beyond that is a matter between the two people involved, and it would be strange for a third party to actively intervene in the relationship between two adults. For example, if a staff member told you, “Your partner says he’s concerned about your ○○,” you’d probably feel confused, wouldn’t you? If a staff member said that to me, I’d probably give an awkward laugh and say, “If it bothers him that much, he should just tell me directly.”
