Has anyone started papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) for a reason other than wanting to be with younger women? What other motivations can you think of?

Maezawa from the CEO’s Office here, answering as well. Thank you for your question. > Wouldn’t it be more refreshing if they just said it openly? First of all, I think there are actually very few people who are only looking to be intimate. If that were all they wanted, there are adult entertainment services. I’ve even heard of cases where a sex worker and a customer ended up getting married. And it’s not necessarily true that adult entertainment can’t be enjoyable—there may be ways to enjoy it. But I think more people want to enjoy something that involves a little more human connection than adult entertainment, while also wanting intimacy. They’re in a more complicated situation. So when someone says, “You joined because you wanted intimacy, right?” I think many people feel that’s not quite accurate. In fact, those who joined solely because they wanted intimacy are probably having a hard time enjoying themselves here. That’s only natural, since their purpose is different.

I’m Meg, a female member. Hehe. It’s kind of cute… I can’t help but laugh.

I’m “Paper Airplane,” a male member who decided to give it a try because a friend of mine was already a member. I think there are quite a few men and women who wouldn’t have taken the initiative to join on their own. I was able to join because my friend was already a member, so I had no reason to be suspicious. There are actually quite a few men and women who might never have joined by themselves, but end up being led to each other. In my case, my friend was an exceptionally beautiful woman, so out of curiosity, I decided to take a look at a dating club I never would have imagined joining. When I joined, I underestimated both the club and its members, assuming it would just be an extension of the adult entertainment industry and that the club would be poorly run. But once I joined, I was hooked by how unbelievably respectable it was—like night and day. If it hadn’t been for that friend, I might never have joined while still consumed by suspicion. (Actually, I’m pretty sure I absolutely wouldn’t have. Now that I know what it’s really like, “might” has changed to “you should definitely try joining at least once.”)

I’m Tetsu, a male member. I think the main reason most men, myself included, start papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) is that they want to be intimate with younger women (lol). That said, as you continue seeing someone through the club, you may find that intimacy alone is no longer enough, and start wanting to enjoy conversations, meals, hobbies, and other things together. But those are really just reasons that come afterward.

I’m Taro, a male member. For me, of course, wanting sex is the main reason, but it’s not the only thing—I’d also like to build a somewhat more human connection. If all I wanted was sex, I’d go to a sex service. Depending on how you approach things, you can deepen the personal relationship there too. But these women have seen a lot of intense situations, so things can be complicated and emotionally heavy. You can sometimes successfully connect with a girl who has just entered the industry, but the odds are low. Ideally, you’d meet someone you like at a Starbucks or somewhere and win her over. But naturally, the chances of finding someone you genuinely like are low, and even when you do, your success rate isn’t great. In that sense, dating clubs have a high conversion rate: you can choose from plenty of ordinary women who haven’t been through as much as women in the sex industry, and there’s a relatively high chance of developing the relationship to a certain level. When a woman asks me at the first meeting or so, I answer with something along the lines of what I wrote in the opening sentence. At first, I hesitated because I thought a Type B woman might be put off, but when I actually said it, she was totally fine with it. If anything, the conversation moved forward more quickly afterward. So in that sense, I think the questioner’s observation is correct. When someone says, “I only came because a friend invited me,” I just laugh. I can understand that if it’s a woman, but for a man—someone who deliberately chose the club and paid a fairly hefty introduction fee—come on, you’re saying that?

I’m Kazu, a male member. I wanted to date—and be intimate with—women from industries I’d never been involved with before. That’s why I make offers to women in their 30s and older. In fact, I prefer women around 30 and up. It’s fun hearing about all kinds of jobs and industries from different people. Also, with COVID, I don’t want to visit adult entertainment venues, so I’ve been feeling frustrated, and I’ve found myself with nothing to do outside of work.