Why do these mood-killing men always show up when it’s time to talk about when to hand over transportation money or the allowance? What exactly is putting them off?

I’m Maezawa from the President’s Office, and I’ll answer this as well. You’re referring to the ¥5,000–¥10,000 transportation allowance set by the rules for Universe Date. We strongly ask men to hand it over first through the club, but men who don’t want to pay upfront give all kinds of reasons. Originally, this rule was introduced because so many men forgot to pay. So if a man wants to pay afterward, I’d like him to say something along the lines of, “I will absolutely never forget. I’m that certain. If I ever do forget, I’ll transfer ¥10 million to the woman.” And if someone who claimed they would never forget actually did forget, I’d really like them to pay the woman around ¥10 million. If they can’t do that, it seems they should simply stop resisting and pay upfront. Of course, I understand that if the conversation doesn’t go well and the man is disappointed, he may wish he had paid ¥5,000 instead of ¥10,000 upfront. But I think there was probably a proposal along these lines, taking that into consideration: Pay ¥5,000 at the beginning, then add another ¥5,000 at the end if the conversation was enjoyable, for a total of ¥10,000. If it wasn’t enjoyable, don’t pay the final ¥5,000, for a total of ¥5,000. (I think it may have been suggested by the same person.) This does create another issue, though: the woman might immediately wonder, “Wait, only ¥5,000?” when the date starts. As for the transportation allowance, the rules state that it must be paid, so whether it’s given before or after shouldn’t make any difference. And since handing it over first allows the date to proceed more smoothly, I can’t help suspecting that men who refuse have some other reason. If paying upfront makes the woman feel more at ease, then pay upfront. I think that’s what a man who genuinely cares about women would do. Men who insist on paying afterward are prioritizing themselves over the woman’s feelings, so I imagine the woman would have a difficult time even if they started dating.

I’m Taro, a male member. Isn’t the honest feeling of male members that, while they’re willing to put money on the table, they also want something beyond just the money? That’s why handing over the allowance can sometimes be a turnoff. It may sound silly, but if there were no such conflict at all, it would just be the adult-entertainment industry. Things can get complicated, but I think the appeal of an exclusive dating club is navigating that gray area and finding a genuine connection within it. Telling someone to “look in the mirror” is fine coming from another guy, but you don’t want to hear it from a woman. You can’t just go anywhere simply because you have money, which is why men choose dating clubs instead of going to adult entertainment venues and cast a wider net. Even if there are various issues, they agreed to the arrangement with their eyes open, so complaining afterward seems questionable. Of course, there are such things as manners. Not paying, using violence, or hurling abuse—those things are unacceptable. But nitpicking every little reaction when the allowance is handed over is going too far. Everyone is struggling to find their footing in this gray area. Both men and women should understand that and try to look a little deeper. Otherwise, our success rate will only keep dropping. Well, the club is the one that profits from all this, so maybe I shouldn’t be giving away too many tips, haha.

I’m Hikōki, a male member. Are you referring to me? What you’re saying is perfectly reasonable. While there are women like you, there are also women who aren’t familiar with dating clubs, allowances, or papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan). In other words, there are men and women whose needs happen to match. At first, I used to give the allowance upfront—perhaps because those were arranged introductions? Since it makes it easier to understand what each person is looking for, I now usually give it afterward, as usual. As for why I don’t give it upfront, I prepare to spend whatever is necessary that day—whether it’s an A-type or B-type arrangement, with no fixed upper limit, usually around ¥30,000–¥50,000—so giving the allowance beforehand doesn’t feel quite right… Does that count as a reason? Also, women tend to feel reassured the moment they meet me, saying things like, “You look like a genuinely nice person,” or “I’m glad you’re a good guy,” even before we’ve talked. Of course, if I looked different from what they expected, I’d naturally give it upfront to earn their trust…

I’m Kazu, a male member. At first, I wasn’t sure what you meant, but I understand the point of your question now. I think it’s probably because it forces you to face the fact that the relationship is held together by money, just as you said. I also find myself thinking, “What are they talking about?”—so I’ll keep paying upfront and try to be seen as a good guy by the women I meet.

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. Thanks for the valuable information! Men like that are exactly what make someone like me shine. From now on, I’ll make sure to hand it over right away—immediately! It’s great that doing just that raises my value.