How likely do you think it is to meet an ideal papa (a male supporter)?

I’m Aya, a female member. To give you some specific numbers, I received offers from around 30–40 men, and six papas stayed with me—or are still seeing me—for over a year. In my case, the men who continue for more than a year are generally “good papas”: they may have minor complaints about each other, but they’re basically clean and hygienic, and they give me a fairly generous (well-paying) allowance. So, using very rough math, if six out of 35 are good papas, that’s about 20%. Among them, only two were truly compatible with me, with almost no complaints and an allowance I was completely satisfied with—bringing it down to just 5%. When you realize that even out of 100 offers, only about five might be ideal papas, you naturally appreciate the papas you’re currently seeing more. By the way, I asked the papa I’ve been seeing for four years, and he told me that he had made offers to 20 women before choosing to focus exclusively on me. So his odds were also 5%. As for attracting an ideal papa, I used to feel self-conscious about my plain appearance. However, I had a reasonably good educational background, so rather than forcing myself to become a glamorous hostess-style beauty for papa-katsu, I narrowed my target to men who prefer women who are modest-looking, refined, and highly educated. I made an effort to maintain a refined image and personality—while still keeping the touch of allure that papas like. I worked hard at my daytime job, avoided living extravagantly, read books, and studied so I could keep up with my papas’ conversations to some extent. As a result, I think I was able to appeal to the type of men I was targeting. So I think your success rate will improve if you think about, in marketing terms, what kind of men your personality appeals to and present yourself accordingly. Focus fully on your strengths and the character you’re best at. When you do, the people who are a good fit will really connect with you. Let’s both do our best to make our papa-katsu experiences wonderful.

I’m Flagmaker, a column writer. My father once told me, “Life is mostly about compromise. Compromise is important. Marriage is a compromise, too.”

This is Mac, a male member. An ideal is like a bluebird—you can’t find it by searching. Before you know it, it’s perched on your shoulder. If you leave papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) without meeting your ideal papa (a male supporter), only to find a great boyfriend, you may realize that those supposedly lousy papas were actually your ideal papas after all—in the sense that they helped you graduate from papa-katsu. That’s just how life is.

I’m Taro, a male member. If by “ideal” you mean someone who’ll be your cash cow, I’d say the odds are around 2%. It’s not impossible, but you’d probably be better off changing where you look. If you understand that and are okay with it because of the current COVID situation, then it may be worth trying. Still, you should go in expecting the odds to be only about 2%. If you mean a genuinely good match, I think the odds are a little higher—maybe around 10%. To improve your chances, build a good relationship with the staff and communicate your feelings clearly and honestly; that can help prevent mismatches. It isn’t exactly logical, but I’d also recommend praying for a little divine help. And once someone makes you an offer, treat them well. Instead of criticizing their flaws, look for their good points and try to grow fond of them in your own way. Even doing just that should significantly improve your chances.

I’m Hikouki, a male member. Your chances of meeting someone are highest at first. After that, they’ll probably start declining after your first three people or three weeks. Some women may have a 100% success rate from their very first meeting, while others may remain close to 0% even after years. The more you seek it, the lower your chances generally become. Most men prefer the initial stage—before they get used to it.

I’m Kazu, a male member. I think it depends on what kind of person the questioner considers their ideal papa (a male supporter). Somehow, it feels like you’ll meet about one person worth continuing with after going on five to ten first meetings. I’m basing that on the number of first dates my partners have had and the number of men they’re still seeing. As for attracting the right person, I think it comes down to steady effort: receive plenty of offers, turn down anyone who seems unsuitable, and do your best to win over the promising ones so things can develop into an ongoing arrangement. What exactly do you mean by “the more you ask for, the more you get”? If you mean that the more you expect from your papa, the lower the chances are of meeting someone who can meet those expectations. If you mean wishing hard to meet your ideal papa, then that has nothing to do with it. The world isn’t kind enough for your wishes to come true just by wishing for them.