That was an unbelievable first date. I’d like to know whether anything can be done to prevent this.

This is Kobayashi from the Tokyo branch. That’s really not acceptable... I’d definitely like to hear more about what happened! Please contact the staff at your registered branch as soon as possible. There was one point that caught my attention: “I learned later that, in one of Maezawa’s previous answers, https://universe-club.jp/help/questions/view/5795 ‘When we say, “Please leave four hours open,” it’s actually shorthand for two hours of dinner plus two hours of free dating—I’ve written this several times myself. In other words, women with dating Type B only have dinner on their first date, so two hours is fine for the first meeting.’” Regarding the above, even women with dating Type B are asked to set aside four hours for their first date. After dinner or tea, you might also go to a museum or karaoke, for example... Thank you.

I’m Taro, a male member. Someone like you would probably be better off with an adult entertainment service. In terms of the setup, it’s similar to an escort service or an illegal hotel-based prostitution service. Unlike a venue-based service, where staff can rush in immediately, the establishment still provides solid protection. A dating club isn’t arranging prostitution. Its role is simply to facilitate a meeting and arrange things up through a meal. What happens after that is your own responsibility. Of course, the club will respond if you consult them, but that’s not because the system requires them to—it’s because they want to make the service better. People who don’t understand that and still make arrogant complaints are the ones who look foolish. That said, since you’re a woman, it’s possible you felt implicit pressure and couldn’t bring yourself to say no. But as harsh as it may sound, you should ask yourself whether you were really suited for a world like this if you were that vulnerable. People casually talk about “negotiating,” but it isn’t negotiation if someone else sets everything up so you can win. You’re the one who has to fight. If you don’t understand what you’re negotiating with as leverage, of course you’ll get taken advantage of. Isn’t that obvious? After reflecting on that, I can understand sharing what happened with the club as a constructive way to improve the dating-club system. Posting about it in an anonymous question box should come afterward—once you’re ready to turn the whole story into content, I suppose.

I’m Hikōki, a male member. If the man is someone you find completely unbearable on a visceral level, that makes it an even crueler ordeal. Could this be a sly tactic used by men who have trouble maintaining ongoing arrangements…? It seems necessary to set meeting times around noon or after 6 p.m. so they can’t pull any clever tricks. Having a meal four hours after meeting up is so unreasonable that it creates a whole chain of negative consequences, making the entire arrangement a failure. Since some women may find more than half of the men viscerally unacceptable, I can imagine how difficult that must be.

Maezawa from the President’s Office will answer this as well. Hmm, that’s awful. > Unless it clearly says something like, “Two hours over a meal, followed by a private-room date if the woman agrees,” the room comes first. Really? I’m pretty sure that was clearly stated, and the staff should have explained it properly when you joined. The time is only given as a guideline, but the flow of the date should have been clearly explained. If you go to a room first, there’s no way to confirm the woman’s wishes, which makes it no different from a call-girl service. Universe Club arranges the meal, and that’s precisely why they can set a rule that the woman receives ¥5,000–¥10,000 for it. After the meal, the two people are free to pursue a relationship as they wish. Since it’s a voluntary relationship, the woman is free to decide whether or not to respond to the man’s requests. The two of them can also discuss and freely decide on the allowance at that point. If their expectations regarding the allowance don’t match, they’re both free to end things there. That said, “freedom” is still somewhat limited by the dating type. With Type C, it’s assumed that the woman will agree about half the time, so it’s fine for one in two women to leave after dinner only. But if someone turns down everyone every time, that becomes dating-type fraud. So, going to a room first is a violation of the rules. If you encounter someone like this again, and they’re waiting in a car at the meeting place, first say, “I need to use the restroom for a moment,” and go to the restroom. From there, call Universe Club. However, I get the impression that many women don’t know the phone number, so you could try calling the membership phone number listed on the official website. It’s technically only for membership inquiries, so you probably won’t be able to speak directly with the staff at your branch. But the membership department should be able to contact the branch staff for you. The number on the official website may change from time to time, but the one currently listed is: 050-3647-0966 It would also be a good idea to send the same message through the LINE account you normally use to contact your branch. Since staff seem to monitor LINE calls on their computers, you should assume that they generally won’t receive the call itself. The important part is to go to the restroom rather than trying to deal with it right there. The man may get angry and ask why you suddenly need to go, but the priority is to get away from the situation first. Then ask the staff what they recommend. In some regions, you may need to travel by car to get to the restaurant, so they might tell you to get in the car. Even then, it’s important to consult the staff. If you end up at a hotel afterward, don’t go inside first. You should say something like, “I was told we were going to eat first.” Also, let the branch know what’s happening by LINE: “I was suddenly told that we’re heading straight to a hotel—or, in this case, an apartment—and I’m scared. Can you do something?” Something along those lines. Even after arriving, it’s important not to get out of the car or go to the room. Keep repeating, “I’d like to have dinner first,” until the other person understands. This can be difficult, but if you’re not comfortable with the situation, sometimes you do need to stand your ground. Of course, if you feel you’re in danger, don’t force yourself to do anything. As for this incident, I think you should submit proper feedback and give the lowest possible rating in every category. As I always say, don’t become emotional—just state the facts. It’s fine to write that you were scared or upset. But if you write things like “I can’t forgive this man” or “Please punish him,” you may end up being treated as a difficult complainer even though you’re the victim, so please be careful.

I’m a male member named Basil. Under Universe’s rules, this was clearly an outrageous first date that warrants being reported, just as everyone says. However, I’ve heard that some other clubs arrange dates in a way that’s more like a call-girl service, saying things like, “Please go to Room ___ at the hotel.” Since that man was a member of that club, and the questioner was Type C and didn’t specifically refuse, perhaps he suddenly invited her along out of a normal—albeit misguided—assumption, without meaning any harm. I’m not defending him, but the fact that he ultimately took her out for a meal may mean that, in his own way, he was trying to show that it wasn’t just about her body.

I’m Tetsu, a male member. If this is true, it’s awful. It’s a clear violation of the rules. As for what you could have done to prevent it, the only thing I can think of would have been contacting the club during the date. Rather than posting this in the Q&A section, please report it to the club as a rule violation. They’ll likely take some kind of action. That said, you’re also partly at fault. “Don’t get into a stranger’s car” is something we learn in preschool. The club may have verified his identity, but from your perspective, he was still a stranger. Before getting in, you should have clearly said, “I can’t get into a car with someone I’m meeting for the first time,” and “Since we’re meeting for the first time, I can’t go anywhere private other than a hotel.” This is important for protecting yourself, quite apart from papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan).

I’m Flag Maker, a column writer. Please report this to the club after removing some of the emotion from the original and rewriting it as a factual account, including the other member’s name. The club needs both positive and negative information to help create good matches for everyone. After all, women don’t want to accept offers from male members with a poor reputation either.

I’m Kazu, a male member. You really went through something awful. I feel sorry for you. I think the only way to handle this is to refuse to get in his car or go to his home. If he refuses to give you transportation money after you turn that down, the club will probably collect it from him on your behalf. On the other hand, if you go along with him, you’ll be giving him an excuse to claim that you agreed to it at the time. Male members are told about these precautions when they join, and they sign an acknowledgment as well. In other words, he didn’t simply misunderstand the rules—he heard them and chose to ignore them. Please report this to the club in the post-date survey. The staff can warn him, and if he keeps doing it even after being warned, he may be forcibly expelled.