It seems restaurant staff can tell it’s papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) most of the time. I overheard some people working in food service talking about it.
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Do you think the staff look at the man and think, “That old guy brought a young girl…”
Or do they look at the woman and think, “She’s one of those women who’s blinded by money”?
Which side do you think they pay more attention to?
Also, if you worked at the restaurant, what kinds of things do you think you’d think?
Maezawa from the CEO’s office here.
Even if you found out, I feel like nothing would really come of it beyond that. I don’t think there’s any particular rule about which one to look at.
I suppose it’s just a matter of whether the man is handsome or the woman is cute or beautiful—that sort of thing.
Honestly, it seems like you can look at either one, so I don’t understand why this concerns you so much.
If you worry about things like that, you’d end up wondering about every person you pass on the street.
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I’m Fuu, a column writer.
I worked as a bartender when I was a student, so I understand the restaurant’s perspective too.
Whether they’re family, on a companion date, or have some kind of arrangement going on
(back then, the term papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) didn’t exist),
you can usually tell at a glance.
Restaurants in Ginza have a lot of companion dates, so the staff will often discreetly accommodate them.
When things are busy, customers generally don’t leave much of an impression. But from the restaurant’s perspective, a man’s behavior in particular is likely to stick in their minds if it’s bad.
Poor behavior →
“That guy is the worst. Bringing along such a tramp…”
Good behavior →
“That customer is pretty cool. He must have money. Bringing along such a cute young girl—impressive.”
That’s usually how it goes (lol).
Unless the behavior is exceptionally good, it probably won’t leave much of an impression. Bad impressions tend to stick more. It all comes down to how the papa (a male supporter) behaves.
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I’m Taro, a male member.
You see it pretty often at upscale restaurants. Even if they aren’t staff, you can tell just by looking at the other customers. They give off this “rich older guy and the woman he hired for that purpose” vibe. When I spot a pair like that, I discreetly observe them. I’m especially interested in their conversation.
When they barely talk, don’t click at all, or it’s just the guy bragging while the woman looks completely uninterested, I’m thinking, “Whoa-ho!” or “Ha-ha!” Not sure if that nuance comes across…
On the other hand, when they’re having a genuinely decent or deep conversation, I’m thinking, “Oh!” or “Hmm, interesting!” I feel like that nuance will come across better and you’ll relate.
Anyway, both the people doing it and the people watching are kind of shitty, so there’s no need to worry. If we’re all going to be shitty anyway, we might as well do it♫
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I’m a male member, Paper Airplane.
If the restaurant is slow, the staff might notice, but they really don’t have the time to scrutinize customers.
Rather than wondering whether you’re parent and child, doing papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), coworkers, changing jobs, or having a consultation, they’re simply grateful to have customers.
They’re busy making sure they don’t forget the water or drinks, mix up orders, or bring out the wrong dishes—and doing everything they can to avoid mistakes, keep customers happy, and have them leave satisfied.
As a customer, you may remember a server’s face after visiting just once, but unless you have some very distinctive feature, the staff won’t remember you.
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I’m Kazu, a male member.
Yes, even if they don’t go so far as to assume it’s papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan), they probably figure you’re a couple with some kind of arrangement. Anyone who didn’t notice would be pretty oblivious（笑）
Most of the time, they’re probably not thinking things like, “Look at that old guy with a young girl…” or “That woman’s a shameless gold digger.” The staff are more likely thinking, “Ugh, this is such a drag. I just want to get home and watch the rest of ○○ on Netflix.”
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