Lately, I often see negative articles about papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) in weekly magazines and the like, saying things such as, “I got into a scary situation after meeting a papa through Twitter or an app.” Why do the women featured in those articles do papa-katsu through risky Twitter or apps instead of using a dating club? Are there any benefits that dating clubs don’t offer? I can’t help thinking, “Why not just join Universe from the start?”

I’m Dai, a male member. I think the part that may feel intimidating is the interview. Signing up for apps and dating sites is easy, but when it came time to actually meet someone, I found myself hesitating.

I’m Meg, a female member. Honestly, I feel exactly the same way. I’m so glad I found this club!!! Thank you all, as always ♪

Maezawa from the President’s Office will answer this as well. > Why do women choose risky Twitter or apps for papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) instead of safer dating clubs? First of all, I think many women simply don’t know that dating clubs exist. Even if they’ve heard the term, anything called a “dating club” or just a “club” may give them the impression that it’s somewhere they have to work. They probably see it as completely different from an app—as a place where they would be working—and think things like, “I don’t want to work,” or “I don’t want to register.” There may also be the impression that it’s a hassle and difficult to get into: you have to attend an interview in person, and you might not even be accepted after registering. > Are there any advantages that dating clubs don’t offer? I think the biggest advantage is that you don’t have to go to an interview. Women can also freely choose whether or not to upload a photo, and they can upload photos they’ve edited themselves. Some women may see that flexibility as another advantage. > I can’t help thinking, “Why not just come to Universe from the start?” As I mentioned at the beginning, I feel that many people simply don’t know about us in the first place. So, in order to raise awareness, we created a papa-katsu app. It was free for both men and women, so we weren’t trying to make money from it. Since it was free, we expected it to gain the largest share of the market. So what was the real goal? It was meant to be a place where people could learn about Universe. If Universe became known as the operator of the biggest papa-katsu app, the conversation would naturally go like this: “The dating club run by the company behind that famous app must be safe.” That would raise awareness of dating clubs, and people would come to think: “If I want to do this safely, Universe Club is the best choice.” That was the plan, but— I’ll just give you the conclusion. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I failed. I remembered that I was me only a year ago. I had lost my memory for the past twenty-four years. The time travel didn’t go well. The repairs weren’t complete. But it wasn’t my father’s fault. It was mine. I should have jumped straight to 1975. I shouldn’t have taken a detour through 2010. This was no time to be selfish. At this rate, the future won’t change. I couldn’t obtain the IBN 5100. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Why did I live this long? I forgot my mission and simply went on living complacently. Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me. Rintaro Okabe. After that time machine meetup, you stopped me from trying to jump to 1975. That night, a thunderstorm broke the time machine. If I could turn back time, I would want you to stop me from stopping myself that day. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. This life was meaningless…

I’m Kazu, a male member. I think not having an interview makes it more convenient.