Looking through the Q&A posts, it seems many people believe the woman receiving money is in the weaker position.

I’m Saito, a columnist♪ After reading your question, I wondered if you feel that way because this Q&A forum tends to reflect the male perspective… What if this were a women-only group, and posts like these became common? “This guy tried to negotiate for only ¥〇〇, so I got annoyed, took just the transportation money, and left.” “My papa (a male supporter) asked to lower my allowance starting next month, so I dropped him.” Would that really make the women the ones in charge? At a company, is the president who pays everyone’s salaries the most important person? (Depending on how you look at it or how things are done, this could be interpreted either way.) I’m not trying to lead you to the detached answer that the shareholders are ultimately in control. The way you see things can change depending on your perspective, how you view yourself, and what kind of person you choose to be. The majority isn’t always right. So please have confidence in what you genuinely believe is fair and proper, and I hope you meet someone wonderful. Personally, I’d rather pay a little extra and have her go home without spending the night together. Even when traveling abroad, I wouldn’t want to share a room. There are all kinds of people. lol

Aizawa from Tokyo here. I don’t think you’re wrong. Supply and demand are fundamental principles in this world. - “I’d pay a lot to be with this woman.” - “I wouldn’t want to be with this woman even for free.” - “I’d want to be with this man even for free.” - “I couldn’t be with this man even if he paid me a lot.” They’re really the same, aren’t they? People who think, “I’m paying, so that makes it okay,” or “You get to date me, so pay up!” both tend to be the type who can’t make an arrangement last. It all comes down to your mindset. If you focus on making the other person enjoy themselves and having a pleasant date together, I think you’ll naturally be valued more highly and be able to maintain the relationship longer. On the other hand, once you start thinking in terms of money or compensation, the date becomes a job, your feelings cool off, and the arrangement probably won’t last. Rather than focusing on who has the upper hand, I hope you’ll try to keep respecting the other person.

Maezawa here. I never think that women who receive money are in a lower position, or that the men who pay are above them. However, under the system, men choose women and make offers, rather than women choosing men. In that sense, men do have the advantage. And since men are also the ones who pay the setting fee, I think that’s somewhat unavoidable. That said, I don’t think there’s any problem with considering men and women equals after the date. Of course, if you view it as a service, there is a possibility that men may look down on you. There are plenty of women who approach it as work or a service, so some men feel there’s no need to meet them through a dating club. At a dating club, rather than treating it as work or a service, I’d be happy if we could develop that kind of relationship as a man and a woman. Ideally, there might be an age gap, and perhaps the relationship wouldn’t normally happen, but if the other person is happy, I’d want to increase the allowance. Of course, some people are looking for work or a service, and there may also be times when someone invites you because they want that kind of service. There are all kinds of people and all kinds of encounters. Some relationships may involve one person being above the other, but I can’t help thinking that things might change if you meet a man who genuinely wants a relationship between two people.