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The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

theatlantic.com

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Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#211

Post by jhiska »

HHest wrote: post #206
jhiska wrote: post #201

The story seems fake. Does anyone have a link to this "Family Romance" corporation? Where is the proof? Why would the guy be so ruthlessly candid about his immoral failings? Why does he talk in a carefully manicured, but cruel and amoral way -- why is he dissing his own product? Why would he plaster his face on The Atlantic when he depends on anonymity? They have 800 employees -- that's large; why haven't we heard of…

Link is provided in the article. Am also surprised that the actor allowed his photo to appear. In fact, the website, which is in Japanese, has many photos. I wonder if they are of employees who work there. That would seem counterproductive.

You are indeed right that there is a website.

A website could be manufactured if this is part of a clever viral campaign for some dystopian book or film.

Where is reliable proof? Can someone in Japan confirm this?

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#214

Post by hutzlibu »

sho wrote: post #47
moonka wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same here. I can't help but wonder about the ethical implications of lying to a child about something so fundamental for her entire lifetime.

The article specifically mentions the positive outcome of the arrangement - the young woman's confidence has improved, destructive behaviour stopped, bullying stopped, and she has the father figure she obviously needs at this critical part of her development. And from all appearances he is genuinely doing his best to be that. It's very hard for me to condemn this when the outcome seems so inarguably positive. Truthfu…

"O righteous crusaders for truth, if this girl was put in front of you, would you tell her?"

Maybe yes. Along with the fact that her fake father dreams about telling her the truth, but is afraid to do so. So then they can maybe have a real relationship and see each other whenever they want to and not only when her mother pays him to be professional.

Because clearly both have a real connection.

Btw. is he not scared of openl publishing all this? Or does no one in japan reads english magazines?

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#215

Post by hutzlibu »

jhiska wrote: post #201

The story seems fake. Does anyone have a link to this "Family Romance" corporation? Where is the proof? Why would the guy be so ruthlessly candid about his immoral failings? Why does he talk in a carefully manicured, but cruel and amoral way -- why is he dissing his own product? Why would he plaster his face on The Atlantic when he depends on anonymity? They have 800 employees -- that's large; why haven't we heard of…

Well, since it is a buisness and beeing professional it is OK for him.

So I would only think it is fake, because he openly speaks about it. Advertisement I suppose, but counterproductive for his clients. But maybe he also don't want to put it up anymore and just focus on the management part?

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#216

Post by Hasz »

jhiska wrote: post #201

The story seems fake. Does anyone have a link to this "Family Romance" corporation? Where is the proof? Why would the guy be so ruthlessly candid about his immoral failings? Why does he talk in a carefully manicured, but cruel and amoral way -- why is he dissing his own product? Why would he plaster his face on The Atlantic when he depends on anonymity? They have 800 employees -- that's large; why haven't we heard of…

The linked domain was registered 5 years ago -- if this is promotional stunt or fake piece, it has been impressively planned out.

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#217

Post by gwilkes »

z0r wrote: post #132
stickfigure wrote: post #14

Can someone confirm that this is real? It reads like (dismal) satire.

if you translate this page: http://family-romance.com/index.html you'll find "establishment: april 1, 2009" i think this is well written fiction

The fiscal year in Japan starts April 1st. This is not fiction, there is several companies in Japan providing such services. Source: lived in Japan 8 years and currently living there, I've seen advertisements for these services several times.

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#218

Post by jdtang13 »

jhiska wrote: post #201

The story seems fake. Does anyone have a link to this "Family Romance" corporation? Where is the proof? Why would the guy be so ruthlessly candid about his immoral failings? Why does he talk in a carefully manicured, but cruel and amoral way -- why is he dissing his own product? Why would he plaster his face on The Atlantic when he depends on anonymity? They have 800 employees -- that's large; why haven't we heard of…

This entire interview is very Japanese. There’s certain mentalities, especially an ironic, self-aware, self-deprecating cynicism, that is really present in some Japanese people that Americans can only understand with some effort. Maybe the business could be fake for some unrelated reason, but the interview itself is entirely consistent with a Japanese mode of thinking, and the writing does not scream as fake at all to me.

The writing is definitely more self-aware and humorous than you would expect from an American in the same situation.

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#219

Post by jdtang13 »

fnwx17 wrote: post #97

top notch journalism, I couldn't stop until I read the entire article, not skipping any paragraph. the whole thing is just an interview/dialogue, but it's incredibly captivating also, you could make three separate movies on existentialism just with ideas from the article. lastly - the interviewee, he must have such strong philosophical dilemmas

The article reminds me a lot of a Murakami novel.

Re: The Booming Japanese Rent-A-Friend Business

#220

Post by LightWalnut »

Honestly on the issue of the mother renting a father for her daughter, I think what needs to be emphasized is that this issue is not black and white. I personally think that perhaps she ought to be more up front about this to her daughter. Even something like "this person is not your father, but you can think of him a father figure", is better than straight up concealing the truth. Although that's just what I think. No one is actually fit to judge the mother's actions because no one has been in her place or had the same, exact experience/situation. So it's unfair to simply accuse her actions of being "immoral" or calling her names. To be fair everyone has done things which wouldn't be considered "righteous" by other's standards. Only you can determine your actions. No one is not fit to judge others.
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