Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's a joke, and it's funny. Lighten up.
Jokes like these are literally not allowed on HN.
Wow I can't believe I'm actually downvoted for this lmao. Eternal september indeed. Guess I'm getting old.
'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
211–220 of 244 posts
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#212A friendly reminder that Japan's rent-a-family industry was completely fake: https://newrepublic.com/article/160595/new-yorker-japan-rent... Everyone loves stories about how weird Japan is (especially the Japanese), so these stories should be taken with a grain of salt.
Truth is, Japan is a country with a lot more freedom than most western countries, so it is not surprising to find weird things or things that most people would find unethical.
You can certainly trash 99% of the "weird Japan" stories you see in western medias.
Most of what you hear is from foreign people that did not even remotely try to learn the language or understand the culture. They make a fuss from minor cultural differences. It only gets worse when they experience Japan exclusively through the resonance chambers of the online expat communities.
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#213Earlier quoted context omitted.
How many languages do you speak to confirm this idea? Do you speak Pashto enough to know that Afghanistan does not take the crown in this, for instance? Do you speak Danish enough to know that Denmark also participates?
First you say "western" usually means the US, someone disagrees and now you demand they speak Pashto and Danish? Come on.
dont argue, they get off on this
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#214Earlier quoted context omitted.
I noticed this effect on me after years of living in Europe. The perception of Japanese culture / society I had from before I moved to Europe was quite different (these phenomena are to some extent well-known but not an obsession). Now I fear my understanding of all things Japanese is a little bit off (or at least diverged) from my peers in my country.
Your perception of Japan changed after you moved to Europe [from another country]? Fascinating, can you expand on that?
From China yes. The popular shows / movies (including anime) have quite different themes, which is easy to understand since countries import different productions. The exported culture for our consumption is mostly typical of asian interest, or more 'Americanised' / westernised even. Whereas comparing with western media there are more 'culture shock' type of eyeball-catching material, which to be frank doesn't stir much attention in east asia.
There are good side effects though. I have been to so many museums with Japanese art exhibitions showcasing varieties of works since it draws much interest in western population. The latest (pre pandemic) being the "inspiration from Japan" in Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which is eye-opening (I never realised the Japanese art that have connections with European art).
In conclusion, Japan portrayed in the west for me is more about obsession of elegance, extreme aesthetics, and bizarrity. These are merely my terrible personal generalisation / opinions.
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#215I can't quite put my finger on how to define "this" but it seems like stories like "this" have been replacing stories of drive and grit in our cultural lore. It's en vogue now to talk about "doing nothing" or making it sound normal that you need to hire someone you don't know to accompany you to visit the hospital, etc. I am sure this is a part of the human experience but is it really a part we need to normalize, ver…
I found it interesting that you framed "people not wanting to do things by themselves" as the opposite of grit. What if it's just an issue of loneliness? I can see how even the most resilient individuals may want someone to talk / relate to if they feel lonely, and this desire be completely independent from their drive and competitiveness.
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#216Earlier quoted context omitted.
Girlfriend experience -escorts are also not that uncommon outside of Japan. Bars where one buys a good conversation along with the meal, cafés where the waiters roleplay as one's doting sibling, renting a parent, used underwear from vending machines, maid cafés, maid cafés where the maids are all cross-dressing males, cafés where the attractive male waiters make out with each other for the viewing pleasure of the…
> but the rest of the world that has nothing that comes close to this well-inspired madness. I raise you the slightly hidden world of "tits on toast" from Australia. In regional cities/towns, you can go to certain local pubs early in the day (10AM - 12PM) and get a cheap breakfast served by topless waitresses. If the waitresses get enough tips, they allegedly remove everything. The breakfast is usually terrible (cold…
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida (of course), there was a place named "R Donuts" with topless waitresses.[1]
[1] https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/11/27/Topless-doughnut-sho...
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#217Earlier quoted context omitted.
As long as people don’t ruin my view of Germany being the EU version of Japan kinky preferences and all
To me Japan is more like asian Switzerland. The tidyness, amazingly punctual trains, mountains and general conservatism make both those countries stand out.
both own currency is considered stable.
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#218Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Japan's rent-a-family industry was completely fake That's really not what that article is claiming. It's claiming that a particular individual has lied about the industry and made it seem stranger than it actually is and the western media has sensationalized that even further. There absolutely are rental services for boyfriends, girlfriends, mothers, fathers, etc. in Japan, they're just not as bizarre as some of th…
Separately, I've heard personal reports and seen a documentary about young Japanese men in general. It was said that their mothers do everything for them and for a much longer time than other countries. Is this true?
Disclaimer: I have been living in Japan for two years, but I'm nowhere an expert in their culture.
Some of my female coworkers have confirmed this to be true. They say younger guys have problems finding a girlfriend, because they expect her to take care of him the same way his mother did, and younger Japanese women don't want to put up with that kind of attitude anymore.
Regarding social development, my feeling is that Japan is one or two generations behind Western countries.
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#219Earlier quoted context omitted.
Has anyone found this guy's Twitter handle? That would be one way to check the story. Probably easier for a Japanese speaker to locate.
Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/morimotoshoji Obviously the existence of the Twitter handle is just the first step in some kind of real verification. But it does confirm that, if it's a con, it's a long lived, dedicated one.
I'm Japanese twitter user and I confirm that his interesting activity is very famous around my twitter world, but not nationwide and I don't know similar style worker is growing well (maybe not).
I also should say that this work is very different from "rent a girl" work.
Re: 'Rent-a-person who does nothing' in Tokyo receives endless requests, gratitude
#220Earlier quoted context omitted.
To me Japan is more like asian Switzerland. The tidyness, amazingly punctual trains, mountains and general conservatism make both those countries stand out.
Man, you have not been major city areas if you think japan is tidy. Sure, compared to the US it maybe is, but a lot of european countries are better. But travel a bit further from the city centres in japan and you’ll start seeing all those illegal trash sites at quiet mountain roads and yards full of old trash.
I live in Aomori prefecture, and I have seen everything you describe first hand. Not to mention all the decaying abandoned buildings and the super dirty beaches.
I wonder how much it's the fault of the ridiculous Japanese trash collection system. Sorting the trash in 20 different bags that you can only dispose of once a month... No wonder at some point people just get fed up and throw it away in a somewhat hidden place.