I believe this is real, though I've not confirmed this outside of links here on HN. My first exposure to this phenomenon was in March of 2016 right here on HN.

I believe this is real, though I've not confirmed this outside of links here on HN. My first exposure to this phenomenon was in March of 2016 right here on HN. [0] The linked article there was more in the vein of journalistic confession/reportage and like this linked article, it is a fantastic read. [1] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11359641 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11359641 [1] http://www.afar.com/magazine/the-incredibly-true-story-of-renting-a-friend-in-tokyo http://www.afar.com/magazine/the-incredibly-true-story-of-re...