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The pinned tweet explains the service. Auto-translation is a bit broken, but should translate roughly to this: "I'm starting a service called 'rental person wh
by lhorie 6y ago
The pinned tweet explains the service. Auto-translation is a bit broken, but should translate roughly to this:
"I'm starting a service called 'rental person who does nothing'. [For example] for stores where entering alone is difficult[0], for matching the number of players in a game, to hold a hanami[1] spot. Please only use it for cases where one person is needed. I charge 10,000 yen, plus transportation fare from Kokubunji station, and food and drink (if applicable). I won't do anything other than very simple responses."
So it's not strictly a listening service per se.
[0] in Japan, there are food stores that are geared towards couples
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami (the context here is holding a picnic spot)
- perennate 6y agoThe translated tweet matches the impression I got from the article. The article didn't make me think that it is specifically a "listening service". > "People rent him for various reasons. At times he will participate in a gaming session to make up numbers, turn up to send off people who are moving away, accompany those filing for divorce, or listen to health care workers who have become mentally unwell due to their exhausting work."
- lhorie 6y ago> The article didn't make me think that it is specifically a "listening service" Yeah, I agree, but it seems like people are drawing parallels to emotional support things like that rent-a-family thing. While they are both extremely unusual gigs, it seems like this guy's interactions would at best be just nodding along, rather than reciprocating (even if in a fake way).