Buying your friends in Japan
One of our favorite blogs FP Passport points us to this story out of the Telegraph about the increasingly popular Japanese practice of hiring actors to portray your friends on your birthdays and wedding day.
With their ever-busy lives, young Japanese people find it difficult to find time to socialize. As Vanguard's Adam Yamaguchi reported in Japan: Robot Nation, this problem extends beyond just big days of celebration to the problem of actually finding a mate. Many in Japan think this is a big factor in low reproduction rates. Much like for weddings, Adam found out (first hand) that you could also buy friends just for some easy (no sex!) companionship.
Vanguard on Japan's Host Business
Also to watch:
- Another excerpt: Vanguard on Japan's Robot Labor
- The whole show: Japan: Robot Nation
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai - which means "I want to cheer you up" - charge around £100 for each "guest". Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra.
With their ever-busy lives, young Japanese people find it difficult to find time to socialize. As Vanguard's Adam Yamaguchi reported in Japan: Robot Nation, this problem extends beyond just big days of celebration to the problem of actually finding a mate. Many in Japan think this is a big factor in low reproduction rates. Much like for weddings, Adam found out (first hand) that you could also buy friends just for some easy (no sex!) companionship.
Vanguard on Japan's Host Business
Also to watch:
- Another excerpt: Vanguard on Japan's Robot Labor
- The whole show: Japan: Robot Nation
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