Hire a Confidant for $9 an Hour in Japan

Takanobu Nishimoto is running a rare kind of business. According toStraits Times,The 50-year-old started an online service called “Ossan Rental” in Tokyo six years ago.

For just 1,000 yen, or nearly $9 an hour, those who use Nishimoto's service can find an "Ossan" - a middle-aged man - to listen to their stories.

“At first, I thought young men would be the main customer group who needed advice. However, women between the ages of 20 and 50 are the ones who need our services,” Mr. Nishimoto shared.

According to the owner of "Ossan Rental", the needs of customers are also very diverse. Some people need advice on careers or love. Meanwhile, some customers simply want a companion to listen to music... In addition, "Ossan" also helps customers move furniture, and can also pretend to be boyfriends to help female customers avoid harassers...

Nishimoto ensures the safety of his clients. He carefully reviews the applications of “Ossan” candidates to ensure they are not too lengthy, a trait that many clients dislike. In addition, candidates are subject to criminal background checks. Nishimoto does not allow “Ossan” to do anything that could lead to a physical relationship with a client…

Nishimoto believes that mature men have a lot of life experience to share and help others. His service currently receives 900 requests a month, while each “Ossan” can be hired 50-60 times, with some earning up to nearly $900.

Nishimoto now manages nearly 80 “Ossan” compared to when he first started out as a single person. The popularity of “Ossan” has led many others to learn this business idea. Currently, there are at least 3 units in Japan that provide similar services to “Ossan Rental”.

According to Nishimoto, this job brings many benefits to the “Ossan”. They can develop themselves through this job, become more confident, or learn more about life from the stories of customers.