Renting a Girlfriend in Japan – What’s It All About? – Experiences – Life

The other day, I stumbled across a YouTube video about renting a girlfriend in Japan. My first reaction was basically, huh? Is this for real? Coming from Europe, this sounded anything but normal. Yet, here in Japan, it’s treated as just another service you can book — like karaoke, capsule hotels, or even a cat café. So naturally, I had to dig deeper: what’s this all about, and how did it come to be?

So, What Is a “Rental Girlfriend”?

Believe it or not, you can actually rent a girlfriend in Japan. Not for anything shady — but for companionship. You book a time slot, meet up, and spend a few hours together. Maybe dinner, maybe a movie, maybe strolling through the park.

And before your mind goes racing — there are rules. Strict ones:

No going back to your place,
No physical intimacy,
Everything happens in public.

Think of it like hiring an actor to play the role of your girlfriend for the day.

But Isn’t That Just… Escorting?

That was my first thought too. But here’s the big difference:

Escort/prostitute: private settings, intimacy implied, you know the deal.
Rental girlfriend: public dates, no intimacy, strictly role-play romance.

At most, you might hold hands while walking through Shibuya. It’s more rom-com than Fifty Shades.

So yes, money is exchanged, but it’s really about buying the experience of connection, not the physical side of it.

Why Does It Exist?

This is where Japanese society is fascinating:

Loneliness is real — long work hours, small apartments, not much time for dating.
Zero-pressure dating — no risk of rejection, no awkward “so what are we?” talks.
Escapism — a way to step into a little love story, even if just for an afternoon.

It’s like pressing pause on real life and renting a small chapter of romance.

My Take

Honestly? It still feels strange to me. I can’t imagine this ever catching on back home in Europe. But living in Japan has taught me that people find very different ways to fill the same human need: connection.

At the end of the day, renting a girlfriend isn’t about buying love. It’s about renting a smile, a conversation, and maybe a hand to hold while crossing the street.

And who knows — if you squint a little, it’s not so different from paying for a tour guide, a personal trainer, or even a language exchange. Just… with a romantic twist.