Middle-aged men remain quietly in demand in Japan — and the market for renting human companionship is still going strong more than a decade after it first drew international attention.
Services such as Ossan Rental, which allow clients to hire middle-aged men by the hour for conversation, companionship or practical help, continue to operate into 2025, reflecting Japan’s enduring struggle with loneliness, ageing demographics and social isolation. While the concept was once treated as a novelty, it has since settled into a niche but accepted part of Japan’s broader “human rental” economy, which now includes offerings such as rental grandmothers and stand-in family members.
Founded by Takanobu Nishimoto, Ossan Rental was originally created to challenge the stigma that middle-aged men were socially irrelevant or undesirable. Today, the service has handled thousands of bookings, with clients seeking everything from a sympathetic listener to a calm presence at social events — all under strict rules prohibiting sexual services.
Recent coverage suggests that the appeal of these services has not faded but evolved, as more people look not for material solutions, but for someone willing to listen, offer perspective, or simply show up when traditional social networks fall short.
Websites such as Ossan Rental Services, and Support One offer humans for rent, according to the Japan Times. Ossan’s founder, Takanobu Nishimoto, who specialises in the rental of middle-aged men, said his initial aim was to change the perception in Japan that middle-aged men were disgusting and not useful.
On his website, people can request for a number of services from these middle-aged men that range from someone to just chat with, to a listener who can offer life advice. These cost about ¥1,000 (SGD 12.21) per hour, including taxes. To date, Ossan has dealt with more than 3,000 clients.
Another human rental company, Support One, allows people to rent dates for social events to act as fake families and even fake friends.
Masahiro Yamada, a professor of family sociology at Chuo University, explained that men in Japan often go to hostess bars or maid cafes for conversation and attention. Hence, it was easy for human rental services to be accepted into society.
The founder of Support One, Megumi Furukawa, started her business because she said, “I began to realise that people are looking not for material things but rather someone who will listen to their problems”.
She added, “There’s value in being able to make a connection with other people. It means something to someone if somebody else takes the time to listen to what they have to say”.
Generally these human rental websites state upfront that they do not provide sexual services.
Both owners are very cautious in their selection process before hiring anyone new. This is due to protect both female clients and staff.
Support One even provides services such as creating a website, starting a company, nursing care and walking pets.
These rental services walk a fine line when it comes to clients with problems. They would not want to overstep, nor would they want to fail to deliver.
More recently, attention has turned to the broader expansion of Japan’s “human rental” ecosystem. Alongside middle-aged men, services now allow clients to rent stand-in family members, friends — and even grandmothers. These “rental grandma” services, which have grown in popularity in recent years, offer older women as companions who can cook, listen, offer emotional support or simply provide warmth and guidance, underscoring a growing demand in Japan not for things, but for human connection across generations.
