Earlier this fall, we took a look at a company in Japan that sends good-looking men to a woman’s workplace for a cathartic cry session. But what if instead of feeling sad, you’re feeling lonely, or your bed just feels a little too empty when you lie down by yourself?
That’s where Tokyo-based Rose Sheep comes in. Rose Sheep bills itself as a "soineya," a term the company coined that roughly translates as “accompanied sleep provider.”
Okay, so the promise of soothing slumber, and connected idea of “counting sheep to fall asleep,” is where the second half of Rose Sheep’s name comes from, but why the romantic-sounding “Rose?”
Because all of Rose Sheep’s sleep partners are attractive young men between the ages of 20 and 30.
For a fee, Rose Sheep, which was founded two years ago, will dispatch one of its employees to sleep beside you. To be clear, this isn’t a prostitution service. After meeting with your sheep, as the company calls its workers, when you announce you’re ready for bed, he’ll lie down with you as you slumber, allowing you to rest your head on his chest with his reassuring arm around you.
“On lonely nights, nights when you can’t sleep, or when you want someone beside you…Feel the warmth of a man, as you relax and are freed from your daily stress and worries. The ultimate emotional soothing will become your strength for tomorrow," the ad says.
Prices vary depending on the length of service requested. Short-term “nap” packages start at 20,000 yen for two hours and top out at 40,000 yen for four hours, while longer “good-night” courses range from 50,000 yen for six hours to a cool 100,000 yen for a whopping 16-hour session. First-time clients get a 5,000 yen discount on nap courses, or 10,000 yen off good-night services.
Sixteen hours would be a dangerously long time to be asleep for, but Rose Sheep’s services go beyond just sleeping side-by-side. The men are happy to dine or drink with their clients, and will even cook if requested (with all food and drink paid for by the customer, of course). They’ll also listen as customers gripe about their jobs or vent about problems in their personal lives, which is a major selling point for Rose Sheep’s target market of working women in their 30s and 40s, although customer ages range up to women in their 60s.
Most clients choose to have their sheep come to their home. For overnight stays, the men bring their own pajamas, but clients can also provide clothing they’d like the men to wear while sleeping (presumably then never washing the garments so that they’ll retain his handsome scent). However, Rose Sheep’s website says that it can dispatch sheep to anywhere in Tokyo’s 23 wards, as well as Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Ibaragi Prefectures, including, the company pointedly points out, love hotels. Commuting fees must be paid, however, for locations outside of Tokyo’s Itabashi and Toshima Wards.
And yes, if you’re the indecisive type who can’t narrow down your selection to just one member of the flock, the company does allow customers to hire out two of its men simultaneously, although this costs double.
If all of this has you feeling a bit like Little Bo Peep and in need of the company of some sheep, reservations can be made online here. Oh, and if getting paid to cuddle sleeping women sounds like your dream job, Rose Sheep is also taking applications from would-be sheep here. Just be advised that the company boasts it only hires one out of every 100 applicants.
Related: Rose Sheep website, Facebook Sources: Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- Sheep-flavored ice cream from Baskin Robbins Japan tastes like dreams -- New frozen snacks promise to make you come out smelling like a rose -- It’s the year of the sheep-dog! Introducing new clothes for your dog’s wardrobe
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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M3M3M3
It is.
It definitely is.
turbotsat
Is #3 really a guy?
And look where #4's hand is!!!
Bartholomew Harte
Jeez,,,,,, That's Desperate, man!
nath
Pretty smart actually. Women in general are not interested in prostitutes the way men are, but this would target what they are looking for more specifically. And the right foreigner could probably make a fortune in their company.
Kurobune
There has been a plethora of this type of articles recently. All kinds of services for all kinds of people.
Utrack
Seems like a plan to boost the fertility rate
Rick Shinjuku
I'd do this job! I bet some women ask the guys if they do any "extras" too! but it seems if you want to work for this company you need to have a motorcycle helmet hair style!....which I don't have.....mines receding.....damn
turbotsat
Could invest in a 'Bucky Larson' wig ... hand washable and only $22 online.
Rick Shinjuku
@turbotsat lol good idea! I'll do it!
TheGodfather
Yes it is. It is a prostitution for MEN to meet MEN. Real women wouldn't touch this with a bargepole. And as for "attractive young men between the ages of 20 and 30" you would need to HALVE THE AGE RANGE to get nearer the truth.
This is Japan, and you're not fooling anyone!!... :-)
Frederic Bastiat
Perhaps the Mrs wouldn't mind if I moonlighted....
Kobe White Bar Owner
Freak or unique?
m6bob
I'm speechless!
Serrano
"100,000 yen for a whopping 16-hour session."
Is it legal to make employees "work" 16 hours?
Dale T Koshida
What is this saying about Japanese men in relationships? Once again Japan skirts the issue buy selling a product that masks the dysfunction of its culture. Let's pretend to be real in a not so real country.
Jason Santana
I can't imagine any woman paying these high ass prices when she can just go down the street to a bar and grab a guy. This service is meant for older woman who can't get any at all.
Serrano
"For overnight stays, the men bring their own pajamas, but clients can also provide clothing they’d like the men to wear while sleeping (presumably then never washing the garments so that they’ll retain his handsome scent"
Good grief! Guys basically stink! This may be presuming a bit too much...
Patrick Kimura-Macke
And how much business do they actually get?
sighclops
You have to give it to the Yaks for their ingenuity