Japan’s first 'cuddle cafe' lets you sleep with a stranger for Y6,000 an hour

all i can say is WOW and EEEEWWW - and that menu - what the heck????? yeah, right, "delivery work" - i wonder what that could be? this all sounds so strange.

ditto. delivery work... 'delivery health' more like it. japans version of call girl. and from high school age? sigh

sick.

and yes... only a matter of time before they get busted with 15 yr olds. The Japanese will always find a way to bend the laws won't they... Not shocked JT.

Customer gives girl foot massage (3 min) – 2,000 yen

Paying to give a girl a foot massage. Doesn't that fall into the fetish category?

So it's like sleeping in the train, except your neighbor doesn't smell tobacco and alcohol.

"Job: Sleeping"

I'm going to get a sex change operation and plastic surgery so I can get this job!

ಠ_ಠ uh...ok, that's weird.

Why would you want to pet someone on the head for 3 minutes?

Want to bet that NOBODY sleeps?

Customer and girl stare at each other (1 min) – 1,000 yen

Does the first person to laugh pay a forfeit?

love it, absolutely love it

Customer gives girl foot massage (3 min) – 2,000 yen

Why is this more expensive then receiving the foot massage?

"Qualifications: High school age to 30s"

So how many people would be happy with their daughter in High School doing this. Much better pay than macdonalds though - and the job description says "Sleeping".

"Customer and girl stare at each other (1 min) – 1,000 yen"

It's official. Japanese people need help.

EEEEWWWWW !

Have pil-low, will travel...

what a dumb business model

Y50000 for ten hours. You could stay in a top-notch hotel for that. I can't sleep with someone lying on my arm anyway.

Customer and girl stare at each other (1 min) – 1,000 yen

I bet that is one of the most uncomfortable 1,000's you could earn...

I can't see this lasting long. There'll be too many problems with the sad lonely freak customers getting a chubby on and asking the girl to stroke him off, and the nerd-rage that will ensue when she refuses.

The job description on the Soineya website says:

"Job: Soine" (業種：添い寝) which can be translated as "sleeping together" or possibly "cuddling" (though not just "Sleeping").

It also says: "Qualifications: High school student to around 30s" (資格：高校生から30歳ぐらいまで)

This is weird on many levels, but I am especially shocked that this would be anywhere near legal employment for a high school student. That this is legal is a sad reflection on the twisted state of society. Disturbing indeed.

Briliant! Perfect place to spend a couple of hours after work before a night out on the tiles with friends!

I rekon it's just a glorified knocking-shop, look at the scantilly clad girls in the pic. I guess the idea was inspired by frustated men who went to 'health' parlours after a few hours nomunicating with colleaugues and couldn't do anything other than sleep anyway.

Something is severely lacking in Japanese society.

This is so typical Japan that I'm surprised that people are surprised about it. And umm.......how do they conduct the job interviews???????? This country and its morals are fast going down the toilet.

Japan is a funny country!

How stupid can you be? This kind of crap is acceptable, but if I download music, I could go to prison. Something is really wrong with these peoples priorities?

I pity the girls who would be employed here. Imagine what kind of losers they would have to "sleep" with. A lot of the people would likely have hygiene problems, bad breath, smell of alcohol, cigarettes, etc. and they would probably be the losers who never bathe either. YUCK!

And like soap-lands, I wonder what's on the secret menu... I remember an ear-cleaning shop near my office got raided for employing a 15 year old, who was having sex with the customers for an extra 10,000 or so. I'm guessing that's going to be somewhere on the "hidden menu" at this sleep shop... especially on the delivery service. They should just legalize prostitution and get over it. At least then, someone could provide healthcare and get taxes from it.

It is yucky, but it's mostly sad, I think. People so desperately lonely for human contact that they'll pay someone just to "cuddle" them (I'm assuming no sex is involved, but...). Very sad, and I bet that they'll feel even lonelier after the experience.

Ho.ly. clap. "creepy" doesnt even come close...

It is an otaku service.... I should have guessed.

If you're gonna go all the way and pay that much, then why not go all the way?

On the other side of it, I'm sure many people here would rather get paid that much and do just that, right? Don't lie, hahaha!

BTW, the land of entrepreneurs:

http://www.businessinsider.com/this-woman-is-charging-1-a-minute-to-cuddle-2012-7

And just when you thought life in Japan wouldn't get any WEIRDER!

You know, as strange as it is, I actually think the business model is brilliant and will be successful. Specially in Japan, many people are simply lonely and don't actually looking for sex but intimacy such as cuddling or quietly sleeping together , that said it seems a bit pricey there but competition will probably drive prices down soon enough.

In my personal opinion there is nothing "yucky" about it , its simply the new electronic lonely world we live in and unless something will drastically change, it will just accelerate.

They'll probably make a fortune. What a wonderful world.

If you do actually fall asleep, then there could be a large bill awaiting you next morning...

Why don't more people volunteer to give 'free hugs'

3500 an hour? Wow, I'll quit my job for that! Haha. I hope they accept men too. I can sleep 12 hours a day, I can make a fortune there! - Just kidding though. Japan has become a sad place, no physical contact whatsoever, making people look for this kind of service.

mmmmm, Competition!! (ha ha ha)

Wondering how they assure the "safety" of the employee ... Cameras everywhere ?

One word, creepy

But not surprised, it is Japan after all.

This is why Japan is creepy.

How about the other way around? Girls/Women can sleep with a handsome man, erh, for free ;)

... seriously... dot dot dot.

It's obviously just the front for other services. It's literally impossible for a real man to cuddle a woman for more than a few minutes and be satisfied with remaining like that. It's defies the law of nature and leads to all kinds of ailments.

That's what I tell my wife anyway.

It'll end in prostitution, guaranteed.

This is called prostitution in a manner look like a cafe service... STOP IT. NOW.

hahaha HILARIOUS! I'd do this if I can choose my customers LOL

I cracked up when I first saw this and kept thinking "Only in Japan". But now I think that Japanese folks really need help.

good for japan'd population demography fears

blackrock..why for free?

Land of the rising strangeness.

Just so long as they don't dance. Then it would become illegal...

You're allowed to look at her for one minute and it's only 1,000 JPY? Batting eyelids extra, I bet.

So who started up this business?

Why is there no info on the owner(s)?

Why is this more expensive then receiving the foot massage?

It all depends on the definition of "foot."

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Know what I mean?

S I C K !

Customer sleeps with head on girl’s lap (3 min) – 1,000 yen

That's great to know the rates. I'll fix mine at 1500 yen since I'm exotic and more padded. From today, I charge the ossans that confuse me with a pillow in the subway. It's 6 minutes between 2 stations of Midosuji line ? 3000 yen ! I can start preparing a few ryoshusho.

I don't mean they mean sex, i'm sure someone has stated this but i don't feel like reading all the comments above <3

Maybe I can start the first Gaijin Cuddle Cafe. What red-blooded Japanese girl wouldn't want to fall asleep resting her head on my huge bicep.

Surely it's obvious why it costs more for the customer to touch the client? The person giving the massage is the active one - the one in control, the one with the power, if you like. The recipient is passive, motionless, and vulnerable to any moves the 'giver' makes. If you want to be in control, you have to pay more. Simples.

Connecting to the link is SLOW and dont even try hitting any of the other links.......

A sad state of Japan when a) men will pay for this and b) women would actually do this for a job. Guess they want that brand name bag bad enough...

Perversions are ancient. How Japan realizes them today is stupefying.

Given how skinny the walls are at most cheap business hotels, you're virtually sleeping with the guy next door anyway...well you get the snoring and the signing a song when drunk and stuff like that. Still cheaper than go man yen a night.

These guys over here are lame!! Sleep wit a women you don't know.....staring....patting.....lame a?? Japanese dudes.

Price list presented exactly as a scorecard for Olympic Games Gymnastic competition ? Each movement ( Compulsory or optional ) scores a certain points ( in yen ). Sleeping in the arm ( 3 mins ) followed by staring at the girl ( 1 min ) = 2000 yens ! Is there a video camera for 'challenges' just in case if one slept only 2 mins in the girl's arm instead of 3 ?

So how many people would be happy with their daughter in High School doing this

The parents of these women apparently.

Women hard at work being independant

And heres another article where I facepalm myself, then bang my head against the desk a few times to make sure I'm not going completely insane. Good old Japan, making the world a crazier place, one idea at a time...

OK, so it's 20,000 to have the girl take a nap on the customer's lap for half an hour. How much for the girl to take a nap on his shoulder for half an hour? The other day a woman took a snooze on my shoulder on the train for about a half an hour... and it was free!

Why would you want to pet someone on the head for 3 minutes?

Better translated that would likely mean "stroke someone's hair." The Japanese do find a way to meet people's (otaku) needs and cater to every eccentricity imaginable in ways that we seldom hear about elsewhere. Whether it's a kink too far or not is (as we see above) debatable. But yes, why not shake that sleeper on the train and bill him (or her)? Charge the gropers even more.

cheaper to call a friendly escort and check in a hotel, just saying

I'm not about to comment on the warped view of needs that leads to such a place, but is there no vaguely sexual motivation that is not capitalized on in Japan? If the novelty of this fails to wear off, and people continue spending money to earn temporary social privileges... I may have found a new thing to despair about.

Customer and girl stare at each other (1 min) – 1,000 yen

is there any extra charge for the peeping part?

I want to work there !

I think I know of a better way to spend 6,000 yen an hour to be honest. The time spent in this shop is also time that could be spent finding a more long term companion in the first place too.

How about one for the women? Girls need cuddling too LOL!

it's almost like a preview... they probably forgot to mention the champagne room. For an extra 10,000 she'll cook you breakfast?

Man, this article is sure doing the rounds. I have had several friends from all over the world message me asking if it is true... All linking to this article

it's almost like a preview... they probably forgot to mention the champagne room. For an extra 10,000 she'll cook you breakfast?

Not to mention how much its gonna cost if she pops the cork!!!!!

lol @ japan....

Nice place for stressful and lonely man who can not sleep well.

This isn't surpising since they have all those sex menu places.

Japan is indeed on the cutting edge of new ideas for commercial enterprise. All those sexual taboos are simply done away with when this business model was thought out. I have nothing more to say to this!

You know mimi souji going to be added to the menu and so is to have the girl wear cat, dog, or some other animal ears and probably a tail that wags when petting the head for an extra....

Sometimes, after a long, stressful day, there’s nothing more comforting than crawling into bed with your significant other and falling asleep in their arms.

My significant other does not let me crawl into bed with her and sleep in her arms. Is this because I have 'hygiene problems' (American Devil)? I wonder how many married male Japanese have the opportunity "to crawl into bed with their significant other and fall asleep in their arms."

And who is their significant other? My, son said this morning at breakfast, because my wife and I were talking about where we'd be able to make a bedroom for him when he is older, "Even if it is only Dad, I want to sleep with an adult." I thought that pretty significant.

@SpanishEyez37 Actually, they do have a service for women. I saw one a few months ago featured in some program. Basically an outcall service and the guy visits and stays the night at your place, cuddling. Of course, not after pre-payment and ground rules are agreed upon. I think it's called Soine ya Prime or something.

"How about one for the women?"

They got their boy toy places already, lol.

This is obviously aimed at those poor lonely salary-men rather than otakus, nothing points toward it being an otaku service. I'd also like to say I'd much rather have these around than good ol' prostitution you know, it's pretty much a safer and cleaner alternative.

A Japanese article quotes the enterprise as asing that their target market is "the tired generation of 30 and 40 year old" salarymen one presumes. I can find no indication as to the proportion of married and unmarried customers.

Freakish.

How utterly sad that this is a viable career choice for some young women out there. Surely even working at a combini or fast food joint is preferable to this! It sounds borderline dangerous, boring and repulsive. Just as saddening to think there are men so devoid of human contact they will pay to be held.

Its such a very curious idea, that there is any kind of comfort or satisfaction to be felt or gained, simply by the physical proximity of a sleeping 'other', whether or not there is any additional contact, 'cuddling' or patting etc. ( Each to his own, of course!) Is not the whole point of comforting companionship of any kind, that the 'other' has some kind of genuine concern for ones well being? ie -That the nearness or 'cuddle' available - represents a physical expression of some level of heartfelt genuine concern, not simply an exercise in the arrangement of bodies? One might gain as much comfort from a crowded railway carriage or a busy shopping centre, or anywhere where 'living bodies' might be in touching distance? Someone paid(or obliged by custom/guilt feelings/fear/coercion of any kind) to go through the motions of 'physical proximity', would without a doubt, seem to me to be quite a dangerous companion, or 'resource' as a comforter - since underlying feelings of revulsion or rejection are likely to be present in that case, and in no way at all, can offer any kind of valuable sleeping-partner comfor from my point of viewt. I am perfectly sure that bad 'personal hygiene' must present a considerable block to the expression of many kinds of physical affection for a great many humans, the needs and requirements for appropriate body/breath/private part odours, and/or their removal before physical proximity is permitted must be a delicate and significant part of any physical relationship. Most certainly - take the needs of others deeply into account, in this respect, since the 'needs' of each one of us cannot be successfully crushed to conform, without very good reason. Still, there is never a guarantee of a favorable response - even if every possible hygiene care is taken. There are some people who simply prefer to, and even must ,'sleep alone'. They may feel uncomfortable sleeping in any other way. I have slept alone for a couple of decades, and do not remember one moment of regret. My best sleeping companions are my 3 cats and my dog, who cant wait to share the warm futon heap, especially on cold and frosty nights. All of them make it very clear that they need me, more than any other creature on the earth, and each hopes to have some kind of affectionate attention. All are too willing to offer their own kind of cuddling and patting, but I just dont need that much affection.

Homeschooler-san writes:

How utterly sad that this is a viable career choice for some young women out there.

Yes, one can imagine a TV interview . . .

"And what do you do, Miss Airhead?"

"I cuddle for a living."

"You cuddle?"

"Yeth. Thometimes my cuthtomerth thleep with their headth on my lap!"

"Kawai!"

It's a wonderful idea, and it could be very productive and beneficial to many people. It's far, far, far too expensive, in my opinion, though. It will be interesting to see how it's accepted or otherwise by the market.

And things change. There used to be "spooky" teahouses and sunakkus here where the frequently purposely weird-looking staff would jump out of dark corners or creepy corridors dressed in scary costumes, or popped up out of coffins placed here and there. The idea got old fairly quick and they all disappeared.

I would say this is certainly a very unusual, even weird kind of business. But judging a whole country, all Japanese on the basis of this I find offensive and shortsighted.

Talk about sad! It's easy enough to get a very good-looking girl to do the same without exchanging any money.

But, hey, demand, meet supply.

I wonder what permit they applied for? I'll give it 6 months before they get shut down. Anyone care to create a long list of similar cafes that have come and gone over the years?

Well you just know that many men will take them up on this. Love the fact that JT gives you all the info like this business is somehow normal LOL

In the rest of the world, guys pay to skip the cuddling part.

Japanese have come full circle now in this area.

I don't understand why all this fuss about this "cuddle Cafe"...It's just a stupid idea for stupid people...so why all the fuss...its will also just pass away with time...so what's next...'Cuddle Hello Kitty Cafe'... 'Cuddle my Puppy Cafe'... Cuddle my Kitty...Cuddle my A@@ Cafe'...this is just the beginning folks... see what comes next will be more fun...cheers

Nothing creepy about sharing your bed with your critters. Creepy is sharing cuddles with a complete stranger who's only there for the money.

I'm angry at myself. Why didn't I create this company ??? Charge people with hugs !!! I would also charge 20000 for each kiss to the forehead.

Yeahhhhhh!!!!!!

I thought this was going to be an animal thing were you sleep with a puppy. Very creepy.

I dunno, critters have fleas, most strangers don't have fleas.

critters have fleas, most strangers don't have fleas.

Critters that are properly looked after don't have fleas. Total strangers that are so unsavoury they have to pay someone to cuddle them are far more likely to have fleas.

Its true that critters might have fleas, no matter how much you scrub them and treat them with bug killer. But then - tell me - do you know how many deseases you might pick up from the breath or touch of any human - close by?

Do you suppose in these very brief transient cuddle-supplies, of strangers, there could be, perhaps, a shadow of that Zen smile?.

With money changing hands? No. Definitely not. This is not the same as a casual conversation at a bus stop. Paying someone to chat with you would be equally creepy. How many smile would be forthcoming if the customer didn't pay?

Your pup sounds luvvly :-)

Sadly, although this brings new dimensions to the concept of creepy, this will probably work in Japan. I mean, guys regularly drop tons of money in clubs just to have a girl talk to them and massage their broken ego. This is just the next logical step. I'd like to meet the evil genius who thought of this.

How much for a slumber party?

for Cleo ( and all of you presenting the argument that somehow 'payment' diminishes whatever value there might be in this cuddle service). I must point out to you the complete lack of logic in that 'money cancels value' argument. 'Money" and payment and all 'reward' of no matter what kind, itself, cancels nothing. If we were talking about remuneration, pay, for fire service workers or medics, nuns and artists, the conclusion that payment and money or reward of any kind devalued the work done, would be clearly nonsense. Cuddling - is no more sure to be diminished in value by reward/pay than any activity whether you consider it noble & worthwhile, or not. The act is not the product of money. One cuddler may put heart and soul into his/her work, another might be indifferent. Just as for every human activity you can name. You will be sure to agree if you think about this for a moment.

I thunk about it for a moment, and don't agree. Fire-fighting and cuddles are worlds apart. If the fire is put out, then the firefighter has done his job. If slipping an extra note into his pocket gets the job done quicker, fine. But cuddles? - if you have to pay for it, it ain't worth having in the first place.

i'm sorry but i would never pay someone to cuddle with me no matter how hot they were. that type of bonding should be done with the one you love.

People cuddle with strangers all the time on the trains... For free!!!

This is strange. Someone could get raped and if your married, this can possibly ruin a relationship.

Nothing for us gals, as usual.

Ranger_Miffy2... what are you willing to pay for?

I would think this type of cafe would have much more success "recruiting" some of those life-like female robots now coming into the market. After all, robot aren't going to care if Oyaji-sama smells like cheap whiskey or is overdue for a bath. After a quick wipedown by maintenance staff and dialing in the maturity level desired, Reina-chan robot would ready for more cuddles. Plus they can be equipped to deliver gentle shocks if the guy tries to get frisky.

Japanese robot-makers need to get busy! Leasing out their cute but pricy wares to cuddle cafes could be the start of something big. Not to mention the robotic potential for hostess bars...;)

Nasty and wicked! Anything for a Buck(Yen), again disgusting! Not for T-Mack...

Almost as pricey as having a real gf.....

What could possibly go wrong?

quite definitely some kind of cultural divide in evidence here. I dont know any Jp people who would find the idea shocking or disgusting, even though they would not use the service themselves,while westerners reaction is most often very negative - shock horror or at least - ridicule, so for me - 'bear trap thinking' comes to mind. It seems no more revolting to me (westerner) than any personal service most of the world is prepared or obliged to pay for. From hairdressing to chiropody. I wouldnt want to pay for it, as I said, already, my dog is better company and costs a lot less.

LOL...dun understand how Japanese thinks....so having sex with another girl is cheating but cuddling and sleeping with them is not? It is still adultery if you are having intimate/affection moment with another person that is not your other half....so what difference is it really from prostitution? just pay the extra money and get the sex if you are going to cheat.....no point holding it back if you are already thinking to cheat your other half....else just get yourself a boaster to cuddle....

I'm not really surpised by what the the Japanese people come up with anymore.

Some of may remember I said "Now I heard it all" in another post. I stand corrected! What is wrong with the guys in this country?

So what? There's a demand and a need. Some people just don't want sex, but they want to cuddle. What's wrong with paying for it or getting paid for it?

The menu is tasteless though. All these things should be included in a set price. The girls get paid 3,500 yen per hour, but the minimum is 3,000 yen per hour? So obviously the customer is expected to take many optional services.

3,000 Yen is only $38

Im interested in this pov that equates all tenderness 'intimate/affectionate moment' - with 'adultery'.

from,; Raymond Soo Kuo YangOct. 07, 2012 - 03:49AM JST .so having sex with another girl is cheating but cuddling and sleeping with them is not? It is still adultery if you are having intimate/affection moment with another person that is not your other half....

It seems like a wise idea for societies to discourage 'adultery', which by usual definition means some kind of sexual, & thus, likely- reproductive, bonding with a person outside a breeding pair. There are good reasons to discourage the potential arbitrary production of fatherless offspring, as likely burdens on the group effort. (consider the current & costly fatherless child epidemic of the west). However - affection and intimacy are natural human behaviours that are not, rationally, bound, inseparably, to 'breeding pairs' ' or to 'marriage' alone, If they are to be so, then all acts of kindness and tenderness, all friendship and caring for each other, must become suspect. I do not like the sound of such a world at all. We might all learn to love one another as brothers and sisters, and include physical tenderness in that loving, without labelling each other 'adulterer'?

The website does actually state that you have to ask each girl what they won't do, so I presume it depends on which girl you choose...

How would you go about asking for a refund?

sounds like something only japan would do lol, they should expand their business by hiring a bunch of hot guys pay them for the same job. Id work there for the same amount xD

What if you went to try it out and found your girl friend working there? or your girl friend saw you coming out of there? and broke it off with you, Seem's like trouble to me, I dont like to look over my shoulder and would not want to be poisoned by my best girl...Hell hath no furry like a woman's scorn....just a thought.....

T-Mack, I think it would be a good idea if you discuss the 'cuddle cafe' and 'what ifs' - & all that you all find acceptable or unacceptable, in expressing affection, with your girl friends, rather than speculate on possibilities, pronto. Without mutual understanding and trust, what's left of friendship?

like most men, they scratch there b**ls snore and fart are these extra?? to pay for??

I like the idea if your going there to relax mentally, not unlike getting a massage. However, if your going for any "other" reason, its a bad idea.

I visited the cuddle cafe this week. It is a sleazy massage parlor (pink salon) with a clever bit of re-branding.

http://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/2012/10/soineya-cuddle-cafe-akihabara_12.html

I think it's important for Westerners to understand two apsects of the Japanese society before they jump to the conclusions on subjects like the cuddling cafe: the Japanese's service culture and the Japanese Mobster (Yakuza).

The English word "service" is actually used as Japanese word "sabisu", but with different meaning. "Sabisu" in many occasions means giving favor to a patron. When it comes to serving other people, the Japanese is very dutiful and serious, like perfoming a job. So, sabisu is a serious business for all kind of services. If you can get tip by serving a customer food in the Western world, why can't you get paid by dutifully lending an arm to a customer to sleep in Japan?

Secondly, the sex industries in Japan are, without exception, operated by the mobsters (called "Yakuza" in Japanese). Theses mosters are rude and sleazy just like their counterpart in the West. But by no means the Yaksuza represents the average Japanese people.

If you can understand these, you wouldn't say things like "Japan is creepy" since aberration from norm is the characteristic of human society anywhere in the planet Earth.

Wow thanks JapanVisitor--Good investigative report. I got lost in that area one time and it is definitely not Akiba turf.

>Qualifications: High school age to 30s

Seriously? Isn't that a corruption of minors?

I think they should also charge a1000 yen per minute for others to watch...

oh akiba, you silly, you

oh god...i am so there

Lolwut? You can pay to stare at each other for one minute? This country kills me. It really does.

Maybe we can see a report in brothels in Japan next????

wow... can I franchise this in Hawaii?

This business only exists becuase Men are lonely. Theyre lonely because women are cold, arrogant selfish and cruel. Women would rather be single than hug a normal average men. They all want a superstar hunk or famous man. Even the ugly fat girls wont take and average looking man. Women caused this problem with their greed and vanity. Men will ALWAYS want affection from young girls. ITs what men are programmed to do. Everything elses doesnt matter. Women are programmed to have children. But women are so selfish they will rather wait for the hunk to sleep with them once and become a single mother than marry the average guy. This business would work in the UK too. Shallow girls in the developed world are a problem. Its your own fault girls.

What if she farts? Do you get a 1000yen rebate? What is you fart? Do you pay a surcharge?

If you need a warm body to sleep against, get a dog! They fart too, by the way, but they don't care if you do because they love you no matter what.

@Francis I haven't had a good laugh like that in a LONG time. 'twas great wit dear chap.

@Dave some women are like that and some aren't. There are also women who will always want affection from guys etc etc. Get two of right people together and they'll have a great relationship.

I have two things to say about this. "Wow!" and "That's just disgusting!". That's prostitution in itself. Who would pay to stare at someone, pat them on the head, or anything like that?

Er, This is weird, and kinda creepy.

How could any man actually "sleep" with an attractive young woman? Seems unlikely to me.

On a more serious note, maybe they should have courses for 6000 yen an hour on how to talk to women, that way there would be less socially awkward men with real partners...

just curious this include only sleeping or we can also do other thing xD if u know what i mean :D

Just in case anyone is still hung up on the word "delivery," they have young, usually teen-aged girls out on the streets to invite gentlemen to the cafes. The girls escort-or deliver- the interested men to the cafe, and then return to the street to find more men. There are many maid cafes in the Akihabara district, and you will notice one of their girls, because they are usually dressed like a French maid.

I have it on the authority of a young Japanese man-who has never been to one of the cafes-that the maid cafes don't include touching as part of the menu, only the company and conversation of a young woman for a lonely man. Also, though some would consider this to be a form of prostitution in the US, in Japan they do not.

I love how everyone's using this example to show how morally depraved Japanese culture is.

Do you know why guys would pay for such simple things, like eye contact with a girl, or even just intimately being in the presence of one? Because they're not as incredibly spoiled with physicality as we are in the US. Girls that'll go to bed with you are a dime a dozen - except not even, because they can be found in every club, for free. Here in the states, it's totally the norm for kids to be having sex with multiple partners all throughout high school, hence why we think basic, intimate, sex-less alone time with a woman is so ridiculous. Thanks to the media we're constantly subjected to, most of us are so saturated with this sex-based culture, that platonic-ly sitting with a woman sounds petty and lame.

Perhaps to us, where we glorify a Vegas lifestyle above all else, it may be ridiculous or lame - but don't say their morality is going down the toilet, in that respect at least. This shows that it's a culture where intimacy actually means something.

Just so you guys know, ¥3,000 works out at about £16.50 or a bit less. Much less than the going rate for ladies of negotiable affection.

I do not find it creepy. I find a lot of the optional course weird though in my opinion. Staring at eachother? Maybe the girl changes clothes depending on what that means.

organized and hidden prostitution

Pretty soon there'll be an AirBnB version.

if you want someone to cuddle, you can hire me

I can totally understand why men today, so often feel pure resentment at women, especially western feminist women, who complain that life is so difficult for females. People are endlessly willing to pay even just to lay next to them. With the amount of money men are willing to give up to interact with women on just about any level, it acts as a permanent safety-net that never allows even an average looking woman, to fail at life. As a last resort, she can always just get into a relationship to be taken care of, or let some guy cuddle her for 10 minutes for a sizable payday. No talent, skill or actual labor required, just a mild tolerance of a less-than-ideal sleeping arrangement.