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Through this service, people can ‘rent’ an older man—typically a retiree—to interact, take life lessons and sometimes just the much-needed companionship.
Old men from all around Japan have profiles on the rental website. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
Author Aija Mayrock recently “rented” out an older man in Japan and shared her experience in a video on Instagram. Now, what does that exactly mean? Like any other rental service, here, too, the elderly men — many retirees — are available to interact with younger people and exchange life lessons.
In her video, Mayrock revealed she rented this person via Ossanrental, which has stringent guidelines about its services. As the video progresses, she seeks guidance from her partner for the day and travels around Japan alongside him.
These elderly men, who are rented through Ossanrental, provide their knowledge, life lessons, and even just some much-needed companionship. Like having a grandfather on-demand, but with life lessons added. Furthermore, it’s all about respect and emotional ties; there is nothing strange about it.
“I rented an older man for the day. This is the 5th video in my series, Aging Around The World, where I explore how different countries and cultures tackle ageing and longevity,” the complete caption to Mayrock’s post reads.
Check out this lovely video:
In the video, Mayrock tours Japan with her ‘rented’ companion, seeking his counsel on a variety of topics, including love, career, and life. Although it may sound strange or out of the ordinary, this service is a considerate approach to helping older people, who then share life lessons with younger ones.
Shared on October 27, the video has amassed over 7 lakh views so far. The video also attracted a lot of comments.
A user expressed her support for the idea saying, “This is a wonderful idea. In the USA, older people are overlooked, ignored and thrown away. I’m an older woman. As our exteriors change, our minds are still young. I still create art and am physically as active as I was in my younger days. At 61, I’m playing bass/singing in a rock band. We don’t let America tell us we’re not relevant.”
Another said, “But the fee. He should charge more. Adults at his age have a true wealth of knowledge. Failures and triumphs.”
“How about older women? When I was teaching English in Japan, some of my most interesting interactions happened with the elderly students. They showed me a side of Japan I would never have been exposed to otherwise,” a user on Instagram commented.
“Indeed, it is a very innovative way to combat loneliness, depression, and a myriad of other illnesses in the ageing population. I love this idea!” another remarked.
Elderly men from throughout Japan have profiles on the rental website. It also enumerates some of the requests that members have gotten over the years, such as talking, listening to grievances, playing sports, getting advice on changing careers or finding love, cleaning a room, fixing an essay, taking out the trash, and walking pets.
