Rent A Middle-Aged Man

In Japan, you can rent a middle-aged man (an “ossan”) to hang out with you or do your errands for about $10 an hour:

And not just regular old dudes, but 65 year-old former Japanese pro ballplayer Mikio Sendou (who was an All-Star in 1978!) and 46 year-old “fashion producer” Takanobu Nishimoto. Currently, there are only two ossan for rent.

The price sounds oddly low given the fact that it’s essentially a personal assistant-type job, and assistants are usually paid a salary. Also, I’m picturing a 65-year-old former baseball player doing my grocery shopping and it’s a pretty sad vision.

Photo: Ari Helminen

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