Need help quitting your job? Want someone to show up at your wedding and pretend to be your aunt? Need a warm meal and a little unsolicited life advice? In Japan, you can rent a grandma for all of the above—and she’ll probably bring snacks.
The service is called OK Grandma, and it’s run by a company called Client Partners. For 3,300 yen an hour (about $23), they’ll send over a woman aged 60 to 94 who comes equipped with a lifetime of experience and no tolerance for your nonsense. It launched in 2012 and remains one of the company’s most popular offerings.
These aren’t actresses or gimmicks. They’re real women who’ve lived through actual disasters, raised kids, paid bills, and seen a few world wars. They know how to fold a fitted sheet and break up with your boyfriend for you. Literally. One user requested a grandma to tag along for moral support while she dumped her partner.
Another said they didn’t have enough relatives for their wedding, so they hired one to play the role of a loving family member. No notes.
You Can Rent a Grandma—If You Want To
According to the service’s website, “the merit of age is the ability to remain unfazed by small things.” In other words, your weird situations are probably not that weird to a woman who’s seen it all. Some are skilled cooks, others are expert cleaners, and a few have handwriting that makes you want to cry. Many don’t come with a specific skill—they’re just warm, kind, and good at listening, which might be rarer than any of the above.
There are over 100 grandmas available, and you can request someone based on your specific needs. Perhaps you’re looking for traditional recipes and cozy storytelling. Maybe you need someone to tell you you’re doing just fine. Or possibly you miss the sound of someone yelling that you left the rice cooker on again.
Japan has no shortage of rentable people: from middle-aged men (Ossan Rental) to plus-size companions (Debucari) to breakup mercenaries (Wakaresaseya), but OK Grandma feels different. It may seem quirky on the surface, but it addresses a very real need. People want to feel seen. And heard. And maybe fed.
Just remember: if you rent a grandma, you cover her transportation and any expenses during the visit. You might also end up wishing she had stayed longer.
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