Japan is known for their eccentricity that would stir an uproar on the Internet with something out of the norm. Anything and everything is possible in such a country, like roaming around the city to rent clothes, studios, Mario Karts and people. Yes, you can rent almost anyone, from mothers to sisters and even romantic partners!
Recently on Tiktok, a personal fitness trainer & YouTuber from Singapore, Tyen Rasif, went viral for her trip to Japan. The 38-year-old expressed the lack of a father figure growing up as her father walked out of her life when she was only 11 years old. Thus, due to such trauma, she grew up craving for such a presence in her life and so, Tyen Rasif ended up renting a 63-year-old Japanese man for a day.
As explained in the video, she rented the elderly man named Mr. Natori through an agency called “Ossan Rental”, a company providing elder companionship just as the name suggests. The word “Ossan” in the Japanese language refers to “Old man”.
The Singaporean-based singer took her rental father around the streets of Tokyo in hopes of connecting naturally despite meeting for the first time. The two spent the day doing mundane father-daughter activities including drinking matcha, visiting shrines as well as discussing their life.
Although it may sound weird at first, after a day of playing ‘family’, the “Always You” songstress realised that it healed some parts of her. The Miss Universe finalist added, “I get why you might raise eyebrows over this, but after chatting with him, I realised why services like this are so beneficial, especially in one of the world’s loneliest countries.”
Aside from Japan’s on-brand uniqueness, there’s been an increase in loneliness which resulted in Kodokushi (孤独死), known as lonely deaths. Hence, she came to understand when Mr. Natori shared his reasons as to why he chose such a career. The 68-year-old rented companion believed his service could ease the lonely hearts and give them a reason to live.
Towards the end, the Tiktoker found it hard to say her goodbyes. The Singaporean artist had found comfort in her new Japanese father. She even concluded that Mr. Natori’s service healed her wounded inner child, reassured by the fact that now she has a father to visit even if they’re not related.
The video garnered over 2.3 million views and gained a number of mixed responses–swaying between heartfelt responses to literal memes. Some netizens expressed that it also healed their “daddy issues”. Another netizen commented, “I don’t find this weird. I think this would help heal many who are working on generational trauma dealing with toxic parents.”
Based on the screenshots above, some view this as an opportunity to save money on tour guides when travelling as you will most likely rent a local who knows the way around the city. What do you guys think? Would you rent a daddy too? Watch the full TikTok below!
@tyenrasif Healing or weird? ❤️🩹🤪 #japantravel #asakusa #travelvlog #dadrental #mentalhealth #fyp #foryou #fypシ #soundsofsea #tunesofsg #tokyo
Source: TikTok
Ariani Soraya contributed to this article.
