People search this question for two different reasons. Some are curious about one of Japan's most written-about industries. Some are planning a trip and want company. This page answers the first question with real published prices, and then says plainly what the second group is usually looking for, because it is not the same product.
The short answer#
| Published rate | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Rental girlfriend, typical Tokyo agency | ¥5,000–7,000 an hour | Two-hour minimum is standard |
| Rental girlfriend, cheaper plans | from ¥3,000 an hour | Shorter cast lists, weekday slots |
| Rental boyfriend, first date | around ¥5,000 an hour | One agency charges ¥3,000 for a repeat date |
| Rental boyfriend, premium tiers | ¥7,000–10,000 an hour | "Special" cast, weekends |
| Switching to a different cast member | about ¥2,000 | One agency's published fee |
| Meals, tickets, the cast member's train fare | extra | Always paid by the customer |
At around ¥150 to the dollar, that is roughly $20–70 an hour before expenses. A realistic first date, two hours plus a café and the cast member's transport, comes to ¥12,000–20,000, or about $80–130.
Where these figures come from: Time Out Tokyo's guide to rental romance agencies puts the usual range at ¥3,000–6,000 an hour with minimum bookings and notes longer plans pass ¥20,000 once expenses are added; Japan Today reported a boyfriend agency at ¥5,000 an hour with ¥3,000 for second dates; Kotaku reported tiers of ¥7,000–10,000; and SoraNews24 tried a ¥6,000-an-hour girlfriend rental with a two-hour minimum and a ¥2,000 fee to change companion. Rates move, so treat the bands as a guide and check the agency's own page before booking.
What the price buys#
An agreed number of hours of a date-shaped outing in public: a café, an aquarium, a walk, a festival, a wedding where arriving alone would invite questions. The cast member plays the part for those hours. You pay the agency, not the person, and the agency keeps a share: SoraNews24 was told the companion receives about half.
What it does not buy matters more. Reputable agencies forbid anything beyond holding hands, forbid private rooms, hotels and drives to remote places, and cap repeat bookings with the same cast member so the arrangement cannot drift into something it is not. That is the reason it is legal, and the reason agencies are so explicit about it. The wider industry, including rental friends, family stand-ins and wedding guests, is explained in Japan's rental friend industry.
Girlfriend vs boyfriend: is one more expensive?#
Not meaningfully. The published rates for both sit in the same ¥3,000–10,000 band. Boyfriend agencies tend to price by tier (a fresh cast member, a regular, a "special"), girlfriend agencies tend to price by plan length and day of the week. Weekends and event days cost more for both.
Can foreigners book, and does anyone speak English?#
Some agencies take foreign customers; several do not, and almost all run their booking in Japanese. An English-speaking cast member is a request, not a default, and it usually costs more and needs several days' notice. If you are visiting and want this specifically, renting a friend in Japan as a foreigner goes through the practical side.
Tokyo vs Osaka and the rest#
Tokyo is where the agencies and the cast pools are, so it has the widest choice and the highest prices. Osaka has a real market at somewhat lower rates. Beyond those two you are often paying a Tokyo cast member's travel to reach you, which can cost more than the hours themselves.
If you are a tourist, read this part#
Most visitors who search "rent a girlfriend in Japan" do not want a staged date. They want someone who lives there to spend the day with: the counter seat with no English menu, the neighbourhood bar, the train exits, a sento, honest opinions. That is a different product with a different price, and it is what Roavi is.
A Local Friend on Roavi is a resident who shows travellers their city for a few hours. It is platonic, it happens in public, and each Local Friend sets their own hourly rate on their profile, with no agency and no commission. You message them directly and agree the plan between you. Rent a local friend in Tokyo describes what a day looks like and what it costs; how much it costs to rent a friend explains what sets the price in general.
Being honest about availability: Japan is still thin on Roavi. Tokyo has a handful of listed Local Friends today and Osaka and Kyoto have none yet, so for Tokyo browse the profiles, and for the rest post your dates on the city board and see who answers.
Want company for the city, not a staged date?
Browse Local Friends in TokyoIs it weird to pay for company?#
Less than it sounds. Japan has had a paid-companionship industry for over twenty years, and travellers pay guides, drivers and hosts everywhere. The honest version of the question is whether you want a performance or a person. Is renting a friend weird? takes it seriously.
Or post your dates#
Visiting Tokyo and want a local for an afternoon? Post on the Tokyo board and people who live there answer: Visiting Tokyo soon, looking for a local to spend an afternoon with. Who's around?
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to rent a girlfriend in Japan?
Published agency rates run from about ¥3,000 to ¥10,000 an hour, with most Tokyo agencies in the ¥5,000–7,000 band. Nearly all require a minimum booking of two hours, and the customer pays the date's expenses (meals, tickets, the cast member's transport) on top. A short first date therefore usually costs ¥12,000–20,000 all in.How much does it cost to rent a boyfriend in Japan?
About the same as a girlfriend. One Tokyo boyfriend-rental agency reported by Japan Today listed ¥5,000 an hour for a first date and ¥3,000 an hour for a repeat date with the same man, with meals, transport and admission paid by the customer; Kotaku reported tiers of ¥7,000–10,000 an hour at another.Can foreigners rent a girlfriend or boyfriend in Japan?
Some agencies accept foreign customers, but booking is in Japanese and English-speaking cast members are a special request that costs more and needs notice. Most tourists who search this actually want company for the city, which is a different product: a Local Friend who shows you around.Is renting a girlfriend in Japan legal?
Yes. The service is companionship in public for an agreed number of hours. Agencies prohibit physical contact beyond holding hands, private rooms and hotels, precisely because Japanese law draws a hard line there.Does Roavi offer rental girlfriends?
No. Roavi is a directory of Local Friends: residents who show travellers their city for a few hours, platonically and in public, at a rate each one sets. It is the travel version of the idea, not the romance version.
