In Japan it was possible to hire a grandmother for a few hours. This initiative allows people of various ages to resort to older women, usually between 60 and 94, to perform practical tasks, offer company or emotional support at delicate times.
According to the Lifestyle site, Women´s Health, the service, called OK Obaachan, charges about 3,300 yen per hour, the equivalent of 19 euros, plus a travel rate, and offers a variety of services ranging from cooking traditional home dishes to accompanying sentimental sakes or intermediating personal relationships.
Emotional and practical support
Customers are looking for these “rental grandparents” for very diverse reasons. Some seek comfort in moments of end of love relationships, others ask for help to assume sexual orientation with the family, and there are those who want company at important social events.
According to the Japanese website that specializes in social services Tokyo Times, besides the life experience that these women bring, their presence is valued by the weighted advice and the sense of security they provide.
In addition to emotional support, this service is a new source of income for older women and allows them to maintain an active role in society. Many participants see in this activity a way to prolong their social utility and cultivate “Ikigai”, a Japanese concept that defines the reason for living.
Experience also shows that skills traditionally associated with grandparents, such as kitchen, listening and counseling, today gain a distinct economic and social value.
Ethical questions and social opportunities
However, this type of service raises some ethical questions. There are those who interrogate on how to what extent affective ties can be transactional without losing authenticity.
The company itself that promotes OK Obaachan, Tokyo-Based Client Partners, has developed a wider range of services of its kind, including “friends” or “aunts” by rent, all provided exclusively by women and available since 2011.
In Japan, the idea of renting a grandmother challenges traditional family perception and care, offering new solutions for urban loneliness and maintaining intergenerational ties, while transforming the aging experience into social and economic opportunity.
According to, many clients again resort to the same rental grandparents, establishing trust relationships that exceed the initial practice component.
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