Rent this ‘ugly man’ in Japan to prevent jealousy

Rui Shinohara, a 34-year-old former comedian in Japan, found success after launching a “not-so-good-looking-guy-for-rent” service.

He started the business on July 23, 2020, but had to temporarily close it amid the COVID-19 pandemic, only to restart it after returning to Japan from the Philippines. Shinohara charges 10,000 yen ($62) for two to three hours of his service, which may include acting as a practice partner for women to rehearse for their dates. “Rental boyfriends are often handsome, which might not sit well with her actual boyfriend. In that regard, there’s no way things would develop into cheating with me. It’s precisely because I’m unattractive that I got the request,” he explained to Shueisha Online.