Japanese 'rent men' who are paid just to listen to them

Tokyo

SERVING anyone from lonely pensioners to Japanese schoolgirls with shattered dreams, Takanobu Nishimoto and his crew of middle-aged men will lend an ear to clients who would never dream of spilling their guts to a therapist or, worse, their families.

Anyone in need of company can sign up to his online service to rent an ossan - a man aged between 45 and 55 - for 1,000 yen (S$12.80) an hour.

"For me, the service is a hobby more than anything," says Mr Nishimoto, who first…