Speaking of rentals, a decade or so ago CDs and comic books were the mainstream.
These days, many people might think of clothing and branded goods, home appliances, or event equipment.
The rental industry is constantly evolving, and more services now let you borrow surprising things.
From middle-aged men and butlers to scary-looking people—there are quirky rental services that cater to such unique requests.
This time, we’ll introduce some astonishing rental services you’ll be itching to tell someone about.
You might even find a service you’ll want to try yourself.
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- What should we rent to perform as a band for entertainment or a show at a wedding ceremony or reception?
- A collection of fun questions with the theme “What if 〇〇?”
- Ranking of popular skits and performances for entertainment segments
- A roundup of fun wedding ideas: Make your reception uniquely you with uncommon, personality-filled touches!
- [Elementary School] Fun Committee Ideas! Liven Up Your Class
- Summary of unusual foods we’d like to offer at the school festival’s food stall
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- One-shot gags for men that are sure to be a hit at parties and performances
- Prank ideas recommended for men: fun tricks that will liven things up
- [Comedy] Summary of Recently Popular Bits and Gags
- Items that liven up a house party, including games and fun gadgets.
- Simple yet hilarious! A roundup of pranks and surprise gags
Even That!? A Roundup of Quirky Rental Services (1–10)
Grandma rental service
The proportion of nuclear-family households in Japan is about 55%, which means that, mathematically, half of households don’t have a grandpa or grandma.
In cities, due to housing conditions, the share of nuclear families is said to be even higher.
For those who miss having a grandmother around, here’s a tip: try a “grandma rental” and spend some meaningful time together.
Ask her to make traditional, elaborate dishes with you, learn Showa-era tidying techniques, and soak up lots of grandmotherly wisdom! You could even ask a grandma with beautiful handwriting to write a letter on your behalf.
Scary Person Rental Service
Renting a scary person to sit in on tough discussions—like disputes with neighbors or messy romantic entanglements—is becoming a hot topic.
It’s been featured a lot on TV, so some of you may have heard about it there.
Having someone with a scary face or tattoos by your side can definitely feel reassuring.
That said, if the intimidation goes too far, it can backfire and create more trouble, so it’s important to judge the time, place, and occasion.
Please use such services responsibly and with a plan.
Intimidation and extortion can be crimes in and of themselves!
Grandpa rental service
I used to live with my grandpa, so I learned all sorts of things from him—how to make stilts, how to prepare eel, how to sharpen knives, and much more.
For anyone who wants to borrow the kind of wisdom only a grandpa can have, this would be the perfect rental.
Plus, the depth and gravitas that come from a grandpa’s life experience could be put to use for wedding and funeral speeches, attending as an extra presence, or listening to your worries.
You could even have an old-time experience, like sitting around a hearth and hearing your grandpa’s stories!
Old man rental service
Ossan Love, which aired on the TV Asahi network and became a huge hit, made our hearts flutter every episode with its story of middle-aged men in love, didn’t it? But even among “ossan,” there are dashing, silver-fox gentlemen like the ones in Ossan Love, and there are also hopeless types who just drink and gamble all the time… So, how about renting an ossan? As long as it’s not illegal, most services will do just about anything.
Whether as a companion to hang out with or as an extra hand at work, Ossan Rental is a service that scratches where you itch!
A rental service for hungry goats
“A hungry goat? What would you use that for?” some of you might wonder.
In fact, goats can eat unwanted weeds for you.
It’s apparently a fairly common use overseas, and if you search online, you’ll find plenty of images of goats munching on weeds.
Places that are dangerous for people to enter or slightly elevated spots are no problem at all—hungry goats will happily gobble up the weeds.
It’s a rental product that wins on ingenuity.
The TV Tokyo show “Goats and Daigo” is a variety program built exactly around this concept.
If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check it out!
Jumbo Garapon Lottery Rental Service
The Jumbo Garapon is the star attraction at school festivals, local fairs, and neighborhood recreation events.
Whether people win a prize or not, its eye-catching presence is sure to draw a crowd.
You can set it up so participants get one spin for every 500 yen spent, or hand out bonus tickets to those who join the event—there are plenty of ways to encourage spins.
It’s especially popular at events with lots of young children.
If you put a small bell inside the Garapon, it will chime pleasantly with every spin!
Obese person rental service for those weighing 100 kilograms or more
An elderly person takes a young acquaintance to a restaurant and watches with a smile as they eat heartily.
Since they can’t eat that much themselves, they say it makes them happy to see a young person enjoying lots of food.
Hearing about a rental service for overweight people reminded me of that story.
People also say that plump folks seem to have a comforting, nurturing presence that makes you feel at ease.
And a mascot-like, rounded shape can make you feel relaxed when they’re nearby.
Just listening to “big body person” anecdotes might make for a fun time!