Japanese companies hire 'handsome weeping boys' who wipe employees' tears
Companies in Japan have found a new (and "handsome"!) way to ease workplace stress among employees. Headlining across the world are the services of Ikemeso Danshi, which is based on offering young, good-looking men to help working professionals cry in the office and then wipe their tears off! Called "Handsome Weeping Boys," people are happily renting this service for 7,900 yen (Rs. 4,400).
They show sad films and then wipe tears off
Wondering how the "handsome weeping boys" work? Well, they take each team of working professionals at a company to a separate room away from their work desks and make them watch emotional films. The films are mostly about adorable pets getting hurt or abandoned, father-daughter relationships taking tragic turns, etc. Once everyone in the room begins sobbing, they gently wipe tears off everyone's faces.
Customers can choose from a range of handsome boys
The service enables people to choose from a medley of "ikemeso boys" (handsome boys) from an online catalog. From the rugged "Showa face adult Ikemeso boy" to a delicate "healing Mista-Tokyo Ikemeso boy," each man is trained at wiping tears and crying together until all emotions are expressed. Among them is also a dentist who engages in this as an additional source of income.
There are currently six boys in the catalog
At present, the catalog shows profiles of six boys to choose from, with every man having a different personality trait. Once you select and place an order, the man arrives at your chosen location and helps you get your tear ducts flowing.
Hiroki Tekai, crying workshop organizer, came up with this concept
This unique concept is the brainchild of Hiroki Tekai, a crying workshop maestro in Tokyo who believes that this service can bring working professionals together when they show their vulnerable side as the Japanese aren't used to crying in front of people. The man told BBC that when one cries at work, there's a highly negative perception - their colleagues hesitate to approach them.
The idea is to normalize men crying
A part of this concept is also about shedding light towards accepting that men can also cry. Besides that, these men are also challenging the societal norms of crying as a weakness and helping people shed tears at the workplace without shame. It also promotes making emotional connections at work to change the overall environment at the offices in Japan.
Japan also saw 'non-sexual cuddling,' 'rent-a-friend' services in the past
If you thought that this could be the most unconventional approach in Japan to relieve stress, there's more to your astonishment. In 2022, the country came up with a "cuddle cafe" called Soineya, where men pay money for a non-sexual cuddling session with women to beat loneliness and isolation. There's another service to rent a friend where people can enjoy friendships for money.
