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With salaries still down, Japan’s mistresses cheated by ‘Abenomics’

Spa! Jan. 14-21
Spa! Jan. 14-21

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pledge to end Japan’s ongoing deflationary environment has been showing positive results in stock and real estate prices.

Yet the initiative, collectively referred to as “Abenomics,” has not caused a rebound in “mistress contract” amounts, at least according to the results of a survey conducted by Spa!.

The article says that tabloid media have been reporting on women engaging in adultery agreements with men who have been reaping substantial rewards. (A veteran hostess in the Ginza entertainment area told Shukan Post last year that she was collecting more than 400,000 yen per month.)

The survey, however, reveals far less sanguine prospects, at least for the ladies. Of the 5,000 males and females queried, whose ages ranged between 20 and 60, a total of 240 people admitted to being in an adulterous relationship based on cash. The typical agreement fell between the range of 30,000 and 50,000 yen. However, the existence of some extremely high deals — perhaps as in the aforementioned Ginza hostess — pushed the average value up to 60,000 yen.

With Abenomics not having pushed up salaries, rates for regular romping are still subject to deflation, the respondents said.

“Even if a guy has a less than average salary he can get a mistress easily,” says Eiji Hamamoto, a 42-year-old employee at a foodstuffs company who makes 4.5 million yen annually. He says that he goes through three mistresses a year, paying each 30,000 yen a month.

“The key is to target girls living with their parents,” says Hamamoto, who is speaking under a pseudonym. “For girls living alone, the risk is too high (from a financial aspect).”

In explaining his reasoning, he refers to a former mistress of his who lived by herself. “I supported her rent,” he says. “Then one day she said she had to go back to her parents’ house. She wanted me to pay various moving expenses. She threatened to reveal our relationship to my wife so I couldn’t refuse.

“Girls living with the parents are much better off,” he says. “They are very pleased with 30,000 yen a month.”

Another strategy is to go for women working at companies in industries known for paying employees low salaries, such as izakaya chains.

“These gals will be surprised to hear an offer of 20,000 yen,” says Hamamoto. “They are accustomed to slave labor conditions. If she had a real attachment to money, she wouldn’t be working (in such a place).”

Hamamoto in fact picks up girls at the restaurants. However, he has his limits. “No matter how low they’ll go (in price), I will refuse to deal with the emotional ones who complain about their job because those types will want to return home with me.”

A form of exploitation? It’s a hard life, Spa! says.

Source: “Hikui nenshu demo aijin wo yasuku kako hoho,” Nikkan Spa! (Web)