Ikebukuro-based company provides a shoulder to cry on and arms to sleep in by dispatching hot guys to spend the night at lonely women’s homes.
Earlier this fall we took a look at a company in Japan that sends good-looking men to a woman’s workplace for a cathartic cry session. But what if instead of feeling sad, you’re feeling lonely, or your bed just feels a little too empty when you lie down by yourself?
That’s where Tokyo-based Rose Sheep comes in. Rose Sheep bills itself as a soineya, a term the company coined that roughly translates as “accompanied sleep provider.”
Okay, so the promise of soothing slumber, and connected idea of “counting sheep to fall asleep,” is where the second half of Rose Sheep’s name comes from, but why the romantic-sounding “Rose?”
Because all of Rose Sheep’s sleep partners are attractive young men between the ages of 20 and 30.
For a fee, Rose Sheep, which was founded two years ago, will dispatch one of its employees to sleep beside you. To be clear, this isn’t a prostitution service. After meeting with your sheep, as the company calls its workers, when you announce you’re ready for bed, he’ll lie down with you as you slumber, allowing you to rest your head on his chest with his reassuring arm around you.
▼ One of the company’s “sheep”
▼ “On lonely nights, nights when you can’t sleep, or when you want someone beside you…Feel the warmth of a man, as you relax and are freed from your daily stress and worries. The ultimate emotional soothing will become your strength for tomorrow.”
Prices vary depending on the length of service requested. Short-term “nap” packages start at 20,000 yen (US$167) for two hours and top out at 40,000 yen for four hours, while longer “good-night” courses range from 50,000 yen for six hours to a cool 100,000 yen for a whopping 16-hour session. First-time clients get a 5,000 yen discount on nap courses, or 10,000 yen off good-night services.
16 hours would be a dangerously long time to be asleep for, but Rose Sheep’s services go beyond just sleeping side-by-side. The men are happy to dine or drink with their clients, and will even cook if requested (with all food and drink paid for by the customer, of course). They’ll also listen as customers gripe about their jobs or vent about problems in their personal lives, which is a major selling point for Rose Sheep’s target market of working women in their 30s and 40s, although customer ages range up to women in their 60s.
Most clients choose to have their sheep come to their home. For overnight stays, the men bring their own pajamas, but clients can also provide clothing they’d like the men to wear while sleeping (presumably then never washing the garments so that they’ll retain his handsome scent). However, Rose Sheep’s website says that it can dispatch sheep to anywhere in Tokyo’s 23 central wards, as well as Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, and Ibaragi Prefectures, including, the company pointedly points out, love hotels. Commuting fees must be paid, however, for locations outside of Tokyo’s Itabashi and Toshima Wards.
And yes, if you’re the indecisive type who can’t narrow down your selection to just one member of the flock, the company does allow customers to hire out two of its men simultaneously, although this costs double.
If all of this has you feeling a bit like Little Bo Peep and in need of the company of some sheep, reservations can be made online here. Oh, and if getting paid to cuddle sleeping women sounds like your dream job, Rose Sheep is also taking applications from would-be sheep here. Just be advised that the company boasts it only hires one out of every 100 applicants.
Related: Rose Sheep website, Facebook
Sources: Livedoor News via Hachima Kiko
Top image: Rose Sheep (1, 2) (edited by RocketNews24)
Insert images: Rose Sheep (1, 2)