New company seeks to change the image of being overweight in Japanese society.

One of the more unusual industries to appear in Japan in recent years is the rent-a-person business. There were the rent-a-middle-aged-dude and rent-a-sister services we tried out, for example, and now comes a new innovation: a company that will let you rent a “fat” person.

We should point out that the “fat” designation come from the company itself, which is called Debucari, from the Japanese words debu (“fat”) and kariru (“rent”). Debucari’s weight threshold is 100 kilograms (220 pounds), but they also have over-125 and over-150-kilogram classes.

▼ Debucari promotional video

Another important point is that Debucari is not a romantic escort, erotic entertainment, or otherwise titillating service. The company states that its goal is to promote “progression away from an era where being fat had a negative image,” asserting that “in Japan, it takes skill to reach a weight of over 100 kilograms.” In fact, it’s actually an offshoot of plus-sized men’s clothing store Qzilla by Mr. Bliss, although Debucari also offers women and “other”-gender people.

So why does Debucari think someone might want to rent a heavyset person? For commercial clients, they say they can provide plus-sized models and extras for photo shoots and TV/movie filming. However, individuals can also rent a debu person for personal, non-business purposes, with Debucari’s suggested uses including:

I want help eating a crazy-large portion menu item at a restaurant.
I want help picking out a present for someone I know who’s heavyset.
I’m doing cosplay and want someone to dress as a heavyset character from the series.
I want someone to stand by me when I take a picture so I’ll look thinner.
I have a problem that I want advice from a heavyset person about.
I want someone to play on a seesaw with me.

▼ Video examples of the type of experiences Debucari envisions

Debucari charges 2,000 yen (US$19) an hour for non-business-use rentals, with the entire fee being paid to the heavyset person. They’re also looking for debu people to register with them, plus offer a full list of their current members, on their website here.

Source, images: PR Times
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