The company offers a catalog of men, including those that portray the role of a gymnast, shoe shiner, or funeral director.
Crying at work—although embarrassing most of the time—will unlikely end your career. It is therapeutic. Sometimes, it’s just what you need to release all the pent-up feelings you’ve been hiding throughout the day.
But what’s better than having a good cry? Having a handsome man sit beside you and wipe away your tears, à la kilig-filled Koreanovela.
In case you still didn’t know, employees in Japan can have these dramatic main-character moments even at their workplace. A company in Tokyo is offering “handsome weeping boys” to do the job for a fairly affordable fee.
Ikemeso Danshi (which translates to “handsome weeping boy”) rents good-looking men to brush away employees’ tears at their offices. Customers who would like to avail of the tear-wiping service can choose any of the “Ikemeso boys” on the catalog on its website and proceed to place an “order” for a fee of JPY 7,900 (PHP 3,015).
The selection ranges from a “Showa face adult Ikemeso boy” wearing a checkered shirt to a “healing Mista-Tokyo Ikemeso boy” in a button-down shirt and a casual blazer. According to BBC, others portray the role of a gymnast, shoe shiner, and funeral director.
These men hold a “crying workshop” at the client’s office, wherein they gather the employees in a room and play sad films, songs, and videos meant to tug at their heartstrings and make them cry naturally. Then, the hired “Ikemeso boy” brings out his handkerchief, approaches the employees, and softly wipes their tears one by one.
Each of the men is skilled not only in wiping tears but also in crying. They make sure that they do so every session, as this would prompt the participants “to follow.”
Related story: In Japan, workers pay resignation agencies up to 50,000 yen to help quit their jobs
The company’s founder, Hiroki Terai, started his crying business in 2013, after running divorce ceremonies for couples whose marriages have fallen apart. He told BBC that, according to his clients, crying was “the most cathartic moment” of the event. The same happened with people who availed of his crying services in its early years: “People would come and cry together. When they cried, they said they felt really good afterward.”
He expanded his services to include the rental of “Ikemeso boys” to encourage office employees to show their vulnerable selves in front of others. In this way, stronger bonds are made and so is a better team. One of Terai’s Ikemeso boys, Ryusei, explained to BBC, “Japanese are not used to crying in front of people, but once you cry in front of others, the environment will change, particularly in a business.”
Terai particularly chose handsome men to do the work as good looks, he said, can make anything “more exciting.” But above all, Ikemeso Danshi’s purpose is to establish an environment where expressing one’s self is not only tolerated but embraced.
Related story: Some businesses in Japan now charging tourists more in recent push against overtourism
“I want Japanese people to cry not only at home but also in the office,” Terai said. “If you cry at work, you think your co-workers will not want to touch you—there’s a really negative image.”
“But I know that after you cry and let people see your vulnerability, you can get along even better with people, which is also good for the company. It creates a better working environment and people get along together,” he concluded.
Related story: Here’s when and where to see Japan’s cherry blossoms in full bloom this spring
