Voices from
the Field
Years of laughter, tears, conflict,
and profound insights as a human rental agent.
At the School Gate, I Become Dad
At the school gate, I straightened my necktie. The woman beside me whispered asking to confirm her daughter's name. This is the reality of being a rental father on entrance ceremony day.
The Day I Stop Hearing 'Thank You for Coming, Dad'
Sitting on a folding chair in the gymnasium, I could still feel the faint chill. No matter how many times I do this, graduation ceremonies carry their own unique tension.
Some Songs You Cannot Sing Alone
Would you go to karaoke with me? The voice on the phone was hoarse. Not from coughing, from disuse. Voices go quiet when they have no one to talk to.
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The Sound of a Kettle on Thursday
Every Thursday afternoon, I visit an elderly woman living alone. She always has the kettle ready. The sound of it boiling has become our ritual.
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A Toast That Never Reaches a Friend
At the first wedding of the new year, I stood as the groom's best friend. The toast echoed through the hall, but the real friend was absent.
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Christmas Night: The Man Who Plays a Role
On Christmas Eve, I carried two cakes. One for 5 PM, another for 8 PM. Two different families, two different husbands.
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A Stepping Stone Is Enough
A client once told me: You are just a stepping stone. She was right. And that is exactly why I continue this work.
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The Man Who Loses His Voice at Sports Day
I cheered until my voice was gone. The boy looked back at me before grabbing the baton. That glance has not changed in six years.
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Delivering 'I Am Sorry': From the Apology Escort Frontline
On a still-hot September afternoon, the client gripped the steering wheel and said he cannot apologize alone. My job is to stand beside him while he does.
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Behind the Obon Lantern Light, Who Am I?
During Obon, I visited a family grave as someone's son. The incense smoke rose, and for a moment, even I forgot I was acting.
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The Unknown Father Sitting Next to the Science Project
The condensation from the barley tea left a ring on the table. Beside a fifth-grader, I looked at his science project plan together.
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Transparent Emotions Like Raindrops: What Is Real?
Last Saturday, I attended a junior high sports day as a boy's father for the sixth year. In the rain, I wondered: is this a lie?
The Husband Standing Next to the Carnation
A fifth-grade girl wanted to buy her mother a Mother's Day gift, but only with Dad. So I became Dad for the afternoon.
On the Morning of the Entrance Ceremony
April brings a surge of requests. Entrance ceremonies, class observations. The calls always come from single mothers who need a father to be there.
Heavier Than a Diploma: A Single Thank You
In the gymnasium, Tabidachi no Hi ni played. Three years of being this girl's father were about to end with this graduation.
On February 14th, I Receive Chocolate as a Husband
On Valentine's Day, I receive chocolate as a husband. The wrapper is carefully chosen, the card handwritten. The feelings are real, even if the relationship is not.
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New Year's Morning: Dad to Three Families
On New Year's morning, I had three messages from three different families. Each one calling me Dad.
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Christmas Night: The Man Who Acts
On Christmas Eve, I was the husband in two different homes. Switching ties between visits, making sure the ring on my left hand matched.
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A Stepping Stone Is Enough: Why I Keep Going
People ask why I continue. The answer is simple: as long as someone needs a father at their entrance ceremony, I will be there.
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The Man Who Cheers Until Hoarse at Sports Day
At the sports day, I cheered for a child who believes I am his real father. My voice was hoarse by the relay race.
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The Man Who Mediates in Autumn
In autumn, neighbor disputes increase. I was called in to mediate between two families who had not spoken in years.
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Please Scold Me Seriously
Please scold me seriously. The man across the table was 34, an IT manager. He wanted someone to tell him the truth.
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Summer Homework with a Father Who Is Not Real
The barley tea was sweating on the table. I sat next to a boy doing his summer homework, pretending to be the father who helps with math.
Read MoreThe Summer Research Project and the Rental Father
For his summer research project, the boy needed a father to help measure, record, and encourage. I was that father for a day.
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A Wedding Where Every Guest Is a Stand-In
Every guest at the wedding was a stand-in. The friends, the coworkers, the speech-giver. Nothing was real except the couple's vows.
Read MoreWhat Is Real? Reflections from a Rainy June
At a rain-soaked sports day, I watched a boy run through mud. The mother beside me wept. Were those tears real? Was my pounding heart real?
Mother's Day: The Gift a Rental Father Helps Choose
I stopped in front of a flower shop. On Mother's Day, I helped a girl choose a carnation for her mom as her father.
The Son Who Visits Every Week
Every week, a young man visits an elderly woman as her grandson. The visits have continued for three years now.
Read MoreEntrance Ceremony: Becoming Dad at the School Gate
At the school gate, a little girl reached up and said, Daddy, hold my hand. Her palm was small, slightly damp, and warm. This is my job.
My 35 Children
Yesterday, I had a first meeting with a new family. The purity in the eyes of a 4-year-old girl gazing up at me reminded me once again of the weight of this work.
The Truth Will Come
When a 6-year-old boy asked me this, I was at a loss for words. I continue to waver between the guilt of lying and the desire to protect this child.
8 Years as a Father
I saw statistics showing that over 30,000 people die alone in Japan each year. Our service is not a fundamental solution. But right now, there are people who need it.
The Trial of School Events
Today, yet another client proposed to me. Watching her cry and say "I truly want to marry you," I felt the difficulty of drawing professional boundaries.
"I put what I feel in the field directly into words.Yuichi Ishii — Human Rental Agency
If it resonates with someone, that is enough."
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