As technology is evolving, new professions are also evolving. Has anyone considered having someone there to wipe away tears or alleviate the stress that builds up during long working hours? It always comes to the family. But leaving the home for work, living in loneliness, and having a rigid work culture left them worried. In Japan, a new kind of service originated to reduce work stress and embrace emotions by crying to improve their work lives. Ikemeso danshi, or handsome weeping boys, are hired by offices in Japan to comfort their employees by providing emotional support.
The person behind this service is Hiroki Terai, who runs a Tokyo-based company that provides handsome weeping boys with tear-seeking services. He believes that crying can have a therapeutic advantage for social relations and mental health. Handsome weeping boys are young and attractive. Some have taken this profession part-time or full-time too. Their work includes trying to incite emotional responses in the employees, wiping their tears with tissues, and comforting them.
Hiroki conducts these crying workshops in Tokyo. Talking to the BBC, he expressed his intention behind the tear-seeking service: 'I want Japanese people to relieve their tears not only at home but in the workplace too', as Japanese are not used to crying in front of others. He started by arranging a divorce ceremony for couples, in which they had to mash their wedding rings with a hammer.
This tear-seeking service is available for 7,900 yen (Rs. 4000). Customers can approach them online and hire them for their services. There are options available for selecting from a wide variety. There are different types of weeping boys with special personalities and backgrounds; they can be a dentist or funeral director, a shoe shiner, or a gymnast. The clients can schedule a session with their preferred choice. They come to the office and play emotional videos and songs, sad films that initiate tears in their customers, and they also join them in their tears, comforting them by wiping tears with tissues. The main idea behind this concept is to show emotions openly in public without feeling embarrassed, which brings people together and improves social relations, making them a better team. It also alleviates stress and improves mood.
Similar to Ikemeso Danshi, rent-a-friend and nonsexual cuddling services are emerging in Tokyo.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Lavanya Beeraboina)
