Thanks, honey -- put it on my AMEX card

What’s that you say? Wives charging their husbands for basic services—- like preparing a boxed lunch to take to the office or dispensing a haircut? Or when making love??

Well, think of them as business-to-business transactions, advises Aera (Aug 3).

“If it helps bring order to a chaotic household, something may change in husband-wife relationships as well,” observes a 42-year-old gent identified only as Kimura, who began paying his wife 400 yen to make him an “obento” to carry daily to the office. Considering he receives 50,000 per month for pocket money, taking his own lunch translates into daily savings of about 500 yen.

A 45-year-old chap named Kobayashi pays his better half to trim his hair. “You pay your barber 3,000 yen; I’ll do it for 1,000,” she proposed. Now, of two monthly trips to the barber shop for a total outlay of 6,000 yen, he now pays 2,000 yen and pockets the remaining 4,000.

More important, the sessions have fostered “skinship” between partners, who look forward to a spirited conversation while she provides him with a skilled clipping.

“It’s a win-win situation for both parties,” says Ryosuke Mizuno, author of a book that examines the value of tasks performed by wives. Which, he says, take on even greater importance in the current era of price deflation.

“Think of them as B-to-B services between companies,” Mizuno counsels. “Adopting this system is a good idea for bolstering the household budget by cutting down on expenditures outside the home.”

A freelance photographer named Maeda found himself with a somewhat different problem. After the birth of the couple’s first child, Mrs Maeda began giving her hubby a wide berth at bedtime. Smarting over this denial of conjugal rights, one evening he blurted out his complaint.

Her response was surprising: “There’s a comedienne in Osaka who collects 10,000 yen from her husband every time they have sex,” she told him.

“I can pay 5,000,” he retorted.

They decided that the stipend should be paid prior to snuggling in bed. He passed her a bank note. She blushed, but accepted it. “Her expression was really endearing,” Maeda recalls fondly.

She uses the income from their marital trysts to purchase sexy underwear. Previously, she’d saved away her earnings for a family trip to Taiwan, which helped to serve as confirmation of their deep affection.

“I realized this also demonstrates how money can be swapped for love,” Maeda tells the magazine.

In an impromptu survey of 20 married women, Aera’s reporter asked, “If your husband were cheating on you, how much would you accept per month not to divorce him?”

Full-time housewives replied they would eschew divorce if they received between 270,000 to 300,000 yen. For those with jobs, the minimum figure was around 1 million yen per month.

“If couples are in a mutually trusting relationship, there’s nothing wrong with having their having fun engaging in monetary dealings,” says counselor Rieko Saigo. “But using money to test forbearance will wreck the marriage.”

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Latest 15 of 70 Total Comments Show All

tigris at 08:52 AM JST - 30th July

TokyoHustla

Not if it's your wife, or girlfriend.

Spousal rape is also called marital [...]. It is a crime in most parts of the Western world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spousal_rape

Moderator: All readers back on topic please.
bokudayo at 01:46 PM JST - 30th July

If the guy has to pay 5000 yen each time he has sex with his wife, sooner or later he will come to the conclusion that if he has to buy his chocolate, he can have a different flavor every time.
TSRnow at 03:41 PM JST - 30th July

I know some working mothers who would like to do the exact opposite.

Some Japanese hubbies are all work, so it's up to the mothers who are also working full time, to do all the housework.
RandomTask at 04:54 PM JST - 30th July

35,000 yen a week for sex? I hope he's got a decent income, I certainly couldnt afford that.
maninjapan79 at 10:02 PM JST - 30th July

"tigris, I think it rather says "there's nothing cheaper than free"" Yeah, sorry dude, you got that one wrong, Nothing is more expensive than free. Refers to all the extra conditions that come with free things, making it more expensive than if youd actually paid for it.....
kyoken at 11:45 PM JST - 30th July

So that is how partnerships work in Japan. Love, respect and dignity.

To the examples, a decent 1000 Yen haircut? available in the "cut only" barbershops (ex. one in Tokyo station), sex for 10.000 Yen? go to the Kawasaki boots; most gorgeous Korean and Japanese you can imagine. Bento for 400 Yen? Do it yourself!

And what is this tradition of giving the husband pocket money? Is there a connection between treating grown up men like kids, with the phenomena of grown up men read sex mangas, playing computer games, making photos from girls underwear ...

The brain is strange thing ... garbage in garbage out.
Taka313 at 04:56 AM JST - 31st July

Although I find the idea of this appalling, If my wife were to charge me for a bento or cleaning the house or for sex, I'd pay it, with zero complaint. I would pay every cent she asked for and throw in tips for good service to boot.

And at the end of the month, she would be presented with a bill for taxi services (I mostly drive), rent, food, utilities and a user's fee for using the stuff bought from the money made from my salary.

I'm thinking the whole billing thing wouldn't last too long after that.

Also, a friend of mine living here in the states just got a divorce and he hired a maid service and for $40 U.S., he said his house was jaw-droppingly clean. He hires her twice a month.

If my wife presented me a bill for house cleaning that was greater than the price of a maid, she might find herself in some trouble.

Taka
knews at 08:09 AM JST - 31st July

My wife controls my salary anyway so I already "pay" for everything I guess!
tsukki at 12:25 PM JST - 31st July

i'd do anything (reasonable) for my man for free and with pleasure. i'd be offended if he paid me. that's because we love each other. i dunno about the couple in the article, do they even love each other?
jwswiss at 02:25 PM JST - 31st July

If you have to pay your wife for sex, that's just sad. True, men shouldn't take their wives for granted, and maybe paying them to make a bento would make them feel more appreciated. But lots of girls quit their jobs after they get married, and are living for free anyway with the guy. While he's out working to pay for the apartment, the least she could do is keep it clean and not complain about it.
Asara at 10:27 PM JST - 31st July

Another good example of how badly the Japanese ordinary human soul is rotting thanks to the western "allies".
Crimsonsil at 11:20 PM JST - 31st July

Another good example of how badly the Japanese ordinary human soul is rotting thanks to the western "allies".

Yeah right, that's where they got the idea from...
pimon at 10:20 PM JST - 1st August

This was a really weird article that made me shiver... I thank goodness my wife and I love each other and do things to help one another out of joy. The people in this article sound very twisted.
helloklitty at 08:28 AM JST - 3rd August

i'd do anything (reasonable) for my man for free and with pleasure. i'd be offended if he paid me. that's because we love each other. i dunno about the couple in the article, do they even love each other?

Congratulations on your wedding. Where are you going for your honeymoon?

Each poster should state how long they've been married. Then we can put their comments in perspective.

I've been married eight years and am not quite to the point where I'd pay for sexual services yet. However, I have noticed my wife slacking off in the kitchen. I'd be willing to pay for some cooking lessons and provide some incentive for her to make food other than Japanese food.
KyotoChris at 11:53 PM JST - 7th August

Paying for sex from your wife is ridiculous. If they do take them money then they're just a step above a prostitute. I understand if it's just some sort of sex game but doing it with seriousness is disgusting.

Taka313 good comment about your monthly bill for food and taxi.