I flew to Japan for the day to rent a father and heal generational trauma after my Dad walked out when I was 11
A woman has caused a storm on social media after revealing she hired a dad for a day to cure her ‘daddy issues’.
Tyen Rasif, 28, traveled from Singapore to Japan to employ a surrogate mother and documented the experience TikTok.
The singer and fitness instructor explained that her father “ran away” when she was 11 years old, and she has missed the fatherly presence in her life ever since.
To find a similar connection elsewhere, Tyen took to the streets of Tokyo and hired a father-like figure for a day in exchange for money.
The experience was extremely positive for Tyen and by the end she felt like she had “found a father in Japan.”
Tyen Rasif (left) traveled from Singapore to Tokyo to spend the day with a hired father figure, Mr Notori (right)
The clip has been viewed more than two million times and now others want to follow in her footsteps.
Tyne’s desire to acquire a company is nothing new in Japan, where there is a loneliness epidemic with 1.5 million people considered social loners, according to a study. government survey.
‘I flew to Tokyo to meet my father. In Japan you can rent a girlfriend, boyfriend and even families,” Tyen explained in the clip.
She added: ‘Because mine (her father) ran away when I was 11, I hired an old man.’
That man is Mr Natori, a 63-year-old who previously lived in Singapore and China, but has since settled in Japan.
The pair had a busy day together.
‘We thought about what a normal father-daughter holiday would look like. We visited a temple, got matcha and he gave me life advice,” Tyen said.
“I understand why you’re raising your eyebrows about this, but after talking to him I realized why these types of services are so useful, especially in one of the loneliest countries in the world.”
The singer then asked Mr. Natori what is the strangest request he has received while working.
He explained that the most unusual request came from an actress who hired him to sit in the stands and watch her show.
The pair spent the day doing typical father-daughter activities, including visiting a temple and going to a cafe
Tyen said, “As a young girl I see my friend’s father watching their concerts, I can see how this is healing.”
Mr. Natori added that he chose to enter this profession instead of retiring because he would rather help others.
He explained that 20 percent of his clients are men who are looking for an older person to tour the city with because it makes them feel safer.
After a day full of activities, including fortune telling in a Buddhist temple, they parted ways.
Tyen concluded, “Saying goodbye was very difficult, but it was reassuring that I have a father in Japan who I will hopefully meet again.”
The clip caused a firestorm on social media, with viewers taking to the comments section to explain their thoughts on the service.
One said: ‘This actually sounds really nice. As someone who has no contact with family, this could be so healing for people like me.”
A second added: ‘I don’t think this is weird. I believe this would help heal many who are working through generational trauma related to toxic parents.”
Viewers took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the concept, and many were impressed
‘Is this cheaper than therapy? Asking for a friend,” said a third. A fourth added: ‘Okay I think this will definitely cure daddy issues. I am crying.’
Another added: ‘This is actually healthy. And beneficial for both parties. Brilliant!’.
It comes after a cafe in Japan created a workplace for elderly dementia patients, but the seemingly sweet concept has divided viewers online.
At the Café of Mistaken Orders in Tokyo, customers can expect plates of food they never ordered, or no food at all, but mistakes are “embraced with compassion.”
On TikTok, a visitor named Myhlee shared footage of the cafe – where viewers can see clips of older workers with dementia bringing food and hot drinks to patients.
The concept is not new to Japan, and the city has witnessed restaurants of a similar nature popping up across the country.
The idea has captivated viewers and Myhlee’s video has since been viewed nearly two million times. But while many find the idea “sweet,” one rationalized it as “dystopian.”
Japan is currently struggling with a rapidly aging population, with seniors expected to make up as much as 40 percent of the population by 2060.
The country is eager to find ideas to support its aging population, including those with dementia and memory loss.
To tackle some of the problem, a cafe has hired workers with the disease to boost productivity in old age.
She explained, “Mixups are common here; servers bring the wrong order to your table, or they don’t bring your order at all, but any confusion is embraced with compassion.”
‘This is a safe space where dementia patients can interact with new people and feel needed, which is important for slowing dementia, for which there is no cure.’