Popular Female YouTuber R-chan Among Users — A Closer Look at Japan’s Leading Paid Drinking App Company

Experiencing paid drinking companionship through two popular apps

Once a pastime limited to a select group of people who participated only through personal introductions, paid drinking companionship has now firmly established itself as a market. One factor behind this is the growing number of dedicated apps. There are now said to be nearly 20 such apps, with increasing specialization into categories such as women aged 25 and under, women aged 30 and over, and specializing in erotic drinking.

The largest of these is “pato.” Since its launch in 2017, the app has accumulated 17,000 registered female companions, with more than 750,000 matches. In November 2025, YouTuber R-chan joined the company as its CBO (Chief Branding Officer). Then, in April of this year, R-chan announced in a video titled “I’m Broke, So I’ll Work for pato” that she would register as a companion herself. Each of these announcements has attracted criticism, but conversely, this also demonstrates just how commonplace paid drinking companionship is becoming.

At the same time, there have been several incidents surrounding paid drinking companionship. From November to December 2022, company executives and others were arrested on suspicion of mixing methamphetamine into drinks during paid drinking sessions at bars in Minato Ward and a hotel in Bunkyo Ward, causing two women in their 20s to become disoriented and allegedly subjecting them to indecent acts. More recently, in May of this year, a video was uploaded to social media showing women who participated in paid drinking sessions being made to perform a nude human pyramid while champagne was poured over them, sparking an online backlash. There is no shortage of other questionable incidents.

So, what kind of women are registered on paid drinking apps? The writer registered with both “pato” and “aima,” which is considered the second-largest service, met women one-on-one, and investigated the two apps. In Part 1, the article introduces a woman the writer met through “pato.”

First, “pato.” When the writer logged into the app, messages began pouring in from women one after another. Many had the look of what is stereotypically known as a “Minato Ward girl,” and the fee for drinking together was close to ¥20,000 per 30 minutes. They gave off a distinctly professional impression. After exchanging messages with several women, the writer chose a friendly 24-year-old woman. The deciding factor was that she did not seem much like the typical paid drinking companion.

Only 10% of female applicants pass the interview

Here is a brief explanation of how the system works. “pato” operates on a points system, with male users purchasing points in advance through the app and using them to make payments. Payment is by credit card only, and no cash is exchanged directly. Male users are also required to submit identification documents when registering. For one-on-one meetings, the female companions set their own rates, with the going rate generally ranging from ¥5,000 to ¥15,000 per 30 minutes. The minimum booking is one hour, after which the session is automatically extended in 30-minute increments.

The woman who arrived at the designated meeting place had a modern look, with large, striking eyes. She arrived before the appointed time and was already waiting at the table. Her rate was ¥7,500 per 30 minutes, making exactly ¥30,000 for two hours.

There is an interview process to become a “pato” companion, and the acceptance rate is said to be around 10%. What surprised the writer when meeting her, however, was her conversational ability rather than her appearance. She talked about herself while also asking questions in return. There was almost none of the awkwardness typically associated with meeting someone for the first time. It made the writer think that there was a reason she had made it through the narrow gate of a 10% acceptance rate.

She said she got started after being introduced by a friend. She had suddenly quit her previous job and was looking for a quick way to earn money while waiting to secure her next position.

“I received quite a lot of offers. When you work it out as an hourly wage, it’s much better than a part-time job. But that’s actually what made me think it could be dangerous.”

She had been doing it for two months. However, she said she was planning to quit this month.

“I felt I shouldn’t get used to this world”

“I was simply tired. I met so many strangers in such a short period of time. Also, the hourly rate was so good that I felt I shouldn’t get used to this world. My company might find out, and I don’t really understand the tax implications either. I felt the risks were too great.”

When asked how much she had earned in two months, she said approximately ¥1.5 million. Her initial rate was ¥15,000 per hour, with about ¥10,000 per hour left after fees. Assuming she took home ¥30,000 for a three-hour session, a simple calculation suggests she did this nearly 50 times. She packed her schedule from daytime through the evening, and on some days stayed out until morning. She also said that she had lowered her rate to around ¥5,000 per 30 minutes in order to attract offers.

“By that point, I was just happy whenever I received an offer.”

While she was able to make good money, she also had some frightening experiences.

“There were times when I went thinking it was going to be one-on-one, only to find out there were a lot of people. The scariest was when I was invited to a private room at a members-only bar, and I didn’t even know the name of the place.”

She also complained that the younger users tended not to finalize their schedules until the last minute.

“Until they contact me, all I can do is keep my schedule open and wait. I did feel like I was being used for their convenience.”

When asked whether she had encountered strange customers, she immediately replied, “Absolutely.”

She said she was particularly uncomfortable with so-called “party-boy” groups that got rowdy playing drinking games. On the other hand, she said that older men were often kinder and more composed. She had previously been attracted to men around her own age, but now she apparently feels more comfortable with men around 28 to 40. When asked why, she answered, “They’re more composed and have more leeway.”

Although communicating outside the app is prohibited under its terms of service, she casually admitted, “If they’re a nice person, I exchange LINE contacts with them.” If the two meet directly without going through the app, there are financial benefits for both sides. The woman can avoid paying the 20–30% commission to the operator, while the man can avoid paying the higher rates charged through the app. The particularly costly aspect for male users is extending a session, for which the per-30-minute rate jumps to 1.3 times the original rate.

So, what kind of relationship can develop after exchanging LINE contacts?

“If we were to meet directly, I charge ¥10,000 an hour.”

Even after leaving the app, the rate is still determined on an hourly basis. This woman’s take-home amount through the app was a little over ¥10,000 per hour. Since there would be no operator taking a cut, it is understandable that she would not want to lower her take-home pay. The distinctly paid drinking companion mindset of putting a price on each hour apparently remains unchanged even after the relationship becomes personal.

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