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In a lot of ways, the NEET social phenomena is something that could only happen in Japan. The term stands for “not in education, employment, or training,” and refers to those individuals who are neither earning a living nor officially doing anything to approach that basic goal in life.

Now, though, one man is putting a twist on the “not in education, employment, or training” label by renting out his services as a professional NEET.

Visitors to Akihabara first spotted the uniquely enterprising man, named Yosuke Naka, hanging around the Denkimachi exit of Akihabara Station early this month. The professionally-attired 25-year-old was seen holding a sign identifying himself as a “rental NEET.”

According to his advertisement, the 25-year-old Naka is a college graduate who’s never had a job. He charges 1,000 yen (US $9.90) an hour for his services, but he’s not here to impart secret techniques for mooching for food or “forgetting” to mail in your job application.


Instead, Naka will simply hang out in Akihabara with his clients. He lists his primary area of expertise as collectible card games such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!, and he’s happy to trade cards or play a few rounds with his customers. Alternatively, he offers to swap tips on building plastic Gundam robot models, or to help with snapping photos.

Naka reports he’s already had three people purchase his company, and the position he takes up near the busy train station ensures his venture is getting plenty of exposure. He’s also had a few people bring him snacks or drinks, which he says he was grateful for since he’d already used up his budget for the day on train fare to Tokyo’s anime and video game mecca.


We’re not entirely convinced rental NEETs will become the same sort of lucrative industry that maid cafes, which also originated in Akihabara, have. Still, considering that he’s currently got the market all to himself, Naka’s got a shot at claiming all of the potential profits for his newly created economic sector, whatever they may be.

Will renting nerds entrench on the renting girls market? Is Yu-Gi-Oh knowledge worth more than a faint giggle? Who are these three people?

 

[Chromax]

I'll rent next time I go!

 

[SwiftDeath]

So by the title of this thread all NEETs are nerds but of course not all nerds are NEETs?

 

[Kallor]

Gaf can rent me anytime.

Spoiler

$50 an hour. I'm sexy.

 

[Mii]

Does he speak English? Could he be my translator?

Next time I go to that potato video game store I need his help.

 

[ISOM]

Isn't he not a neet just due to the fact that he's earning money and seems to have this job?

 

[User 100115]

I wonder how much I could sell my services for a female nerd. I could make bank!

Or really, I'd hang out with people for free if they watched Buffy with me. Damn you, weakness!

 

[firehawk12]

Isn't he not a neet just due to the fact that he's earning money and seems to have this job?

I would hesitate to call this a job.

 

[Milennia]

The TCG meta in america (speaking in terms of yugioh and some others) is shaped in that part of the world, as they get sets before we do most of the time, they are also that good.

 

[Avixph]

I wonder how much I could sell my services for a female nerd. I could make bank!

Or really, I'd hang out with people for free if they watched Buffy with me. Damn you, weakness!

Would you be willing to read stories?

 

[User 100115]

Would you be willing to read stories?

Sure why not?

 

[akira28]

I would rent one as a personal tour guide. Show me all the cool spots for noodles and beer and sushi and hanging out. Maybe a girl guide to help me out at the clubs.

 

[Banjotanooki]

Sounds great for Davido!

 

[Avixph]

Sure why not?

Even NeoGAF threads?

 

[JBourne]

Neat.

 

[Ban Puncher]

"Here's ten dollars. Now show me where the used panties vending machines are, Yosuke."

 

[Technosteve]

I wonder how much I could sell my services for a female nerd. I could make bank!

Or really, I'd hang out with people for free if they watched Buffy with me. Damn you, weakness!

I dunno, can u speak Japanese and can you use your feminine wiles to get me discount pokemans?

 

[Derwind]

I'd be willing to impart my scifi wisdom on clients for $10/hr. I'd also spend time on prattling about my favourite to least favourite XMen movie and why, while going into nitpicking detail about the continuity issues in the movies.

Also I'd flex my Heroclix muscles and as a parting gift I would let them keep the team they built out of my figures. Because I'm just that nice.

Spoiler

I don't own heroclix anymore

I'm a lvl 5 geek. Not impressively geeky but still good enough.

 

[JBourne]

For $15 an hour and compensation for supplies, I will totally demolish you with edibles and let you sit on my sofa and watch My Cat from Hell.

 

[ponpo]

I should go sit near him and compete. I could take people outside of Akiba and I'd automatically be providing a superior service.

 

[Persona7]

Now I can pay someone to go through my backlog of video games.

 

[Fusebox]

If anyone wants to rent a NEET in Sydney I'm up for it. I can play a few matches of MtG and point out the nearest EB games store. Paypal accepted.

 

[Tertullian]

I knew what a Neet was because of this:

Spoiler

It's just okay.

 

[Iztli]

I wonder how much I could sell my services for a female nerd. I could make bank!

Or really, I'd hang out with people for free if they watched Buffy with me. Damn you, weakness!

My co-worker laughed at me when I told him that I loved Buffy back in the day... and I still do. I even enjoyed Angel.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Wasn't there an arcade in Japan that had cheerleaders? That would be sweet.

 

[nintendork666]

My co-worker laughed at me when I told him that I loved Buffy back in the day... and I still do. I even enjoyed Angel.

Best series (and spin-off) to ever hit TV as far as I'm concerned.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

Only Japan would do this.

 

[Avixph]

I should go sit near him and compete. I could take people outside of Akiba and I'd automatically be providing a superior service.

But are you a Japanese Neet?

 

[Jason's Ultimatum]

Neat.

don't you mean neet? Get it? Kwekwekwekwekwe.

 

[Rayis]

I'd rent Yosuke-kun

 

[Ken]

I knew what a Neet was because of this:

so much potential squandered

 

[shira]

I would pay someone $10 to stand in lines for me. Nothing I hate more than that.

 

[Peter Bazooka]

I knew what a Neet was because of this:

Spoiler

It's just okay.

I knew because of this:

Spoiler

It's fantastic.

 

[Tertullian]

so much potential squandered

Amen, man. Great premise, totally inadequate followthrough.

 

[Pumpkins]

This guy sounds exactly like Don Pratt.

http://youtu.be/1AhgyXtZQgU

 

[User 100115]

Even NeoGAF threads?

Hmm. I read them all the time, but out loud? Man, I might have to charge watching Buffy AND Angel for that.

I dunno, can u speak Japanese and can you use your feminine wiles to get me discount pokemans?

I don't speak Japanese. Damn.

 

[Haly]

I should go sit near him and compete. I could take people outside of Akiba and I'd automatically be providing a superior service.

Wuts ur rate?

 

[ponpo]

But are you a Japanese Neet?

H..hai..

Wuts ur rate?

I take you to a cute park in nakameguro and we eat a sandwich by the river - ¥20,000
I take you to a game center and play jubeat for you (song of your choice) - ¥18,000

 

[Avixph]

H..hai..



I take you to a cute park in nakameguro and we eat a sandwich by the river - ¥20,000
I take you to a game center and play jubeat for you (song of your choice) - ¥18,000

Prove it.

 

[Wubby]

Dude should just get a job at Yodobashi camera.

 

[OatmealMu]

H..hai..



I take you to a cute park in nakameguro and we eat a sandwich by the river - ¥20,000
I take you to a game center and play jubeat for you (song of your choice) - ¥18,000

How much does it cost to go to a forest and have you touch whatever bug I point at?

Edit: And this goes for everyone else putting down offers. No quick touches either. I want you to savor the feeling.

 

[PaulExcellent]

He can...
He can help me with my Gunpla?

 

[Avixph]

How much does it cost to go to a forest and have you touch whatever bug I point at?

Edit: And this goes for everyone else putting down offers. No quick touches either. I want you to savor the feeling.

What kind of bugs?

 

[Joni]

In a lot of ways, the NEET social phenomena is something that could only happen in Japan. The term stands for “not in education, employment, or training,” and refers to those individuals who are neither earning a living nor officially doing anything to approach that basic goal in life.

Since when has working become a basic goal in life? I have always seen working as a way to support my actual goals. The phenomena is also happening worldwide, the term NEET isn't even Japanese in origin. It is basically youth unemployement, and at about 7% according to Trading Economics Japan has less NEETS than most European countries, Canada and the US.

 

[GorillaJu]

Damn next time I go to Akiba I'll try to hire him. Japanese teachers charge like 20-30 bucks an hour for lessons. All I want is practice so 10 bucks an hour is cheap!

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I'm slightly confused. Are nerds and needs the same thing, or is the thread title wrong?

 

[Joni]

I'm slightly confused. Are nerds and needs the same thing, or is the thread title wrong?

The thread title is technically correct. You can rent this one guy and he is a nerd. NEETS and nerds are however hugely different concepts and the idea behind the title is completely wrong. NEETS are just young people without jobs that aren't studying, not exclusively nerds.

 

[GorillaJu]

I'm slightly confused. Are nerds and needs the same thing, or is the thread title wrong?

Not all neets are nerds. Not all nerds are neets. This guy is a nerd and a neet.

Some maid cafés are like this too, where you hire them to talk about certain subjects. I went to one a few months ago and they had a catalogue of all the girls who worked there and their interests so I picked the girl who is an expert in Kaiju. We played Connect 4.

 

[tensuke]

Cool, I can rent a guy to build gunpla with me and tell me why all my Yu-Gi-Oh cards are outdated? For only $10/hr?

 

[Dark Ninja]

If he knows English $10 hour is a steal for a translator. I'm not sure what yugioh expert goes for these days