From WaPo (Gift Article): Rent-a-stranger: This Japanese man makes a living showing up and doing nothing. “Their near-silent lunch lasted about 45 minutes. Shirai ordered her favorite dish and intermittently asked questions. She shared memories of her marriage and showed him a photo from the wedding. He nodded and gave curt answers, sometimes a dry laugh. He never initiated conversation.” (This is exactly how my wife would describe a lunch with me.)

+ Vice: I Get Paid to Go on Fake Dates With People to Prepare Them for Real Ones.