In Japan, ‘grandmother-for-rent’ services allow lonely people to experience maternal comfort

In Japan, more people are choosing to rent a grandmother to help with homemaking tasks and bring warmth to their homes.

The idea began when Tokyo-based company Client Partners noticed that while older male handymen were in demand for repairs and construction, there was also a growing need for older women to assist with daily household chores.

To meet that need, the company launched the OK! Obaachan (OK! Grandmother) served in 2011.

It offers women over 60 meaningful jobs that value their skills and life experience, creating valuable employment opportunities for the elderly while supporting households practically and emotionally.

“I get to go out and have these experiences and that’s why taking this job was the right decision for me,” 69-year-old Taeko Kaji, one of the program’s most active grandmothers, told ABC News.

Why do more people in Japan choose to rent a grandmother

Client Partners first began as a service offering guides and interpreters.

However, concerns about growing loneliness in large cities inspired the company to expand its offerings. They started renting friends, ‘aunts,’ and eventually grandmothers.

The company’s chief executive explained that some clients never had a mother figure.

In these cases, the grandmother staff cook for guests and act as a caring presence, providing the warmth many people have been missing.

“Some people may never have had a mother in the first place,” she said.

This combination of practical help and emotional support has made the service as much about senior companionship as it is about homemaking.

Elderly employment and financial security

The rental grandmother service also addresses a wider national challenge: Japan’s ageing population.

With fewer working-age citizens to support retirees, creating ways for seniors to stay employed has become more important than ever.

In traditional communities, elders often serve as teachers, advisors, and storytellers.

Client Partners’ grandmothers carry on that role while earning a healthy hourly wage of around $55.

For decades, many Japanese women left work after marriage, stayed home to raise their children, and returned to the workforce only in part-time or contract jobs.

While this tradition helped during Japan’s postwar economic growth, it left some women — especially those who were never married or lost their husbands — with little financial security.

Japan’s pension system requires personal contributions through work or coverage under a spouse’s pension plan.

Without these, many women receive a smaller pension, making jobs like those offered by OK! Obaachan is an essential option for income and independence.

Kaori Okano, a professor of Asian Studies and Japanese at La Trobe University, noted that even today, older patterns still affect women’s retirement.

She added that many who left work to raise children only re-entered the workforce in casual roles, which limited their earnings and long-term security.

Challenges older women face in returning to work

Japan’s 2024 Labour Force Survey found that women’s regular employment peaks between 25 and 34.

While improved maternity leave and childcare options have helped more mothers remain in the workforce, a clear gender gap continues.

Eriko Teramura, a professor of human resource management and labour economics at Meikai University, pointed out that “older women often have long periods of unemployment or part-time work, limiting their accumulation of work skills.”

She emphasized that businesses like Client Partners represent an important form of social innovation, combining caregiving, community, and job creation.

She explained that work involving emotional labour and life experience can give older women both purpose and income — benefits that become even more crucial as Japan’s workforce shrinks.

How Japan’s ‘rent a grandmother’ service bridges generations and builds community

Economists from the OECD have warned that Japan’s declining working-age population could slow its economic growth.

To address this, they recommend closing the gender gap in employment and increasing immigration.

The Japanese government has taken some steps in that direction.

A 2026 amendment to the Promotion of Women’s Active Engagement in Professional Life Act will require companies to disclose gender pay differences and the percentage of women in management positions.

For the Client Partners’ CEO, working alongside these women has been a source of hope for Japan’s future.

“Older people have a lot of different experiences and a tough soul, and I’ve learned a lot from Ms Kaji and my colleagues,” she said.

By offering elderly employment and senior companionship, the rent-a-grandmother service has become more than just a business — a bridge between generations.

It allows older women to share their skills and warmth while helping clients feel cared for and connected.

For the grandmothers, the work offers more than just a paycheck. It’s a way to stay active, remain part of the community, and make a meaningful difference.

For their clients, it’s about receiving practical help and the unique comfort that only a grandmother’s presence can bring.

Watch this heartfelt video from Paolo from TOKYO as he shares his touching “rent a grandmother” experience in Japan: