\u201cI finished a film earlier this year in Japan called ‘Rental Family,’ the director, Hikari \u2026 is a Japanese American who has written a story about what it means to have a family as not being the one necessarily that we were born into, but whom we encounter and collect in our lives,\u201d he said. \u201cRental Family is an absurd-sounding, funny title in itself, but you can rent just about anything in Tokyo: a hat, a go-kart and a family.”<\/p>\n
While it may sound unusual, the rental family industry is booming in Japan. With an increased number of single-person households<\/a> in the country, hiring a stand-in family member, whether that\u2019s a parent, sibling or spouse, can temporarily alleviate feelings of loneliness<\/a>. Renting a family member, however, could set you back a pretty penny: The average cost is reportedly between $150 and $300 USD<\/a> for just a few hours. The trend of renting stand-in family members has been well documented on TikTok, where travelers try out the service and speak about their experience using it.<\/p>\n Thomas Manuel, an American TikToker who rented an entire family<\/a> in Japan, said they were \u201cthe most kind, open-hearted, welcoming and respectful people that I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n Tyen Rasif, a Singaporean social media influencer, flew to Tokyo and rented an elderly man for the day. Rasif\u2019s own father left when she was a child.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a young girl seeing my friend\u2019s dads watch their concerts, I can see how this is healing,\u201d she said in a TikTok video<\/a>. \u201cSaying goodbye was really hard, but it was comforting knowing that I have a father in Japan, that I would hopefully meet again.\u201d<\/p>\n As demonstrated by these firsthand accounts, it\u2019s not hard to see how stand-ins could leave a lasting emotional impact on those they\u2019re paid to spend time with, just as Fraser\u2019s character appears to do in Rental Family.<\/p>\n Brendan Fraser at 2023 Academy Awards. (Gilbert Flores\/Variety via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Rental Family will mark Fraser\u2019s first role since his triumphant return to Hollywood with 2022\u2019s The Whale, for which he received the Academy Award for Best Actor. Fraser famously stepped away from the spotlight two decades ago due to a combination of health complications and personal struggles. Fraser, in 2018, alleged to GQ<\/a> that he had been sexually assaulted by Philip Berk, the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, during a luncheon in 2003, and that his career \u201cwithered on a vine\u201d following the incident.<\/p>\n Now that he\u2019s back, fans are rooting for his continued success. Brendan Fraser\u2019s renaissance, or \u201cBrenaissance,\u201d if you will, is moving full steam ahead. The Mummy star is happy to be back in action.<\/p>\n \u201cI was never that far away,\u201d Fraser told Variety<\/a> in 2022. \u201cI\u2019m glad to be here. I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way, and I\u2019m grateful to be doing the job that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Brendan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/7f222ec0-7242-11f0-a7f7-1f7e02fd899c.jpeg\"\/)
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