Voice 1 Hello and welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ruby Jones. Voice 2 And I'm Ryan Geertsma. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1 The Ja la la cafe, Tokyo. This is a very popular meeting-place in the capital city of Japan. But it is not just humans who fill the room. There are also animals. A large, white cat lies on one of the tables. A young man has his arm around this beautiful animal. He is smiling for his friend, who is taking a picture of him. Another young man holds a different cat in his arms. He passes his hand again and again over the animal's brown fur - stroking it. Its soft hair is so gentle to his touch! The cat purrs happily. After a while, the young man looks at the clock on the wall. It is time to go. He places the cat gently back onto its special seat. It has cost the young man ten dollars to spend one hour with the cat. But he believes that it was worth the money. And he will return to the Ja la la Cafe as soon as he can.
Voice 2 The Ja La la Cafe is just one of many animal cafes in Tokyo - there are more than 150 of them! These businesses rent out several kinds of animals - cats, dogs, and even insects! Many Japanese people love animals. And they would like to own one. But there are reasons why this is not possible. They may not have room for an animal in their home. Or, they may travel a lot for their job. So, the idea of renting an animal for friendship is very popular. Kaori works as a server in a restaurant. But on Sunday afternoons she does not work. So, she rents a dog. For her, the dog has become like a real friend. And yet she knows that this can only ever be a temporary solution. She says: Voice 3 "When I look into his eyes, I think he is my dog. But then I take him back to the animal cafe. And he runs away from me. He starts to get excited when he sees the next person waiting for him. And that is when I know he is only a rental dog." Voice 1 In Japan, you can rent animals as friends. But, you can also rent people! "Hagemashi Tai" is another rental business in Tokyo. It rents out actors who can play the part of family members. For example, a single mother with children may want to rent a ‘father' for a few hours a week. This ‘father' may then spend time playing with the children. He may help them with their schoolwork. Or he may help to solve any problems they have. The rental father cannot be there all the time. But some people believe that having a temporary father - even just for a few hours - is better than nothing.
Voice 2 The idea of renting friendship may seem strange. Some people believe that it goes against the true values of friendship. It usually takes time for people to become good friends - time to share experiences and create memories. Spotlight asked a number of people about their experiences of friendship. Here is what they said: Voice 4 "The best thing about friendship is knowing you have someone to talk to." Voice 5 "Friendship continues through life. And you can be yourself with your friend. You do not have to try and act in a particular way! You know your friend very well and he knows you very well...it is a trusting relationship." Voice 6 "A friend is someone to share life experiences with. Someone to share ideas with. Someone to share life itself with - this is the best thing." Voice 7 "I may make a stupid mistake. Or I may be worrying about something small. But I know I can tell my friend about it, and it will not make any difference to our friendship. She is always there for me." Voice 1 So, can renting a friend for a short amount of time each week be like normal friendship? It may be possible. But some people would say that it reduces the worth of the person seeking the friendship. Surely everybody deserves to have a friend - they should not have to pay for one!
Voice 2 However, some people find it difficult to make friends. They may have lonely, loveless lives. One place that they may look for help is the Internet. Websites such as Facebook and hi5 offer friendship through the computer. Online messages, sharing pictures, discussing issues with people - these create links of friendship.
Voice 1 Andrew McCollum is one of the people who started Facebook. Andrew says that they did not create Facebook as a friendship-making website. He says that they started it as a way for existing friends to communicate online. They did not want to damage real face to face friendships. Instead, they wanted to improve them. Andrew McCollum describes Facebook like this: Voice 5 "Facebook does nothing more than provide a service. It is a bit like a very big telephone book - but Facebook has different kinds of information - information that people add about themselves". Voice 1 Many people do make new friends through the internet. But they may not have the chance to meet and spend time together. Humans are social beings - they need the company of other people! They always have. Listen to this: Voice 3 "It is better to have a friend than to be all alone. When you work with a friend, you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn....and if you fall, your friend can help you up." Voice 1 That advice comes from the Christian Bible. It is over two thousand years old.
Voice 2 Today, there are plenty of places where we can meet new friends- sports clubs, evening classes, at work, in a church - anywhere that people meet together. Making time in life to meet people with similar interests can be a good thing. It is not always easy to take the first step. But it may result in making friendships that will last a life-time!
Voice 1 What qualities do you think are important in a friend? Write and tell us! Our e-mail address is Radio @ English . net. And, talking of Facebook, why not visit Spotlight's Facebook page? Look for the group ‘Spotlight Radio'. Voice 2 The writer and producer of today's programme was Ruby Jones. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can hear this programme again on our website, http://www.radio.English.net. The programme is called "Rent-A-Friend". Thank you for listening, goodbye.
