She had faced tough times before, but when she noticed a change in her daughter she knew she had to do something. Being a single mom had challenges of its own, but now she couldn’t wait any longer.
Little did she know, she would soon be forced to do the unthinkable. And 10 years later, her daughter still didn’t know what she'd done.
Japan resident and mother, Asako, wasn’t prepared for the day that her world collapsed. She had just given birth to her daughter, Megumi.
Although the birth was uncomplicated, the first-time mother expressed the usual worries and concerns as she embarked upon the difficult road to parenthood. But she never imagined that there would be so much trouble ahead.
Just a few days after Asako had brought little Megumi home, the man she loved dealt her a devastating blow. He packed his suitcase and left without another word. It was on that day that Asako made a vow.
She would raise the little girl herself as best she could. She prepared herself for the inevitable questions that Megumi would have later in life, but she could never have prepared for this.
Naturally, as Megumi grew older and began to attend school, she quickly noticed that there was something different about her family. The other children would speak about their dads and Megumi wondered why her father was conspicuously absent from her life.
At first, it didn’t seem to bother her much, if fact, she seemed to be quite well-adjusted – until her tenth birthday came rolling around.
Megumi had become very anti-social in the last few weeks, which was not at all like the little girl. Something inside Asako told her that something just wasn’t right. Megumi had stopped playing with other kids and seemed to be extremely distracted when she was in class.
Even more worrying, she now spent the majority of her time alone. Something was up – but what was it?
Asako had sleepless nights worrying about how she could make her daughter happy again. She discussed it with her friends and it became clear that her child was lacking something in her life. Was her unusual behavior normal for a child her age?
She couldn’t be sure. Did not having a father-figure during her formative years have something to do with it? She suspected so.
Asako thought she knew the root of Megumi’s problems. But she had a good career and had already had her heart broken once. After her husband had left, she couldn’t bear the thought of starting a new romantic relationship.
She was happy to focus on work and on being the best mom she could to her daughter. And she did -- for 10 years. But, clearly, it hadn’t been enough.
After a few more months of Megumi becoming more and more withdrawn, Asako decided that enough was enough. After meetings with her teachers, she sat her daughter down for a little chat.
She had to get to the bottom of her troubles. When Megumi admitted that she no longer wanted to go to school because she was being bullied by her classmates for not having a father, Asako knew she had to take action.
Asako had done all the research before she reached her conclusion. If she couldn’t produce a father for Megumi, the child might become even more withdrawn. But how could she do this? Even if she began dating again, she ran the risk of Megumi forming an attachment that may not last.
What if something went wrong? Wouldn’t this only cause more damage down the line? Then, she came across something online that changed everything.
“If I play my cards right, nobody would ever have to know…” Asako thought as she dialed the number that would change her life. At the time, it had seemed like the answer to all her problems.
All she had to do was call this number, and the rest would be taken care of. It seemed too good to be true.
After setting everything up, Asako informed Megumi that her father wanted to reconnect with her. Of course, Megumi had some questions for the man who hadn’t been in her life for the last decade.
“It was a very complex emotion that was there,” Ishii told BBC News. “She asked me why I hadn’t come to see her before, and I felt her resentment.”
“After a time, Megumi became much happier and more outgoing,” the mom said. “She loved to talk, she was lively.
She even wanted to go back to school, and that’s when I thought, ‘This has all been worth it!’” But what Asako did to bring Megumi’s father back into her life would be considered to be a drastic measure by some.
When Asako came across a website called Family Romance online and hatched a rather unorthodox plan to fill the void in her daughter’s life, she felt like she had no choice but to take drastic measures. And, a few months down the line, her elaborate ruse appeared to be working.
But what had Asako done to make this happen?
Asako had hired a man named Ishii to play the role of Megumi’s father. “I found [Ishii to be] the easiest to talk to,” Asako explained. “He’s very kind and sweet, so I just followed my instincts.
My requests were very simple. Firstly, I wanted him to say how sorry he was that he couldn’t be in Megumi’s life until then. Secondly, I wanted him to listen to whatever she wanted to tell him.” But Asako hadn’t thought carefully about what would have to happen next.
Ishii Yuichi continued to play the role of Megumi’s father. At a rate of $200 for a few hours of his time, he would adopt the father’s identity -- with the girl completely unaware of the truth.
While this seems to be a strange setup, it’s not as uncommon in Japan as one might think…
Ishii had wanted to fulfill a very real need among Japan’s people when he founded his business, Family Romance. He recognized the fact that there are many people looking for services just like the ones he is offering.
He acts as a “surrogate” for many parts of his customers’ lives. “We receive about 250 requests a month, and our customer satisfaction rate is 98 percent,” he states on the company’s website.
“It is a company that is moving, because of the desire to make people’s lives better,” he writes on the firm’s website. “[We are] a venture company presenting new common sense to the world through the web.” Some of the services the company offers go above and beyond to ensure satisfaction from their clients.
Indeed, Ishii has been playing the role of Megumi’s father for the last 10 years. But surely he can’t do it indefinitely?
“If the client never reveals the truth, I must continue the role indefinitely,” Yuichi told The Atlantic. “If the daughter gets married, I have to act as a father at that wedding.
And then I have to be the grandfather. So, I always ask every client, ‘Are you prepared to sustain this lie?’ It’s the most significant problem our company has.” And, obviously, the company also has some rules.
“In this company, one person can only have five families at a time,” Ishii said. “That’s the rule. It’s not only about secrecy.
The client always asks for the ideal husband, the ideal father. That’s a very difficult role to maintain.” But those are not the only problems that arose from Asako’s long-running scheme…
It’s almost inevitable that some complications will arise from such an unusual arrangement. “When the three of us are together, I feel at peace,” Asako said of her relationship with Megumi and Ishii.
“We talk, we laugh, and we are very kind to each other. He’s been in our lives for such a long time now, I would like to marry him and become a real family.” But does Ishii feel the same way?
“I have told [Ishii how I feel], but he told me to my face that he’s with us because it’s his job,” she said. “It’s very complicated.
I’m very aware that he’s only with us because we’re paying him.” Because Ishii has been in her life for such a long time, it’s only natural for feelings to become involved. But what will happen if Megumi ever finds out the truth?
Ishii feels that she won’t react too badly if she ever finds out. And he’s confident she will appreciate what he’s done for her. After all, he played his role flawlessly to give her a better life.
And he’s sure she will recognize how much it meant to her mother to make sure she had everything she ever needed. But what do other people think of the situation?
Asako hasn’t regretted her decision to hire a surrogate father for her daughter for a second. “I know some people think it’s foolish to pay money to lie to my own daughter and to have a pretend father, but I was desperate,” the mom explained.
“My situation isn’t unique. I’m sure there are loads more surrogate fathers and mothers out there.”