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It might be a plot for teenage movies of the past, but renting a boyfriend is actually big business.

And in Japan, it can cost you a pretty penny to purchase a pretty face to hang out with you for date night.

Boyfriend Rental, or Rentaru Kareshi, is not the first service which offers young men as companions for social occasions and events.

But featuring this week on Japan's equivalent to This Morning - Hakunetsu Live Vivid - has really brought it into the mainstream, reports Kotaku.

The boyfriends are not all considered to be on the same level, though - and it seems you really pay for quality.

The three categories are Fresh, which costs around £26 an hour; Regular, which is around £32 an hour; and Special, which will cost you £37 an hour.

You cannot kiss or have sex with your boyfriend, of course - the only physical contact allowed is hand-holding or hugging.

It's reportedly housewives who make up 40% of the Rentaru Kareshi market, and half of those are repeat customers.

Hakunetsu Live Vivid featured a woman on a 'date' with her rental boyfriend.

Over a six-hour date, which included shopping and karaoke, the bill for her escort alone was a princely £205.

At least she got a hug at the end.