What you should know before your trip

A Friday night in Shinjuku is recognizable by the abundance of neon lights, busy footsteps, and the sound of taxi doors opening and closing. After a certain hour, the streets get dirtier, the cigarette butts on the ground multiply, and you start to notice more and more shop fronts with signs saying “18+ only.” Welcome to Kabukicho. Compared to red light districts around the world, many would consider this area a much milder option. However, there is one type of business you won’t find in most other red light districts: host clubs.

A host club is the male equivalent of a hostess establishment. It has exclusively male staff serving a predominantly female clientele who pay for their drinks, entertainment and company. The service that hosts provide is not sexual, although as with many grey area industries, there may be options in some locations. I and a group of female friends, curious about the ins and outs of host clubs, ventured there one evening to experience it first hand.

What you need to know before travelling

Online reservations are recommended at most clubs. We realised this very quickly when we were turned away from our first choice because we didn’t have a reservation. It was a club owned by a man who is considered the “King of Hosts” as he supposedly holds the sales record for the Kabukicho Host Club.

As we explored our options nearby, we found that our large group of nine made it difficult for clubs to accommodate us as hosts could not schedule their shifts that way. Couples or groups of three are preferred as hosts typically cater to guests individually.

After halving our numbers, we were finally able to get a place. We chose it based on the promotional material outside, the fact that it was part of a fairly large entertainment organization, and the testimony of a street vendor who said it was an OK place. He also didn’t get a commission from us as he didn’t work there.

If you don’t speak Japanese, you probably won’t be accepted as a guest. This has nothing to do with you being a foreigner. The charm and attraction of spending time with a host is in the conversation. If communication is difficult, it becomes awkward for both parties. There were no Japanese nationals in our group, but we all spoke conversational Japanese or better. Only one of the hosts at the club we went to spoke English, and he ended up being booked immediately by repeat guests.

The experience of a first-time visitor

If this is your first visit to a host club, you can opt for the first visit rate. This is usually between 2,000 and 5,000 yen and grants you one hour in the club, drinks included. After registering (you’ll need an ID such as your resident card or passport), we were led to a booth where our drink orders were taken. We were then handed an iPad to look through photos of the available hosts. During this time, some of the hosts came over for a 10-minute chat. This allows you to get to know each other and see if you’re a good fit.

Each of us spoke to four different moderators and at the end we were allowed to choose our main moderator, the so-called schimei. Different operators have different policies, but most have the rule that once a customer has decided, he or she can only continue to schimei and no other host. When your time is up, you can stay with him and pay the regular price, or you have to leave.

In the club we were in, the regular price included a table fee of ¥8,000 and a fixed fee of ¥3,000. To make our schimei required an additional ¥3,000. This does not include additional drinks for you and the host, which you must pay for. The price also increases hourly.

The interior of the club looked like any other nightclub with a dark atmosphere. The seats were spacious and comfortable, and the groups were far enough apart that you could barely see the faces of other patrons. Eurobeat music played throughout the night to create a cheerful atmosphere, with the volume always appropriate so that it didn’t disturb the conversation.

About the hosts

All of the presenters were dressed differently and had unique personalities. This could simply be due to their personality or a particular strategy so that each one could stand out and appeal to different customers. My first presenter wore street clothes and had dyed blonde hair. He seemed outgoing, was loving and gave lots of compliments.

The next one had dark hair and wore a light blazer. He was quieter, asked more questions and talked openly about his life. The third presenter was nice but didn’t make much of an impression on me. And then there was the last one, who barely stayed with me as he was called away by someone else very early in the evening. In the short time we were able to speak, he seemed a little rude, but maybe some clients like the “bad boy” type and it was just his aloof personality.

Overall, though, I think the hosts spoke well and seemed to be masters at paying attention to customers and making them feel special. I can see why the host clubs have many repeat customers.

I asked them all why they became hosts and their answers ranged from drinking alcohol to wanting to make a quick buck. They were also curious about the industry after reading a lot about hosting and watching videos. One of them said he enjoyed the competition, pointing out that clubs have a ranking system where the best host of the month usually gets a prize as well as cash prizes.

Most of them were in their early to mid-twenties and had been working as hosts for one to two years. One of them told me that he had worked in a clothing store before becoming a host and liked his current job much better. The club we visited opens at 8pm and closes at 1am. The hosts have one day off per week.

Should you visit a host club?

Finding love and companionship is difficult. In metropolises like Tokyo, population density seems to be inversely proportional to the chances of meeting someone you have a connection with. If you’re lonely, you might want to spend your money at a club where you’re guaranteed to have a good time with great people to talk to, even if it’s only an illusion of intimacy, rather than searching for disappointment on dating apps.

In our specific case, the 2,000 yen we spent to see the inside of a club was worth the time and money. Among my friends, we joked that it was excellent practice for Japanese conversation and cheaper than the average Japanese class. Despite being in the Kabukicho district, we felt safe the entire time we were in the club, but it’s unlikely we’ll go back since we’d have to pay the regular price.

There were Reports and underscores the predatory nature of the hosting club industry. the Japanese government has begun to crack down on dishonest behaviour, such as the ‘pay later’ system, which sometimes leaves customers in huge debts to the host club.

For your own safety, you should only go to a host club with people you trust. You should also do some research online to make sure the club you plan to visit is reputable. Only visit a host club if you have the means to cover the costs. And remember, your relationship with a host is purely business.

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