Japan declares war on ‘host clubs’

Japan leads the offensive against the “clubs ofhosts“, where men entertain women ready to pay for a pseudo-idyll: a prosperous sector but plagued by “scammers”, recognizes John Reno, a figure in the sector, for whom it was time to clean house.

The principle of these flashy establishments, omnipresent in Japan, is based on “hosts», young, elegant and well-coiffed men, who charm female clients with beautiful words and an illusion of intimacy.

In exchange, these customers pay for bottles of champagne and other overpriced drinks, going so far as to spend several tens of thousands of € in one evening in extreme cases.

But the authorities are toughening their tone in the face of accusations that some women, in love, are pushed to contract enormous debts – and for some reduced to prostitution to repay them.

Legislation that came into force in June now prohibits taking advantage of women’s romantic feelings to push them to order drinks at exorbitant prices.

A blow to this sector built on the game of pseudo-romance, ranging from harmless flirtations to after-hours sex.

For John Reno (his name in the profession), 29 years old and “star” host of the Kabukicho red light district in Tokyo, this repression is not surprising, as “the number of hosts close to the crooks” exploded, he confided to AFP.

Formerly, the hosts played on the impression of intimacy as a tool for women’s entertainment, he said.

But today, “their state of mind is roughly: sIf you love me, then don’t complainwhich amounts to silencing women and exploiting their emotional dependence,” says the young man, owner of “Club J”.

In 2024, around 2,800 cases of “problems” linked to host clubs were reported to the police, compared to 2,100 two years earlier, according to official data.

Suspicions of sexual exploitation have provoked deep questioning: some hosts are suspected of making profits by introducing their broke clients to touts who introduce them into the sex industry, according to the police.

And women seem ready to accept anything for their host favorite. “These hosts promise them in return that they will be rewarded with a real relationship, or even marriage,” criticizes Reno. “It’s nothing other than a scam,” he insists, specifying that no employee of his “Club J” uses such practices.

Formerly frequented by wealthy businesswomen, host clubs are increasingly welcoming young girls in distress with “nowhere to go,” says Arata Sakamoto, of the NGO “Rescue Hub» based in Kabukicho. “The clubs have become a place where they feel accepted” and can “be themselves, even if it is for money,” he observes.

On this July evening, at the flamboyant “Platina” club, a 26-year-old woman toasts surrounded by smiling men, but ensures she keeps a cool head.

“Some hosts go so far as to brainwash you, but women should also know not to drink beyond their means,” confides this independent worker, on condition of anonymity.

Another customer, 34, employed in the technology sector, says she frequents the Platina to “put a little spice in my monotonous life”. “I hope this place continues to make my female hormones bubble,” she smiles.

The new rules, which are very general, do not prohibit gestures of intimacy per se, but behaviors such as threatening to end a relationship with a customer if they refuse to order drinks.

Another development is destabilizing the sector: the police have informed clubs that, on advertising panels, formulas praising the performance or popularity of a “host» are now prohibited.

These noisy posters proclaiming a host “Nº1” or “multi-millionaire” fueling fierce competition on the basis of the income supposedly pocketed. Proclaiming oneself a “conqueror,” “god,” or “king” of Kabukicho, or inviting clients to “drown in love,” is also prohibited.

Result: black bands cover the banned slogans, erasing the glamorous portraits.

“A radical milestone has been reached”, this leads to a profound “loss of morale” among the hostsdeplores to AFP Ran Sena, 43 years old, owner of the Platina club.

“Many dream of being called No. 1, of winning a title and becoming famous in this neighborhood,” but without ranking or public reward, “they no longer even know what they should aim for,” he explains.

For customers too, these rankings were proof that their money contributed to the rise of their “oshi” (favorite). “Honestly, I think this sector will decline,” concludes Sena