Host Clubs: Entertainment for the Lonely Ladies of Japan

Many people in the West have a vague idea of what Japanese Host Clubs are thanks to the popularity of the manga series Ouran High School Host Club and its anime adaptation. The story of "Ouran" takes place in a Japanese elite high school, the Ouran Academy, and its plot focuses on a club of handsome male students “with far too much time on their hands” who entertain their female colleagues as a hobby.

Real life Host Clubs share basically the same concept: they provide a fun and carefree environment where women can enjoy male company, but unlike in fiction ladies pay for it and it can became a very expensive pastime.

Flesh-and-bone hosts, similarly to their manga counterparts also create a persona, based on a kei (type), designed to attract and please their guests. About nineteen kei are widely recognized, the most common ones being the prince type, the wild/bad boy type (wirudokei), the comedic type (owaraikei), the gentle/healing type (iyashikei). Princes and bad boys are easily told apart by clothing, hairstyles and jewelry design; bad boys also flirt more boldly and fiercely than any other type. Other kei reveal themselves as talk progresses –comedic types normally tell jokes or funny stories and perform magic tricks; gentle types are more serious and will listen to stressed out guests and offer advice.

All hosts go by stages names and their main, immediate goal is to entertain their guests. Relationship among hosts and their customers are purely platonic; in other words, no romance or sex is involved, as a principle. Some clubs tolerate and even may arrange sex among hosts and guests whenever a good sum of money is offered, and, on the other extreme, there are clubs which completely banned the practice.

The basic service offered by any host club is an one to two hours stay, where the customer may choose a host for the night, if they do not have a designated host (shimeisha) already, or alternatively have available hosts coming to their table, switching from time to time. A first visit to any host club is normally inexpensive (the cheapest around $10 with all-you-can-drink or at least a set of free drinks included), from the second visit on customers may expect much higher bills.

Regular customers will obligatory have a shimeisha, their favorite host, who will tend to them in all times they come to the club. They may also “rent” their shimeisha for a daytrip or to attend work and family parties as dates. Designated hosts cannot be changed, except if the customer has a valid complaint about them, so the choice, which commonly occurs in the first visit to the club (but in some clubs can be postponed to a second or third time around) must be wise.

As a rule, hosts are respectful, fun and outgoing. Beside very personal questions, unexpected compliments and some bold flirting, they will not make inappropriate advances. Hosts are trained on the proper way to talk, mix drinks, act gentlemanly and make sure their guests are having a good time.

It should be in your bucket list

Despite all the myths circulating on the internet, even as a foreigner, alone, short of money and with little to none Japanese skills you still can visit a Host Club and have a good time at it. This is what you will face in your first visit.

First off, you need to find a host. Easiest places to spot them: Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo and Namba in Osaka. Go between 6PM (7PM in winter) and 10AM. At these hours clubs aren’t completely packed so you will have higher chances to meet the top hosts and will not be automatically stuck with the newbies.

You will know you are looking at a host when you see a guy wearing suit or nice brand clothes handing out flyers and trying to pick up on passing girls on the street to bring them to their clubs (the infamous nanpa). You may hear them greeting some people with an “Ohayo” (good morning). Some hosts will ignore foreigners or may act politely uninterested if you approach them speaking English, but others will chase after you anyway and will invite you into their club once they make sure communication is possible. It really depends on the host, on his level of English and on the club he works in.

On the way to the club you will be told how much one or two hours in the club will cost. Make all questions regarding prices and payment methods before coming in. Paying cash is an unwritten rule and not all host clubs accept credit cards, so if you need to use yours, check with the hosts if it will be accepted.

At the entrance you will be asked for an ID (aka your passport). By law you should be 20 to be allowed in, most clubs completely ignore this rule tough. Underage drinking is also common occurrence in host clubs.

As you walk in, a group of hosts will welcome you and talk to you for a bit, then you may choose from a catalogue (also called boy menu) which host you wish to talk to. You may also not choose anyone in particular and instead meet all available hosts, one to three at a time, or even more if the shop is empty. In practice, doesn’t matter much what you choose. If you choose a host, he will be only the first one to come to talk to you –if he is available at the moment. If not, other hosts will keep you company while he doesn’t arrive and will return to your table when he leaves.

No need to worry about being forgotten and abandoned on a corner. Hosts will get an earful if they leave a guest unattended, so this will not happen.

Do not believe a word hosts will tell you. Sometimes they mean what they say, sometimes they do not. You really will not ever know.

When your time is up, your bill will be brought to you at your table. Do not forget to inform your host very clearly for how long you plan to stay there and keep track of time just in case. If you decide to stay a bit longer the hourly fee will be significantly higher.

When you leave, a host will escort you to the door, sometimes even to the closest train/subway station or will wait with you till you get a cab.

Do not invite hosts to hangout outside the club or try to befriend them. You will find it is extremely easy to spend their off-duty time with them, but as a beginner on this scene I would recommend you to keep your distance.

Conclusion

This article only scratched the surface of the Host Club scene in Japan and provided a very general outline of what it is and a brief survival guide if the reader were to embark right now to Japan and go host hunting. Upcoming articles will elaborate more on this intriguing subculture, its habits, etiquette and controversial points.

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