Elite male office workers “hosokatsurai” are on the rise, and they want to be praised by men…

Many people may think that host clubs are for women, but did you know that there are actually a certain number of male customers as well? Most of them are either my peers or rich old men who are tired of playing cabaret, but there are some young men who say that they like host clubs even though they never got into cabaret. Tatsuki (pseudonym, 25), who will be in his second year of work this year, is one of them.

He grew up in an elite family where both his parents graduated from the University of Tokyo and his older sister also passed the entrance exam to a national university’s medical school, so he spent his childhood immersed in his studies.

I was banned from playing games and watching TV, so all I could do was study. When I didn’t have cram school or lessons, I enjoyed playing video games at my friends’ houses more than anything else. In elementary school, I was a member of a gang of delinquents, but I don’t remember feeling like I fit in.

In high school, he went on to one of the top preparatory schools in the prefecture and joined the baseball team. He then went on to study at a prestigious national university after graduating from high school after one year. Tatsuki continued to play baseball at the university, and after graduation, he found a job at a well-known, prestigious company, armed with his natural diligence and physical strength from his athletic training.

It sounds like a good old-fashioned Japanese company, but the sexual harassment and power harassment are just awful. …… Moreover, I was assigned to the blackest department in the company. I was told things like, ‘You’re a 00 University graduate and you don’t know what you’re talking about? I was told, “You graduated from the University of Tokyo, and you don’t even know what you’re talking about. To top it all off, I would be told, “Even this level of harassment is considered power harassment by today’s kids. I’m from the sports club, so I’m totally fine!　I have an attitude of “I’m a member of the gymnastics club, but in reality it’s pretty tough. ……”

If I went to a party or to a cabaret club, I would be treated favorably under the name of my university or company. However, no one understood how hard it was for me to be placed in a very male-dominated organization.

It was then that a female acquaintance invited me to a host club in Kabukicho. He says that the host club, which he visited out of mere curiosity, was more fun and stimulating than he had imagined.

First of all, hostesses are simply interesting to talk to. I thought they were all just a lot of fun guys who weren’t interested in a yinkee like me, but there were also sparkling yangkee guys and surprisingly nerdy girls. Perhaps because we live in a dormitory, there is a strong sense of camaraderie among the hosts, which reminded me of my high school baseball team.

Attracted by such a comfortable atmosphere, Tatsuki eventually became addicted to the host club. The biggest attraction, she says, is “the feeling of being praised by men.

She says, “It doesn’t feel good at all to be praised for your work or career by a woman who doesn’t know the male-dominated society. But when a host who lives in a competitive society compliments me, I feel like he is really looking at me. Of course, I know they are flattering me because of their work, but because we are both men and not in love with each other, I feel like they appreciate me for who I really am.

In between jobs, Tatsuki goes to a host club about twice a month. He visits a variety of host clubs and has a “favorite” host.

He is a host with the same baseball experience as me. I like that he is cool but not pretentious. He said, ‘I really appreciate it when you pour champagne for me. I really want to repay the favor by speaking up.’ So when I get my bonus, I’m going to put champagne in it for him.”

Because they are men, some people are “hosiery crazy” from a different perspective than women.

Sasaki Chihuahua
Born in Tokyo in 2000. After attending an integrated school in Tokyo from elementary school to high school, he went on to Keio University. 15 years old, he has been going to Kabukicho and has a wide range of personal connections. At university, he is studying the sociology of the downtown area, including Kabukicho.

His book, ” Pien” to shakai” (“The Disease of ‘Pien’: Consumption and Approval of the SNS Generation”), is now on sale.

FRIDAY” October 14, 2022 issue