A college student writer’s “stand-up” experience reveals Japan’s current state of disrepair.

There has been a surge in the number of “stand-up” young women in the vicinity of Okubo Park in Kabukicho. The term “kouen,” which is a play on the word “koen,” is used to refer to the practice of giving aid in the park, and recently it has become something of a tourist attraction for visitors to Kabukicho.

Looking down the street, one is struck by the number of men who are looking for these girls, rather than the number of girls standing around. What kind of people are coming to buy them?” As a writer who is currently a female college student, I stood near the park to investigate the reality.

“Are you the girl who’s selling?”

As I was squatting near the park in a sweatshirt, loose T-shirt, and cap, a voice came down from above me. It was an ordinary middle-aged man, looking a little timid, who spoke to me.

He said, “ I heard that you can make some money here. Anyway, I’m sitting here because I’m not busy.”

Man “ So you haven’t done any (selling)?”

The author “ I have never done that kind of thing. Why did your brother come here?

Male: “ Don’t you know?　This place is becoming quite famous lately, being featured on SNS and Abema’s show.”

I have been on that Abema program ……” I swallow the words and continue the conversation. Apparently, there are a lot of newcomers to the market these days, and there are also “viewers” who just hang around without buying.

So, how much?”

A man asks me how much. I had heard that if a woman offers a price, she will be arrested for solicitation of prostitution if the other party is a plainclothes police officer, so I tried to play coy in my reply.

The author said, “ How much are you thinking of, brother?”

Man: “ 1.5 (15,000 yen) maybe.”

Considering that the market price for a delivery health service is around 20,000 yen, not including hotel charges, the price of a “stand-up sex club” is quite inexpensive, even though it is supposed to be a real sex service.

Well, I don’t like it then.

The man looked a little disappointed, but did not bite back.

After a while, he said

“Oh, hey, sweetie!　How much?

a fat, strong-looking man shouted at me. I didn’t tell him the price.

He said, “How about 1.5!

He said, “How about 1.5? I guess the market price is getting cheaper.

When I asked another man who had been in a “koiken” relationship, he said, “I’ve had young, pretty girls ask me for a hotel room.

When I told a young, cute girl that I would pay her 20,000 yen, not including hotel charges, she immediately agreed. I asked him about it, and he told me that these days, it seems that all the customers can’t even afford 20,000 yen.

The economic recession caused by the COVID-19 crisis is said to have played a role in the rapid increase in the number of “tachimbo” girls, but it seems that the men who buy them are also struggling financially.

In fact, even at the traditional “encounter cafes” in Kabukicho, the market price is said to be declining. Not so long ago, the usual price was 30,000 yen for a real job, but now it is 15,000 to 20,000 yen.

While there is a world where prostitution is performed at such a low price, the market price at places called “high-class dating clubs” is soaring to 100,000 yen per hour. It seems to me that this is simply a difference in the system rather than a difference in the appearance of the women. Incidentally, the men with whom I exchanged LINEs during my physical contact with the women in the standing clubs contacted me like a demon afterward, asking me to fuck them.

From the December 16, 2022 issue of FRIDAY