Rising Trend of Female Hosts in Kabukicho – Controversial Behavior Sparks Debate

Drinking with handsome hosts and having female customers pour in huge amounts of money—such is the strong impression of host clubs. However, there are also male customers among the clientele. Furthermore, the number of female hosts is on the rise.

 

In the drama “I Inherited a Host Club,” which aired on Kansai Telecasting Corporation in the spring of ’23, a female host who works in male attire made an appearance. The model for her character is Angel Near (29), who serves as the representative of “Blue Rose,” the first female host in the Fuyutsuki Group. She is a top host who achieves monthly sales of up to 56 million yen and annual sales of 200 million yen. The impact brought about by Angel Near, who achieves results despite being a woman, is significant for both hosts and customers.

“I used to always request male hosts, and I’ve always been into guys, but after meeting Near-kun, my senses kind of glitched, you know? I don’t specifically request him; he just occasionally helps out, but his demeanor is truly princely. I realized that spending money on someone handsome and beautiful transcends gender. Nowadays, I go to the club more to see Near-kun than my assigned host (laughs)” (Mariko, pseudonym, 23).

While the number of hosts who have undergone sex reassignment surgery or lesbians working as hosts like Angel Near has increased, there are also cast members who find it difficult to survive in the male-dominated world of host clubs.

“We don’t have any issues with hiring regardless of gender, as long as they can work. However, there are situations where customers prefer not to have girls, and since the majority of hosts are male, some might struggle to fit in, resulting in lower sales than expected. Some people have quit after feeling discouraged by this. It might be even tougher than for male hosts when sales are low for a prolonged period” (Host club owner).

The author also personally requested a female host five months ago, but upon checking the host club’s website at the time of writing, they had already left. Moreover, women who frequent host clubs in Osaka have witnessed such scenes.

“I saw this trendy female host hanging out at the bar with the host boys and other staff. They seemed to get along well, so I was watching them, but eventually, that female host started flirting with one of the boys like it was nothing. And then they left together. Seeing that kind of scene made me feel like I wouldn’t want them working alongside the host I’m requesting. It’s a bit unsettling that they can legally interact with hosts without paying.”

Such opinions exist to a certain extent, and the merits of female hosts are often debated. Whether regular customers would become jealous is an important consideration in host club management, and the scarcity of female black suits in host clubs is largely due to this.

“From the management’s perspective, as long as they bring in high sales and maintain discipline as professionals, it’s all good. In fact, women who can earn properly as female hosts hold high value as a new genre. Those male hosts who complain about ‘acting like a woman’ are way more uncool. There are many girls who are into elegant women in men’s clothing, so this might become a new form of host club.

Unlike in cabaret clubs, there’s a culture in host clubs where only those who have achieved success as hosts themselves can become representatives or presidents. Female owners or managers were basically non-existent, but now it’s the era where female hosts can become representatives” (Host club operator).

Kabukicho, with its diversity, seems to hold untapped potential for new possibilities.

From the March 1-8 , 2024 issue of FRIDAY