Third Arrest Shocks! Kenji Haga Reveals the Truth Behind His Saying, “There’s No Such Thing as a Good Deal”

“I want to be a person who can live a normal life.”

Two years after his release in September 2021, in July 2023, our magazine conducted a direct interview with Kenji Haga, who had just finished his second day as a trial host at the famous host club Ai Honten in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho. He mentioned that “there’s no such thing as a good deal…” We are reprinting that article here (some content has been modified).

It was just past 2 a.m. in July 2023. Kenji Haga was walking in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, wearing a white jacket over his tanned skin. When our magazine called out to him, he responded,

 “Feel free to ask me anything.”

The slight fatigue in his expression was probably because he had just finished his second day as a trial host at Ai Honten.

“I was supposed to do a five-day trial, and I was quite impressed. The hosts at Ai Honten are all about 40 years younger than me, yet they are remarkably mature. They are polite, never miss any movements of the customers, and can keep up with any topic of conversation. They are serious and study hard. Moreover, they are as handsome as idols.

You might think Haga, who is over sixty, is a host…, but I have no intention of losing at all (laughs). I have experiences that young people do not have. I am showing off my behavior tailored to the time, place, and occasion. I’m going to show them my strong back, you know?”

He rose to fame as a member of the first Iitomo Seinen-tai (Youth Team). He became a regular on variety shows with numerous beautiful women. That experience could indeed be useful in customer service. Haga was suddenly arrested in 2007 on charges related to fraud surrounding the sale of unlisted stocks. Our magazine was among the first to report this incident, and Haga remarked, “I have nothing but gratitude.”