Exploring the September Birthday Trend Among Kabukicho Hosts and High-Earning Women on Fantia

Kabukicho, now known as a youth district, sees a surge in police crackdowns on the “Toyoko Kids” after summer vacation, leading to a slight calm each autumn. Meanwhile, the atmosphere among sex workers becomes even more tense than in summer.

“This is when the dreaded slow season hits. Even if I work as many days in August, I only earn about a third of that. I’m just stuck in a soap room waiting and it’s so boring! Time moves so slowly that it drives me crazy!” (Yurika, pseudonym, 22)

The sex industry enters a slow period from September to November after the busy summer season. Therefore, the sex workers try various means to earn money until the cold deepens in December. Yurika also goes out to work during this period every year to save for winter.

“I’m targeting areas without soaplands and making money through full service. For delivery health, I only get about 10,000 yen for an hour of work. That’s just not enough, so I propose full service right there. Of course, I keep it a secret from the shop. I inflated the price quite a bit. Many clients aren’t familiar with the usual rates, and there are a lot of first-timers, so I can negotiate favorably.

At first, I say it’s 50,000 yen, but then I discount it to 30,000 yen, and it works every time. That’s my little magic phrase for reeling them in (laughs). There’s a bit of a gamble to it, so it’s kind of fun. I make sure to get paid in cash so the shop doesn’t find out, and if the client doesn’t have cash in their wallet, that’s the end of it. It feels amazing to land 50,000 yen three times in a row.”

September, the Month with Many Christmas Babies

There are also women who are diligently engaged in low-margin, high-volume sales through social media.

“I use ‘Fantia’ (a platform where you can publish music, photos, videos, etc.). During my downtime at the brothel, I take somewhat risqué photos and post them on my Fantia account for paid access. If there are people willing to pay just to see the photos, I can earn a decent amount. For girls who don’t mind showing their faces, making stable income this way is trending. One of my seniors who retired from the brothel and started on Fantia before it became popular was earning about 3 million yen a month. Unlike in brothels, I don’t have to deal with unpleasant customers, but it’s hard because you have to use your head. I get the impression that only a few can really make a lot of money this way,” says Aimi (pseudonym, 27).

The reason they are so driven is due to the birthday events of hosts that peak in September.

“September is when Christmas babies are born, so it’s the month with the most birthdays in Japan. The brothel’s slow season coincides with the hosts’ slow season, so some try to get through it by making big money at bar events. Others don’t want to lose out to rivals in sales, so there are quite a few hosts who falsely claim their birthdays are in September to hold their own birthday events,” says Shoki (pseudonym, 24), a host.

Maki (pseudonym, 22), a university student working in the brothel, says that all the hosts she’s ever chosen have been born in September.

“I get a host assigned around July, and when summer vacation starts, I spend all the money I earn from working at the brothel on the host, who then thinks, ‘This girl has potential!’ and ups the price during the September birthday event. But since they struggle to earn well in the slow season, things get tense around the birthday event, and ultimately we part ways when the new semester begins… I’ve gone through this cycle three times (laughs). It’s a summer romance that costs a lot of money.”

Many in Kabukicho hide their backgrounds and ages. Because a cycle has developed in this small world, they are compelled to layer on lies far more than in general society.

Chihuahua Sasaki 

Born in Tokyo in 2000. After attending an integrated school in Tokyo from elementary school to high school, he went on to Keio University. He is studying sociology of downtown areas including Kabukicho. After graduation, he worked as a writer. His new book “Host! Tachinbo! To Yoko! Overdose na Hito-tachi” (Kodansha) is now on sale.

From the October 11, 2024 issue of FRIDAY