Exploring the Growing Shadow of Illegal Men’s Estheticians Amid the Surge of Independent Therapists

Independent therapists not affiliated with shops are rising to prominence

In recent years, men’s estheticians have gained popularity, surpassing adult businesses like delivery health services. Originally, these establishments were meant to provide healthy services such as relaxation and aromatherapy massages, but it is reported that some men’s estheticians in urban areas offer sexual services.

Since the business model claims there are no sexual services, regulations under the Adult Entertainment Law, such as restrictions on late-night operations, do not apply. As a result, 24-hour establishments are common in this industry, and recently, the number of independent therapists has been rising.

“Independent therapists are those who do not belong to a shop and instead gather clients directly through social media like X (formerly Twitter), using direct messages or official LINE accounts to accept bookings. They often use hourly rental apartments as treatment locations. Since they don’t go through a store, all the earnings, after expenses like location fees, go directly to them. Many say their income has significantly increased compared to when they were affiliated with a store,” said a former men’s esthetician owner.

The typical trend is for popular therapists with many regular customers to become independent to increase their income. However, there are cases where therapists, struggling to attract clients at shops, turn to offering extreme services to attract business. Some even provide illegal services like full sexual acts to gain customers.