The Harsh Reality of Female Therapists: High Costs, High Turnover, and a Saturated Industry

For a time, women’s adult entertainment was widely covered in the media and quickly spread across the country. However, now, its momentum seems to be waning. One of the major issues is the competition among the therapists who actually perform the services. Many, who entered the profession with casual intentions, end up quitting soon because they are unable to earn enough.

The harsh reality is that most people are in the red for the first three months

W, a therapist living in Tokyo, is in his fourth year working in the industry. It’s no exaggeration to call him a veteran. He often advises men who want to work in the women’s adult entertainment industry, telling them, “You should quit before you start.”

“The current therapist industry is such that if someone lasts a year, that’s considered a long time. Most people quit after a week or a month. Those who come in thinking it’s just for attention or because they like women aren’t suited for the job and usually quit immediately. Unlike male-oriented adult entertainment, you can’t make a lot of money right from the start, so those without serious commitment won’t last.”

In the women’s adult entertainment industry, therapists typically have to pay around 30,000 yen for training at the start. Some shops require up to 150,000 yen for a training course. Once the training is completed, they can start working, but many drop out even before completing it because they can’t afford the training fees.

“When I started, I also thought, ‘Do I really have to pay to work?’ Also, things like electric massagers, vibrators, and costumes are all out-of-pocket expenses, and in some shops, even oil is paid for by the therapist. I managed to push through because I felt I had to recover these initial expenses. I believe most therapists work at a loss during the first three months.”

Therapists are paid half of the customer’s fee, which is shared with the shop. If a customer pays 20,000 yen, the therapist will receive 10,000 yen. To become a therapist who gets regular requests, it can take at least a week, and sometimes up to six months. Therefore, it’s not uncommon for therapists to work at a loss in the beginning.

Things unsuccessful therapists tend to neglect

The rapid increase in women’s adult entertainment was due to the low entry barriers. As long as there was a simple office space, anyone could open a shop, and those who believed they could get paid to have sex with women flocked to become therapists. The training fees also serve as a way to filter out such hopefuls. Some shops conduct rigorous, almost pressuring interviews, but even so, the influx of aspiring therapists continues, creating intense competition.

W, during his first two months, had no work from personal requests and only made sales from free customers—those without specific bookings. What was crucial to becoming successful was first increasing his visibility on social media.

“I made sure to update my social media without fail every morning, noon, and night. I timed the updates around my commute, lunchtime, and return home. I also streamed on TwitCasting at least once or twice a week, and updated my photo diary daily. Only after doing all this was I able to get customers who specifically requested me.”

In addition, posting two-shot photos with popular therapists and collaborating on streams was essential. It was important to never let any opportunity slip by. W says that those who never manage to succeed are often the ones who neglect these crucial details.

However, simply promoting oneself isn’t enough. If a woman reaches out, it’s essential to reply as quickly as possible and turn it into a booking. There are women who contact therapists just for casual conversation without intending to become customers, but it’s important to treat each person carefully and avoid creating a bad reputation for poor customer service. Even so, W says, it still isn’t enough.

The sense of distance with customers is difficult to manage

“It’s important to be polite, but it’s crucial to avoid offering personal opinions and simply be a conversational partner. You only need to ‘listen’ to the content of what they’re sharing. In my experience, many people just want someone to listen to their problems. If you try to do more, customers tend to drift away.

There was a time when I thought my cold attitude might make people stop requesting me, but in most cases, they return eventually. However, there are also some people who, if they only get listened to, feel unsatisfied, and everyone has a different sense of distance, so figuring that out is the most difficult part.”

Among women, some book a therapist just to have someone to talk to or seek advice without any intention of receiving treatment, which highlights how important mental care is in the women’s adult entertainment industry. However, even after doing everything possible to please the customers, there’s still no guarantee of security.

“In the women’s adult entertainment industry, many customers come back every three or six months, but it’s not guaranteed that they’ll request you again. Also, if a woman has a favorite therapist, she’ll often go to a beauty salon to get herself ready before coming to see them. Unlike male-oriented adult entertainment, there’s a long gap between booking an appointment and the actual session.

During that time, if the woman’s mood changes, the reservation can be canceled. So, it’s important to keep them interested in you, to prevent them from turning to other therapists. Continuing to update your social media and streaming is key.”

Although women’s adult entertainment has become more recognized, it’s still a much smaller industry with far fewer customers compared to male-oriented adult entertainment. Because of this, the world becomes quite tough if you want to keep working in it for many years.