Boyfriend for Hire: Japanese Host Clubs

In this episode of Impolite Society, hosts Laura and Rachel delve into the world of Japan's host clubs, where boyfriends for hire is a booming business. We explain how these clubs operate, the roles hosts play, and the complex relationships between the hosts and their patrons. 

We unpack the societal and cultural factors driving the demand for these services, including the role of women, loneliness, and the appeal of a choreographed romance. And then there is the darker side of the industry, where issues of forced prostitution and sex trafficking are running rampant. Join us as we lift the velvet curtain on this fascinating aspect of Japanese nightlife.

00:00 Introduction
01:30 Hosts vs. Boyfriends
03:04 Cultural Differences and Host Club Etiquette
04:28 The Host Club Experience
09:51 The Business of Host Clubs
20:38 The Financial Side of Host Clubs
26:07 The Life of a Host
29:27 Prostitution Laws in Japan
32:51 Sex Work and Host Clubs
35:56 Dark Side of Host Clubs
54:58 Final Thoughts and Reflections

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Episode Transcript

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (00:02):
Under the glow of Neon Lights and
Japan's largest cities, astrange kind of romance has been
flourishing for decades.
Boyfriends for hire, humanconnection is their business,
and business is booming.
Today we're peeling back thevelvet curtain on Japan's
hottest host clubs.

(00:22):
A bizarre world where everysmile, laugh, and glance is
choreographed and priced.
We're exploring how these clubsoperate, the different roles
hosts play, and the surprisinggroup of women who are blurring
the lines between fantasy andreality and picking up the very
hefty price tag.

(00:43):
That's what you're in for todayon Impolite Society.

(01:25):
Welcome to Impolite Society.
I am Laura.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (01:29):
I'm Rachel.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (01:30):
I just wanna say, Rachel, I'm your
friend.
I'm your buddy.
I am here for you.
I listen to what you need.
I have heard you and I know thatyou need a boyfriend.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (01:46):
Oh, like a boyfriend that takes me
out on fancy dates and is isvery charmed by me and thinks
I'm hilarious and entertainingand doesn't have any
expectations of sex becausethat's exactly the kind of
boyfriend I need.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (01:59):
That's the dream boyfriend, because
we've talked about this a coupleof times over the last couple
episodes, and you're married.
It totally does.
Yeah.
And you're married, so it's notlike a boyfriend.
Boyfriend.
It's like a boy space friend.
You know?
A boy friend.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (02:17):
to go out and do fun experiences
with.
I mean, normally that would bemy husband, but I'm not gonna
give up the free babysitting.
You know, like he can stay athome with the kids and I can go
out and do the things with thisrandom gentleman.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (02:30):
That's, that's a hard thing.
Right.
You know, and, and somebody tomake you feel kind of fresh and
new and interesting.
But not, not the having sex withjust the hanging out because.
I'm your problem solver.
Okay?
I'm a good friend.
I'm here to help.
I have an answer to yourquestion or your, your need, so

(02:52):
to speak, for a male gigolo whoisn't a gigolo, and, and that's
what our episode is about today,the Renta boyfriend.
But there is a catch.
I have the solution, but we'regonna have to go to Japan.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (03:08):
Oh, hard pass.
Thanks.
No, no.
I mean, no, no.
And I say this with like thebest of my heart, like the best
intentions is I would not dowell in the far east.
Like, that's just not, theywould not want me there.
I'm just, I'm too big.
I got too big of a mouth.
I got too big of energy.

(03:29):
I'm too loud and I'm too bigboned.
Let's just put it, let's say it.
Let's say it plainly like I.
I feel like if I tried to go toJapan, they would check my
password and be like, Nope.
Denied.
Stamp the denied.
Get your ass back on the plane.
They don't want me and

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (03:42):
I mean, I,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (03:43):
fine.
Here.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (03:44):
Japan does really like American
culture though, so you might besurprised in, in what they, they
kinda like or don't like

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (03:52):
I

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (03:52):
They do.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (03:53):
I don't think they like foreigners
at all

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (03:55):
Well, I mean, I don't know about
foreigners, but they likeAmerican culture, so it may, it
might end up better than youthink.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (04:02):
I don't know.
I've not got the warm fuzzies.
Sorry.
Sorry.
To the Japanese.
I'm sure you're lovely and Iagree with so much of your
culture, but I just, I don'tthink you'd like me.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (04:13):
That's fair.
That's fair.
I, I kind of feel the same way.
I don't know that I'd, I'd blendnecessarily, but this concept of
the boyfriend, not a boyfriend,turns out your idea isn't
exactly a brand new one.
Uh, there's this thing calledhost clubs in Japan or.

(04:34):
Host karu in Japanese.
I'm saying that wrong, a hundopercent, but I, I tried my level
best.
Okay.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (04:42):
and that's hard.
'cause like the Asian languageswith the inflection,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025 (04:46):
different.
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (04:47):
I would, I had a Chinese roommate
my freshman year of college andshe would say something and I
would swear I was saying theexact same thing as her.
And she'd be like,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (04:54):
She's like, Nope, wrong.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (04:56):
so wrong and you're so fat.
Just stop.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (05:00):
So, these are nightclubs.
These are staffed and run onlyby men, and they cater
exclusively to female clientele,women who are seeking
companionship conversation and afun night on the town.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (05:20):
The sad thing is, this is exactly
what I would've wanted rightfrom the situation is, is
someone you go and chit chatwith and you don't have to like
worry about if they wanna talkto you or not.
'cause they're just like yourdedicated person as a, like an
introvert per pretending to bean extrovert.
It's just like, I need to have ajob, right?
It's like, oh, it's, talk tothis one person.
Got it.

(05:41):
Crushing it.
If it's figure out where I fitin a big group mingle.
Mm-hmm.
Can't do it.
I need the one person.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (05:47):
Yeah.
And Japan has had these host andhostess clubs, hostess clubs
being the same thing, but formen and Hmm.
Shocker that that's how itstarted.
Uh, but this all started in thelate sixties.
Tokyo and Osaka, they have ahuge nightlife scene and these
clubs are a big part of it.

(06:09):
I read that there are more than300 of these clubs in Tokyo's
Kombucha Code District, which isessentially their red light
district.
Again, I know I'm saying thatwrong.
I'm doing my level best.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (06:22):
Okay.
300 clubs.
How many, like, you know, uh, 40people work there?
I don't know.
I feel like that's gotta be halfthe country.
It's not a big country.
Right.
What

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (06:31):
There's a lot of these in this like
small district.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (06:36):
Okay.
But also the fact that you saidit's in the the red light
district, that's where I'm likestarting to think, Hmm, maybe
this isn't such a good idea.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (06:43):
It's kind of a combo.
It's red light district slashclub scene.
It's like nightlife and thenmixed in there on your kind of
red light kind of things.
It's, it's

rc-guest214_2_04-11 (06:54):
activities.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2 (06:55):
exactly, it's like all, all kinds of
nighttime activities that onemight want.
And in fact, um, this is where Igot the idea for the episode.
My best friend Katie Hala, sherecently took a trip to Japan
and she took a tour of the BukuCho District with an English

(07:17):
speaking guide.
And she showed me these pictureson her phone.
You know, we were lookingthrough all the trip pictures
and there was one of this giantfucking billboard.
And there were a bunch of dudeson it.
And I was like, w what is, whatis this?
And she told me, her guide hadexplained the concept of these

(07:40):
host clubs, that they're prettypopular.
Um, you know, women going in tohang out with their pay by the
hour boyfriends, and then it'svery popular.
He said it can get rowdy,sometimes violent, and women are
getting in physical fights onthe streets over their hosts.

(08:01):
Apparently some lady got stabbedpretty recently, so.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (08:06):
the good way.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (08:08):
So it is a thing

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (08:11):
They take it seriously

laura-b_2_04-11-202 (08:12):
apparently.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (08:13):
it's like Moulin Rouge.
If you've watched that

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (08:16):
Hmm.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (08:17):
like the Star cor his on,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (08:20):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (08:20):
center of the picture you've added
here, and then there's like alittle backup ones.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (08:25):
Oh yeah.
Lots of backup boys.
And think boys too.
'cause it's like boy bandy,right?
K-pop kind of feel like that'sthe whole vibe coming outta
here.
So I do have some bad news foryou, Rachel.
If you were to get on a planeand go to Japan to get the full
experience of these host clubs,you will need to be fluent in

(08:47):
Japanese.
From what I've read, there arevery few hosts who speak at
English at all, let alonefluently.
So that is a top barrier for us.
Looks like this isn't reallygoing to happen, even if we were
willing to go to Japan.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (09:03):
Like I said, want us there.
They don't want our money.
Like, I think I've heard that,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (09:09):
Oh, I think they take our money.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (09:10):
like foreigners, they don't even let
foreigners into the clubs.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (09:14):
Yeah, I read that too.
It depends on the club.
And it's like if they cater tolocals, you know, they're a, a
culture that's big on formalityand if nobody can speak to you
and like greet you, then theydon't necessarily want you there
because they don't want everyoneelse to feel uncomfortable
because they can't make you feelwelcome.
I don't know, maybe that's justsubterfuge culture is

(09:36):
complicated.
That might just be a cop out.
I don't know.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (09:40):
Yeah, I mean it just, I, uh, people
who live in heavily touristareas, they probably would
definitely appreciate a spotwhere they could escape
tourists.
So I understand that.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (09:51):
Yeah.
Alright, so these host clubs,how does it work if you are in
need of a man for the night.
So these clubs run on a reallycomplicated charge system, and
I'm gonna get to that in a bit.
But first you have to pay to getin the door, which is
essentially your first hour.
So think of it like a, A covercharge, right?

(10:13):
But it's nothing.
It's super cheap in terms ofwhat you're gonna get.
It's about 30 bucks or whateverthe equivalent to that is within
yen.
So there's a low barrier toentry to these clubs.
You don't have to be super richto get started.
And bonus points, if it's yourfirst time in one of these
clubs, there's often these kindof getting to know you specials

(10:34):
where you can buy drink packagesat a discount and the hourly
rates are half off.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-202 (10:41):
Nothing says romance like a complicated
pay scale.
But it's cute.
It's like a little free trial,but I just have a feeling
they're gonna get you in theend.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (10:52):
Don, don't they always, they you
always forget to do thecanceling.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And the inside of these clubsare nice.
According to the articles thatI've read and some of the
YouTube videos, some of the onesI saw, I'm like, oh, really?
I don't know.
But then other ones I was like,oh, that's nice.
That's nice.
You know, like anything,there's, there's scales.

(11:13):
If, if you're thinking that thislooks like an East St.
Louis strip club, you would bewrong.
It's different.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (11:21):
No, I have a, like, a kind of an
idea of what it looks likebecause I watch some kind of
video documentary short aboutmaid which is basically the same
thing, but with women andthey're all dressed like

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (11:35):
Maids.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (11:36):
Clue.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (11:37):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (11:38):
so, and it was like a fancy place on
the inside.
It looked like a regular.
I don't wanna say regular'causeit was like Japanese, you know?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (11:45):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (11:46):
you would imagine a fancy place in
Japan to look.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (11:49):
Yeah.
Yeah, it, it's not like ourwestern adult entertainment.
There's no exposure of bodyparts.
There's no crazy lighting orloud music.
The music is set at a veryreasonable volume as an old
person.
This very much so appeals to meand that encourages
conversation.
There are comfortable cushionchairs handily with partitions

(12:14):
between you and the next table.
Again, encouraging that privateconversational aspect.
More emotional intimacy.
I think a lot of them look likenice hotel bars, which is my
absolute favorite kind of bar.
Give me a velvet channel backbooth any day over a bar stool.
I don't want anything to do witha bar stool.

(12:35):
Gimme that booth, and once yousit down in these cushy, comfy
chairs, the fun really begins,Rachel, because you get to go
shopping.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (12:46):
Ooh.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (12:46):
For men on a menu

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (12:49):
I like it.
I feel like that's kind of howpeople choose their romantic
partners these days.
Right?
It's the, uh,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (12:56):
swipe right.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (12:57):
the Uber Eats of host culture.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (13:00):
Yeah.
And you have your choice of men,but you know Asian men, and so I
don't wanna yuck anyone's yum.
Sexual preference is a superpersonal thing, but to me, these
guys are not what I would callattractive As a western woman, I
am mainly into manly lookingguys that have hairy chest and

(13:24):
facial hair.
These host men to me look likelittle girls.
They have small features, nofacial hair, all around petite,
they're wearing makeup.
A lot of the time.
Their hair blow dried into theseanime kind of.
Dos.
It's not really my thing.

(13:44):
I'm not an anime person.
It's just, it's not my thing,but it, but if you are doing
this in Japan, you speakJapanese, you're probably a
Japanese native.
This is probably verytitillating to you, right?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (13:57):
Sounds like it.
And don't get me wrong, I dolike me some feminine men.
Like I have a major crush onNoel from the Great british Bake
off in the it crowd, like I loveme some goth, goth man.
Uh, but this is, uh, they don'treally do it.
The pictures I've seen, themenus I've seen, these aren't

(14:20):
really doing it for me either.
Like you said, they look very,very young.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (14:24):
They do.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (14:25):
I see on other things I know
about, Japan seems to be a, atrend within the culture.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (14:30):
At least it goes both ways.
Right?
That was like, at first I waslike, Ew, they look so young.
But then I'm like, well, theylike their women y looking young
too.
So it it's not like just a manthing.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (14:40):
grab a teddy bear and the woo,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (14:42):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (14:44):
sorry.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (14:45):
what they like across the board, male
or female.
That made me feel a little bitbetter about it, that it wasn't,
uh, there wasn't a gender gapthere.
It was kind of across the board.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (14:54):
just, everybody's infantalized.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (14:57):
Because at least you're gonna do it,
you're gonna level the playingfield, I guess, so.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (15:02):
the girls are little girls and they
wanna date little boys.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2 (15:05):
Exactly, exactly.
And so depending on the club,you can either look at the
menus, which are pictures ofthese hosts and they're made up
names.
Or you can kind of do a speeddating round where you choose
your pay by the hour boyfriend,and you can chat with each of
these hosts for, you know, 10 to15 minutes.

(15:27):
And at the end of the hour, yourfirst hour, you are going to
have to choose who is going tocome to your table for some fun.
This, Rachel, it is a bigdecision from then on at this
club, at least.
Your host is your shy may, yourdesignated host.
You cannot change it.

(15:47):
No returns, no refunds, and notjust for your visit.
This is forever at this club.
And thinking about the businessmodel, I think that this is
smart.
This way, the management, theycan avoid all of these host boys
fighting over clients, sniping,stealing, all the drama that

(16:08):
could come with that.
And it also, I think, reallyencourages hosts to work hard
because once they've beenchosen, they've gotta make it
pay.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (16:19):
This seems like too much of a
commitment, right?
Like after an hour you gottapick somebody and you can never
switch.
Like what is this?
Love is blind.
Like this is insane.
90 day fiance, but I mean,honestly.
Okay, so I see the point you'remaking, but then if you didn't
like your host, wouldn't youjust go to a different club

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (16:37):
Yes.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (16:38):
loses all of the money that you
would've had?
So wouldn't it

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (16:40):
Thus, the incent incentive for them to
work really hard,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (16:45):
Yeah.
But wouldn't the owner of thehost club want

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (16:48):
then they get rid of them.
If they're people who can't,like snag a fish, boom, out,
gone,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (16:53):
Oh,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (16:54):
want you here.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (16:55):
but in the short term, I feel like
you could have just given themsomebody else.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (16:58):
Yeah.
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (17:00):
It's

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (17:00):
I'm gonna chalk that up in, into
cultural differences, I guess.
but I did think the same thing.
I'm like, oh, that's a lot ofcommitment.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (17:07):
right

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (17:08):
Yeah, yeah, apparently.
But these guys, they really dowork hard.
This sounds like truly awfulwork to me.
I would not wanna be any part ofthis.
So these guys, they don't justlight your cigarettes, pour your
drinks and smile at you.
These hosts, their job is tobecome your dream man.

(17:31):
Or you know, at least try to.
So they are studying theircustomers.
They are looking at what shelikes, what she doesn't like.
He has to become what thecustomer's looking for that
night.
Whether that's kind of a, a goodtime guy that wants to laugh and
have a good time, a sensitiveear, or kind of something in
between.

(17:51):
He is 100% responsible for herenjoyment at the club and his
behavior alone is what is goingto determine.
Determine if she will be back.
So ho hosts are careful in howthey interact with their
customers.
Making conversation is the mostimportant part of the evening,
making that bond.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (18:12):
Like, I'm sure it is hard.
I'm sure there's a lot of workthat goes into it.
in my head, I am also hearingthose really cheesy cliche lines
that people say in all of myNetflix reality dating shows
that they're just like, wow, Ihave never had this connection
with you before.
Wow.
Or with anyone before, you'rereally special.
You get me.
And I just like imagine it'sjust those same repeat lines and

(18:35):
everybody just projects ontothem what they want.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (18:38):
I thought the same thing.
I mean, looking at videos ofthese guys, I was like, really?
People fall for this.
But

rc-guest214_2_04-11-202 (18:43):
They're a master conversationalist.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (18:47):
that's the concept, right?
Their job is to give thatperfect boyfriend experience
that makes you feel special,makes you feel sexy and wanted,
but most of all, their job is tobe a boyfriend that needs you to
buy him expensive drinks.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (19:08):
worst kind of boyfriend, like, oh my
gosh.
She's like, you got the tabright.
You're picking this up.
Right.
I'll get you next time.
I'll Venmo you.
Sure.
But, okay, so how many ladies hecc in a night?
Right?
Like, is he dedicated one to atable?
Is he bopping around trying tohost multiple women?
Because like, what if you, theone you went from, the menu

(19:29):
isn't available?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (19:30):
Yeah, it depends.
So they will tell you like, he'snot available, he's booked.
So, you know, you can book themby the hour and you know, if you
come in on a first time, youmight only book them for an
hour, but you have regulars thatwill book them for two or three
or four hours, you know?
And, and so if, if he's notavailable, they'll tell you he's
not available.

(19:50):
And you'll have to choose adifferent one from your menu.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (19:53):
Okay, so you can't just be like, oh,
this set up camp here for anhour.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (19:57):
Yeah, but I mean, they, they might, I
mean, they might pop around todifferent tables throughout the
night.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (20:02):
could wait,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (20:03):
Yeah,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (20:04):
if you're buying drinks, I'm sure
they let you do

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (20:06):
Oh yeah, absolutely.
You got another bit.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (20:09):
it doesn't, it doesn't sound so bad
of a job, right?
It's like sitting and chattingwith people.
I feel like it's kind of likewhat waitresses, and bartenders.
Already kind of do, right?
They, they sit there, they chat,they become a listening ear, uh,
all just to get that sweet,sweet dollar at the end in the
form of a tip.

(20:31):
I mean, at least in this club,it's like you're a personal
bartender.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (20:34):
Yeah, it, it is a very one-on-one
service.
So these hosts, they have areally good incentive for you to
buy more drinks and specificallyto buy the good drinks, and that
is commissions.
Your host is paid based on howmuch you spend while you're
there.
Your hourly rate, even though itgoes up every hour, you stay,

(20:57):
it's kinda like the, you know,first hour, half hour is half
off.
It goes higher and higher andhigher.
but that money, that ain't shit.
They make their big bucks onthose drink sales.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (21:09):
So it is kind of like being a
bartender, right?
The bigger tab you get.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (21:13):
No more tip.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (21:13):
run up the bigger tip.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (21:15):
And so this is how host bars make
their money.
It's by convincing women to payhuge sums of money on alcohol.
I'm talking massively marked upbooze that is then marked up
even higher because they'relike, oh, we can put it into
this custom bottle that's like aunicorn or a teddy bear or some,

(21:37):
you know, cutesy shit that Japanis into.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (21:40):
Oh yeah.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (21:41):
And also, no drinks sold by the
glass.
It is by the bottle only.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (21:48):
Which I think is also kind of a smart
business tactic, right?
Because if you drink yourbottle, it takes you too long to
drink your bottle.
Oh, now you're in your secondhour, you know, might as well
get another bottle.
It's not like, oh, I'm gonnadrink one drink and my, you
know, be out of there.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (22:02):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (22:03):
It's all about getting to draw out
the experience.

laura-b_2_04-11-202 (22:06):
Absolutely.
But immediately I was like, thisis where I'm out.
I like to drink man, but buy thebottle I mean maybe wine or
champagne.
I could draw it out for a while,but hard liquor.
Oh my god.
I would be barfing so fast.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (22:22):
mean, is the hose drinking any of this
as well?
I'm assuming

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (22:25):
yes,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (22:26):
a bit,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (22:27):
yes.
They are drinking a lot.
That is actually, I'm glad youbrought that up, because the
more senior hosts, the ones thatare making a lot of bank, have a
lot of regular customers.
So they might have a couple oftables going throughout the
night, multiple people there tosee them.
And so they will assign theirmore junior hosts to drink at

(22:51):
the table with them so that theydon't have to drink as much.
'cause it's hard on your body,man.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (22:57):
so they just bring another dude in

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (22:59):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (23:00):
sit like three of'em, like

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (23:01):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (23:02):
Oh wow.
Double date or whatever.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (23:04):
Yep.
And it's all just to get thatFaceTime.
Yeah.
And then, oh he'll, he'll take ashot.
He'll take a shot.
He'll take a shot.
So you don't have to split thatbottle.
You'll third that bottle.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (23:14):
Oh wow.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (23:15):
Yeah.
And the markup on these bottlesis absolutely huge.
What would be a$10 bottle ofvodka will cost you over a
hundred dollars.
And again, whatever that is inyen.
So a bottle of champagne, whichis the host beverage of choice,
because it is the mostexpensive, can run up to insane
prices.
But your cheapest options arelike over a grand.

(23:39):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And the coup de gras of the hostworld is this champagne fountain
or champagne tower where thecustomer will pay for this
spectacle of, you know, bottlesof champagne poured, you know,
in the, that goes down into theglasses.
Yeah.
And it's all to show her hosthow much she cares for him.

(24:02):
I cannot even wrap my headaround the amount of money these
women have dropped here.
I watched one video where theysaid this woman spent$16,000 in
a month.
Again, the US equivalent$16,000.
So whatever is that, is in yen,like millions.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (24:20):
I mean, make that paper parity.
Boy, I feel like that's what Iwould be saying if the roles
were reversed.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (24:29):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (24:30):
I'm too much of a fuddyduddy, but I,
I want to say for you.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (24:37):
You sound hesitant.

rc-guest214_2_04-11 (24:38):
Officially, that's my on paper statement.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (24:44):
And of course this is just the
starting off point because thisrelationship does not end when
you leave the host club for thenight.
At least that's not the businessmodel.
You need to exchange ya digitsbecause he is going to want you
to come back.
He's gonna send you messages,inviting you back.

(25:05):
He'll remind you, oh, you didn'tfinish your last bottle and I'm,
I'm saving it for you, and I'mthinking it, thinking about you,
and I'm just wishing you comeback to see me.
Basically what he is doing, he'scollecting a harem of women to
lure back to the club to spendagain.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (25:25):
And you know, I was kind of on board
with this up until now.
Like, I get it.
I get the need for humanconnection, but like, dear God,
I do not want another person totext.
If somebody was blowing up myphone, instant

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (25:35):
outies.
Yeah.
But what if they were reallynice, like, oh, I really miss
you.
I think you, I hope you'rehaving a beautiful day.
I bet you look really beautifultoday.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (25:45):
I don't.
Bye.
That's really nice of you, butyou can't see my hair because
there's a door.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (25:56):
It's a solid 30 rock ference.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (25:59):
I've been watching it again,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (26:00):
Good for you.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (26:01):
every six episodes.
I'm like, I'm watching 30 Rockagain.
Uh,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (26:07):
So the amount a host makes per
month, it can vary wildly.
It's based on his popularity,his location, how generous his
ladies are feeling that month,and what services he will
provide.
on the low end, you're lookingat about$1,500 a month.
Not really enough to live on,you know?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (26:29):
city.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (26:29):
Nope.
But the most popular hosts, theones with these huge fucking
billboards, can make up to$50,000 a month.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (26:41):
So it's kind like podcasting,
right?
Right.
Because you got your big showsthat make Boco bucks and then
you got your sad little indiepodcasts that just scratch along
by the

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (26:54):
their own money.
They're buying the girl, the,the girls drinks rather than
them buying them drinks.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-20 (27:00):
exactly.
Uh, I think podcasts like thatwould maybe need some better,
uh, clientele then maybe theclientele needs to step up a
little bit and make these hostsknow how much they're
appreciated.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (27:13):
So as you can imagine, this is a
popular thing to try your handat as a dude.
In Japan, the average too true,the average host is about 18 to
25 years old and has failed forwhatever reason at finding a
white collar job.
Or they don't want one.
I think this makes sense.

(27:34):
If you think you're smooth withthe ladies and you can make a
fucking fortune, who wouldn'tgive this a try?
But most of these people, theyfizzle out shortly after not
making much money because trulyit's, it's not an easy gig.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (27:48):
Yeah.
The toxic part of me thinks thatI could do it.
You know, I sit down and talk tosomebody, make them.
I feel like that was my job whenI was doing corporate features,
right?
You just sit down and makesomebody feel special.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (27:58):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (28:00):
but I just, I think that where I'm
lacking is just the generalattractiveness.
I don't think that, that, youknow.
to be professionally aprofessional dater person?

laura-b_2_04-11-20 (28:11):
Professional dater person,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (28:13):
No, I would not have made the cut,
unfortunately.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (28:17):
I don't know.
I don't, I think men's bar islower than we think they are,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (28:23):
Well, I'm sure it applies here too.
It's just more about

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (28:26):
It's about like how they can make you
feel great because some of theseguys, I mean, I don't, the, the
attractive scale is a little bitskewed for me, right?
Because it's not really mything.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (28:36):
you're trying to read in a different
language.
You know?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2 (28:38):
Exactly.
But there are some people I'mlike, no, there, that is
specifically like weird.
I don't, I don't know.
I I don't think it's necessarily

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (28:47):
just

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (28:47):
Maybe, maybe I, maybe that is it
because there's one guy thatmade like the most popular in
host in Japan right now and I'mlike, you look like Michael
Jackson.
It's very, very strange.
So

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (29:02):
That's why they wanna see him.
He,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (29:03):
maybe it gotta get a gimmick, right?
Like gypsy.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (29:07):
You gotta have the hook.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (29:10):
So aside from guzzling drinks until
the clubs close, the inherentrisk of alcoholism that comes
with that love bombing women viatext all day.
What else does being a hostentail?
Well, that depends on the host.
So now we gotta talk aboutprostitution In Japan, is it

(29:32):
legal?
Yes.
And also no.
So the prostitution preventionlaw of 1956 in Japan says that
no person may either doprostitution or become the
customer of it, but itsdefinitions are loose.

(29:53):
It does not lay any punishmentout for these violations.
And somehow prostitution intheir law books as defined as
quote, sexual intercourse withan unspecified person.
What the fuck does that mean?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (30:11):
I mean, a good thing I only hoard
up for specified people, right?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (30:15):
I have no idea what that means.

rc-guest214_2_04-11 (30:18):
intercourse with any unspecified person?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (30:21):
I, I, I don't know.
I think it has something to dowith like unknown person.
I, it makes no sense.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (30:29):
No hookups

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (30:32):
It's fucking bizarre.
But apparently nobody reallycares what the definition is
because sex work is super legal.
You see them all over the placesin the, the Red light district,
they have their own littlegimmicks like soaping you up
before the act.
Like little costumes, like themaid things like you were
talking about, like a ma, like amaid, or like a health spa, all

(30:55):
this different kind of stuff.
I learned a lot more aboutJapanese brothels than I wanted
to while doing this research.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (31:02):
Yeah, it's kinda nuts over there in

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (31:05):
Truly.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (31:05):
to this.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (31:06):
Yeah.
So if it's not illegal to be amale prostitute, are these guys
just banging all these womeninside the club?
No, because it doesn't makesense for them to do that, at
least not right away.
So these hosts know that Chaseis what these women are looking
for, so they hold it out, right?

(31:27):
The longer they can hold outletting the woman pay for the
privilege of his manhood.
Uh, the longer these women aregonna show up to the club and
buy drinks.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (31:38):
Yeah,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (31:39):
so he is not letting you buy the
milk at the first visit or eventhe second.
You are gonna have to work up toit.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (31:49):
Giving 'em the old and belin move.
Right.
You say no enough and suddenlyyou're the queen of
motherfucking England.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (31:55):
Or the, the king of the host club
in any case,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (31:58):
Yeah.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (31:59):
and not all of them sell sex, or at
least I don't think that theydo.
This is kind of a shady world,and Japan is a culture that is
not known for its directcommunication.
So I didn't really get a clearanswer on that.
But my impression is that noteveryone sells sex in this

(32:22):
profession.
And if they do, they don't do itall the time with every
customer.
It's kind of a case by casebasis, though.
I'm sure that there's the onesthat are doing this at every
conceivable opportunity.
So it's a, it's a spectrum.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (32:36):
Right.
I feel like it's a little bitmore of it's not just a trick,
right?
They're not just turning

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (32:42):
Yeah, definitely not.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (32:43):
if it's something they wanna do and
it's something that they can getcompensated for,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (32:48):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (32:49):
why the hell not?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (32:50):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (32:51):
know a whole lot about Japanese
values around sex.
I feel like they're morereserved or it's a little bit
more like patriarchal,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (32:58):
Mm-hmm.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (32:58):
in the US I, I feel like a guy, why
the hell not, right?
It doesn't really damage theirsocial capita.
As much as it would a woman for

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (33:08):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (33:08):
body count or something along

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (33:10):
Mm-hmm.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (33:11):
So why not sleep with the person if
you like her and she's payingyou?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (33:14):
Yeah.
I mean, if you can get it up,why not go for it, right?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (33:18):
Yeah.
I don't see what you would loseother than, you know, what is
that like youth group thingwhere they stick the bandaid on
you and they pull it off andthey pull it off and they pull
it off?
Did you ever have to do that?
It's like they give you a pieceof sticky tape and the more you
stick it to different people,the less sticky it gets.
And it's like their analogy forbeing like sex becomes less
special the more

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (33:35):
I never did that one.
There was like the, the treethough.
It was like you have sex withone person and they had sex with
another person and then thatperson had sex with three people
and you're like, it's likeyou're having sex with a hundred
people

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (33:46):
You are like, hell yeah.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (33:49):
getting my orgy on.
So, but this sexual transaction,it will always take place
outside of the club becausethese clubs have a no touching
policy, at least not sexualtouching.
So there's like a hug,handholding, all that PG stuff.
That's fine.
Handshake.

(34:09):
Yeah, that's fine.
So the host clubs are licensedand inspected.
They will be fined or closed iffound in violation of rules
because.
They are regulated as a food andentertainment establishment, not
as whorehouses or brothels orwhatever the PC term is.

(34:30):
I don't know.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (34:31):
uh, Bob House.
No, I think that's what theyouth are calling it.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (34:35):
Bop house.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (34:37):
Yeah,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (34:37):
the Blitz creek, bop, bop, bop.
Anyway, uh, so the women whoattend these establishments on
the regular and provide such abounty to their, the these boy
toys, they are hard to pin downin who they are.
My friend's tour guide said, andit was confirmed by online

(34:58):
sources.
A lot of these customers arewomen who are married to rich
men.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (35:02):
Oh.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (35:03):
Yeah.
To me, a hundred percent trackslonely, older, rich women
looking for some company, theirhusbands are ignoring them and
their husbands probably havetheir own like peace on the
side, so why the fuck not?
Right?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (35:17):
Yeah, it's really giving like old
school royalty, right?
You're

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (35:20):
Yeah,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (35:21):
for the social benefits and then
you're doing your own thing onthe side.
Marriage and name for politicalgain.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (35:29):
Yep.
But the next class of customersis a little bit harder to wrap
your brain around.
According to several sources,about 50 to 80% of the host
club's customers are sexworkers.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (35:46):
that's so many percentages I can kind
of see where this might becoming from or I can kind of see
where this might be going.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (35:55):
Okay?
So this is the time in theepisode where things get a
little bit dark.
So at first when I saw this andI multiple places like this is
not something I pulled outta myass.
Like this is across multipledifferent things that this, this
is the majority of theircustomers, and it made no sense
to me.
Why would female sex workers beusing their hard or money on.

(36:21):
Another sex worker.
You spent all night selling yourbody, being fake, pretending to
actually like blowing randosthat are covered in soap.
And then when you're finally offwork, you can be yourself and
use your body how you want to,you choose to engage in a sham
relationship where then you arethe one being used for money.

(36:44):
And I was like, is is this anabuse?
Is cyclical, cyclical kind ofthing?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2 (36:50):
Everybody just wants to be loved, man.
You spend so much time having tofocus on others' wants and needs
that like maybe it's just nicefor someone to pretend to like
you for who you are.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (37:02):
Yep.
I think you nailed it becauseafter doing a lot of this,
watching reading, I think that'skind of where I landed too.
I mean, these are, these arewomen who are on the fringes of
society.
Sex work they do, it's legal,but it's, it is not scandalized
like it is in the West.
Like you would be like, youknow, disowning your daughter or

(37:22):
anything, but it's not aprestigious job.
They probably feel bad aboutthemselves, about their work,
their place in society.
They don't have time to go outclubbing with their own friends.
They get off work super duperlate, and what's a girl to do?
They're these hotty boom bodiesacross the street from your soap
land.

(37:43):
They only charge$30 an hour tobe the best boyfriend you've
ever had.
None of your customers at thePink Salon are saying, oh,
you're so pretty.
They hold the doors, pour yourdrinks, light your cigarettes.
They're not listening to you.
So yeah, everybody's lonely andyou're just like, well, okay.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (38:03):
I could definitely see the appeal.
I imagine it's hard to hold downa partner when you're doing that
kind of

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (38:08):
Mm-hmm.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (38:09):
not just because of the IC factor
that might get, but like yousaid, the hours are odd

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (38:16):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (38:17):
also you walk out, I, I feel like
it's a part of, I don't know,say it's, are strippers sex
workers?
I don't know.
I don't

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (38:25):
I'd like, I think they are, they may
not be having sex, but they'rein like the realm of sex.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (38:30):
For a while I went down like the
stripper TikTok, right.
And they, not all they do, butthere's like a trend at the end
of night.
You like fan out all the moneyyou've earned and you like flap
it around and all this stuff.
So I kind of see where you thentake those stacks that you have
and then make a champagne tower.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (38:49):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (38:49):
that's kind of your flex for all the
money that you've earned aswell.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (38:53):
Yep.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (38:54):
If that's anything the same as what
I've seen on TikTok.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (38:58):
Uh, it, it sounds like it tracks and
as sad and weird as all of thatis when I think too hard about
it, it actually gets even darker

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (39:08):
Oh boy.
Yay.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (39:12):
because Japan has actually had some real
issues with these host clubslately.
in 2004, they started raidingpeople left and right.
They're shutting shit down,handing out fines because they
are having a national crisiswith sex trafficking and forced
prostitution.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (39:32):
Hmm.
It's almost like if you canmodify people to continue to
grow your business, you're goingto need a continual stream of
product, AKA pay supply anddemand.
Right.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (39:45):
Yeah, and I'm just gonna say hashtag
not all hosts, okay, but somehost, some malicious hosts have
been known to prey on clients.
These malicious clubs, they willuse a pay later arrangement for
customers.
So women get to spend outrageousamounts of money.

(40:08):
They don't have to pony up onthe night.
I'm talking 30 k, a hundred k ina month.
Just champagne towers left andright, just going all in.
And if, if you're a real evilson of a bitch, this isn't gonna
be hard.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (40:24):
No, not at all.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (40:25):
No.
You're encouraging this woman todrink more, get her super drunk,
pressuring into her champagnefountain, or the biggest, most
expensive unicorn bottle ofliquor or whatever, and then
just keep it coming, and thenthe next day keep love bombing
her via text messages, tellingher to come back because she's
so fucking drunk.

(40:45):
She doesn't remember right.
How much that they racked up thenight before and when they can't
pay when they're faced with thefinal bill.
Luckily, your host will havejust the solution on how she can
work off that debt

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (41:01):
You know, I think that, uh, plumbers
might be running a similar scamover here in the US on lots of
lonely Housewives, at least, uh,based on the documentaries I've
seen,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (41:12):
or just based on the bills that I
get when the plumber comes overus and I'm like, I can't afford
this.
And he is like, well.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (41:21):
I got a pipe that you can expect.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (41:25):
So an even more fucked up method of
racking up these giant amountsof debt for the club is social
media hosts are often socialmedia stars.
They're quote influencers,right?
They got all these differentfollowers and what they'll do is
they'll randomly quote, randomlymessage one girl out of all
these followers just to say hion Instagram.

(41:48):
Right.
Do, you know, build kind of anemotional connection thinking
about like, think about like ifyou followed an influencer
online and then he just reachedout to you.
Right.
Like somebody with millions offollowers.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (42:00):
the most special.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2 (42:01):
Exactly.
No, exactly.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-20 (42:04):
somebody else,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2 (42:05):
Exactly.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (42:06):
I was special.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025 (42:07):
Precisely.
And then you invite her to comesee you at this club, and then
you get the booze flowing andall that hard work of getting
her to have feelings for you.
It was already done, doneonline.
You never had to leave the sideof your current trick at the, at
the club, right?
It's just all done in app.

(42:29):
And I read stories of hosts.
This one was particularlyegregious, I think, uh,
pretending to be in realrelationships with women.
They hadn't, they didn't know.
They didn't know what they did.
They would meet online, go whatseemed go on, what seemed like
real dates.
They would meet their parents,they would have consensual sex
under the guise of arelationship.

(42:51):
And then, boom, I'm a host.
You owe me for all this.
Here's your bill and oh, youdon't have the money.
Well.
I know you could pay me back thesoap land down the street, which
my club owner just happens toalso own, is looking for new
hires.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (43:08):
Could you just be like, no.
Like what?
Like,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (43:11):
Uh, I know, right?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (43:13):
me?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (43:14):
Right.
I, that was my thought too.
We'll get to it.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (43:18):
But yeah, this sounds like a lot
like a plot from the TV showHarlett that I watched a few
years ago, which is about

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (43:24):
I remember

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (43:25):
in 1919, in 17 hundreds England.
So a lot, not a lot has changed.
And you know, I, I'm gonna guessI would put money down that,
that this same grift was beingran in Babylon back in the day.
So humans man,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (43:43):
doing the same shit, different,
different numbers on the year,but we're all doing the same
shit and some of them, uh, will.
Also take important documentslike people's IDs and their
insurance cards, passports askind of a ransom until they are
paid back and further coercethese women into sex work.

(44:07):
And to make it even sadder, uh,activists say that all of this
got so much worse after thecovid restrictions.
They were lifted in 2023.
Lonely people who've been shutaway for ages were looking to
have a good time.
And so it got really, reallybad.
And, and the victims, they arehesitant to go to the

(44:28):
authorities, like you said, goto the cops or, or their parents
or whatever else, because it'sreally fucking embarrassing.
Right.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-202 (44:36):
Mm-hmm.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (44:38):
And my thought with all this
extortion.
I have to think the Yakuza isinvolved somehow.
I saw it mentioned a couple oftimes in my research, but it was
really in passing.
Like nobody really seemed tocare.
This was all a part of organizedcrime and human trafficking on a
mass organized scale.
It, it, it's definitely kind ofin that realm.

(45:01):
So the, that's why people don'tnecessarily push back.
Because it's fucking scary.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (45:06):
Yeah.
I mean, I, I don't even knowwhat you're talking about.
I never heard anything aboutsomething like that.
Sounds like a.
A nice group of young gentlemen,no need to track us down over
here in the States and murder uswith your samurai swords and
drifting street racers.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (45:20):
I'm not scared of them.
They can't touch me in the us.
Come at me with your samuraisword, bro.
I'm calling you out.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (45:27):
You're gonna get deported?
No.
You better hope your visa'sgood.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (45:32):
Oh, it is?
Oh, it is.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (45:33):
Yeah,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (45:33):
I know, right?
I know.
It's really fucking, anyway,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (45:37):
have that gold card.
I was that real, or I did not.
Is that just a headline?
I saw somewhere that Trump'splanning to sell these fancy
gold cards that get you freepass to the US to rich people

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (45:48):
it would not surprise me in the
slightest.
I did not, I did not see that.
Like no comment, but it wouldnot surprise me.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (45:55):
That goes for sale.
Ding-dong our door.
We open it.
Samurai swiped, you mentionedthe Yakuza on your little
podcast.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (46:08):
So when it comes to the sex worker
thing, is it that most of theseclients are already sex workers
or the debt force them into sexwork and then they keep coming
to see their men?
Chicken or the egg, nobody knowseither way.

(46:28):
It's really fucking depressing

rc-guest214_2_04-11-202 (46:30):
They're like, how could you, I have an
idea for how how you could payback your, debt.
And she's like, use my dataengineering degree to compile a,
flow charter, I don't know,pivot table of your client's
information so you can, andthey're like, yes, get this girl
behind the computer, make her dopayroll or whatever.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (46:56):
and I, like I said, I watched a fair
amount of YouTube videos andseeing these men at work, I
thought it was really gross.
These hosts, even the ones thatare considered, at least, I
think they're considered on theup and up, not trying to traffic
anyone.
They really put the pressure on.
They, they communicate outsidethe club with these daily

(47:18):
messages, calls, pictures.
Seems all romantic at first, butit has this subtext of, come
back, come see me, let's hangout.
Don't you wanna see me to be thetop spot at the club?
Don't you love me?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (47:36):
And this is where I absolutely am
lost because who

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (47:38):
Yeah,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (47:39):
being around salespeople?

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (47:40):
I know.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (47:42):
oh, let me call in Midtown, home
Improvement, just to like havesome company this afternoon.
It's like, then they comearound, I'm like, get off my
stoop.
You vampire.
I am not welcoming you in.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (47:54):
Yeah, I, I thought the same thing.
It seems like such a hard sell.
I, I think there has to be somecultural aspects at play that I
did not get because there was alot of commentary in these
articles about the kind ofmessages that they would send.
And being an American who sayswhat I think.
Pretty much 24 7.
I cannot conceptualize a worldwhere I don't think, what I say

(48:18):
24 7, it was confusing, but theimpression of the commentary was
that there was a lot ofpressure, even though the
messages looked a little tame tome.
I think there's also somethingthere about taking care of your
host.
There was definitely somesomething wrapped there.
Like you want him to succeed andmake more money than anyone else

(48:39):
because his success as a hostmeans that you also have some
prestige.
But again, I, I feel like thatwas kind of lost on me as a
foreigner.
I don't know,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (48:50):
Yeah, it's like your little sugar baby
can't be walking around lookinglike trash.
That's just embarrassing foryou.

laura-b_2_04-11-202 (48:56):
apparently,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (48:57):
poorly on you.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (48:58):
maybe that's it.
Maybe it's because I'm a woman.
Like I just don't understandlike what you wanna support,
your what, I don't know.
Uh, very, very different.
And I think another item.
I missed, is that why?
Why are these women sex workersare not, why do they want what

(49:19):
they absolutely know is fake?
This is their fucking job.
You know, this is their fuckingjob.
They're sitting there tellingyou, I wanna be the number one
host at my fucking job.
So one of the theories was thatJapanese culture is really big
on putting on a brave face.
It's a concept called ga.

(49:40):
And that concept is enduring theseemingly unendurable with
patience and dignity.
Basically, it's that no what, nomatter whatever happens, you act
the same.
If your life is falling apart,big fucking deal, you are not
allowed to act any differentlyand not just to any stranger.
This is including your closestfamily and your closest friends.

(50:02):
So with the influx of Westernideals, Western romance.
Women are starting to, Japanesewomen starting to realize that
maybe they could let out allthis emotion, maybe not with a
proper Japanese man that you'dlike to marry, but if you can
pay by the hour for raw emotionwith some sensitive man who will

(50:25):
listen to you and not judge youfor not being ga, maybe that's
worth that insane price tag foryou.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (50:33):
Yeah, I could also imagine that a
woman's role in a, their culturetoo, like it is as ours is to be
the support person.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (50:39):
Yep.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (50:40):
the one that's holding it down for
everybody else, or you knowyou're the one that's supposed
to be supporting your partner inthe relationship, yeah, it might
be nice to be able to go out andhave that attention poured on
you for a change.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (50:52):
You nailed it because the other,
another theory was the role inof women in Japanese society, so
Japan, it's pretty misogynistic.
I'm not gonna go on that rant.
But I can safely say thatculturally, the status of
females in Japan is below amale, and you can't argue with

(51:12):
me.
It's what all the fuckingscholars say, not just this
rando on the internet.
So that ability, like you said,to turn it on its head and to be
the one in charge, or be the onewho can express the emotion
rather than supporting thepeople around you being the one
that's calling the shots, that'sa bit of a power trip.

(51:33):
And I can see how women could gofor that.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (51:36):
Yeah, definitely.
Even the annoying messages canthen be flipped to be like, oh,
look how much this little manneeds my cash,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (51:43):
Yeah,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (51:43):
Like, maybe I'll throw, throw a few
more champagne showers his wayif I, he just degrades himself
with a few more sexy photos andgroveling a little bit more.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (51:54):
yeah, yeah.
And then of course there is alsothe overall issue of loneliness.
So Japan's population, it'sgetting smaller.
Dating is really hard.
Apparently nobody knows how totalk to each other.
No one is boning, and humanconnection seems to be at a
premium, an insanely expensivepremium that people are willing

(52:19):
to pay.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (52:20):
Right.
It seems like they'vecommodified all the human parts
of life, right?
Because everybody works so muchthat

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (52:27):
Yep.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (52:28):
time to support these other parts of
themselves.
So instead of

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (52:31):
They're human parts, not, they're just
corporate parts.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (52:34):
Yeah.
You know, they just, instead ofhaving friends, sure they have
some friends, but like you go toa place and you pay someone to
talk to you,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (52:41):
Yep.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (52:41):
you're horny, you go to a place and you
pay a lady to cover with you insoap and then have sex with you,
or whatever happens in the soapplace you're alluding to.
And it's just like those pieces,they not only pay for, but the
things that I've read, theyprefer it because there's less
risk involved,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (52:58):
Yep.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (52:58):
to put in the work.
You just go out and get yourneeds met by employees.
You just employ people thingsfor you.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (53:06):
Dude, there was a whole nother rabbit
hole that I went down thisresearch, not not just renting a
boyfriend, but renting parents.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (53:14):
I was gonna say, like that's the
next thing you rent a dad to belike,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (53:17):
Yeah.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (53:17):
you.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (53:18):
Yeah.
That's a, that is a hundredpercent happening.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (53:21):
that's sad.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (53:22):
It's so sad.
Uh, so another article I readmade a really good point about
this whole sex trafficking forceprostitution thing, stories that
are out there in the press.
They put women in this role ofhelpless victim of absolutely

(53:43):
terrible men.
But does that kind of deny themagency in their own stories?
Right.
So we can say that, yeah.
They were pressured into that.
But were they manipulated whenthey knew that this was exactly
what these people were doing?
They, they made a choice toengage in this kind of nightlife

(54:05):
to come back over and over.
Chose to spend their money thisway.
But then on the other hand, Iwas like, is this victim
blaming?
I don't know, man.
Th that, that last article thatI read really kind of turned me
on its head a lot of gray areas.
I know that I don't really feelsorry for the men who get conned
out of money from strippers andhookers.

(54:27):
You know, so should I feel thesame way about these women who
are getting conned outta thatmoney by male sex workers.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (54:36):
I mean, but those dudes aren't
then being forced to put onsomething skimpy and shake it on
the pole themselves.
You know, it's kind of, it'skind of a different beast.
And also I would look at thepower dynamics as well.
I, that might factor in, as yousaid, the culture's set up in a
way.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (54:54):
I don't know.
I don't know.
It's just, it's a sticky wicket.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (54:58):
Well, we're all victims of our vices
anyway.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (55:01):
Right.
And I mean, I, I don't know.
Just maybe stay away from hostclubs or at least stay away from
dumping your whole paycheck atone.
I don't know.

rc-guest214_2_04-11- (55:11):
understand that what you're buying is a
commodity, right?
You're buying something, you'renot making a relationship.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (55:19):
But victim or not listeners, that's
your job now de determiningthese things, thinking the big
thoughts on what this means.
About culture, about thedynamics of men and women, about
the loneliness that's justabound in the world.
Is this our future in America?
Are we gonna be rentingboyfriends and dads and the

(55:41):
whole kit and caboodle?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-202 (55:42):
already commodifying our personalities.
Look through, look at

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (55:45):
Yep.
Yep.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (55:47):
our labor isn't going to be the
thing that's worth anythinganymore.
It's our humanity

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (55:52):
Uh,

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025 (55:53):
buckle in and get ready for it.
It's the next, hopefully youhave good personalities.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (55:58):
here we are.
We're trying to get a jump on itby having our own personality.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_21 (56:01):
us.
You know, we're, we're not gonnacut it in the new world.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025 (56:06):
Apparently not.
We're not sexy enough.
I need to get some soap.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (56:09):
meant like our pod, you know, we're
not like, we can't get enoughcorporate sponsors or

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214 (56:13):
That's what I mean.
We're not sexy enough.
We gotta cover ourselves insoap.
I mean, we have a YouTubechannel.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-202 (56:19):
doesn't already, they don't know.
We already are covered in soap.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (56:22):
Hi.
How's it going?

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (56:25):
Don't

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (56:25):
this sexy?
All right, so go out my littlesocialites think on this one.
Let us know what you think.
Would you pay for this?
Have you ever been to one?
Let us know.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (56:40):
I kind of would do it once.
Sorry.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21 (56:42):
totally do it once.
100%.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (56:44):
Just to see,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (56:45):
to get in the door.
Fuck yeah, I'm gonna do it.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (56:47):
my Duolingo out.
I'm gonna learn Japanese.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (56:51):
I'd fucking do it for an hour or
two.
Absolutely.
But then I'm like, no, I'm good.
Thanks.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (56:56):
well I'll be like, uh, new phone.
Who dis.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (57:01):
New teddy bear.
Who dis

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (57:04):
Well anyways, be sure to let us know.
Subscribe, leave a review onwhatever podcast app you're
listening to.
Leave us a comment on YouTube orof course, send us a message at

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (57:15):
I.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_214 (57:18):
or the link in the show notes to
send us anonymous text message.
You know, the drill.
Until next time.
May your champagne towersfloweth over and your boys be
pretty and hairless.
And always remember, keepmarching to the beat of your own
drum.

(57:38):
I

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (57:38):
I don't want my men to be
hairless.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (57:40):
want my animals to be hairless.
Like that's

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (57:42):
Ooh, that's far more preferable.
Hairy men, hairless pets.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2 (57:47):
Yes.
Hairless dogs.
Hairless, puss.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_214616 (57:51):
All the hair on your pussy and on
your man.
Bring back the bush, man.
Why do I, all the messages haveto come back to me saying, bring
back the bush.
I feel like I say that a

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_ (58:02):
it's, I, I,

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_21461 (58:03):
lot.

rc-guest214_2_04-11-2025_2146 (58:03):
I heard it's happening.

laura-b_2_04-11-2025_2146 (58:04):
Good.
Gimme that bush.