Thanks to the popularity of manga and anime such as Ouran Highschool Host Club, or Maid-Sama!, many people have become increasingly aware of — and interested in — hostess clubs and themed bars and cafes.
But what is a hostess club? What can you expect when you go into one? And are they more innocent or more illicit? Pull up a chair and let us sit with you as we go through it!
How Hostess Clubs Work
Hostess clubs are a part of Japan’s night entertainment business, and essentially consist of customers coming in for a drink and to enjoy conversation. While this might sound pretty normal (after all, isn’t that what going to a bar with your friends is?), the trick to these bars are that you are attended to by pretty young women.
Most hostess clubs will have an entry fee, and in addition to paying for your own drinks, you will need to pay for any drinks that your hostess has… and the drinks are also usually a lot pricier than you would pay in a typical bar.
The appeal of such places is, of course, the company. For a lot of weary businessmen, it is a chance to unwind and vent gently to a sympathetic ear with a pretty smile. There may be stresses at work that they feel they cannot tell their significant other, or even their coworkers. For others, it’s a chance to have a pretty girl enrapt by their conversation and get a little bit of an ego boost.
So how did hostess clubs come about? Why did they begin in Japan, and still thrive here?
The History Behind Hostess Clubs
As one can imagine, there is some similarity with the phenomena of geisha, a traditional form of work for women who would entertain the wealthy with witty entertainment, music, and dancing, but not (typically) with sexual favors.
The more definite origins of today’s hostess clubs can be tracked to early the 1900s in Ginza. Cafes serving coffee and snacks by waitresses in western clothes, a novelty for some, became popular, and customers would return to the same cafes in order to strike up conversations with waitresses they liked.
After the Second World War, many women seeking to make money became “kyabakurabu” (cabaret club) workers catering to foreign soldiers stationed in Japan, who had cash to spare and were seeking companionship while far from home. After Japan resumed domestic rule, it became a status symbol for the wealthier among Japanese men to visit hostess bars.
While the work of a hostess is not considered by some to be especially glamorous, it can be well paid (although naturally, there are places that take advantage of the women in their employ) and is easy to do. So what does the work of a hostess not include?
Common Misconceptions
One thing that many people might think of when it comes to hostess bars is that they are similar to strip clubs: this is not the case. The primary way clubs and the hostesses make money is through selling alcohol. As such, while there can be drunken behavior from clients, they are not permitted, and anyone getting handsy or aggressive will be thrown out.
It is also not common for hostesses to offer sexual services even outside of working hours. Remember, when someone is being paid to chat with you, it is far from a guarantee that they actually like you, and 99.9% of the time don’t want to go home with you.
It’s also not the case that the industry is shady, as it is regulated by the government, and there is a union for hostesses. However, it is the case that some places, offering easy work for good pay, will try to entice women from abroad to become hostesses.
For the vast majority of visa holders in Japan, this kind of work is illegal, and so payments are made under the table, making visa renewal potentially fraught, and some women find themselves coerced into unreasonable working hours or suffer other undesirable outcomes.
The Difference Between Hostess and Host Clubs
This one is pretty simple: hostess clubs are where you are entertained by women, while in host clubs you are entertained by men. Host clubs have been increasingly popular, as Japanese women who find it difficult to find men in their lives who truly listen to them, and seek a feeling of protection, have been flocking to them.
This has also seen an increase in themed cafes, such as butler cafes, as a gender-switched variation on maid cafes. However, there have been a growing number of cases where some clients become addicted to visiting their favorite hosts, and things can quickly get very expensive.
Are Hostess Clubs Still Popular in 2025?
Yes! You will find hostess clubs, and variants on the idea, such as Snack Bars and themed cafes and bars, all across Japan, though the highest concentration will be in larger cities, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.
One reason for their continued popularity is that some Japanese companies will subsidize their employees’ attendance as a way for team-building and camaraderie. Additionally, hostess bars with strong reputations still manage to attract those who see them as status symbols.
Now you should have a general knowledge of hostess clubs, and what to expect if you decide to visit one. But our time for this evening is over, so I’m afraid that while you don’t have to go home, you can’t stay here.
