Shibuya's Host Clubs

Shibuya's Crossing
(Hichiko Exit)
Every three minutes complete anarchy ensues at the world's busiest intersection. We observed it all from the 2nd floor Starbucks as well as joined the crowd below!

What is Shibuya like ?

The style being referred to as "Shibuya-ke" had origins in the early 90's, during Japan's era of economic excess, also known as the 'Bubble Period.' Music and culture tastes turned to America and Europe for inspiration. Culture imported from around the world was bought up with all of the excess income floating around Tokyo. From this spawned Shibuya-ke, originally associated only with a group of musicians, which somehow turned into a fashion mentality and now has perhaps contributed to it's current popularity.
There's the famous Shibuya scramble, an octagonal intersection right out from the Hachiko exit of Shibuya Station, as well as the Hachiko Dog statue and two giant TV's mounted on skyscrapers that blast music videos and commercials all day and make you feel like you've been sucked into a Japanese TV.
Despite being a major node on the JR Yamanote line, it is also a cultural playground for Japanese businessmen, high schoolers, musicians and foreigners alike. It is newer than Shinjuku and yet more confusing to navigate through.



Newest crave in Japan - Host Clubs! Why in Shibuya? Well....it's the place of night clubs, sex clubs, and love hotels: the place to find it, buy it, and get it on. Why not host clubs too!?!


In a twist on traditional adult entertainment venues, Japan's growing band of 'host clubs' are nightspots where male hosts serve well-heeled female customers. The women pay by the hour to be flattered and flirted with, and they also pay for all the alcohol, which is consumed in copious quantities. It’s a light-hearted look at a growing social phenomenon in Japan – the increasing numbers of independent single women and a divorce rate that’s doubled in the past decade. In the last two years, one hundred new host clubs have opened in Tokyo alone. They cater for a new class known as “parasite singles” – working women still living at home and with money and time to burn.



















Now let me just say - Beth and I didn't go to any Host Clubs but it was mighty interesting watching these guys work the streets and try to get ladies to go into their club. Seriously we had to have sit in that Starbucks for over an hour! The guys would only look for certain women in the crowd and Beth and I were having fun trying to pick the girls before the guys did.
Sooner of later all the guys got nick-names : Slick-back, Boot boy, Sunglasses, and my favorite Fur guy. Nice!

http://www.iias.nl/iias/show/id=56141/framenoid=42832