A little more than one year after the devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, Miyagi Prefecture’s biggest nightlife quarter of Kokubuncho is booming as construction firms target, oftentimes through collusion, the government’s second supplementary budget for the reconstruction of stricken areas.

“Construction company employees are arriving from all reaches of Japan,” says a person in management at one such firm. “Clubs are routinely filled to capacity.”

According to an employee at a kyabakura (hostess club), there are not enough girls employed in the deri heru (out-call sex) trade to satisfy demand. He says that reinforcements are being ferried in from outside the prefecture.

Even AV star Minako Komukai is appearing in a 20-day engagement at the Sendai Rokku-za strip club until May 10, and this is not her first appearance since the quake.

The tabloid finds it hard to believe that Tokyo remains mired in deflation while just a few hundred kilometers to the north Sendai’s economy is expected surge forward for the foreseeable future.

Restoration of roads and bridges is getting up to speed, with dump trucks causing traffic jams along the coast. When this basic infrastructure work is finished, major redevelopments will then commence. These projects are expected to last for 10 years. A hotel staff member tells the tabloid that its rooms are booked solid for three years.

Flush with cash, construction company employees are able to freely go out drinking and hit the golf course. Sales at department stores and home appliance shops are reportedly double that of last year.

Real estate brokers are looking to turn a quick buck by investing in damaged properties. “The other day, a rather gruff real estate guy with a Kansai accent was here,” says a restaurant employee. “It was the middle of the afternoon, but he had geisha girls on both sides serving him wine.”

Of course, with so much tax money floating around, it would not be surprising to hear rumors concerning dodgy activity. One going around concerns collusion among big-time contractors and the prefectural government.

“For large jobs, the rubble disposal work went to big-name contractors and the levee work was given to marine contractors,” says a representative from a local construction company. “Small companies from this area were left out entirely. So there are grumblings about how the prefecture is handling the situation.”

Prior to the bidding for debris-clearing jobs, it was not a secret that big-name contractors Shimizu, Kajima, and Obayashi had already secured contracts from the prefecture.

Further, garbage incineration jobs were also dealt with by the prefecture, and not by local civic authorities, which is standard practice. “A ‘proposal method’ was used,” says an industry insider. “This insured that the big companies got everything, almost like gifts descending from heaven.” (K.N.)

Source: “‘Fukko baburu’ ni waku Tohoku saidai hankagai Kokubuncho wo iku,” Nikkan Gendai (May 6, page 7)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

In its Mar. 31 issue, the tabloid somewhat surprisingly reports that Miyagi Prefecture’s biggest adult entertainment area in Sendai is functioning on a limited basis.

The lifelines of Sendai, which has suffered greatly following the Mar. 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, are starting to come back to life. Shops have begun to operate as their utility services are gradually being restored.

From the area’s largest red-light district, Kokubuncho, located in the city’s Aoba Ward, a reporter tells Asagei that electricity and water services are slowly coming back to life. “Some shops have started to sell yakitori on the streets during the day,” the source adds. “A convenience store has reopened and there are long lines. Ladies can be seen wearing make-up and sporting mini-skirts. We are beginning to see the light.”

However, only some entertainment establishments are in operation during the evening.

“A few bars are open, but they don’t have any food, only drinks,” continues the same reporter. “Only one kyabakura club is open, and the three hostesses who were able to show up for work were accommodating ten customers. These guys looked to be locals in their 40s and 50s.”

During the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, soaplands offered their bathtubs to those impacted by the disaster. Sendai, the tabloid postulates, has not yet reached that stage.

In midst of this, however, deri heru joints (out-call sex operations) are functioning, with some even offering housing to displaced female staff members. The magazine advises that services are limited to the central part of the city.

One of them is Celeb Garden, which began operation four days after the earthquake.

“While customers are calling, we are just operating on a limited basis,” says a representative of the club, whose Web site offers a hotel plan that starts at 17,000 yen for 70 minutes. “Unfortunately, out of 100 girls, there are a few whose whereabouts we cannot confirm. I just wanted to reassure them by opening the office to offer them a place to stay if they had lost homes.”

The manager at club S-style tells the tabloid that they are also trying re-establish contact with some female employees. “One of our girls lives in the central section of Sendai,” says the manager of the club, which has been steadily receiving reservations from customers. “She encouraged me by saying that the club has to keep moving forward. Our competitors may be closing their shops, but we cannot let all the lights go out in Sendai.” (K.N.)

Source: “Hisaichi no kanrakugai ha ima Sendai de deri heru eigyo shite ita!” Shukan Asahi Geino (Mar. 31, pages 34-35)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Once their eyes adjusted to the surroundings, the cops blinked and ogled in astonishment.

“It was like we were standing in a deluxe hotel,” one is quoted as saying.

Occupying all 80 tsubo (about 265 square meters) — an entire floor in a four-story building in one of Tokyo’s swankest residential areas — United featured private rooms equipped with karakoke, expensive sofas and an enormous wine cellar stocked with Chatau Margaux, Romanee-Conti and other premium labels priced as high as 1.5 million yen per bottle.

Another attraction was its grand piano, described as a type so rare only a few exist in the world.

“United had about 6,600 members who each paid 10,000 yen to join,” says the police source. “The members included politicians, entertainers, professional athletes, business executives and the like. One famous singer would come here and drop about 1 million yen in the course of one evening.”

Another of United’s attractions was 101 women who were registered to work there as hostesses, all described as “good-looking and fashionable women in their early 20s.” Some of them reportedly held daytime jobs as “race queens” or models, but about one third were students at prestigious private or public universities in the Tokyo area.

“They could earn 100,000 to 150,000 a month working there part time, but actually the had an ulterior motive for working there,” the investigator explained.

It seems that with the “ice age” situation in corporate hiring this year’s university graduates are currently facing, the young women were hoping that by toiling evenings at United they might get lucky and link up with some free-spending businessmen and other patrons, and hopefully landing a job in the process.

But United had not obtained an entertainment business license, and instead of giving its hostesses a contract, had treated them on the books as “customers.”

Under police questioning, reports Sankei, the young women had given such explanations as “There were some customers in showbiz, so I thought I might get a chance to find work,” and “My ulterior motive for working there was to charm my way into a job.”

Somewhat strangely, the article did not mention any names of persons arrested in the sweep. (K.S.)

Source: “Hosutesu nerai wa shukatsu,” Sankei Shimbun (Feb. 27, page 26)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

The unnamed hostess is employed at club F, where she is ranked as number one and appears two or three times a week. A charge of 50,000 yen is required for a customer to sit with her. The tabloid reports that the club collects 12 million yen each month and pays out 5 million yen to their top girl.

A few hints regarding her identity are revealed: she first appeared in 2000, when she possessed an F-cup chest that the tabloid announces was her “weapon” of choice in various photo collections; she later acted in numerous TV dramas; and the letter “K” is the initial of her name.

“She said she would marry her boyfriend, quit our office, and retire from the entertainment world,” says a person from her former agency. “But when she didn’t marry, she moved to another agency. I have heard that she is in Ginza now. With her looks I’m not surprised she’s number one at the club.”

Nice work if you can get it.

President Ryuhi Hayashi (62) of the Kanagawa Prefecture-based firm was taken into custody on Saturday for operating a “girl’s bar” in Yokohama without a proper license under the nationwide Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses.

Annual revenue from the company’s 36 hostess and karaoke clubs, located primarily located in Kanagawa, is estimated at 5 billion yen.

With the economy still in a tailspin, the weekly tabloid explains that it is important to understand that customers are still tight with their spending.

“Restaurant businesses in Japan typically provide a wide variety of choices,” says a reporter from the economic section of a national newspaper. “But offering good-tasting dishes alone is not enough to attract customers. With deflation ongoing, price competition is very tense, and services need to be designed such that they go beyond what has been in the past.”

The “girl’s izakaya,” which is an establishment characterized by waitresses with exposed midriffs, is now garnering attention.

Tokyo’s Kanda district appears to be a decent place to get a taste, so to speak. At Izakaya Tsubasa, the female servers serve pork dishes while outfitted in an “army look,” which means very skimpy camouflage skirts and tops. Also in Kanda is Izakaya Anzu, where signed photos of the waitresses are available as souvenirs.

If mini-skirted kimono gals are your preference, then Shinjuku’s Komachi is a good option. But if you find shirt sleeves a tad confining, stop inside Izakaya Sakura Project, where the ladies are bare from finger to shoulder. Got a thing for nurses? Well, then head down to Osaka’s Izakaya 1969, where white-uni-clad gals offer beer and a menu similar to that of a hospital.

“The price range is reasonable,” says a managing director at one of the izakayas, “and these places are popular among those who cannot afford girl’s bars and kyabakura joints. While there is no intimate hospitality, customers are allowed to enjoy casual talk with young and sexy ladies.”

Shukan Jitsuwa (Jan. 6) covers similar territory but digs a bit deeper to find a few places that are more interactive. At Peachs John in Tokyo’s Tachikawa district, guests ordering the “marshmallow catch” are entitled to snatch a sugary treat that has been suspended from the crotch area of a hostess.

Shukan Taishu adds that securing staff at one of these outlets is a challenge. “Good looks and an outgoing personality are important,” explains another managing director. “We only find 2 or 3 suitable gals out of ten we interview. These qualities are something we cannot compromise upon.” (K.N.)

Source: “Ichido ha itte mitai 20 uniiku izakaya,” Shukan Taishu (Jan. 3)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

The tabloid cites the entertainment areas of Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Shibuya as common hot spots. Many young females migrate from the countryside and must offer sharp discounts, or gekiyasu enko, as slashed bonuses for salaried workers have become the norm.

Seated on a street corner is a 19-year-old from Niigata Prefecture. “I came to Tokyo to earn money for one week,” says the brown-haired girl. “I have only have a few hundred yen. Tonight I can’t find anyone. If someone will pay 5,000 yen and the hotel fee that’s acceptable…”

In Shibuya, the writer finds a deeply tanned female in a miniskirt. She does not offer sex, only hand-jobs, and handles five customers a day. Referred to as tekoki enko, the service costs 3,000 yen a pull.

Oftentimes, however, the girls will abstain from independent contracting and utilize agents, who entice prospective talent with rates of 50,000-yen per day. On websites or through ads in evening sports newspapers, the pimps will collect clients interested in Lolita-like lasses and arrange a deri heru, or call-girl, setup at a love hotel.

“A high school girl and can get 50,000 yen a day,” explains a writer for a national daily. “For a middle school girl it’s around 70,000 yen. But recently elementary school girls have been able to fetch 120,000 yen for one shot.”

The money is just one thing, says the writer. The girls also find the arrangement safer than working solo as the chances for trouble from an uncooperative client are reduced.

“If the police crack down on one organized service,” continues the source, “there will always be another ready to serve. There are so many students out on summer vacation.”

Cafes described as deai-kei establishments oftentimes will specialize in matching hookers with Johns. Girls enter free and can enjoy surfing the Web or reading manga comics. Guys observe their activities through a one-way mirror and then choose a girl who meets their fancy. The couple will then move to another booth and talk for 10 minutes. If an agreement is brokered, the guy will pay a fee to the cafe and transportation costs to the girl before heading out on a date.

Once summer vacation starts, Shukan Jitsuwa notes, the cafes are at full capacity.

“Most deai cafes are just for prostitution purposes,” explains fuzoku writer Yukio Murakami. “Probably 70 to 80 percent of the girls will allow sex if the money is right.”

The magazine then moves on to a street filled with kyabakura clubs, which offer hostess services, to examine the swindling of university students.

Waseda, Rikkyo, Meiji and Gakushuin universities are usually well represented but nowadays Tsuda College and Aoyama Gakuin University, known as “princess” schools since girls from wealthy families often attend, are entering the picture.

The con takes place at the recruitment stage. Students will be offered a generic kyabakura role only to later find out that the establishment is a sekukyaba,, where the kissing and fondling of exposed breasts is offered, or ichakyaba, in which touching takes place through worn garments.

“Even when they find out that touching and kissing are allowed they won’t quit because they are getting paid,” says a kyabakura employee. “It’s easy to trick them because they don’t know how the night world works.”

Runaways, it seems, have it no better. Wayward females will post requests for lodging on online sites. “In the postings, they’ll use the word kami (god) to describe the potential suitor but really he is an okami (wolf),” explains an editor at a fuzoku rag. “Since no one will offer free lodging, they are going to want sex. And since they are runaways, they have no means of recourse if there is a problem. I know of one girl that wound up shooting up on dope and got raped.”

Speaking of drugs, the use of shabu is escalating at an alarming rate, reports the magazine. Inexperienced girls will try it for the first time at a club, perhaps in Shibuya. “The girls will be told by a seller that they can get high on MDMA for 5,000 yen,” says a person in the club industry. “MDMA is a drug that enhances sexual pleasure, and one hit could lead to repeated use.”

Law enforcement authorities tell the tabloid that summer can be the start of a dangerous descent. “They might think that they are doing enko ‘only for summer vacation,’” says a source related to the police. “But that is just the beginning. There could be stress so they might go to a host club. They might also start up with drugs, pile up debts, get mentally sick or suffer a physical ailment. Life can get bizarre. It’s dangerous earning money in the sex trade, and it’s best to be on guard.” (A.T.)

Source: “Nettaiya ni ugomeku aoise wo uru shojotachi michaku 24ji,” Shukan Jitsuwa (Aug. 19, pages 52-54)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

“After the story concerning sumo wrestlers and baseball betting broke, three illegal gambling operations in Kabukicho were raided,” explains one illegal casino operator. “They included a gaming room, an Internet operation and poker game shop. I am very worried about a raid on my place.”

What’s going on?

“Normally there are two patterns for the raids,” explains a member of the National Police Agency, who refused to be named. “The first case is when customers or others in the industry report an illegal operation. The second occurs when higher-ups order the police to raid a particular place.

“If it’s a customer or person in the industry leaking information, then the raid will be only place shop,” the source continues. “However, if (Tokyo Gov. Shintaro) Ishihara announces that he wants to pursue the establishment of a legal casino in Tokyo, for example, multiple places will be raided.”

The representative of the police adds that the Japan Racing Association may also request the busting of operations offering illegal, off-track satellite wagering. The crackdown then on the three Kabukicho parlors is unprecedented, the source says.

Customers are feeling the backlash.

“At poker clubs in Kabukicho, it used to be that players could start out up 500,000 yen and then if they continued they might go down one million yen,” explains an owner of a kyabakura chain who enjoys betting with poker machines. “Now, you can burn through two or three million yen from the start and not see one royal flush or a four of a kind.”

The owner of a fuzoku club likes baccarat. “Before, it would be 50-50, win or lose,” the source says. “Not knowing whether one will win or lose is the fun of gambling, and the customer will keep playing. But now, it’s all losing.”

An underground casino manager says that everyone is being targeted. “We don’t know which place will be raided next,” the owner explains. ” So the owners of the clubs want to earn as much as possible now. As a result, the regulars lose all the time. I feel bad for them. But I have to do it. I can’t go against upper management.” (A.T)

Source: “Ura kajino jyankii tachi ga rensen renpai no naze?” Weekly Playboy (July 26, page 10)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Kotaro Nishijima, which is not his real name, smiles in acknowledging his female passenger, who is young enough to be his daughter.

He currently earns 300,000 yen each month transporting gals in the deri heru trade (out-call sex) to their clients — a far cry from his days as head of a group of 80 that carried out frauds via phone communication (furikome sagi), which typically involves deceiving victims into wiring large sums of money to the group’s bank account.

With Tokyo cracking down on such activities, the 41-year-old tells Spa! (May 25), in an article that profiles a selection of former shammers, that in his previous line of work he reeled in 700 million yen a month.

“I used to say that I am making as much in one month as Ichiro makes in a year,” he remembers. “I didn’t purchase big-ticket items, like houses or cars, because if I were to get arrested they’d be used as evidence. Also, when one realizes he can buy anything, one loses appetite for it.”

Nishijima served two years following his arrest. Others, too, have recently been taken into custody, including one group head known as the “king,” who was served a 20-year term by the Tokyo District Court.

While one may assume that these aggressive moves by law enforcement are paying off, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department reported 155 cases of fraud in the month of April alone, the most in a single month since November of 2008.

“Those who engage in such fraud are either small-timers or those who are operating at the bottom rungs of organizations with a lot of money,” explains a member of an organized crime group.

Research dating back to 2006 reveals that there were six groups engaged in these scams. Four of them, including their subgroups, had withdrawn by 2007 and focused on other businesses.

“Those who couldn’t reinvent themselves at the time or switch over to different lines of work are going down pretty hard,” says the same gangster.

Nishijima reveals to Spa! the often splurged his gains inside kyabakura clubs. “My subordinates and myself would sit in one place for 5 minutes and then move onto the next,” he explains. “We were playing such foolish games. There was a time when we went to 20 of these places in one night, using around 6 million yen. One time we reserved the entire place and hid one million yen in cash for a treasure hunt. We also splashed Dom Pérignon Rosé on the waiters.

“We wound up buying one kyabakura joint specifically for money laundering,” he continues. “I managed the place but concealed my ownership, and since the money I used there would be coming back to me I appeared to be a very affluent person. The girls thought I was rich, and I was banging many of them. Personnel costs, however, were more than I had expected, and the money laundering angle didn’t really work out as expected.”

Nishijima eventually became a high-profile person, which led to an attack by thieves. “I woke up one night in severe pain. Masked men had beaten me up bad and I passed out. I found that 200 million yen hidden under floor boards had been taken. I knew this was done by a former subordinate. When groups dissolve, people can get physical to find cash.”

He just took the hit as he was afraid of arrest if her reported it to the police. Nonetheless, the group did get busted later on. But since his role as a senior member was not proved, he only had to serve two years.

After his release, he used 100 million yen that he had been hiding to open a hamburger shop, but that failed and he was left with no money.

“I dream those days, when I was playing at the kyabakura,” says Nishijima who nowadays hits a cheap izakaya two or three times a month. “But then I wake up to realize that I live in a six-tatami-mat room. It makes me really sad.” (K.N.)

Source: “Furikome sagi tachino awarena batsuro” Spa! (May 25, pages 28-29)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

To get around the laws, some have moved their activity indoors, only to find that illegal as well. Last week Yasuhiro Fuseishi, a 36-year-old former actor, was arrested for arranging parties at which young women were encouraged to take up the world’s oldest profession.

In addition to Fuseishi, Nikkan Gendai (Mar. 13) reports that a group of these scouts, numbering a dozen in all, were arrested on charges of violating the section in the employment law banning recruitment activities for “undesirable” professions. Police claimed that the group had dispatched between 50 to 70 young women to sex shops, which were kicking back between 10 to 15 percent of the girls’ take, which came to between 3.5 to 4 million yen per month, to the scouts.

“The scouts would accost about 200 women a day,” says a police source. “They even compiled a manual giving pointers on who to approach, with contents like ‘Gals carrying expensive brand-name bags like to show off and are easy to persuade.’ At its peak the group had 16 members.”

“Most of these scouts get about 10 percent of the girl’s monthly turnover,” says “pink” journalist Yukio Murakami. “In the case of real beauties — rated ‘class A’ — it can go up to 20 percent. If the girl does 3 million yen worth of business, that’ll earn the scout 600,000 yen a month right there. And the money keeps coming in for as long as she stays in the business.

“Sometimes the scouts will work as a girl’s bodyguard on the side as well,” adds Murakami. “But while those at the top of their profession make over 1 million yen, over 70 percent make 200,000 yen or less. Some of them are moonlighting salarymen, who do it to supplement their pay. They make out pretty well, raking in half a million yen or more in a month.” (K.S.)

Source: “Sukautoman wa doredake mokaru?” Nikkan Gendai (Mar. 13, page 7)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.