OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have initiated a crackdown on specialty hostess clubs in Kita Ward for licensing violations, reports Mainichi Broadcasting System (Nov. 13).
At approximately 1:25 a.m., officers raided Godzilla, a so-called “girl’s bar,” and arrested manager Kyohei Takada, 27, for providing customers with entertainment without a proper license under the Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses.
A girl’s bar is licensed as a drinking establishment but offers services nearly equivalent to that of an adult-entertainment club.
According to police, Godzilla bills itself as an “amusement bar” where customers can enjoy darts and karaoke. Under the adult-entertainment law, it is not necessary for such an establishment to gain permission to operate if the female employees serve from behind a counter. However, the staff sat at tables with the customers in pouring drinks at Godzilla.
Police raided four other businesses in the ward on the same charges. The sweep resulted in a total of five arrests.
This year, about 20 customers of such bars have lodged complaints about being overcharged, a practice known as bottakuri, police said.
