"Claim of 45 million yen for 'pretending to be a lover'... The dark side of the host industry and legal reforms in Japan"

2025年06月10日 15:41

The Dark Side of the Host Industry and Strengthened Legal Regulations Reflected in the "Ichigeki Lecture"

--- The Frontline of "Romantic Business"

Table of Contents

Incident Overview and Key Points of the Report
What is Japanese Host Club Culture?
The Full Picture of the "Ichigeki Lecture" Manual
Victim's Testimony: 45 Million Yen Disappeared in Six Months
Structural Issues in the Host Industry
Contents of the 2025 Revised Entertainment Business Law and International Comparisons
Support Contacts and Consultation Services (Japanese/Multilingual)
Conclusion: Is a Business Model Shift Possible?

1. Incident Overview and Key Points of the Report

On June 10, 2025, Kansai TV broke the news of the existence of a malicious manual called "Ichigeki Lecture" created by a former assistant manager in Osaka Minami. According to the report, the former assistant manager, who was convicted of extortion, stated, "A system to efficiently exploit newcomers was necessary to advance within the organization."

Victim consultations have surged nationwide, and according to the National Police Agency, the number of host-related consultations in 2024 increased by over 700 compared to three years ago. In response to this background, the government has shifted towards strengthening regulations.

Why Report for Foreigners?

Cases have been reported where foreign students and young workers residing or staying in Japan are targeted.
The unique culture of "Host Clubs" appears intriguing to tourists, but misunderstanding the rules and business practices can lead to being caught up in high-bill disputes.

2. What is Japanese Host Club Culture?

Host clubs are businesses where male employees entertain female customers, competing for sales through champagne towers and high-priced bottle orders. As of 2024, about 310 establishments operate in Kabukicho alone, concentrating roughly 30% of Japan's total. The rapid expansion is driven by social media appeal and the dream of "earning over a hundred million if successful," but in reality, it involves fierce competition due to the commission-based system.

Keyword Explanation

Urikake (Credit Sales): A system where payment is deferred and made later instead of paying cash on the spot. If repayment is delayed, high-interest late fees may be incurred, often leading to exorbitant collection practices.
Romantic Sales Tactics: A method where one pretends to be in a romantic relationship to invite someone for "accompaniment" or "after-hours," creating a psychologically difficult situation to refuse, thus extracting high-priced orders.

3. The Full Scope of the "One-Shot Training" Manual

The manual released in the report was divided into four stages and 20 items, from target selection to fade-out. The main points are as follows.

Targeting
- Target women over 20 years old on dating apps who have "no host experience," "day jobs," and "immature views on love."
Psychological Enclosure
- Pretend to be in a relationship and lie by saying "accompany me to avoid a late penalty" to lure them to the club.
Numbing of Financial Sense
- Get them drunk and make them chug champagne. Encourage them by saying, "For XX million yen, you can witness the moment of being the No. 1 in sales."
Presentation of Payment Methods
- Guide them to "propose on their own" working at a sex shop or using consumer finance. To eliminate evidence, have them enter financial institutions alone.
Fade Out
- If there is no prospect of sales, block them on LINE and shift to another new customer.

Bind with Words, Eliminate Escape Routes with Debt

The manual is structured to manipulate emotions in stages from "romantic feelings → sympathy → guilt → sense of duty," ultimately instilling a sense of self-responsibility. Experts also point out that it is a scheme close to human trafficking.

4. Victim's Testimony: The Six Months When 45 Million Yen Disappeared

In the reports, the testimony of a woman in her 50s with a college-aged daughter was highlighted. She paid about 45 million yen, the proceeds from selling a family-inherited house, to a host within six months. To obtain funds for repayment, her daughter had no choice but to take a job in the adult entertainment industry. It was reported that 200,000 to 300,000 yen was withdrawn almost daily from a bankbook in her grandmother's name, and she was under psychological control, being accused of infidelity with other clubs through "demon LINE" messages.

From Debt to the Adult Industry: A Structural Route

Debt Repayment → Work in the Adult Industry → Remittance to HostThis cycle is solidified by "scout back."
Hosts have a strong incentive to "broker" customers to adult entertainment establishments to earn referral fees.
As a result, women suffer double exploitation, leading to physical and mental exhaustion.

5. Structural Issues Facing the Host Industry

Issues	Background	Impact
Unregulated Credit Sales System	In-store Loans Without Bank Credit Checks	Multiple Debts & High-interest Collections
Sales Supremacy	Success Stories of "Million Players" Earning Hundreds of Millions Annually	New Hosts Leaning Towards Extreme Methods
SNS Spread	Boasting "10 Million Yen Champagne Towers" on TikTok and X	Admiration from the Young and Concealment of Debt
Gray Zone Collections	Unable to Completely Deny Influence of Organized Crime	Hotbed for Threats and Extortion Incidents

Voices of Industry Insiders

"You can't get to the top just by serving customers sincerely.Manualization was rather rational" (former assistant manager)

6. Contents of the 2025 Revised Entertainment Business Law and Overseas Comparison

Japan's New Rules

Items	Revision Points	Penalties
Romantic Business Practices	Prohibition of false explanations and excessive food and drink demands using romantic feelings	Up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine of up to 1 million yen
Scout Back	Prohibition of referral fee payments from sex establishments to hosts	Same as above + potential application of crime proceeds concealment charges

The bill was unanimously passed on May 20, 2025, and is scheduled to be enforced at the end of June of the same year.

Comparison with Overseas Night Entertainment Regulations

Country/Region	Main Regulations	Comments
South Korea	Strict management of late-night operations and advertising to prevent excessive hospitality in "Room Salons"	Setting a cap on fees to ensure transparency in customer payments
France	Immediate settlement of credit payments is mandatory even in champagne bars	The culture of running a tab is almost nonexistent
United States (Las Vegas)	The "Comp" system exists, but casino regulatory bodies audit sales daily	ID presentation and credit card deposit are mandatory

Japanese host clubs have a unique model combining "credit sales" and "lover role-play," with few similar examples overseas.

7. Support Desks and Consultation Services (Japanese/Multilingual)

Type	Contact Information	Languages	Remarks
NPO PAPS	info@paps.jp	Japanese/English	Specialized Support Desk for Sexual Violence and Host Victims
Consumer Hotline	188	Japanese	Accessible from anywhere in Japan
Multilingual Support Hotline	03-5366-6001	English, Chinese, Korean, and 15 other languages	Operated by JNTO
Police Consultation Dial	#9110	Japanese/English (Interpreter available)	For emergencies, dial 110

8. Conclusion: Is a Business Model Shift Possible?

Regulations alone leave loopholes
- Possibility of disguising credit sales as "prepayment"
- Concealing sex industry introductions as "modeling work" under different names
Transition to a Transparent Billing Model
- Mandating upfront payments or time-based set fees significantly reduces the risk of debt.
Caution for Overseas Customers
- Host experiences are a type of "show." It is necessary to have the mindset to view it as entertainment fees rather than mistaking it for romance.
Sustainability of the Industry
- Moving away from "sales supremacy," establishing an environment where competition can occur in soft skills such as customer service techniques and language skills is key.

The revised Entertainment Business Law is only a first step. Whether the host industry can be redefined as a hospitality industry rather than "romantic exploitation" will determine its future sustainability. We, as media and users, need to continue to closely monitor this change.

Reference Article List

← Back to Article List

Cookie Usage