What I Learned by Being a Migrant Sex Worker in Japan

Rhacel Salazar Parrenas for Bloomberg (Part 1 and Part 2):

In the clubs, men bond over their ability to objectify hostesses with no admonishment. In the place where I worked, customers usually commented on the appearance of the hostess assigned to their table immediately after being introduced to her, expressing either approval or disapproval, and in some cases rejecting her, telling the club manager to replace her with someone more attractive. Sometimes customers would request a hostess with a specific physical feature, notably large breasts.

I often heard customers describe me as “futote,” meaning fat, and “kuroi,” meaning dark. I could not retort because customers patronize hostess clubs not only to avoid rejection but to experience male superiority. Hostesses can express only positive comments about clients. As one of my co-workers observed of our clients, “No one wants to listen to them. No one tells them they are good-looking. No one admires them. That is why they go to the club.” Hostesses try to generate sales by bolstering the masculinity of their customers.

There is no great secret here. The average male does not visit this type of establishment out of some underlying desire to objectify women. Rather, men are looking for attention they are unable to receive elsewhere.

These bars make it easy for a man to walk in and obtain immediate gratification through attention, something they would otherwise have to spend a great deal of effort on. It is almost like the fast-food equivalent to picking up chicks, except in this case the dream ceases once the man exits the premises.

The bottom line is that most men are merely looking for the idea of meeting a girl. It has nothing to do with objectification, feeling superior or anything evil. Instead, it is merely a way to have an enjoyable few hours with a companion who provides the attention otherwise unattainable elsewhere. In rare cases this involves sex, but mostly it involves social drinking and conversation. It is patently harmless for both the worker and the customer.

Like with everything else in life, the 99% are persecuted for the crimes and stupidity of the 1%.