How women are lured into Japan's vice dens: `I worked for Lucie's boss... and landed in jail' Jo Griffiths-Bainbridge was a `Western geisha' in Tokyo clubs for six months. Unlike Lucie, she made it home to tell the tale

Later I met Tetsuo Nishi, now manager of the Casablanca, Lucie Blackman's club. He gave me his inscrutable smile and told me to take off my coat. And so began my hostessing career last year. It was to last six months, as part entertainer, part psychotherapist. As a stranger with no connection t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Observer (London)
Main Author Griffiths-Bainbridge, Jo
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London (UK) Guardian News & Media Limited 16.07.2000
Subjects
Griffiths-Bainbridge, Jo
Nishi, Tetsuo
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Summary:Later I met Tetsuo Nishi, now manager of the Casablanca, Lucie Blackman's club. He gave me his inscrutable smile and told me to take off my coat. And so began my hostessing career last year. It was to last six months, as part entertainer, part psychotherapist. As a stranger with no connection to their everyday lives, you become a fantasy figure who poses no threat, the ideal confidante. One customer begged to know how he could reawaken his wife's sex drive. A hostess should pay a percentage of her wage towards taxes. As the majority of hostesses are working on tourist visas, this money is often paid instead to the local yakuza (mafia), who frequented Nishi's clubs when I worked there. Hostesses are usually saving to pay for trips to Thailand and Goa and often get involved in drugs and prostitution during their time in Japan unintentionally and very quickly. I was offered incredible sums to `go outside' (sleep with) customers. Many girls were taken on exotic holidays, given apartments, and bought jewellery and gifts.
ISSN:0029-7712