Japanese hostess

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Location: Tokyo, Japan

I went to an EDM nightclub in Tokyo that was recommended by Lonely Planet.

I got there at around 9 PM. It was pretty crowded. Most of the people there were Japanese. There were a handful of tourists (or exchange students?) who looked American. I would have talked with them, but the music was too loud. So I leaned against the bar, sipped a beer, and enjoyed the music.

From my spot at the bar, I had a clear view of the entrance. Shortly after 10, a group of three girls walked in together. They were attractive, and their makeup and outfits were on point. They surveyed the room for a second or two and split up.

One of the girls walked straight at me and introduced herself. She only knew a few words of English, but she was friendly and enthusiastic. The situation was suspect, but I decided to not overthink it, and offered to buy her a drink.

We talked with each other as best we could, given the volume of the music and lack of a common language. She tried to get me to dance with her; the result disappointed both of us. I bought another round of drinks as an apology.

We finished our drinks, and I was out of cash. I showed her my empty wallet. She looked embarrassed on my behalf, quickly motioned for me to put the wallet away, bounced over to the bar, and paid for another round. I thought maybe she was talking with me to get me to pay for her drinks, but I guess not.

Subway service in Tokyo stops at around midnight, so the lights in the club went up at 11:45 and people started filtering out. I thought I was doing well with this girl, so I asked her for her phone number.

She looked at me quizzically and said, "I'm a hostess. You understand?"

I thought I knew what the word "hostess" meant but no, I didn't understand.

She gave me a quick (and unexpected) kiss on the lips, said "good night!" enthusiastically, turned around, and disappeared.

I've since learned that bars and clubs in Japan will sometimes employ "hostesses" to flirt with the clientele. There are "hostess bars" and "hostess clubs" where that's the whole point. The club I went to wasn't a hostess club, but I guess they hired a few hostesses to ensure customer satisfaction. Maybe the girls arrived a bit after 10 because they had just gotten off work being hostesses somewhere else.

Somebody told me that the kiss is customary, and is called a "hostess kiss," but I can't find a reference to any such thing on the internet.


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