Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura attends a joint news conference with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and other panel members after their talks on the latest situation of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, on Friday night. Photo: REUTERS/Issei Kato
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Gov't urges Tokyo host, hostess clubs to act to stem coronavirus spikes

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By Kaori Kaneko

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72 Comments
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Close it all down for 3 months. Not doing so now will mean closing it all down for 3 years starting in the fall.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Oh for gods sake! Just shut them down if it's such a problem. We have had years of urges and none have resulted in anything tangible. So I urge those in power to shut the night clubs......see even an urge back at them results in nothing.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

Shinjuku-ku (home to Kabukicho host/hostess bars) gives 100,000 yen to residents who test positive for coronavirus.

This gives an incentive to actualy catch it, which may sound like a good option if you are a young, foolish night-life worker with dwindling customers and little other financial support who already works in a semi-nefarious trade.

So one must wonder how un-intentional all these cases among bar workers really are.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Close it all down for 3 months. Not doing so now will mean closing it all down for 3 years starting in the fall.

i say close it all down forever. and while you,re at it, shut down the entire city for a couple of months. complete lockdown.

-14 ( +3 / -17 )

Divinda, you really think people will intentionally contract corona for a one time payment of 100,000? You must think very lowly of them.

It would not even cover their apartment rental fee for a month...

1 ( +9 / -8 )

Going to have to shut them down completely

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Jacek AdamczykToday  06:54 am JST

Divinda, you really think people will intentionally contract corona for a one time payment of 100,000? You must think very lowly of them. 

It would not even cover their apartment rental fee for a month...

Where do you think people live? Single young people do not live in places with rent 10man. For a family of 3-4 you can rent for 10-11man. 1LDK goes for 4-7man.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

But having 5000 people at a baseball game is totally ok...

15 ( +16 / -1 )

I might have overstated. But the point still stands. Do you expect these people to opt for a 10man payment instead of the usual salary which is at least twice that much..?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Divinda, you really think people will intentionally contract corona for a one time payment of 100,000? 

Yes. People are idiots.

 You must think very lowly of them.

Can I ask, would you work in a sleezy host/hostess bar? These people think this is an acceptable lifestyle.

And while some may not be purely intentional, the money certainly acts as a nice cushion that says its OK to keep on working there, that its OK to not be particularly cautious with customers, and if the bars do start to close, then it'd perhaps be better while out of work to get this virus and the cash.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Can I ask, would you work in a sleezy host/hostess bar? These people think this is an acceptable lifestyle

Just because you and me would not, it is not your place to tell them how to live their lives.

A lot of assumptions about them, you have.

They are just trying to make a living. Not everyone can be a worker at a corpo...

7 ( +9 / -2 )

So, once again, the government wants everyone else to act in order to make its own inaction look better. If they want the clubs to stop being one source of spread, CLOSE THEM DOWN. It will harm some people, and the economy a little, and darned but it might hurt someone in the next election, but if the government is being serious about health, they need to close some things down again, if not do an ACTUAL lockdown this time. Just tell Koike that the Olympics are off if numbers aren't down by the end of July... THEN she'll act.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Check the constitution. the government does not have the legal authority to order or restrict movement

2 ( +3 / -1 )

“But having 5000 people at a baseball game is totally ok...”

As is cramming hundreds of thousands into trains every morning.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

So one must wonder how un-intentional all these cases among bar workers really are.

among the bar workers ? it wouldn't surprise me if it actually is 100%.

the only thing lot worse then doing absolutely nothing is to give infected people 100.000.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just because you and me would not,

Whyt not?

it is not your place to tell them how to live their lives.

Thats what laws do all the time. And its the public who make the laws. If Koike bans the bars, is it "not her place to tell them how to live their lives"?

A lot of assumptions about them, you have.

Their job is literally enticing (scamming) drunken people out of as much money as possible. This is not an assumption, its their job description. You think they would not also attempt to do so with the local government?

And hey, maybe contracting the virus is even some sort of job security. Seriously, as things progress, who would be in a better place to work there (or anywhere), someone who never had the virus who can potentially infect customers, or someone who already had it and is now immune and safe to customers??

1 ( +5 / -4 )

You really have to wonder with all the publicity about these “host clubs and cabaret clubs”, who is stupid enough to visit them?

But then, never underestimate the stupidity of some people.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

among the bar workers ? it wouldn't surprise me if it actually is 100%.

among the bar workers ? it wouldn't surprise me if it actually is 100% intentional.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

We already know Jgov wanted the redlight districts closed for the Olympics. Im assuming this is their current plan to do so. Not like it even matters anymore, the olympics is going to be a joke. Also whats with all these people on here acting as if people who work in bars and clubs are the devil... why? Never been for a drink before? Never wanted a bit of company after a busy day? Get off your Elitist horse. The night time entertainment industry is an industry as old as time.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

A whole lot of urging produces a whole lot of nothing. When is this government ever going to "do" anything besides urge?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Guidelines for nightclubs include providing customers with enough space with good ventilation and avoiding speaking loudly,

Just shut the clubs down. Anyone who's been to ANY club in Japan know that the above "guidelines" are impossible at any of the night clubs in the country.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Better to use the hammer now and just shut these clubs down than to wait for this to spread out of control and need to use it later on a much wider scale.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Check the constitution. the government does not have the legal authority to order or restrict movement

Yup. Constitutional rights have been conveniently overlooked by many commenters here throughout this whole thing...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

These same commenters would be crying foul if it was their own industries that became the scapegoat...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

People here calling door shutting down businesses are absolutely despicable. How about we demand to shut down your business. What goes around comes around.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who leads Japan's pandemic response...

errr why..... lots of experience with viruses???? Or just the only thing that matters to his own ilk,money.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

The virus will be tackled only through measures “that would not further harm the economy,” according to Tokyo’s governor, Yuriko Koike

There is your answer to how the virus is going to be handled in Tokyo. Leave, Stay, the decision is yours. No surprises no need for anger. Elections took place, Tokyo spoke and according to the election, the majority of the citizens that voted opted for this response. For those of us who are ex-pats, unless we are citizens we are just guests and entitled to nothing, again nothing new. This would be the same in our home countries too if we were ex-pats there. Only citizens have the right and responsibilities of running the show in their land.

Also, constitutions are never set in stone and are living documents. With political will, if the people of the land truly demand a change it will happen. Currently, Japan cannot restrict personal movements however businesses are not entitled to constitutional protections a person receives. Therefore, it is well within the rights of the local city, prefecture, national government to regulate these entities as they see fit. Hence why you have to register them. Is it the answer? Not my call. I'm an ex-pat and a guest so I'll make decisions for my own safety. And if it's not in my best interest to stay I'll go, quietly at that. Stay informed, don't rationalize your ineptness to make personal decisions that are hard or may cause short term pain, make the hard calls move forward to win. We're lucky today we can find all the real information about this virus and bypass political nonsense that's being spewed. However, as you can see they are being quite clear on priority.

IMHO

0 ( +2 / -2 )

If it's true as they say on the news that that hosts and hostesses live in tiny rooms in hostels, and that is where the infections are going around, even before anyone meets a customer, then the problem takes on a new light.

Only the most popular can become an independent name in order to break away and finally live in style, apparently. It sounds like a hard grind, but not too dissimilar from such dire situations in other countries.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If the clubs are disproportionately responsible for infections, they should close. The staff should be allowed onto welfare (seikatsu hogo) while they are closed. The same goes for anyone working at other leisure facilities that cannot open.

A small, nonessential sector like this cannot be allowed to start an outbreak that puts the whole city at risk.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

People here calling door shutting down businesses are absolutely despicable. How about we demand to shut down your business. What goes around comes around.

I would say people spreading a deadly disease by visiting host/hostess clubs is what is despicable. The entire business model is incompatible with the measures needed to control this, and it is hardly an essential service. There is no reason for these virus spreader centers to remain open except for the financial needs of the people who own and work at them, which are going to be dwarfed by the financial costs on society as a whole if this gets out of control.

So shut them down and provide financial assistance for the workers who are temporarily out of work.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Personally I think they should shut Kabuki-cho down.

I think most people here think all hostess bars are these sexual dens of iniquity, dirty and sleazy, when that's not really the case across the board. Surely there are places like that but some are high class, some are middle, some low. And most don't offer sexual services. And most don't have hostesses living in little rooms (living there at all).

That said, having a hostess sit next to one guy and drink for 50 minutes, then sit with the next customer for 50 minutes, on and on thru the nite isn't good for anyone.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

More scapegoating by government. So sickening

Hosts and hostesses will not purposely infect themselves for 100,000, that is dumb. A typical night worker makes about 400,000 per week in shop and after service payments. They typically live near Shinjuku with rents of 200,000-300,000, as many of them have pets. The #1 of shops makes 10M+ monthly.

Host and hostesses clubs are not the most ideal locations for spread compared to crowded standard bars and dance clubs, etc. As within the shop, hosts and hostess often operate 1:1 or in small groups. Every day they often only see 1-3 different clients.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I would say people spreading a deadly disease by visiting host/hostess clubs is what is despicable.

Oh? Visiting one these clubs = spreading a disease?

A very black and white world you live in there Mr/Mrs Straw man...

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

How about closing them for the duration?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They cannot close the clubs or shut down the nightlife businesses forcefully. If they want to do it, they have to compensate the damages. They did it one time but not second time because they do not have money anymore.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Urge? Oh god, here we go again.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Spot on rainyday. The cost of shutting down and compensating those businesses will be much lower than the cost of a major outbreak, which is what is starting now in Tokyo. I wonder if the rapid increase in numbers in Tokyo is due to the new strain of Covid-19, which is reported as being three to six times more infectious. If it is, and the Tokyo / J-govt doesn't act decisively in the next month, it will be too late.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

When are people gonna realize the virus isn't as deadly as China and the media made it out to be.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

When are people gonna realize that the virus is not as deadly as the government and media protest it to be. Just look at the statistics, and the increase in pcr test. It's all a facade.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

243 compares to 70.000 in US. Don't panic.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

for GOD SAKES do not pay the Japanese people a subsidy to travel in Japan.

Too late, the go-to campaign is actually push forward to July 22nd.

If you understand Japanese culture at all, a plan once made cannot be changed for the worse. They can push the date forward but never delays or cancellation. The money is already set aside.

Once the go-to campaign is live, you will see the government go full force in media pushing people to go out, travel, eat in, and attend events.

Oh, even the 5000 person limit on events will be removed in August.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If you think hostess club = prostitution, you really have no idea what you are talking about.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Infections are coming out of host and cabaret clubs and it's important to take firm measures there," Nishimura said.

Alot of posters falling for the government scapegoating of the nightlife business is mind boggling, the reporting is weak and amateurish. Why not state the number of those infected in the nightlife out if the total number of infection leaving this vital info deliberately gives the impression all the infections are from the nightlife which grossly false. On thursday out of the 224 cases 74 were nightlife.

If the government was really serious curbing the spread of this virus they would expand the testing to the other nightlife districts roppongi, ginza, akihabara mate cafes etc.

Compare and contrast with Seoul, they used every means possible to track those who visited the nightclub that a cluster occurred, using credit card payment info and other methods to have people get a test, even threatening judicial action if anyone evaded testing.

Here the narrative that Japan dodged the bullet by not seeing the explosive jump in cases seen in some countries has to be maintained.

The whole exercise regarding this virus is smoke and mirrors,

Don't accept all the numbers or narratives thrown at you even from the so called experts here, put your critical mind at work.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

As Koike and Abe have said repeatedly, there is no constitutional authority to shut down businesses. They can reissue a state of emergency but even then there are limited powers.

If you want to self isolate then by all means enjoy. Want to shut down your business, go for it. Want to keep your kids in a sanitized bubble hey its on you. But you have no right demand how anyone else lives their life.

Be thankful Japan takes the constitution seriously.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

243 compares to 70.000 in US. Don't panic.

Can you please compare the number of test also?

Thanks.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Oh? Visiting one these clubs = spreading a disease? 

A very black and white world you live in there Mr/Mrs Straw man...

Oh you got me there. Yes, it is incorrect to say that literally everyone who visits a club is spreading the disease.

Rather it would be more accurate to say that they are knowingly engaging in a behavior that poses a high risk of spreading the disease and, collectively, the actions of everyone involved (owners, customers, hosts and hostesses) is demonstrably spreading it even though it can’t be said that every single individual who goes to one is actually infecting other people.

Thank you for keeping me honest.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

243 compares to 70.000 in US. Don't panic.

I wish I didn't feel queasy when I read some of the comments here, specifically from American posters who claim they don't wear a mask in Japan. Admittedly, there are only a few but all it takes is one case...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Alot of posters falling for the government scapegoating of the nightlife business is mind boggling, the reporting is weak and amateurish. Why not state the number of those infected in the nightlife out if the total number of infection leaving this vital info deliberately gives the impression all the infections are from the nightlife which grossly false. On thursday out of the 224 cases 74 were nightlife.

That is 74 confirmed to be from the nightlife. Probably workers and repeat customers who agreed to be tested. The others are unknown, but I would wager a large portion are people who visited sketchy nightlife establishments but don't want to admit it.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If it's true as they say on the news that that hosts and hostesses live in tiny rooms in hostels, and that is where the infections are going around, even before anyone meets a customer, then the problem takes on a new light.

What a load of absolute garbage. There are so many different kinds of people working in these businesses, rich poor, old young, married and single. Whatever source you are referring to makes these people sound like some sort of subterrainian rodent.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Divinda, you really think people will intentionally contract corona for a one time payment of 100,000? 

Yes. People are idiots.

Pretty much explains the post

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Compare and contrast with Seoul, they used every means possible to track those who visited the nightclub that a cluster occurred, using credit card payment info and other methods to have people get a test, even threatening judicial action if anyone evaded testing.

What's your point? That would be illegal in Japan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

243 compares to 70.000 in US. Don't panic.

Can you please compare the number of test also?

Thanks.

Hmm, doesn't seem useful.

Why don't you compare the number of deaths?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That’s why they say, “Pimpin’ ain’t easy!”

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That is 74 confirmed to be from the nightlife. Probably workers and repeat customers who agreed to be tested. The others are unknown, but I would wager a large portion are people who visited sketchy nightlife establishments but don't want to admit it.

74 out of 224 is 33 percent, singling out the nightlife is wrong as the data shows, looks like scapegoating to me. You are free to believe any narrative thrown at you.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hmm, doesn't seem useful.

Why don't you compare the number of deaths?

Why should I compare no of deaths when it is no of infections that is heing compared. Except you think numbe of infection has no correlation with number of test.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

That is 74 confirmed to be from the nightlife. Probably workers and repeat customers who agreed to be tested. The others are unknown, but I would wager a large portion are people who visited sketchy nightlife establishments but don't want to admit it.

That is because they are testing EVERYONE in the nightlife, but barely tests anyone else.

In terms of %, I highly doubt that nightlife workers have more positives than other people. In fact, I am willing to BET that nightlife workers do NOT have a higher rate than the general population who are not working from home.

They are shutting down host and hostess clubs where people gather in groups of 2-5, while allowing dance clubs, bars, etc. where hundreds and thousands of people are packed in close quarters. Does this make sense at all to you? If you are not related to host/hostess clubs, you'd have an impossible time to try to get a test.

The government is just scapegoating an easy target because they have no family backgrounds, and they are jealous of their money. This is the same type of scapegoating by the Nazi's against the Jews before and during WWII, Japan is blaming coronavirus completely to hosts and hostesses despite the data. All so that the government can take no blame, and allows them to go ahead with the go-to campaign giving the illusion that outside of host and hostess clubs Japan is covid free.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

What's your point? That would be illegal in Japan.

What would be illegal in Japan?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

It's so easy to say close the clubs and everything but have you thought about the livelihood of the people who work there? Are you going to offer an alternative source of income?

Just because you're earning loads of money doesn't mean others are the same. Easy for you to say "Close all those bars" when you're living in the comfort of your spacious apartment, right? And you still get your salary regularly.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Anyway seriously, you don't think the real number of infections has no direct correlation to the number of serious cases and deaths?

Why should I compare no of deaths when it is no of infections that is heing compared.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Those places are filled with young punks (kinda like trump supporting americans who refuse to wear masks) who don't wear masks and give a crap about other people. If you walk through kabukicho you will see a larger number of young punks who don't wear masks, this is the cause of the whole problem.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Anyway seriously, you don't think the real number of infections has no direct correlation to the number of serious cases and deaths?

Where did I talk about number of deaths? If you jumped in without reading. The argument was that tokyo was 224 cases while US was 70,000. I was reminding the poster to also state the number of test. Even DT knows that the more you test the more positives you get.

Going by deaths even test has to be done. Won't blame you. Here test has always been downplayed to give credence to the numbers.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

DRlucifer both you and I know that there's more than 224 cases. Any idiot would know those are not the real numbers.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

74 out of 224 is 33 percent, singling out the nightlife is wrong as the data shows, looks like scapegoating to me. You are free to believe any narrative thrown at you.

Nothing was thrown at me. It makes sense that people wouldn't want to admit where they've been if it was sketchy. I wouldn't either.

That is because they are testing EVERYONE in the nightlife, but barely tests anyone else.

In terms of %, I highly doubt that nightlife workers have more positives than other people. In fact, I am willing to BET that nightlife workers do NOT have a higher rate than the general population who are not working from home.

There is a reason they are testing nightlife workers. Because there were several mass outbreaks at nightlife establishments causing them to shut down. They started testing them more after that. There haven't been mass outbreaks anywhere else, because people aren't sharing drinks or spitting in your face. But I shouldn't have to explain that.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

What would be illegal in Japan?

Both tracking people and punishing them for not getting a test.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Re 224 vs 70,000. Why compare a city's figures with a nation's? Meaningless.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For those of us who are ex-pats, unless we are citizens we are just guests and entitled to nothing, again nothing new. This would be the same in our home countries too if we were ex-pats there. Only citizens have the right and responsibilities of running the show in their land.

Mpqholygrail, if you don't think you have a human right to be with your Japanese family, assuming you have one,

then what about rights of Japanese citizens, aka Japanese nationals? They surely have rights not to be separated from their family, even if that family member is a foreigner who is legally permitted to live in Japan. Is that not the case?

About home countries, where do you come from? (Of course, don't answer that to protect your anonymity, permitted there is any, sigh.) EU permits re-entry of foreign resident nationals if they have family in EU. Even if that family is a legally residing ex-pat and not an EU national. However, in Japan, even families of Japanese nationals are separated.

As of "citizens right and responsibility of running the show in their land" - partially agree, that's why voting is only for citizens, in all countries, and that's actually running the show,

and then partially disagree - when you legally live in Japan, you pay taxes in Japan, that means you're not a guest here. Not exactly the "owner" but definitely not a guest. If local population tries to persuade you that you're a guest - I'm sorry to hear that. Please, remind them that if "guests" are invited to someone's house, they do not pay rent :) So, you have responsibility of paying taxes, then you are entitled (have a right) to social benefits, for example, you'll receive a pension (if meeting same conditions as nationals like a number of years you have worked here), you'll receive a 70% discount to your healthcare services. Like if you weren't a EU national but a legal resident, you'd pay health insurane tax too, and in return you'd get free healthcare back. So, when we're talking about foreign residents re-entry bans, we're talking about human rights of said foreign residents, and rights of Japanese nationals who have foreign family members. (as for Japanese nationals, perhaps, we can also talk about the constitution? like Article 11. The people shall not be prevented from enjoying any of the fundamental human rights. These fundamental human rights guaranteed to the people by this Constitution shall be conferred upon the people of this and future generations as eternal and inviolate rights.

and if we talk about subsequent article 12 talking about public welfare - if that could be treated as suitable for current discriminatory policy, in such case, Japanese nationals should also be banned from re-entry, because, public welfare. a test and 14 days quarantine in isolation is not a threat to public welfare? then utilize same treatment to allow re-entry for legal foreign residents. at least, for spouses/children of Japanese nationals in order to not separate families.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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