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Tokyo enlists nightclub workers for Q&A-style videos to fight coronavirus

47 Comments
By Chang-Ran Kim

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47 Comments
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just can’t understand the importance of having to go to these places. 

And here we go with the vitriol again...

I don't go to nights clubs or hostess bars of any sort, I don't like going to them, and you don't have to go either. It's a good, old-fashioned, personal choice (something we are seeing less and less of).

To uphold the core tenets of this democratic world we live in (even if it is a facade in reality), it's hypocritical to say that this legal business venture cannot take place because of your saying so - yet your's can.

Thanks to you arrogant people, I as well as many of my friends And others have to continue to drain their bank accounts to put food on the table and pay bills.

You might have to check yourself there. Just seconds ago you were very vocal about how you want to take away the livelihoods of a very particular group of people who are not harming anyone anymore than the morning subway commute.

I hope you can sense the irony encapsulated in your post...

I am totally with you, AgentX. So many people have this "holier than thou" attitude. Before making judgments about the lives and the choice of jobs of people, find out more about the reason why they are there in the first place.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Who’s charging who for their services? The doctor or the hostess? ;)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Most l women that work there are married or are already dating.

You are thinking of Ginza, Kabukicho and Ikebukuro tend to have a younger demographic.

And yes, most are indeed dating, either hosts or other ikemen.

To be honest, unless you have the same looks as a host/ikemen, even if you are married you can bet your wife don't really love you. The majority of my married friends don't have good relations with their wives. For many guys, if they want someone to speak to, eat/drink or just spend time with, these hostess clubs are the the only choice.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Most l women that work there are married or are already dating.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Tokyo has targeted red-light districts for aggressive testing and has urged nightclubs to follow safety guidelines.

Not true, Tokyo is testing aggressively in all red-light districts. Tokyos nightlife districts are not limited kabukicho shinjiku and ikebukuro. What about the other untargeted nightlife districts such as Roppongi, Ginza, Akihabara etc etc Does it mean the virus is not in the other nightlife districts.

Even in the targeted shinjuku and ikebukuro nightlife districts only a small percentage of the establishments have been tested.

4500 pcr test in a city of 14M and being one of the richest city is embarrassingly low and nothing to boast about. New york a comparable city to Tokyo is doing 65,000 pcr test a day.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Tokyo has seen new daily infections top 200 in four of the last six days, small compared with outbreaks in some other countries but hovering at record levels for the city.

Small because it is testing at an embarrassingly low rate.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why blame the hosts, what about the customers? Have doctors call them?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The blame game needs to stop, it's everywhere, this is not helpful to blame hosts, ridiculous.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Just government scapegoating, because people who work there are not from powerful families. The government is taking a page out of Nazi's playbook by placing all the blame on a certain group to ostracize them while deflecting all blame from government.

The clubs are not exactly the best locations for spread, as there's generally less than 20-30 people inside, AND they are in small groups. It is funny that they are shutting those places up but keeping dance clubs where hundreds gather open.

Just an easy target for them to attack, but many people there are nice people. A lot of those good OLs some people mention, have a lot worse personalities, and just marry to use their husbands money, and definitely won't bother spending time or talking with their husbands. A lot of marriages are not for love, so I can understand why a lot of people go to these places.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

making this particular industry the scapegoat is just a distraction from the hard reality.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

How about this for advice: Get out of that sleazy industry!

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Just announced, 280 today in Tokyo... so far...

Yesterday were 450 across the country (a post-"emergency" high), and today is now on track for an even higher total.

And for all you English Teachers, the Japanese Doctors Association put out an announcement yesterday for it to be called "Not Go To Travel", which shows even the country's most highly educated are sub-Dr.Seuss level English....

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"What kind of symptoms can a young COVID-19 patient expect?"

"What are medical costs like?"

"How often should we sanitise our hands?"

Plus one:

How far apart is 1.5 meters?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

This is so childish.

I'll second that. I surprised there weren't any cartoon characters.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The preachers sermonizing on the evils of such places can keep their views to themselves. Whether it is moral or not is an individual choice and those who don't like it can spend their lives' in a convent.

A few of them are owned by the Yakuza but many more aren't , so demonizing the industry as a whole is ignorant. The focus needs to be on how make these places safer.

A temporary closure is a good idea but needs to be backed by enough measures to make sure these establishments don't go underground.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

While I realize that the virus affects hosts\hostess clubs I just dont get the ATTENTION they get from the media it is absurd...................

It reminds me of how when the economy is hit a bit then we get daily super doses of how it affects..................you ready......................are you sure.......

TAXI DRIVERS!!

Enough already & doing stupid video's with hosts\hostesses.......enough of this non-sense, I am begging you!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They need to target JR and the crowded trains. Nightclubs are a very small minority. The government has to throw someone under the bus and nightclubs are the target.

I'm NOT buying and I hope sensible people can do the math. I'm not worried about some pub. I'm worried about crowded trains.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

If this happens in foreign countries, they already have shut down the nightlife areas.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I prefer going to bars to drink. I don't want to be bothered with nonsense conversations with paid flatterers.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

In most other modern countries woman go to bars where men will buy them drinks and talk to them all night for free so long as they can engage in social conversation without referring to Kawaii or hello kitty or or some other chidlish subject.

Most of the customers of host clubs are hostesses, where men go and pay for them to talk to them and engage in "social conversation".

I can see why more of that wouldn't be particularly appealing to them. They'd probably rather a place where the guys listen to what they say, and make them feel like queens (which is what the hosts do).

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

I can understand those who say shut them down, but you have to ask where does it stop.

Its fine calling for shutdowns when its not your industry but will you be so vocal when its your job on the line.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

These places themselves are not creating much value or supporting much of a supply chain.

@kohakuebisu Unfortunately, this is the industry that is visible in the public eye. So few people actually realise how unimportant they are to the real economy.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Says so much doesn't it if you have to go to a host club and pay some guy to talk to you, no personality type woman with no social or communication ability.

In most other modern countries woman go to bars where men will buy them drinks and talk to them all night for free so long as they can engage in social conversation without referring to Kawaii or hello kitty or or some other chidlish subject.

Guys with even a small amount of social skill would also go to bars to engage in communication with woman with out paying over the top entrance fees in some false enviroment like a hostess bar, social skill is missing very much in Japan.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

While these places do employ people and keep them fed, it should be obvious that they depend on the strength of the real economy. People can only pay large sums to drink expensive branded cognac with ladies in expensive branded dresses if the real economy is going well. These places themselves are not creating much value or supporting much of a supply chain. It bet the Japanese economy multiplier for money spent in Kabukicho is very low. By causing a disproportionate number of infections, they are stopping society from getting back to normal, what the far larger real economy actually needs. If the real economy goes down the cr@pper, lots of people will be ultimately lose their jobs in Kabukicho anyway.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Oh, I would like the lady in the pic to teach me about some Nouko sesshoku indeed !

She will probably tell you afterwards how handsome and kind you are, ask you to visit her again or maybe do some dôhan. The bill might shock you, but at least your ego is flattered. Then, you can return to your wife and kids and apologize for the overtime work.

I mean that's how it works right?

Seriously, I don't get these clubs or the people going there.

17 ( +19 / -2 )

"So why doesn’t the government force such a night clubs to suspend or impose other penalties?"

Because of who owns them. Also happen to be major LDP campaign donors

6 ( +8 / -2 )

This style might be typical of Japan?

that means, in spite of the night clubs workers don’t follow the restrictions of the virus at all any penalties still haven’t been done until very last minute.

But so far the government has specified the places well where the number of cases have been not improved by not following the restrictions.

So why doesn’t the government force such a night clubs to suspend or impose other penalties?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I don't talk to the commuters standing next to me on the train, and I don't share drinks with them either.

Sharing drinks is purely a typical sensational comment in this story to garner more views and comments.

It's hardly fair to suggest that drink sharing is/was a widespread practice. It's simply not. If it were, I'm pretty gosh darn sure they aren't doing it now...

You talk to colleagues and clerks each day, no? You stand in the vicinity of commuters and touch the same surfaces, no? Do they wipe down toilet doors and hand-grabs on the train after each use? Do you take your mask off to eat? Do you wear gloves when you handle money?

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Why can’t these delusional guys just take a break from going?

What makes you think they are delusional? I don't think you understand the concept of these places, or of the culture even. Sorry you are having trouble because of the situation. So am I. But I am trying to do something about it. Demanding that others be put out of work isn't a positive step.

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

Nothing but pure greed from the wedding planner, who fought hard to keep its reservation by tricking the customers with this silly idea.

Taking away the livelihoods of people and telling a couple they can't get married (a personal decision not related to neither you or I) because of your personal fears could also be interpreted as greed...

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Just shut them down, done.

4 ( +15 / -11 )

just can’t understand the importance of having to go to these places. 

And here we go with the vitriol again...

I don't go to nights clubs or hostess bars of any sort, I don't like going to them, and you don't have to go either. It's a good, old-fashioned, personal choice (something we are seeing less and less of).

To uphold the core tenets of this democratic world we live in (even if it is a facade in reality), it's hypocritical to say that this legal business venture cannot take place because of your saying so - yet your's can.

Thanks to you arrogant people, I as well as many of my friends And others have to continue to drain their bank accounts to put food on the table and pay bills.

You might have to check yourself there. Just seconds ago you were very vocal about how you want to take away the livelihoods of a very particular group of people who are not harming anyone anymore than the morning subway commute.

I hope you can sense the irony encapsulated in your post...

7 ( +13 / -6 )

Why is the government putting so much importance on this industry??? They are a public health risk because they are not taking proper precautions in protecting their employees and customers so why are they allowed to stay open? And we should definitely not have to pay to bail them out. If they go bankrupt, the industry won't die. New establishments will rise up from the ashes and hopefully they'll learn to take this virus more seriously!

9 ( +13 / -4 )

I doubt the workers would be able to string a coherent sentence together much less use complicated technology like a webcam

-11 ( +5 / -16 )

and cautions against drinking directly out of the same bottle or having customers served by different hostesses.

Wow, this is going to make it hard to keep customers interest up!

10 ( +11 / -1 )

I take it that they meant to say the safe distancing between fellow customers, else what is the point of visiting hostess clubs with all these restrictions in place?

Many industries are desperate these days.

They scam their customers into keep using their services even when it turned into a complete different scenario. One example is the "online wedding ceremony". Unless there is an aging relative or emergency situation, what is the point of holding a ceremony right now with all the guests celebrating through a small screen?? Nothing but pure greed from the wedding planner, who fought hard to keep its reservation by tricking the customers with this silly idea.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

This is so childish.

26 ( +28 / -2 )

just can’t understand the importance of having to go to these places. Why can’t these delusional guys just take a break from going? Maybe the time off will give them time to realize that those places are nothing more than a waste of money. Maybe they’ll get a real girlfriend. Others may actually reconnect with their wife and kids.

A final note; I would like to personally thank all those guys and girls for their contributions to adding to the delay in getting Japan on track to opening. Thanks to you arrogant people, I as well as many of my friends And others have to continue to drain their bank accounts to put food on the table and pay bills. Looks like most of us will be bankrupt by 2021 thanks to your need to sit and drink and chat with a girl that’s doesn’t even care about you. Only your money!!!

20 ( +28 / -8 )

I think this only makes more men want to visit Kabukicho!

23 ( +25 / -2 )

"Taira then appears to toss a heart-shaped pillow virtually to a hostess in the next video, passing the Q&A baton"

Mecha kawaii!

-9 ( +9 / -18 )

The doctor recommends temperature checks at the nightclub entrance, safe distancing between seats,...

I take it that they meant to say the safe distancing between fellow customers, else what is the point of visiting hostess clubs with all these restrictions in place?

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Kinda reminds me of the Japan Tobacco (JT) promo scheme of "Are ypu a good smoker?". Instead of advising people to quit a dangerous lifestyle (like every other modern country), they just tell you how to do it "better".

11 ( +16 / -5 )

Oh, I would like the lady in the pic to teach me about some Nouko sesshoku indeed !

-10 ( +13 / -23 )

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