If you were to fully indulge in Host Club culture in Japan, you’d spend thousands of dollars without even realizing it. So it shouldn’t be that surprising to hear that a Japanese civil servant used some unconventional methods (including prostitution) to fund her host club fees.
Although it may sound weird, having multiple jobs is somewhat frowned upon in Japan. Many Japanese companies are strict regarding extra part-time work. Although it might seem outdated if someone has multiple employers, it gives full-time employers a reason to doubt employees’ loyalty. Companies can be nervous as they are responsible for their employees outside of work hours. Employers can be exposed to negative publicity if employees do something that could damage their reputation. And the same happened in Tokyo.
Too Broke to Fund the Host Club
You might have spoken with a bright, young Japanese student and heard that they dream of becoming civil servants. This is a respectable job that pays an average of 4 million yen (35,000 USD). It doesn’t allow for extravagant hobbies like enjoying in a club. Host clubs are a Japanese phenomenon where girls pay the men (hosts) to entertain them. The entertainment usually involves light-hearted conversation and alcohol.
The hosts typically make money through the commission from the alcohol that the women purchase. And the drinks available in hosts clubs are extremely expensive.
Government Salary Wasn’t Enough
The salary of the 27-year-old female employee at the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau was clearly not sufficient to pay for her hobbies. To add to her civil servant income, she took on additional part-time work like many in the millennial generation. She was able to clock in about 150 days of extra work between 2 years, from 2020 to 2022, earning around 10,000 USD.
Her time as a ” soap girl” was a daring part-time job. A ” Soap Girl” is a worker in a soapland. This is a bathhouse that operates as a brothel. This Soapland avoids the ban on prostitution and keeps its services implied between the client and the sex worker.
Despite hiding her side hustles for over a year, a coworker snitched her out at work. The female civil servant received suspension for nine months after an investigation. The female employee immediately resigned from the office. On a similar note, another civil servant received a suspension for having a part-time job in a transport company. He, too, resigned on the same day he received a suspension.
Source: Japaninsider
Also read about How To Become A Model As A Foreigner In Japan?