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  • Mood: Awestruck
  • Watching: Dutch TV. Nothing like the Japanese.
UPDATE: added links to pics of some of the Hosts mentioned in this report and a link to my Facebook account for more pics :3

Hello everyone,

Here I am, back in freezing Holland >.< it was minus 4 when the plane arrived. A big Do Not Want. XD Especially since less than 24 hours before that, I was still sitting in the sun, in Harajuku, listening to a great streetperformer, Kamigawa Keiji, and letting his music and kindness warm my heart...

I'll present you guys here with a little report of this wonderful experience. I'll probably write more about this later and in different kinds of notes, especially since I have to make a report of this trip for Uni too. It will be quite different from the one you're gonna get now.

You see, we were a bunch of Dutch students, studying Japanese. Different years, different interests, different aims. Some had been to Japan a few times and others never. Still, this trip was a very valuable experience to all.

Allow me to give you a little inside-scoop of my first steps in this one country that appeals to so many of us here.


I don't even mean to sound funny when I say that when we first got a look at Japan, I still didn't believe I was really there. Ok, having spend about 15 hours on airports and airplanes doesn't help to put you in a bright mood. To me, it felt like we were flying over a little landmap. Even after we had landed and went from Narita airport straight towards the subway, I still felt like I was sitting in the French subway or something and it was only coincidence that all the signs were in Japanese.

It felt like it would all just end soon, like a dream. But the dream had only just started.

The ride to 'actual' Tokyo took us 1,5 hours. I woke up a little as I looked at the countryside rushing by, the hills, the typical architecture, the bamboo forests... More people came in with every station. Elderly women. Business men. Youths in schooluniforms. The Japanese as you expect them. The great thing is, they really are that way. Still speaking from a gaijin's point of view, of course...

Speaking about being gaijin, it is both a blessing and a curse. The curse is, you can never get too close to most of the Japanese. But the blessing outweighed that for me for now.

First, as a gaijin, you're interesting. People stare at you in the streets. Not as much in most of Tokyo, because I was surprised to see so many Western tourists, but in the smaller districts, you're regarded and treated with great shyness but great kindness. The language forms a great barrier. Most Japanese have trouble with English and thus tend to avoid conversation. But in our cases, when they found out we could understand and speak Japanese, that shyness turned for enthusiasm, leading to many wonderful meetings.

Since I'm only studying Japanese for 3 months, it is yet very hard for me to have any conversation above basic level and to really express myself, but just being able to communicate with these people has been amazing every time. Whether it was only doing grocery shopping or asking directions, I've cherished every moment and already miss it a lot now. I feel like I've learned so much.

Now, let's move onto something a bit more interesting for you guys...? :p

I'd love to tell you everything but there is simply too much. As a group we've done both cultural and study-related trips, like visiting shrines and companies like Mitsubishi to represent our country. Also very interesting experiences, and hard to achieve when you'd visit Japan only on touristic occasion, which is why I am grateful. Still, we also had a lot of free time in our schedule, and this truly gave us the chance to get out of Japan what we came for ourselves.

As I said, we all had different interests and aims. I can now say that everything I had aimed to see and do this first time in Tokyo, has been achieved.

What those things are you wonder? Well, ofcourse they involved seeing all the districts I had heard so much about, like Asakusa and Shibuya and above all Harajuku, which really is as amazing as it sounds. Then there were actions like buying certain goods, eating certain food, and visiting places like a bathhouse, purikura-halls and also...

Host clubs.

They were top of my list. x3 And YES - I have.

My friends, here comes your chance to get an inside-view of these spectacular places I had only ever heard about, read about in fanfics and seen on a documentary.

The story starts on last tuesday. After shopping in Shinjuku, two girls from our group and I were walking around, headed for the district called Kabuki-Cho, the most famous nightlife-entertainment district, and indeed, famous for its Host clubs. We were simply curious and wanted to see them up close, maybe catch a glimpse of a few handsome hosts too...

Well, that last thing wasn't hard. XD

My expectation was to see a few clubs and around 10 hosts on the streets at most. I had no idea that the reality was so striking. They were EVERYWHERE.

But, you've read this in my last short journalpost, and indeed, nothing happened that night. We as three gaijin without trendy clothes weren't very approachable customers after all.

That is why two days later, I went back. Alone.

Travelling through Tokyo alone is completely different again from travelling in a group or even pair. Simply because you can only resort to Japanese. It is one of the best ways to learn fast. Especially since I got lost at Shinjuku station and had a policeman show me the way, all in Japanese :p. On a sidenote though, the subwaysystem is actually extremely clear to follow, plus many districtnames and streets are shown in English, so in 9 out of 10 cases you're totally fine without Japanese.

Anyway, it was getting dark, and my curiosity won me over to take a last stroll around Kabuki-Cho before getting back to our hostel. I still wished I could see a club from the inside, but I no longer expected to be noticed.

But then I did.

After passing a dozen of those bleached-haired, expensively clothed creatures who suddenly all became very interested in their cellphones when I passed, suddenly a guy with a black suit, black hat and trendy glasses crossed my path, and greeted me in English. I slowed my pace to greet back, but somehow it didn't reach me instantly I was also dealing with a host here. Maybe because his hair stood out for actually being black.

He asked whether I wanted to drink somewhere, and showed me a ticket with a club's name. Now I understood what he was. Automatically I almost said no, for when a strange guy asks you to drink somewhere out of the blue, you usually decline. But in this case, I got curious. And decided to take the shot.

I inquired for the price casually, expecting to get a ridiculous sum of money as an answer, but to my utmost surprise he said it was only 1000 yen for 1.5 hours, drinks inclusive. He noted my interest and offered to take me there. This was when I started to get nervous though. Especially since we were soon walking into smaller dark streets, clubs on every side. The entertainment quarters of the night.

I got more nervous the further we walked, where was he taking me? Also because I may be at legal drinking-age in the Netherlands but not yet for 2 years in Japan. He hadn't asked my age yet though, but I half expected if I would tell him he'd tell me I couldn't go in, maybe even leave me here in these streets I didn't know. And truthfully, I was also still running on the plan to just get a glimpse of the club but run back out right after. These were hosts after all, weren't they only interested in money? Would there be prices they'd only tell me about afterwards?

Finally, I snapped. I told him I was 18 and if that meant I was wasting his time, that I'd better go back. He blinked at me for a second - Here it comes, I thought - but then he said that meant I couldn't drink alcohol, but could still enter the club. He became friendlier too, it was obvious this was my first time and he explained me again that I had nothing to worry about, it would be 1000 yen and nothing more. It calmed me a bit, also because this guy could speak English fairly well. He told me he had studied in the US. He was nice and I felt at ease with him soon, but when we suddenly stopped before a club, my nerves shot back at me again.

The club was called 'United Prince' and was located on the second floor of a building. The guy whose name I still didn't know told me to go upstairs by myself, he would be back later. Then he disappeared.

Well, there I stood. Alone. Pretty terrified. But still curious.

I took a moment to reconsider and took some pictures from the clubs around me. Was I really going in there? But before I could think of walking off, suddenly the guy appeared again before me! "You ok? You can go upstairs, I called someone and you're being expected. I'll be there in a second."

Wow, I thought. That's so sneaky, but foolproof. Now I no longer had a choice.

With shaking legs I climbed the stairs to the right floor. There I entered an empty hall with dimmed lights, carpet and two soft luxurious chairs. It felt like my heart was beating faster than the music that was now playing in the background.

I turned a corner and there was the actual entrance to the club. Here I had to show my ID. It was confirmed I couldn't drink alcohol and was told to wait for a moment. I sat down in one of those comfy chairs, but not for long, for soon another bright smiling, handsome guy walked up to me, got on one knee and politely welcomed me to the club, before taking me inside. As soon as I stepped into the room, the guy before me called through the club there was a new customer, and a loud cheery 'Welcome!' suddenly sounded from every corner. It gave me a little fright but, that was kinda fun.

So, what happens in a hostclub? You can drink. You can dance. And you get chatted up and flirted with by a healthy number of handsome men. Kind of awesome.

In my case, I spend my time sipping Pocari Sweat with ice and practising my basic Japanese with a total number of 5 cute guys. Also, a very good time.

The club had a whole fancy feel, with black leather couches, small tables, a dancefloor and chandeliers, all in dimmed light and dark velvet. Pics of the interior = [link] . The guy who brought me in showed me to sit on one of the couches. After taking my order for a drink, he sat across me at a small table and introduced himself with his businesscard: Kanade.

So, what do you talk about? Well, obviously because my Japanese was very limited, and the average knowledge of English among the hosts isn't exactly high, the main topics were eachother's countries, hobbies and music, and that with an addition of cheeky compliments on your hair, clothes and that your Japanese is sooo good. Yeah right. xD

I spoke with Kanade about these things for about 13 minutes before he got a signal across the room from a guy with a headset. He quickly finished his drink and told me had to go now, but that he had fun and he hoped I had fun too etc, etc. Clearly he had another customer. I thanked him, and wondered what would happen next, but I wasn't even left for 2 seconds before another cute guy came up to me, named Karura, and the 'ritual' started over.

It was interesting how they all followed the same steps. It starts with the gift of their businesscard, their introduction. Then they ask whether they can drink with you. On the small table there is a standard set-up of two bottles of mineralwater, a small bucket with icecubes and a supply of the drink you ordered. It is custom to allow them to drink, it is your exchange for them making conversation with you. They fill their glass, clink with yours and then you start chatting. Before they leave, they clink with yours again. Also, you can get a warm towel for your hands and a warm cloth for over your knees for when you're cold. I'll admit, those guys know service.

Karura was nice because he held my hand a lot when we talked x3. Next up was the guy who had picked me up on the street, and I finally caught his name: Minami. Pic = [link] . The Kanji for South. His businesscard had teddybears on it XD. It was kind of a relief to get to talk English with him, it simply made conversation a lot easier. He was fun to be with. He also explained to me I could pick one host only to sit next to me on the couch, and that host would return more often. I chose him without hesitation because of the reasons above. What I didn't know, was that I instantly activated his flirt-mode with that XD.

Still, Minami was up and about often, so I met two more hosts: Sakuya and Haru. I later found out Sakuya was one of the club's top hosts. He was indeed very handsome, had hair that screamed EFFORT and had lots of piercings and jewelry, even tattoos which he showed me briefly. He was also a big GazettE-fan, he told me as the topic was (once again) Visual Kei. Still, he wasn't really my type. I could tell he had a fair ego and therefor even felt a little glee over the fact I could bring this guy outside his comfortzone, simply because his English wasn't good. Ha. Pic = [link]

I liked Haru... I should put some links to pics of them on here later x3. He was very cute. He had a babyface and said so himself xD. Pic = [link]

The time I had left was spend with Minami, who was becoming more misschievious by the minute xD. I wore a layered skirt and he was counting the layers as he tried to lift them one by one... dork. xD That kind of stuff. They'll try anything to keep you smiling. And, as seems to be the case often... Try to make you fall in love.

And, they beg you to stay. Obviously. My time was running out now and Minami was pleading me to stay longer because 'he wanted me to', but when I heard an extra hour was suddenly 6000 yen, I wasn't nearly crazed enough to accept XD. Minami kept trying for another 5 minutes but when he found out he couldn't persuade me, he escorted me to the elevator and gave me another "Will you come back? I'll miss you so much" till the doors closed.

*sigh* I do understand now how addicting these clubs are. Still, I guess I'm a bit too sober to keep paying those ridiculous sums to just get to spend sporadic time with guys who so clearly compliment you without really meaning it.

I did visit two more other clubs for reference (x3). But United Prince was the best. The second club Divve didn't have many handsome hosts... they did have Ayumi, whom I totally loved because he had a Takeru-personality and look xD. Small, loud, and huge eyes with which he could look at you in such a priceless way you couldn't help but burst into giggles. They also had Ryu, who was actually a nice example of how hard the life of a host can be... It was 10 PM and he was near wasted already. Could be his own fault, but it can also be that hosts simply have to drink with their customers, and they can't refuse that. He was kind of hilarious but I felt so sorry for him too cuz he was really embarassing himself ^.^; at one point he was screaming through the entire club "I DON'T LIKE SEX I LIKE MASTURBATION!!" and all the other hosts were staring at him like: ... dude.

Poor guy. *shakes head* The last club was also fun though. This time I was picked up by a guy who spoke really good English, and he turned out to be half Japanese/English =p. He was really kind and some of the other hosts were too, though again some barely knew what to do with me x3 so I talked with the guy, Tom, a lot. I actually spend 4 hours in that last club... It was my last night and I still had money left to spend. Plus, Tom said I could lie about my age to get to drink and indeed, even after checking my passport they didn't care. XD Another proof of how safe Tokyo is: walking alone and drunk in a short skirt through the nightlife-district and the subway without A-NY-THING happening. Bravo to that.

Wow this has become so long... I'll wrap it up here I guess. xD I hope this report gave you some idea on how hostclubs work :3 if you're in Tokyo, feel free to try it! Many clubs offer these cheap first-time actions. Just don't fall in love! xD

If you want to know anything more about the trip, feel free to ask :3 I love telling stories as you may have noticed... ^^;

X. Karisu

But it certainly was an adventure. And a great experience.

I made a selection of pics to put on my Facebook 8D here you go!

[link]

Devious Info

  • Current Residence: Fantasy-World >_>
  • Interests: Music (Metal, Visual Kei, J-rock etc.), Writing, Japanese Culture and Language
  • Favourite movie: Lord of the Rings, The Last Samurai, Studio Ghibli Films, Pixar Films
  • Favourite band or musician: Miyavi, MUCC, SID, Kagrra, LM.C., SADS... *mumbles*
  • Favourite genre of music: Visual Kei, though it can't beat Metal, sorry xD
  • Favourite artist: Depends per time; Kiyoharu, Miyavi, more more more....
  • Favourite poet or writer: Tolkien, Rowling, Murakami Haruki
  • Favourite photographer: Victoria Frances
  • Favourite style of art: Prose and Poetry, but all art is worth making
  • Operating System: ... laptop?
  • MP3 player of choice: Sony - as long as I have Jrock I'm sane
  • Wallpaper of choice: one with a sexy Asian on it?
  • Skin of choice: etto... Uruha's skin is pwetty :3
  • Favourite game: Kingdom Hearts (... + pocky onegai!! xD)
  • Favourite gaming platform: PS2
  • Favourite cartoon character: Chii from Chobits, Ayame from Fruits Basket and more
  • Personal Quote: ''I'm too creative for my own pace! Damnit!''
  • Tools of the Trade: My Loveable Laptop, The Powerful Pen

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:iconinc-ness:
DID YOU DIE??? D:

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"I am an important fruit!" - Yukke
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:iconradimore:
NAO WHEN WILL YOU COME ONLINE AGAIN )))))):.

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Because you touch yourself at night.

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:iconradimore:
D:

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Because you touch yourself at night.

And in view of the circumstances, and since you're such a beautiful thing, shall we make out?
Reply
:iconsmd-ju-ki:
Hi sweetling~ <3

Listen, I'm writing this new fic-challenge Reituki thing called First Times Aren't Always Easy. I'm planning to have 100 fics, plus a prologue and an epilogue, so I guess that makes 102 in all XD
I've done a few, and they're not my best writing, but they're really cute and awkward.. XDD Do you want a sneak preview?~ <3
My email is official.jukako@gmail.com, send me yes (if you have gmail) so I can share them with you 8D; If not, I'll just copypaste to your email XD
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:iconkarisutaru:
Hello darling!

It's official, I've let DA down for a loooong time now 0_0 hence my late reply. But I am planning to get back in the game this holiday, BOOYAH!

Anyway, I would like a sneak preview ^^ reituki is love ;D I don't have gmail but if you send them to my hotmail account that'd be great ^^ and hey, if I finally create some of my own again, I'd like you to read it too ^^

xx <3

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The Reverse Side of Beauty
It's dyed with Beloved Filth...

Your seed and my seed never mixes
The connection of this blood is eternal
You cannot finish surpressing the desire
To true Daughter...
SEXUAL DISGRACE
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:iconsmd-ju-ki:
Okay, let's email, in that case!! <33 My best friend is visiting in a few weeks and bringing me a laptop charger (mine died...) so I'll be able to get on again. XD
Give me your hotmail, I'll mail you the first shot. 8D There's going to be 102 of them eventually... ;A; XDDD <3
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:iconkarisutaru:
Okies ^^ it's cybercosta@hotmail.com . Same for my msn ^^

I'll be waiting! <3

--
The Reverse Side of Beauty
It's dyed with Beloved Filth...

Your seed and my seed never mixes
The connection of this blood is eternal
You cannot finish surpressing the desire
To true Daughter...
SEXUAL DISGRACE
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:iconcrow-ash:
you know...i'm STILL waiting for more of VKE XD

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:iconkarisutaru:
All in good times my dear ^^;

--
The Reverse Side of Beauty
It's dyed with Beloved Filth...

Your seed and my seed never mixes
The connection of this blood is eternal
You cannot finish surpressing the desire
To true Daughter...
SEXUAL DISGRACE
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:iconcrow-ash:
XD i hope so...you left me hanging on the edge there and im like...SOMEONE FILL ME IN NOW BEFORE I DIE XDDD

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