Host club culture. Pedestrians crossing below illuminated host club billboards in Kabukicho, Tokyo

Photo: Alpgiray Kelem · Japan · 2026-06-08 · Editorial use

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Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan - June 8, 2026: Pedestrians cross a street below illuminated billboards advertising host clubs in Kabukicho, the entertainment district of Shinjuku in Tokyo. The lit panels show portraits of styled young men in suits and jackets, with club names including TOPDANDY TOKYO and Decent, while a pink sign at street level carries the address line Shinjuku Kuyakusho-mae. In the foreground, two women walk across the zebra crossing, one holding a phone, as a blurred figure hurries past on the left and a man stands by the billboards. At host clubs, mostly young men entertain female customers by pouring drinks and chatting for a fee, a format modelled on the older hostess clubs where women entertain male customers. Kabukicho has the largest concentration of host clubs in Japan. Tokyo police have banned exaggerated billboard slogans in the district, such as calling a host No 1 or King, and an amended adult entertainment business law that took effect in June 2025 has targeted high-pressure sales tactics at the clubs.

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• Street
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