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What happens when a single woman joins a Japanese host club bus tour around Tokyo?

Oona McGee Mar 27, 2018
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It turns out that life ain’t so bad for a single lady when she’s in the company of these handsome hosts.

If you know where to look, there are lots of things for singles to do in Japan. While some people prefer to look for love at gokon dating events or free beach house parties, here at SoraNews24, our unattached female Japanese-language reporters prefer to walk a different path, choosing to go out and simply have fun on their own, and if love happens to run into their path along the way, so be it.

With that in mind, our reporter Momo decided to set out on a journey around town recently, jumping aboard one of the tours arranged by the ever-popular Hato Bus company. Better known for their sightseeing trips, which take people to some of the country’s most famous destinations, with attractive tour guides pointing out some of the finer points along the way, Hato Bus also offers a surprising “Host Club Tour” that features – you guessed it – Japanese hosts.

Host clubs are an intriguing aspect of Japanese culture, with handsome young men waiting on customers like royalty as soon as they walk into their establishment. Still, it can be an intimidating experience for first-timers to gather up the courage to enter one of these clubs on their own, so this Host Club Tour lets you peek into their world and rub shoulders with the good-looking men in a much more friendly and relaxing environment.

When Momo arrived at Tokyo Station to join the tour, she knew she was in for a treat when the bus she was told to board came with a sign that read, “Tonight’s you will be Cinderella“.

Momo stepped aboard the yellow bus as if she were entering a carriage that would later turn into a pumpkin, feeling like a princess on her way to the ball…only this time the ball would be a host club in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho.

Truth be told, Momo had a preconceived notion that male hosts would be scary – her colleague Mr Sato was one for a day, after all – so she was relieved to discover that the guides wouldn’t be joining the tour just yet. First, the bus would be heading to a Tokyo hotel where participants would fill up on a luxurious buffet dinner.

▼ Singles on the tour were seated close to the buffet, adding to the royal treatment.

One thing that surprised Momo was the fact that tour members were prohibited from consuming alcohol during dinner. Serving and consuming drinks is a big part of host club culture, so everyone would have to wait until they arrived at the club to enjoy a tipple.

Although the allotted time for dinner was 90 minutes, Momo filled her belly in less than half that time, making her way out to the bus, where she found three ultra-cool, fashionable young men smiling and waving at her. These were the hosts who would be taking Momo to the ball.

The friendly men handed her a pamphlet, with handy information on how to enjoy a host club, and photo portraits of the hosts they would meet. Then they boarded the bus, taking charge of the microphone to begin their tour guide duties, and the atmosphere immediately changed.

These guys were gifted talkers, making everyone laugh with their funny anecdotes and putting everyone at ease with their warm and unaffected personalities. Rather than feel nervous or intimidated, Momo warmed to them immediately, and began to feel excited about their next stop, a club in Kabukicho called “RMG-TOKYO-“.

▼ The host made for an unusual-looking tour guide, as he directed everyone through the bright lights of Kabukicho with his flag.

Stepping into the dimly lit, windowless host club, Momo became overwhelmed by the whole experience, as all the hosts came out to greet them, and our reporter suddenly wished she’d brought some of her friends with her for company. It might’ve been the dark space, or the new and unfamiliar surroundings, but Momo suddenly felt a strong urge to run away and go home.

Trembling, she was shown to a seat at the far corner of the club, and her one-hour host club experience began. First up was the “Champagne Call”, which came complete with a song and dance about the “wonderful Hato Bus tour”.

The hosts whipped out their red handkerchiefs and danced around the room, encouraging everyone to lift their glasses for a champagne toast.

Then the hosts made their way to individual tables, dishing out the special one-on-one treatment they’re well-known for. As gifted talkers, these hosts know how to adapt their conversation to the personality of each individual, and when they came by Momo’s table, they had her feeling at ease in no time, making her laugh and engaging her in small talk that helped to win her over.

▼ Of course, seeing the whole thing through champagne goggles also helped her through the evening.

At the end of the night, Momo had talked to eight hosts, who were all so handsome and attentive that anyone of them could’ve filled the role of Prince Charming.

Momo even became a star player in the event’s proceedings, as they stopped the music and bowed down to her at one stage to hear her give her verdict on the experience.

▼ Watch her yell out “Its the best!” at about 15 seconds into the video clip below.

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A post shared by momoe (@momomo_desuyo)

Then, before she knew it, the hosts finished their show, and it was time for Momo to return home on her pumpkin carriage. For 9,800 yen (US$93.57), this is a tour that Momo highly recommends for wannabe Cinderellas, or anyone interested in learning more about Japan’s host club culture. It’s an eye-opening experience to explore a side of Tokyo that few people get to see, and it’s a lot more fun than spending a night alone in a love hotel surrounded by sex toys.