According to an article on Nikkan Gendai, a quarter of Japanese girls have experience working in what is euphemistically known as mizu-shobai. This can apply to full-on hostesses but also just girls working in “snack” bars, girls’ bars, and so on.
The article quotes a survey of 3,563 women around Japan asking if they have experience working at night at a kyabakura (cabaret, a type of hostess club) or snack bar.
23% answered yes.
If we add in how many have experience working in prostitution or in AV, the numbers grow bigger still.
According to one specialist writer, then it’s more like a third of women in Japan.
Those who then can’t socialize or converse well tend to move quickly into prostitution.
Apparently the stigma attached to doing a part-time job at a hostess club or snack bar, or even a soapland, has fallen a lot and some women will discuss it openly with their friends.
If they make the venture into the AV industry, it can be a lucrative side job.
Students, office ladies and teachers can receive between ¥40-50,000 ($333-420) for a porn appearance too.
Well, unless we do our own survey we can’t vouch for the veracity of all this. But we love the idea that a third of all the girls we see have been a hostess, call girl or AV actress at some point in their lives!
