Amidst the problems surrounding host clubs' accounts receivable, the Metropolitan Police Department held an extraordinary briefing session on the 27th to gather store managers and call for legal compliance.

It was confirmed that there were at least dozens of cases in which store signboards in Shinjuku Kabukicho violated Tokyo metropolitan ordinances, and the company requested voluntary improvements.

This information session was held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on an extraordinary basis in order to call on host clubs to operate in compliance with the law, as troubles surrounding ``accounts receivable'', in which hosts pay for expensive meals and drinks, have become an issue. Approximately 140 people attended, including staff and store managers.



Shinobu Omine, Chief of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Security Division, opened the meeting by saying, ``It is the responsibility of business owners to correct illegal business operations.I hope they will conduct healthy and safe business operations.''



The briefing session was held behind closed doors, and the Metropolitan Police Department informed them that they were arresting malicious cases such as soliciting prostitution from customers.



In addition, an investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and Shinjuku Ward revealed that some of the signboards installed at host clubs in Kabukicho did not have the required installation application, and the area occupied by the signboards on the building walls exceeded standards. It has been reported that at least dozens of cases of violations of the ordinance have been confirmed.



Regarding this, the person in charge of the ward, which is in charge of application permits, asked for voluntary improvements, and the person in charge of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department informed them that if they do not respond to guidance and removal, they will be subject to crackdowns. .



Signboards often use photos of hosts with top sales, and there have been cases where hosts have encouraged customers to place expensive orders by telling customers they want to be on the signboard, leading to trouble, so the Metropolitan Police Department is working with Shinjuku Ward to resolve the issue. I am planning to continue providing guidance.

Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance: Permit required to install signboards

The Tokyo Metropolitan Outdoor Advertising Ordinance was established with the aim of creating a good landscape and preventing harm to the public, and requires permission to install a signboard.



The ordinance stipulates that when installing signboards on walls, the area of ​​the signboard must be no more than 30% of the wall, that windows and openings must not be blocked, and that signs with the same content must be spaced at least 5 meters apart. There are rules on how to open it.



There are also penalties for violating these standards.



Regarding outdoor advertising, advertising vehicles called ``adtrucks'' that display advertisements on the loading platform have been viewed as a problem as they are contributing to the deterioration of the landscape and traffic environment, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to tighten regulations.

Current host: “The signboard is a “reward” from the restaurant to the host.”

According to a man who is an active host at a host club in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, and who makes over 10 million yen in sales a month, the host club's signboards are meant more as a reward from the restaurant to the hosts than to the effectiveness of advertisements and promotions to attract customers. They say it's big.



The man said, ``Many people become hosts because they want to stand out or become famous, so being featured on a billboard is a ``title,'' just like ``annual sales of over 100 million yen.'' By competing with each other, the hosts' motivation increases."



He added that it is common knowledge in the industry to ask customers to place orders in order to be featured on billboards. It's easy to say, 'I want it.'



He added that this approach leads to orders exceeding customers' ability to pay, saying, ``If we were to give a spot on a signboard to someone who had sold 10 million yen, the customer would have to go through a somewhat unreasonable effort to prepare 10 million yen.'' "You will have options such as changing your work style or starting a night job. I think there are some people who end up taking unreasonable measures to reach their goals."

The host said, “Let’s aim for the signboard together” and placed a large order.

A 23-year-old woman who attended a host club in Shinjuku's Kabukicho said, ``At the time, the host told me, ``Let's aim for the signboard together,'' and I kept making large orders.The host I nominated would be used for the signboard. It was also a sense of status for the customers."



If a host's sales ranking goes down, they won't be featured on the billboard, so she thought, ``I want the hosts in charge to be on the billboard forever,'' which is why she decided to include them.



She is currently working at an NPO that deals with the issue of sexual assault, and through her work, she has heard many voices from women who share similar feelings.



The woman said, ``At the time, when I was struggling with feelings of loneliness and relationships with my parents, the host club became my place to be.''I think most people think of signboards as an outward appeal, but the reality is that customers and hosts are more I feel like it's an inward-looking system that allows us to compete."

Host club receives many inquiries from customers' families etc.

The Metropolitan Police Department's dedicated consultation desk for issues related to host clubs has been receiving a number of inquiries from customers' families and others.



According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the number of consultations in the two months since its opening at the end of December last year has exceeded 130, and in addition to problems with fees, there have been complaints such as ``My daughter got into a host and quit university'' and ``Prostitution. The company has received many inquiries such as "It looks like I'm working in the sex industry."



At host clubs in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, there have been a number of incidents in which hosts and store managers have been arrested.


Last month, a former host was arrested for forcing a female customer to wait for prostitution in order to collect accounts receivable. Additionally,


this month,


a host was arrested for coercively telling a female customer that she was going to go to jail and forcing her to apply for a consumer loan.



The Metropolitan Police Department urges those who have suffered threats, violence, or forced prostitution from the host club over accounts receivable, etc., to seek advice rather than suffering alone.



Telephone consultation for the Metropolitan Police Department


is available at 03-3227-8335 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on weekdays.At


night and on holidays, the Metropolitan Police Department's Juvenile Development Division's consultation line "Young Telephone Corner" is 03-3580. 4970 is accepted.