Truth is stranger than fiction as the male escort who milked hundreds of thousands of dollars from his best client, now rotting in a jail cell, returns to court next week.
This is honestly really sad. Obviously she committed crimes but Lily-chan sounds like a classic case of “hurt people hurt people” (and I’m guessing her father is not in prison for his abuse of her, right..)
Really tough for me to feel bad for her much older clients whom she fleeced. Guessing their names haven’t been released publicly. Feel bad for their wives and kids.
I remember being a teenager in the early 2000s when I first found out about host & hostess clubs through gyaru blogs on the internet. The fascination was strong at first (I mean, some of them look like j-idols or anime characters come to life - at least then they did) - but it ended pretty quickly once I learned more about how actually miserable they must be and how their families treat them (if they’re even still in touch.) That hostesses drained lonely perverts of their money to only then have hosts drain the same lonely hostesses of that money - just one of the vicious cycles that’s part of that world - and I see it still is, of course.
Like I said, this whole case and everything about it just makes me sad. :(
Thank you for reading and sharing such a thoughtful note. I agree with you. It's the kind of real-life tragedy that makes me grateful to have a supportive family. The amount of money involved in this case is probably what is drawing the public's attention, which is also a sad fact of life.
Hostess clubs and maid cafes are occasionally the bane of top professional sumo rikishi as well; they start getting brought into those when younger by wealthy stable supporters- older men who have "old-fashioned tastes". When the rikishi gets to salaried level, it's him that sometimes has to entertain said supporters, in a manner they're comfortable with; and that has led to at least two multi-basho suspensions I can think of, for breaking lockdown protocols during the pandemic.
Thank you for reading and sharing your insight into the relationship between the world of professional sumo and hostess clubs and maid cafes. I can only imagine how the tradition of power harassment from that world is applied to the practice of having to entertain one's elders and superiors in such a situation. This aspect of Japanese culture seems so antiquated, and yet it persists.
This is but one of the reasons I find the world of sumo so endlessly fascinating. It's not just the sport itself; because it has the cultural and historical cachet that it does, there are financial and political dimensions to the conduct of business within the Kyokai, the stables, and their many "supporters' clubs" that touch on many grey areas and half-hidden "underworlds" that the neat, corporate, or "postcard" images of Japan hide.
I’m feeling so glad my life is simple! I liked the portrayal of the host club world in the Korean drama My Liberation Diary, too. Unbelievably I once went unknowingly to a host club with a rich, eccentric female friend. I found the whole thing rather boring.
Boring and mundane are just fine. Same here! I'll have to watch that Korean drama. Your experience at a host club sounds similar to my one and only time at a maid cafe in Akihabara, which definitely did not live up to the hype (at least for me).
This is honestly really sad. Obviously she committed crimes but Lily-chan sounds like a classic case of “hurt people hurt people” (and I’m guessing her father is not in prison for his abuse of her, right..)
Really tough for me to feel bad for her much older clients whom she fleeced. Guessing their names haven’t been released publicly. Feel bad for their wives and kids.
I remember being a teenager in the early 2000s when I first found out about host & hostess clubs through gyaru blogs on the internet. The fascination was strong at first (I mean, some of them look like j-idols or anime characters come to life - at least then they did) - but it ended pretty quickly once I learned more about how actually miserable they must be and how their families treat them (if they’re even still in touch.) That hostesses drained lonely perverts of their money to only then have hosts drain the same lonely hostesses of that money - just one of the vicious cycles that’s part of that world - and I see it still is, of course.
Like I said, this whole case and everything about it just makes me sad. :(
Thank you for reading and sharing such a thoughtful note. I agree with you. It's the kind of real-life tragedy that makes me grateful to have a supportive family. The amount of money involved in this case is probably what is drawing the public's attention, which is also a sad fact of life.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right, unfortunately. And same here, truly.
Hostess clubs and maid cafes are occasionally the bane of top professional sumo rikishi as well; they start getting brought into those when younger by wealthy stable supporters- older men who have "old-fashioned tastes". When the rikishi gets to salaried level, it's him that sometimes has to entertain said supporters, in a manner they're comfortable with; and that has led to at least two multi-basho suspensions I can think of, for breaking lockdown protocols during the pandemic.
Thank you for reading and sharing your insight into the relationship between the world of professional sumo and hostess clubs and maid cafes. I can only imagine how the tradition of power harassment from that world is applied to the practice of having to entertain one's elders and superiors in such a situation. This aspect of Japanese culture seems so antiquated, and yet it persists.
This is but one of the reasons I find the world of sumo so endlessly fascinating. It's not just the sport itself; because it has the cultural and historical cachet that it does, there are financial and political dimensions to the conduct of business within the Kyokai, the stables, and their many "supporters' clubs" that touch on many grey areas and half-hidden "underworlds" that the neat, corporate, or "postcard" images of Japan hide.
Thanks Mark for yet another interesting article. Pls do keep us posted on what happens at the Wolf's trial.
Thanks. Will do. Perhaps this alpha male will get defanged! He can always fall back to focusing on chess.
I will stay outside of the club at the takoyaki stall….way cheaper!
Good choice! I'm with you.
I’m feeling so glad my life is simple! I liked the portrayal of the host club world in the Korean drama My Liberation Diary, too. Unbelievably I once went unknowingly to a host club with a rich, eccentric female friend. I found the whole thing rather boring.
Boring and mundane are just fine. Same here! I'll have to watch that Korean drama. Your experience at a host club sounds similar to my one and only time at a maid cafe in Akihabara, which definitely did not live up to the hype (at least for me).
real life is stranger than fiction.
Well, this story certainly proves your point. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Well written. If this were in the US, it would turn into a movie or TV series at some point.
Thanks. Yes, there's plenty of material to work with.