Quote:
Originally Posted by Nyororin
I am thinking that Steven might be mixing hostess and snack bars up...
A snack bar is usually a small bar, single short counter with a few seats, and an older talkative woman (or women) as the bartender/s. There is a bit of flirting going on, but it`s more the sort you`d expect in a western style bar. Most of these places sell based on the personality of the woman behind the bar. Sure, looks can start them off - but the biggest earners in snack bars tend to be women over 40 or 50 who have been working there for 10+ years and are close friends with a lot of the patrons. They tend to be very close knit bars - and there isn`t much limiting the gender of the patrons. (Other than the simple fact that more men than women go to bars)
All the snack bars I know of are sort of the kind of bar where you go to hopefully talk with the regulars (who are likely close friends), and if they`re not there the owner/bartender will gladly talk to you. There is one close to me that generally has more women going in than men - it`s a social spot with an owner good at kicking off friendships.
Hostess bars, on the other hand, are completely different and are mainly limited to men. The goal is flirting, flattery, and if the price is right "after work" activities.
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You raise a very good point, Nyororin. Unlike the US, there are all kinds of bars in Japan... we don't have hostess bars, snack bars, or anything near the variety that is found in Japan.
It is good to distinguish that snack bars are not places to pay for anything more than food, drink, and conversation. This seems odd in the US, but makes sense in Japan. Patrons can be men or women of any age, and basically a snack bar is like hanging out with a friend you can drop in on an any time. I worked as a bartender in a snack bar for a while when I lived in Japan and it was a great experience. 90% of our customers were men, but 9 times out of 10 they didn't mind talking to me. It was a small and intimate place, like Nyororin described, and most of the customers were regulars that just liked having a friendly place where they could show up alone and know they would have someone they know to talk to. That's really the bottom line.