Writer seeks Gaijin Hosts for article

[QuicksandSaigon]

I just finished watching The Great Happiness Space and found it fascinating. The idea of young, often beautiful women (some hostesses themselves) paying to spend time with young men is fascinating, and although the documentary was well-done and reasonably objective, I found myself with more questions than answers.

After doing a little research, I discovered that there are also some foreigners (Gaijin) working as hosts in some of the big cities. As a writer (primarily for magazines) and a long-ago exchange student in Japan, I have to say I'm drawn to the topic.

I would like to write a special interest magazine piece about Gaijin hosts, and if you have a story, I'd like to hear it.

If you work/worked as a host in Japan, and would like to share your story, please email me at my private email address, quicksandsaigon at gmail dot com

As a start, some of the questions I'm interested in:
-What's your story, ie. how did you become a host? What's your motivation? Was it what you expected?
-Did you go to Japan to work in this industry?
-What were your relationships like with your customers? Did you ever sleep with a customer? Fall in love?
-Did you think it was easier to be a foreign host? Did you feel discriminated against by the other hosts?
-What were your relationships like with the other hosts?
-What were some key/interesting experiences you had during this period?
-How long did you work as a host and what were you paid?
-What made you decide to quit? (if it is not your current job)
-Otherwise, I'm really just looking for interesting anecdotes to get me started and to decide where I want to focus the article.

Also, if it's easier, we could arrange to talk on Skype and just record the interviews.

Thanks for your interest.

Michael

[rickschmauss]

Originally Posted by QuicksandSaigon

I just finished watching The Great Happiness Space and found it fascinating. The idea of young, often beautiful women (some hostesses themselves) paying to spend time with young men is fascinating, and although the documentary was well-done and reasonably objective, I found myself with more questions than answers.

After doing a little research, I discovered that there are also some foreigners (Gaijin) working as hosts in some of the big cities. As a writer (primarily for magazines) and a long-ago exchange student in Japan, I have to say I'm drawn to the topic.

I would like to write a special interest magazine piece about Gaijin hosts, and if you have a story, I'd like to hear it.

If you work/worked as a host in Japan, and would like to share your story, please email me at my private email address, quicksandsaigon at gmail dot com

As a start, some of the questions I'm interested in:
-What's your story, ie. how did you become a host? What's your motivation? Was it what you expected?
-Did you go to Japan to work in this industry?
-What were your relationships like with your customers? Did you ever sleep with a customer? Fall in love?
-Did you think it was easier to be a foreign host? Did you feel discriminated against by the other hosts?
-What were your relationships like with the other hosts?
-What were some key/interesting experiences you had during this period?
-How long did you work as a host and what were you paid?
-What made you decide to quit? (if it is not your current job)
-Otherwise, I'm really just looking for interesting anecdotes to get me started and to decide where I want to focus the article.

Also, if it's easier, we could arrange to talk on Skype and just record the interviews.

Thanks for your interest.

Michael

Michael,

Over the years here in Japan, I seem to recall reading about this in the Japanzine.....

See the link about the magazine......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanzine

This ought to give you a start on your search. The magazine's covered numerous topics of interest over the years. You might want to contact Carter Witt, the publisher. Run into a dead end, let me know. Been in Japan years......... I imagine I can uproot something through local contacts.

Rick

[Okinawa]

Wish I could find a part time gig being a host out here.