For a rundown of the top-ten stories thus far in 2010 in the fuzoku trade — that is, businesses offering sexual services — weekly tabloid Shukan Asahi Geino (July 8) turned to Yoshikazu Murazaki, the editor-in-chief of monthly entertainment guide Manzoku.

“Shaking the industry the most has been the deri heru (out-call sex shop) debuts of big-name AV actresses Mai Nadasaka and Kei Megumi at club Muteki in Shibuya and Maria Ozawa at Club Tora no Ana,” explains the editor.

The magazine adds that AV stars had appeared at such establishments in the past but the recent trend has been with bigger names offering their services. “Over the next three months, we expect that even more girls will make their debut,” says the manager of club Muteki.

Ranking second was the June re-opening of Yoshiwara soapland Kakuebi Honten. The magazine supposes that its closing, occurring one-year ago, was due to Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara’s crackdown of sex clubs prior to Tokyo’s bid to be the host of the 2016 Olympics.

Amateurs, too, are making an impact, with clubs specializing in university students being among those offering employment. “Most people think that the reason university gals work in the fuzoku industry is because they can’t find a job elsewhere in this difficult economy,” says Murazaki. “But in fact they simply want to buy a nice handbag, and they can make a decent hourly wage working part-time.”

Murazaki says that much of this is due to those belonging to the yutori sedai, or the generation which came of age when educational standards had been lowered — a time generally considered to have begun in the 1980s. “The number of girls thinking like this is increasing,” he says, referring to their interest in material pursuits. “They don’t have any business sense. But their ’slow’ and ‘casual’ approach is appealing to some customers.”

Also among the non-professionals are housewives, specifically known as hitozuma, who are considered cheap, erotic and relaxing. Legislation effective from June placed added restrictions on the availability of consumer loans. The co-signing by a spouse is one example. This requirement might force housewives to seek employment at fuzoku clubs to pay off debts unknown to their husbands, the editor postulates.

Other notables cracking the top-ten include the popularity of Chinese massage parlors in Shimbashi, Ikebukuro and along the Chuo Line, the busting of a huge high-end deri heru service and the closing of publication Tokyo Manzoku News due to competition from the Internet.

Murazaki ends his roundup with a niche category: the hazure fuzokuten (loser sex clubs). Girls staffed at these establishments have been dubbed jirai, literally “land mines,” and are very unattractive or overweight, perhaps having failed interviews at other places.

No service, no hospitality and “land mine looks” (i.e. handle with care) — the shops are mainly for maniacs who have a fetish for these types of ladies, the editor says of jirai joints. “Some customers will use them to conclude a batsu game,” Murazaki explains, referring to a competition in which the loser must be punished, “and their popularity is on the rise.”

The magazine lists deri heru club Uguisudani Dead Ball in Tokyo’s Taito Ward as one jirai option. (A.T)

Source: “Kyokushiteki 10 dai nyuusu fuzoku hen Manzoku henshucho,” Shukan Asahi Geino (July 8, page 177)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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“Over the past 20 years, the biggest change the sex industry has undergone has been the male staff at soaplands,” begins Nikkan Gendai (June 24) in the latest installment of its long-running series “The Dark Side of the Sex Business.”

These staff, known as “boy-sans,” typically robust young lads with crewcuts who bow welcome and see off visitors to their erotic bathhouses, belonged to a clearly established pecking order.

In the past, the boy-sans were expected to be particularly deferential to top earning hookers at the shop, who in a good month brought in as much as 7 million yen in revenues, the source of their regular paycheck.

Those who failed to show the proper attitude and treat the top gals like goddesses would be rudely slanged and on occasion pummeled like a punching bag. Likewise for their attitude toward the tabloid reporters who visited the shop, who were to be always addressed politely as sensei.

In most cases soaplands did not maintain dormitories for their staff, and the boy-sans at the bottom rungs of the totem pole usually just sacked out for a few hours sleep on the still-damp air mattresses in “play rooms,” after the shop closed for the night. The next morning they would be aroused by a senior, who would kick and screech at them like a sadistic drill instructor.

But times have really changed. For one thing, the boy-sans are no longer willing to put up with such abuse. Snap at them in a nasty manner and they’ll quit on the spot. And if you smack them with your open hand — the kind of traditional discipline that teaches them to respect their elders — they’ll even threaten to charge you with aggravated assault.

Good grief, what’s the world coming to?

While soap shops are now obliged to cuddle their boy-sans, the soap ladies are the target of ever stricter training in their speech, attitude and service. After all, the shop depends on repeat customers to keep the money spigot flowing.

And when the sudsy sluts refuse to take any more hard love and blurt out, “That does it — I’m quitting!” how does the boss respond?

“Dozo. Gokatte ni” (go ahead, do what you want). After all, in these hard times, there’s a waiting list of women looking for work. It’s a buyer’s market, and the days when masseuses got treated like goddesses are gone for good. (K.S.)

Source: “Naguru keru ga atarimae datta soopurando,” Nikkan Gendai (June 24, page 20)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

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2. Cops’ crackdown threatens to prick soapland bubble
3. Gals from the sticks come to Kanto, turn tricks

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