The underground world of Tokyo's most notorious red-light district

The article below was written by journalist Matt Young and published on the News page in December 2017.

Located in the middle of Tokyo,Kabukicho is one of the busiest red-light districts in the world. Here you will find information booths handing out maps and answering questions.tell foreign visitors where they should go to join the fun. The choices are endless, from love hotels, massage parlors, to hostess nightclubs...

All around me were bars advertising all kinds of "pleasure" services. Bright neon lights, small alleys filled with things considered dirty for sale... it all blended into a chaotic scene.

The street pimps kept trying to entice me to go to bars, strip clubs, or nightclubs with topless girls... In the middle of that street, I don't know why I chose Scott*, aA man three times my size runs a cheap nightclub.

I paid 5,000 Yen (more than 1 million VND) to get through the door. This is cheaper than the usual 7,000 Yen that the bar charges, and I can drink as much as I want.

Even as I stepped into the elevator with Scott, I couldn't help but wonder if I would make it out alive, as most of the bars in the red light district were run by the Japanese mafia.I followed him into a small, dark, cramped nightclub with loud hip hop music.

Scott led me to a corner with a few tables, a bar—no customers. Just me and six girls. They were wearing tight dresses that barely covered their midriffs. As soon as I walked in, they all stood up and started shaking their hot bodies.

"Pick a girl," Scott said.

I stood there awkwardly. After all, for a gay guy like me, this was my first time in a room like this.

It took me a few minutes of hesitation before I “picked” a girl who stood out from the crowd in a bright red dress, because she was the first to greet me. Her name was Linda*, a Jamaican girl with curly hair and a smile.

I ordered a gin and tonic, then we went to a secluded corner. I assured Linda that I didn't want to go to bed, just talk.

“For how long?” she asked in a thick accent. We agreed on ten minutes.

Linda then handed me the menu and told me that she would only get paid if I bought more drinks than the one included in the entrance fee. Actresses like Linda get 30% commission on anything a man buys from the menu, that's their salary and their only way to make money."There's no sex here, just drinking and chatting," she said.

Linda suggested a 250,000 Yen bottle of champagne, but I declined and opted for a glass of wine. I also revealed that I was a journalist, hoping to learn more about her work in Kabukicho. Linda seemed a little more at ease and was happy to let me take notes.

Back with her drink, Linda told me that she grew up in Japan. Her father was Japanese and her mother was Jamaican. They knew what their daughter did but didn’t complain, because her father also ran a bar in the neighborhood. I wasn’t sure how much I believed.

The 28-year-old has been working at the club for two years and is planning to quit at the end of the month. She only works weekends, from 8:30 pm to 1:30 am, to help pay for her tuition. She also showed me photos of herself in college.

"I need more money but this month I'm screwed," Linda said. She said the men who come in usually just want to talk, and she's perfectly happy because "no one forces me to do anything I don't want to do."

According to her, places like this nightclub are very normal in Japan. Hostesses like her have the duty to please the customers so that everyone is happy.

"That's the culture, a cold culture. People put so much effort into their work that when they come here, they just want to talk to girls," Linda said.

Sensing that Linda’s patience was running out, I quickly ended the conversation, which was running out of steam. Linda smiled, wished me luck, and led me to Scott. At this point, I realized I didn’t have enough cash to pay, and the cashier didn’t accept credit cards.

Scott looked me straight in the eye: "We're going to withdraw money." We went downstairs to the ATM. He waited patiently for the agreed amount of money, I knew I shouldn't mess with this guy so I quickly made a withdrawal order written in Japanese.

Scott took the money, gave me his card, and told me I was welcome anytime. "Remember to bring money next time," he winked goodbye.

*Character names have been changed