Japan's host club industry, where women pay for romantic attention, has been criticised for exploitative practices. Some suggest the need for regulation, but current discussions oversimplify the ...

A host club in Kabukicho, Tokyo, where elegantly dressed women serve drinks and engage in conversation with clients. Many clients become regulars, returning to spend time with their favorite hostess.

The Japanese government has launched a sweeping crackdown on the country’s “host club” industry, targeting business practices that allegedly trap women in spiralling debt and, in some cases, coerced ...