Have the cities' red-light district turned green?

Tokyo (scroll down to read more)
For most of the Noughties, Tokyoites looking for titillation were spending big on what amounted to simulated flirting. Bars charged men and, notably, women ¥100,000 to drink Cristal with a hostess or host while engaging in suggestive idle banter.

But there was a seedier side too, and Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara decided to crack down on Shinjuku’s Kabukicho red-light district, digging up an old law that let him close hostess clubs between 1am and 7am. Club profits nosedived and workers took to street corners.

But across town, girls have found a new way to make coquetry pay. ‘Garçon to Issho’ in downtown Akihabara offers guided tours of the city run by girls dressed as boy butlers. For ¥6,000 per hour, a besuited boy-girl will take you by the hand and lead you on a tour of Tokyo. Some even have specialty subjects – there’s an arty garçon, a gadget garçon – even a darts garçon. Beats a drunken tete-a-tete any day.

Writer: GORDON KANKI KNIGHT