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Mon, Feb 25, 2002 - Page 19 News List

Japan's recession hits sex clubs

As expats lose their huge expense accounts and Japanese men hold on to their money for fear of losing their jobs, hostesses are taking greater risks to augment their income

AFP , TOKYO

"Before you would get huge groups of foreigners with their expat accounts. They might spend ?2 million a month taking clients out," said a Japanese stripper who asked to remain anonymous.

"But they haven't got so much now and don't go out as often," she said.

"We still see a lot of Japanese, but they don't like spending and when they do, they want extra. They want a private dance in a hotel or a blow job in the bathroom."

British hostess Lucie Blackman was brutally murdered two years ago after she accepted a date with a customer outside of work, but girls still take risks to make money.

"After Lucie Blackman we were all really scared but work is work and so we just get on with things," said Monika, a hostess from Romania.

Clubs make a fraction of what they did a decade ago, said Okoloigwe.

"In the good days we used to get at least 90 customers in a night but now we have 30," he said.

However there is still money to be made, with some girls in the larger hostess clubs and strip bars are earning around ?100,000 a week simply for dancing and talking to customers, they say.

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