He said most of his clientele are showgirls and some are prostitutes, "because showgirls and whores make a lot of money, they spend a lot. I think this job is unique to Japanese culture. I don't think it happens in other countries."
Some of the girls he snares are "just lonely," Misaki said. "Maybe they don't have a boyfriend, sometimes they do."
He also brings men to the bar, which is up an alleyway off the main drag and is called Nobushu, which is a type of Samurai warrior. It's in a basement and is really no more than a glorified sitting room. It is slightly dingy, with orange lamps and faded sofas, but could pass for smart in the dim light. The music is bad, karaoke-style.
The boss of the joint is a member of the yakuza, or Japanese Mafia. He too is dressed in the monochrome uniform of the young men who work for him. He has a few missing teeth, but all of his fingers are still intact.
Misaki takes a table and pours a small shot of "brandy" into a glass with ice. He mixes it with a lot of water and sets it down. He asks if he can smoke.
He said the business of "catch" started in the late 1980s and that Osaka's "catch men" are the best-known, but they exist in all the main metropolitan areas. "This is a famous job. It is quite glamorous."
I asked him whether some of the girls he brought in ended up being showgirls or prostitutes. "Yes, this happens."
Did he know any interesting stories about the girls he brought to the bar?
"I met a girl who was 16 years old. She was a whore, this was very strange, quite unusual. I don't think she was happy. Sixteen years old and sells her body? She can't be happy. This is very sad, but she makes a lot of money."
He said older women also came to the bar but most of them were between 18 and 25. How many "girlfriends" did he have?
Misaki flipped his phone and went through more than 100 names. "Probably around 60. I have to remember all their names, but this is quite easy because we [short] message each other."
Do they know he has so many other girlfriends? "No, yes, some do, some get a little jealous."
Does he have sex with them?
"Yes, but not so often and they must pay `free time.'"
This costs ?10,000 to ?20,000, which, he said, was the same for having sex with a woman.
So, it could be said there is equality between the sexes in Japan.
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