No, there is no tipping in Japan. There is nothing to be scared of.

The thing is, they are more expensive than most people can afford, and, mostly, more expensive than they are worth. Basically you are guaranteed a fun time, conversation, and good service. You are guaranteed a conversation partner. That's what you are paying for. Since most gaijin don't have a problem starting conversation with a Japanese person they don't know (assuming they speak Japanese) the cost isn't worth it for most gaijin.

now that worries me...... How much is the cost actually? :eek:
Do you pay by hour ?

I don't intend to waste my money, it's just to satisfy my curiosity =) jpdrag0n made is sounds like it was horrible :rolleyes:

If it was so horrible, how would they stay in business?

Some places you pay by the hour...those tend to be bigger, cabaret-style. Other places you pay for what you order. Everyplace is different in terms of cost, but I have never been to one where I thought "Wow, that's a great deal."

exactly. you're gonna have to pay a good amount of money to get the services you want. i didnt say it was horrible...just a complete waste of money. if youre a gaijin in japan, moreover, western looking, you will have no problem finding people to talk to. i dont know the prices of some of these places, thats something you need to find out when you go. make sure you completely understand the pricing system so that you arent surprised when you get the bill.

bottom line - honestly, just save your money. if you really want to experience it, i would say go for it. but dont make it a habit or anything like that...

Thanks for the advice. I'm Asian, so probably they wouldn't be interested in me ;) I do want it for the experience (not at all a habit - i don't have that kind of money !!).
I'll make sure I request for the price tag first =_=

Bottom line, don't enter a place without some sort of introduction or with friend who knows the place. Just because of the nature of pricing, and now with the economy as it is, people don't just walk in. Japanese are embarrassed to ask the price up front sometimes, and these places can sometimes take advantage of that, especially if they think you are never coming back again.

I went to one place with a few Japanese friends and one other gaijin. We lived in the neighborhood and were looking for a new bar. We weren't so shy as to ask the price before we sat down. This bar had 5 or 6 girls, and was empty when we walked in (there were 5 of us, i think). Anyway, the mama said it was 2000 yen a head, and 800 yen for a large bottle of beer. We sat down and probably shared 10 bottles of beer with the hostesses, and then our bill was like 30,000 yen. We said to the mama "Hey, 10,000 yen for five guys to sit down, and 10 bottles of beer is 18,000 yen!" She said "Yeah, but you took up all our girls at your table." We responded that there were no other customers, so what were we supposed to do? She finally reduced the bill to the proper price. The point is, a Japanese person wouldn't have complained. So I wouldn't go into a place unless you go with someone who is a regular customer there, that way you don't get hosed. That's if you REALLY want to go to a hostess bar.

(SEMANTICS--ignore if you like)

Correct, but they're still, by dictionary definition, prostitutes.

"to put to any base or unworthy use: to prostitute one's talents. "

First entry, fifth definition, dictionary.com .

I believe that the 'gratification' of Man's (meaning men and women) desires such as sexual impulses or even for nothing more than some attention from the opposite gender can be called "base", as it is a "base" instinct. (Debatable)

But, ending the semantics, I do also feel that being a host/ess (or a Geisha, once upon a time) is considerably more respectable than being a whore. I mean, at the very least, being a host/ess is not contributing to the spread of STDs, and at the very best is a legitimate form of entertainment for those that truly enjoy discussion and being "hosted" (I guess).

If satisfying a customer's desire makes you a whore, then there are a lot of waitresses and bank tellers and nurses that need to be arrested.

LOL. i completely agree. hostesses are not whores...lets just end that discussion.

MMM, that happened at a normal bar or at a hostess bar? cuz thats a pretty shitty bar if they pulled that on you...