Remember Japan’s number 1 gigolo? Asian Boss is back with a sequel to their viral YouTube documentary that peaked at #4 on Singapore’s trending page.
Enter the gorgeous Hoshino Kurumi, Japan’s no. 1 hostess, who earns a whopping S$1,266.60/day (US$930) on average.
That comes up to an unbelievable S$62,654 (US$46,000) monthly salary, she shares.
We repeat, a month.
Ms Hoshino also tells of how her life has changed ever since she made the choice to join this profession — for better and for worse.
Catch the full 16-minute documentary here. We summarise her story after the jump.
28-year-old Hoshino Kurumi works at the upscale Roppongi district in a glitzy hostess bar named Lalah in Tokyo.
She’s been crowned the top hostess there thanks to her stellar performance in sales.
Though one might expect an outgoing, bubbly persona, Kurumi comes across as earnest and sincere throughout her interview.
She explains the difference between a hostess club – one patron visits many hostesses – versus a more personal one-on-one experience at a hostess bar like Lalah.
Her club, she shares, employs 700 other hostesses. But only 50 work there in the course of a day. The massive club spans 4 floors, with 20 seating areas per floor and 4 VIP rooms.
When asked about her earnings, Kurumi answers shyly that the most she’s ever drawn in a month was S$100,790 (US$74,000), just shy of her target of US$100,000.
Kurumi maintains that she’s never gotten money in exchange for sexual favours from clients.
But interestingly, her bar doesn’t have an outright rule on banning relations with clients. She shares openly that most clients do actually come to her “looking for sex”.
Kurumi, however, reserves the right to decline a client if she’s not feeling the flirtation.
In her words,
If they flirt with me and I like it, then we’ll have sex.
If not, she firmly tells them “not today”.
The interviewer also asks for Kurumi’s dress size, and Ms Hoshino points out that she wears medium dresses. Surprised, the interviewer asks the slender hostess why that is so.
Kurumi shares this surprising observation,
It’s because all the girls in Roppongi are skinny…I’m considered a big girl in Roppongi.
As expected, the conversation quickly turns to how much good looks are prized in the industry.
Kurumi bluntly states that looking good is 100% percent important, as the first thing a potential customer assesses is “your face”.
She shares this while getting her hair primed into wavy curls by a dedicated hairdresser. According to Ms Hoshino, some customers don’t even speak a word to “ugly hostesses”.
Next, she’s asked if she has ever felt pressured to get plastic surgery to improve her looks.
Ms Hoshino answers candidly that she has considered improving her whole face – especially her nose – if given the chance.
Kurumi quips that the lowest point of her life was when she first left her hometown and moved to Tokyo.
For 3 months, she struggled with feelings of loneliness as she found herself friendless and struggling to adapt to life in the big city.
Her motivation to succeed eventually came from not wanting to disappoint members of her hometown, and her mother.
Now, she enjoys meeting people that she wouldn’t have had a chance to cross paths with otherwise — like celebrities and pro-athletes. And of course, dining perks at restaurants with 6-month waiting lists.
Since her university days, the Japan’s top hostess has gone through her fair share of “bad men”.
Kurumi once fell for a customer’s scam and handed him S$2,587.89 (US$1,900) as he promised to double the amount for her via investments.
Another client offered her S$12,521.66 (US$9,200) for sex shortly after introducing himself. She was understandably upset as she shares that she could “make that amount easily”.
As for an offer of US$9.3 million, she’d seriously reconsider her stance.
If you aren’t convinced by Kurumi’s prowess as a hostess, Asian Boss also interviews a long-time customer of Ms Hoshino.
The 31-year-old man shares that he enjoys how “real” the hostess behaves, as compared to other girls in the bar.
He shares an incident where he was close to passing out as he was “dead drunk”, and mistakenly ordered a S$126,562 (US$93,000) champagne tower.
Kurumi – out of concern for her customer – persuaded him not to, as she knew it was way beyond his means.
In return, he popped 3 champagne bottles in her honour during his next visit.
The most expensive gift she’s ever received from a client is a Harry Winston diamond necklace worth S$27,217 (US$20,000).
But she rarely wears it out as she doesn’t believe in “showing off”.
When asked if she would go back in time and do it all again, Kurumi doesn’t hesitate when she answers, “Yes.”
Considering both the ups and downs of her experience as a Japan hostess, she continues to believe that it’s a job that “pays off if you actually work hard”.
As for staying number 1 in the industry, Ms Hoshino says “it’s just a waste of time”, as she expects younger hostesses to succeed her in the future.
Before you start writing your resignation letter for your current job or consider a career switch to rake in big bucks like Ms Hoshino, take heed that the journey to Japan hostess glamour isn’t as easy as you’d think.
We’re sure that her rise to the top came with her own share of hardships — as told by Kurumi herself.
What do you think about her job? Can you see the same phenomenon happening in Singapore? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Featured image from Instagram and Instagram.
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