Samantha Culp

(Topic Magazine, Jun 2006)

Title: “The Hostess: Ten Qualifications for Working in a Tokyo Hostess Bar”
Publication: Topic Magazine
Date: Jun 2006
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Sometime in high school, Samantha Culp first heard about the institution of the Japanese hostess bar—a place where young women (including non-Japanese-speaking Western girls) are paid to look cute, pour drinks, and chat with stressed-out salarymen. She resolved to try it someday. Her chance came last summer, as she spent a month working at a club in Tokyo’s posh Ginza district, and wrote a cover story about her experiences for Hong Kong’s Standard newspaper. Though the long strange nights were fascinating for a while, Samantha soon discovered that she was hardly cut out to be a professional hostess—and formed a true respect for those who are. Here, she lists ten necessary qualifications to excel in this unusual career.




1) A frat boy’s alcohol tolerance. Remember, you must drink, or at least politely sip, all the screwdrivers, G&T’s and white wine that come your way (though served up in Lilliputian “hostess-sized” glasses, the multiple rounds add up)



2) A deep appreciation for nude stockings and polyester cocktail gowns



3) The ability to convert your total of ten Japanese words (and assorted food, city, and film director names) into hours of conversation with completely wasted 60-year-olds



4) Bullet-proof smile muscles



5) A talent for creative ways to kill boredom when seated in the waiting area for hours on a slow night—for instance, writing bitchy haiku about the other hostesses



6) Knowing the delicate art of removing a septuagenarian’s wandering hand from your knee, while still giggling and flirting with him



7) Advanced karaoke skills, whether they be in creating a non-existent duet part to Deep Purple’s “Highway Star”, or in cheerleading/physically spotting an inebriated grandfather who may just pass out and break a hip before he completes “Blue Moon”

A touch of ESP for figuring out if a man you are seated with is already another hostess’s “customer”, as no one will inform you one way or the other—and if you wrongly assume he is fair game, you may be the recipient of some Siberia-cold icy stares from the Russian hostess he “belongs” to



9) The knack for whining until your customer orders expensive treats like $400 champagne, or at least some $30 Pocky sticks



10) Perhaps most importantly, a contortionist’s gift for changing into evening dress, stockings and high heels in the bathroom of a Shibuya department store in 10 minutes flat