April 8, 2008

Japan’s New “Geisha Guys”

by Orli Sharaby in Trends In Asia, Luxury, Lifestyle

The geisha is an icon of traditional Japanese culture, but CNN now points us to a shocking new phenomenon in Japan: Geisha guys. In a brazen reversal of strict and longstanding gender roles, wealthy Japanese women are now hiring out their own male escorts. For between $1000 and $50,000 a night, the guys accompany gals to the club, where they act every part the doting boyfriend till the clock strikes midnight (or thereabouts) - the industry insists that there’s no sex involved.

The above image is via CNN, and is a photo of Yunosuke, a 24-year-old Japanese male escort, who says:

I give women things that men normally don’t do, like complimenting their appearance. I make women happy…Women see us as one of their accessories. They like to wear nice things, so I try to look prettier for them all the time.

[via T Magazine’s The Moment]

3 Responses to “Japan’s New “Geisha Guys””

Justin R
Posted from: 207.134.103.138
April 9th, 2008 at 8:54 am

This ‘news’ is maybe 5 years old, if not more. As anyone paying any attention to actual Japanese and Chinese culture would know. CNN is not necessarily the most ‘breaking’ on extra-US topics.
Agency Spy
Posted from: 74.72.51.219
April 9th, 2008 at 11:38 am

If you are interested in this topic, there was a great documentary made about this trend in 2006 called The Great Happiness Space.

http://www.thegreathappinessspace.com/
Orli Sharaby
Posted from: 76.15.153.104
April 9th, 2008 at 9:42 pm

thanks for the feedback, guys! i had no idea this has been going on for so long. spy, i’ll have to figure out where i can check out that movie.