The Great Happiness Space – a look into Japan’s host clubs

Posted on 05. Aug, 2007 @ 11:26 pm by in Culture, Media, Osaka, Society Views: 674

I just saw a great documentary movie, The Great Happiness Space – Tale of an Osaka Love Thief.

By the way, my friend silentangelfish clued me in, thanks!

I literally just finished watching it, so excuse the “high tension” of this post.

This documentary follows the work life of an popular host working at one of the most successful host clubs in Osaka. The film was made in 2006, so is still very recent. It was very interesting seeing the hosts in downtown Osaka doing their thing. There were lots of shots taken right in Doutonbori, the area where the header image for this blog was taken. Osaka… Japan… a taboo subject… And the whole movie is in Kansai-ben! What more could you want in a Japan related documentary??? There was even a shot of a takoyaki sign — I swear I saw it. Anyway…

I’m sure anyone in the big cities of Japan has seen the young guys in suits who chase after women desperately trying to start up a conversation. These are the hosts.

If the girls they hound like what they see, they can go have a drink in the host bar with the full attention of the host. The girls at the bar will spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars in one night, talking, drinking, and singing with the hosts. It is the hosts job to entertain them, and as the move explains, create an emotional dream world for the ladies. Once the ladies are hooked, they will become regulars and the hosts make a lot of money…

As the movie follows the main character, you begin to see how all this fake loving is not only damaging for the customers, but for the hosts as well.

This is very well done. I’m going to go off and find out more about the gaijin director that put all this together.

Check it out if you can get a hold of it!

- Harvey

  • http://www.jamaipanese.com Jamaipanese

    was it subtitled?

    I am going to try and find this

  • Katie

    It appears to be on google videos
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6186147595582048109
    Looks very interesting! Thanks!

  • http://alecinjapan.com Alec

    Ah, I saw this documentary as well. It’s good isn’t it! I’m really interested in hosts. If it didn’t involve drinking ridiculous amounts of alcohol, and if it wasn’t against the terms of my visa, I would so love to try it!

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Yes it is subtitled in English!

    Yeah that alcohol action was pretty ridiculous aye Alec.

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Sorry Katie, some how your comment got marked as spam and I only got to it now!

  • http://nyuudo.blogspot.com nyuudo

    That society themes always catch my attention, thanks for the suggestion… I’ve already saw the documentary and published my own post…

  • Lisa

    I have so many questions about the hosts. What the heck do they do with all their money. They are making like $600,000 a year but their own lives seem sort of lackluster. I’s also like to know if the Yakuza gets a cut of the profits, how many of the hosts came from single parent homes, etc. So many questions that no one has bothered to ask the director.

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    You know how in the movie… The customers of the host bar were mostly FUUZOKU and what not right? Maybe the hosts are spending their money at Hostess bars?

    I bet they also spend a ton of their money on clothes.

  • Michael

    I’s also like to know… how many of the hosts came from single parent homes

    Many Japanese come from single parent homes, even when they live with both parents.

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Single parents homes, even when they live with both parents? Huh? You mean the father is out working so long as a salaryman he has no time to be at home with the live-in adult kid?

  • Michael

    Don’t know where you read adult live-in there, though in that case I think any parent could be forgiven for not wanting to be home to see the パラサイト・シングル who’s sucking them dry. ^_^

  • http://www.japannewbie.com harvey

    Ahhhhh.

    “hosts came from single parent homes”

    I don’t know how I read that in as well!

    I don’t think coming from a single parent home would have much to do with a kids inclination to become a host… Do you guys?

  • Godzilla

    Well, boys raised by a single mother probably have a lot of experience in comforting women…

  • J.

    Thanks for that link to the documentary. It was interesting to watch.

  • http://myspace.com/hisnfi Valancia

    Can anyone tell me where I can watch the whole documentary? I found a short clip and can’t seem to find the whole thing anywhere.

    It’s no longer available on Amazon, and netflix has it but i would prefer to watch it online or own it. The google link posted no longer works. I contacted the creators, and asked them where I can find it, but the only mention Amazon and Netflix :( Any help would be great. Danke.

    Valancia です。

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