Foreign sex workers in Japan counter political frictions with 'rabu-rabu' diplomacy

By Masuo Kamiyama
May 8, 2005

Displeased with revisionist history textbooks and opposed to Japan's attempt to obtain a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, thousands of Chinese in Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities rallied in the month of April, marching on Japanese embassies and consulates, tearing down corporate billboards, stoning shops, launching campaigns to boycott Japanese goods and burning Prime Minister Koizumi in effigy.

In South Korea, meanwhile, the fracas with Japan continues over the ownership of Tok-do (or Takeshima, as these two tiny rocks are referred to on Japanese maps).

What do these aggravated political tensions mean, Weekly Playboy wonders, for the Chinese and Korean gals here in Japan who are trying to earn an honest yen in the sex trade?

The magazine's reporter wonders who to question in order to obtain a firmer, er, grasp of the situation?

"You idiot!" exclaims Fujio Mine, a bon vivant who is something of an authority on the night life in Shinjuku. "Do you think an uninformed ignoramus like yourself can engage in real diplomacy? What you should do is check out one of those 'take-out' pubs." These, he explains, feature delectable dishes of Chinese nationality, who, for a consideration of from between 30,000 to 50,000 yen depending on the duration of the encounter, may be taken out to a nearby a love hotel for "personal diplomacy."

The pub he visits, introduced by a street tout, features eight Chinese hostesses whose ages appear to range from their early 20s to mid 30s.

"Welcome, I'm Nana!" one of the older-looking hostesses in a black dress greeted him in Japanese. "Is this your first visit?"

"Are you participating in a boycott of Japanese goods?" the reporter then asks her.

"What you say? Me no understand?" she replies.

"Never mind. Tell me, what do you think of the recent controversy over Japanese history textbooks?"

"You know, your eyes have got a horny glimmer," she counters. "It means you wanna do 'rabu-rabu' with me, right?"

"Um, okay, let's move on to a different subject. How do you feel about the prime minister's making visits to worship at the Yasukuni Shrine?"

"Hey, listen, if you no take me out, I'm really pitiful," she nags. "I don't make money hanging around this bar. You Japanese men are all lechers, but I'm good at doing 'etchi.' How about I give you nice blow job and then ride you on top?"

After another unfulfilled encounter on the bar's sofa with a 20-year-old from Harbin named Karen, the reporter decided to investigate the political situation down the street at a cut-rate Korean pub, populated by a dozen slender and lovely hostesses, that opens up from 1 a.m.

There he is introduced to a hostess named Ruby, who croons a currently popular Korean tune, a stirring melody entitled "Tok-do belongs to us."

"This song used to be banned, but these days you often hear customers in Korea singing it," she explains.

"Should I take that to mean you intend to declare war on me?" the reporter asks.

"Shhhhhs," Ruby whispers. "Our 'mama' told us to avoid discussing political problems here at the club."

"You know actually," the reporter thinks out loud, "I'd like to make that generous cleavage between your breasts my territory for a little while. What do you say?"

"Dame (no good)," she responds, feigning a pout. "But tomorrow I've got some time, so I'd like to go see a movie."

Taking her bait, Weekly Playboy's reporter concludes that this new effort at people-to-people diplomacy appears off to a promising start. What do you say, Ruby? Shall we try to overcome the current difficulties and build on the relationship further?

Mainchi Shimbun

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