Another mini-doc on Japanese modern culture by VICE. Love these tbh
I make sure to always watch/read VICE‘s coverage of Asian contemporary lifestyle because I honestly think they do a pretty good job. They’ve always been the go to resource for out of the box type shit.
One of VICE’s newest series, Slutever, now goes to Japan to cover the marriage decline the country is going through. As most of you probably already know Japanese women are choosing to put their careers over romance, but with there being varying methods of simulated companionship and sex within Japan it kinda fills the interpersonal gap with little issue. In this episode, Slutever covers the varying methods Japanese women are using to get their intimacy fix while still staying independent.
At one point the Slutever host, Karley Sciortino, goes to a male host club and questions the host’s drinking decisions, becoming slightly confused as to why anyone would choose a job that is extremely unhealthy on a daily basis. I think it’s important to note that a lot of hosts don’t necessarily want to be a host, but rather choose to be one because of their current, unfavorable life situations.
For a really thorough look at male host clubs I recommend watching the 2006 documentary The Great Happiness Space. (psst, you can find it here…)
In closing, one of the things I love most and find extremely admirable about Japan is their ability to commodify every and anything. I mean just think about it, even romance and intimacy is shrunken down and made into a nice, neat little package for purchase. The business gangster being that man… truly respectable!
(Source: VICE)