About how much can you generally earn per hour at nightlife lounges or clubs?

Could it be that you’re mistaking Universe Lounge for a regular lounge? Try contacting a regular lounge in a location that’s convenient for you to work at and see if you can arrange a trial shift. It sounds like the pay varies quite a bit, too.

This is about a girl I know. She works as a hostess at a Ginza club, mainly as a support hostess, and said she earns ¥4,000 an hour or more. In her case, she was introduced and hired through someone connected to the club. She has no sales quotas and can work whenever she wants. She has to get her hair styled every time she works, which costs at least ¥2,000 per shift. Cheap-looking clothes are frowned upon, so she wears somewhat expensive brands, costing ¥10,000 or more. She can take the last train if she’s lucky, but when she finishes late, she has to take a taxi, so transportation costs add up too… She said that, all things considered, it isn’t very profitable. I’ve never worked in nightlife, but from what I’ve heard, it sounds interesting as a life experience. If your goal is to make money, papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) seems more efficient.

The lowest hourly rate Joe knows of in Ginza is ¥3,500. But she said it was easygoing because there were no quotas at all—she was doing it as a life experience. Normally, wouldn’t someone with no experience make around ¥7,000? But there are quotas, and even if accompanying customers before or after work isn’t strictly mandatory, there’s often pressure to do it. I’d only recommend it if your goal is something other than money.

In Nagoya, I hear the going rate is around ¥5,000 an hour. At upscale places, it can be around ¥10,000, but the percentage of girls who get hired after trying a trial shift is low. Apparently scouts can show up anywhere. For example, you might just be browsing dresses at a cabaret club in Nishiki, and before you know it, the staff have called over a scout. You have to be able to drink, and since the group has to keep the atmosphere lively, you also need to get along with the other girls. That’s the difficult part. Also, the smaller your face, the better—and apparently, the more airheaded you are, the better. I hear the men who go to cabaret clubs only talk about silly things. Maybe it’s about keeping up the vibe? I don’t know, though. Whether you’re naturally silly or just acting that way, you need to be able to put up with silly conversations for long periods of time. And let me mention the most important thing. Whether it’s a cabaret club or a lounge, the tax office keeps track of the wages you’re paid. When the establishment gets audited, they compare the employees’ bank accounts during the investigation. Then they may wonder, “Why is this girl earning so much?” and the money you made through papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) is more likely to be hit with additional taxes. If you only do papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan) and receive cash in hand, the tax office isn’t going to go out of its way to investigate your personal bank account. And don’t assume you’re safe just because the club pays you in cash. The club properly reports it as wages because it wants to claim it as a business expense. So if you’re good at earning money through papa-katsu (compensated dating in Japan)—especially if you’re earning a substantial amount—I think it’s better not to take on a side job. Or keep all the money as cash savings and don’t deposit it in a bank. It’s black money, so it’s difficult to use because you can’t bring it out into the open, though.

It depends on you, your area, and the establishment, so ask a local scout.