The Japanese government has launched a sweeping crackdown on the country’s “host club” industry, targeting business practices that allegedly trap women in spiralling debt and, in some cases, coerced ...

Tokyo (CNN) — Yu felt a rush of excitement as she walked into his bar for the first time – eager to meet the charming young host she’d been following for years online. On that cold January night last ...

Japan's host club industry, where women pay for romantic attention, has been criticised for exploitative practices. Some suggest the need for regulation, but current discussions oversimplify the ...

Host clubs, where young male staff "pamper and flatter" female guests, are "booming" in Japan. Some 21,000 male hosts work at 900 of these lucrative establishments but opaque prices for drinks and a ...