Kirari Community Cafe in Ikebukuro is one of many Kirari shops in Tokyo. Kirari runs a series of dating clubs throughout the city though they do not all operate the same way.
There are two Kirari Community Cafes in Ikebukuro. They both follow the same model. They are places where guys go to pick up women. The women expect to be compensated for their time and the shop charges a fee for making the connection.
When customer visit Kirari Cafe for the first time they have to sign up for a membership at a cost of 2000 Yen. This requires filling out a short form with a name and a phone number. Many people use fake names but their phone numbers must be real as the shop calls to verify.
Customers must speak Japanese to get through the membership sign up but some foreigners use the help of Japanese friends to get around their lack of ability in the language.
Once customers become members they receive a silver card that allows them to reenter the shop again any time. Each time they enter the shop they must pay a 2000 Yen fee. This gives them access to the place.
Downstairs there are viewing rooms. Women come to sit in these rooms which have two way mirrors. The guys in the club can see the women but the women can’t see the guys. The women have books and their phones to keep them busy but some also spend the time doing their makeup.
The club is basically meant as a place for regular women to meet regular guys. Some office ladies and others like them do use the club but there are also some professionals and some women who basically live off of guys who show up. They range in looks. Most are attractive but all sorts show up at the club from timid Japanese girls next door to super tanned gyaru* and even Europeans.
When guys see a girl they like they fill out a small piece of paper with their name, job and an indication of what they are looking for. They can indicate that they are looking for a dinner date, someone to drink with or an friend for some quick erotic fun.
The guys give these slips to guys on staff who in turn take them to the women. If the women agree they are taken upstairs to chat with the guys who show interest in them. These chats happen in small private booths.
Usually guys get right down to business and say what they are looking for. Women usually reply with how much money they are looking for. A lot of people are meeting to exchange sex for money though a few really do go out on dates. Typical rates for a few hours of romance in a local love hotel are from 100,000 Yen to 300,000 Yen ($900 – 2,700 USD).
Many women are only comfortable going to nearby love hotels that they can walk to and from. They don’t want to enter taxis or trains in most cases.
Pictures of women who show up at the Kirari Cafe locations often pop up on the Kirari Cafe Twitter page though faces are usually blocked out to some degree.
Kirari Community Cafe. Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Open every day from afternoon to late night. Website: http://www.cafe-kirari.com/ Map on website.