Many visitors to Tokyo want a hostess club (kyabakura) or lounge where foreigners are welcome and someone speaks English. Plenty of venues are happy to have guests from abroad. Some are not, and no list on the internet can tell you for certain on a given night. This guide explains how to find out before you go.

Why some venues decline foreign guests

A hostess club sells conversation. If staff and guest cannot talk to each other, the venue may decide it cannot give a good evening, and some venues only accept guests who speak Japanese or who come with a Japanese-speaking companion. This is each venue’s own policy, it differs from venue to venue, and it can change.

How to find a venue that will welcome you

1. Choose a venue first, from its official website. Our Tokyo hostess club prices page lists venues by area with their published prices.
2. Ask before you go. Contact the venue by phone or its official social media, or ask us and we will check for you. Useful questions:
   • Gaikokujin demo hairemasu ka? (Can foreigners come in?)
   • Eigo o hanaseru sutaffu wa imasu ka? (Are there staff who speak English?)
3. Expect English to vary. Even at venues that welcome foreign guests, how much English the staff speak changes from night to night.
4. Confirm the price at the door before you sit down. See how the bill works.

Offers to avoid

• Anyone on the street promising an “English-speaking club” or a “foreigner price”. Legitimate venues do not need a stranger to bring you in, and the published price list applies to everyone. This is the most common route into bottakuri.
• A venue with no visible name or price list, or one reached by a lift to an unmarked floor.

Things that are the same for everyone

• You must be 20 or over to drink in Japan. Carry ID, as a venue may ask for it.
• The set charge, extensions, nominations and service charge on the price list are the same for every guest.
• Many venues take credit cards, but check before you order, and check the amount on the card terminal when you pay.

In short

There is no permanent list of “foreigner-friendly” hostess clubs, because it depends on each venue’s policy and on who is working that night. Pick a venue with a published price list, ask before you go, and never follow a tout who promises English.