Tokyo girls [Widescreen]

Japan, the land of the geisha, is now attracting young foreign women from across a broad spectrum to work as hostesses in the Tokyo nightclubs, of which there are around 11,000 hostess clubs registered in Tokyo. In this documentary, four young Canadian women - Hillary, Jamie, Nancy and Dhana - candidly talk about their own personal experiences as hostesses and how it has affected them in the long term. All agreed that money was the motivation and that customer/hostess relationships are purely fiscal and non-emotional, although certainly the occasional relationship among some hostesses and their customers did take place. The documentary explores the cross-cultural issues comparing the traditional “geisha” to the hostesses or “economy geisha” as they are often referred to and includes interviews with a variety of people, both Japanese and westerners, involved with this fascinating Japanese tradition. Parties, alcohol, money and occasionally, sex, hostesses often live the lavish life. They are highly-paid and well sought after, particularly if they happen to be tall and blonde. The glitz and glamour however, can soon lose its appeal as money paid becomes money spent on drugs, mainly speed, as hostesses sometimes begin to “lose the plot”. Shot in Canada, Osaka and Tokyo, “Tokyo girls” is visually captivating and supported by a great soundtrack, providing a rare inside look at the old and the new, the traditional and the commercial, the upside and the downside of a culture still highly valued (by Japanese men) and still being practised today in Japan. In English and French with English subtitles.