Have you ever wondered what those sign holding girls on the side of the street in Shinjuku, Akihabara and Ikebukuro are doing? Lots of tourists seem to mistake them for prostitutes. This is a misconception. In fact, most of them word for either Concafes / Concept Cafes or Girl bars.
Concept Cafes and Girl Bars are almost the same thing, with a few minor differences. Hence this article will cover both of them at the same time.
What are Concafes and Girl Bars
To put it simply: Concafes and Girl Bars are bars, where you drink and chat with an attractive girl (or depending on the bar, it could also be an attractive guy. We don’t judge.)
The vast majority of those establishments use an all-you-can-drink (飲み放題) system where your own drinks are included in the time fee. The time fee at the majority of those shops is ca. JPY 3000 per hour. but there are also more expensive ones.
At the same time, the drinks you buy for the girl are not included. They have to be paid extra. Which leads to the main distinction between Concafes and Girl Bars. However, the line is sometimes blurry. Typically, in a Concept Cafe, the girls are simply waitresses. They will rotate between all tables at random. Giving a girl a drink, will make her come to your table slightly more often.
In a Girl Bar, a girl is typically assigned to your seat and will stay with you for a set duration. Depending on the bar, there might be a nomination fee if you want her to remain permanently, or she will just remain permanently nonetheless.
In both of those cases, those drinks are very important for the quality of the experience. They represent the majority of the girl’s income. Depending on the shop, the girls typically keep 50-70% of all the drink money you spend on her.
Girl Drink Etiquette
We recommend keeping the drinks coming. They are not expensive. Depending on the shop, the standard drink will range anywhere from JPY 1000 to JPY 2000. There are more expensive options, ranging all the way to champagne. But don’t worry about this yet. We’ll get to that later.
Buying drinks will get you more attention and more conversation. There’s really no point in talking to someone who is unmotivated to do so. Might as well get married if that’s what you want.
Can I touch the girls
No. Touching the girls is always against the rules. If you are allowed to touch the girls, you are not in a Concept Cafe / Girl Bar but in a Sekukyaba. Those are much more expensive. We also have a Sekukyaba Guide.
Will I be let in?
Outside of areas that suffer from serious over-tourism (such as Kyoto), being let into a Concafe or into a Girl Bar will not be an issue, regardless of whether you speak Japanese or not.
Is it fun if I don’t speak Japanese?
In areas such as Shinjuku and Akihabara, the girls are typically very used to seeing tourists who don’t speak a word, who mistake those places for Maid Cafes. I’ve often seen tourists just chatting with the girls via Google Translate and still having a great time. I would say it’s worth a try, but I can’t speak from experience.
wHAT’S THE POINT OF PAYING A GIRL TO CHAT WITH ME?
The girls are skilled conversationalists and are generally able to give you a really good time. Paying for simple companionship has a long history and is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. It’s hard to convey how fun it is until you’ve tried. It also really doesn’t cost a whole lot of money. Give it a try and decide for yourself.
How do I find a Concafe? How do I find a Girl bar?
The two main platforms to find a Concafe or a Girl Bar are:
https://moe-sta.com (accessible from abroad)
https://www.pokepara.jp (requires a VPN if you’re outside of Japan)
On those two websites you can filter the type of establishment, what they offer (a lot of Concept Cafes in Shinjuku offer Shishas, too, for instance) and the location.