Tokyo Hostess
by Claire Campbell
Sphere pp416
ISBN-13: 978-0751540994

When I think of Japan, I think oriental, cultural, different. Claire Campbell’s Tokyo Hostess presents a side of Japan which perhaps we would prefer to ignore – the dysfunctional, disturbing side.

The book is the true story of Tokyo hostess Lucie Blackman, whose disappearance shocked the UK and the West into the truth about the underground (but perhaps not so secret) life in the city’s sex clubs.

Ms Blackman disappeared after going on a date “dohan” with a customer.

The outlines of the story sketch Ms Blackman’s life and her family’s campaign for justice after her body was found in a cave, stories which are well known to those who follow the British press. Alongside this story, Ms Campbell tells the stories of two other girls – Carita Ridgway, an Australian hostess who died at the hands of the same man, Joji Obara, in 1992, and Lindsay Ann Hawker, an English teacher who was murdered in 2007 by Tatsuya Ichihashi.

Perhaps this is where Ms Campbell takes a wrong turn – Ms Hawker’s murder has very little connections with the first two. Ms Campbell received much criticism for linking this murder with the similarly horrible sex crimes that were directed at two seemingly different girls.

The narrative is interspersed with Ms Campbell’s research into the nightlife of Tokyo’s Roppongi district, where Ms Blackman worked. It gives a thorough picture of the wide range of sex clubs available, and perhaps gives some cultural insight into the world of weird Japanese fantasies.

Tokyo Hostess is well researched and thoroughly reported – Ms Campbell, being a reporter herself, has a unique style of writing which is very true to the turn of events at the time. She presents the story from all angles, feeding the reader with real-life comments. It’s an interesting way to see the story unfold, and makes for very good reading.

I was instantly impressed when I picked up the book, but I have to admit that my interest decreased as I continued reading. Ms Campbell’s reporting style is something of a double-edged sword – whereas on the one hand she is able to give a true narrative of the turn of events, at certain instances it can become tedious and lingering. In her favour, however, it gives a more complete picture of how things unfolded and their relevance at that time.

Drawing into focus the lives of hostesses brings in the moral dilemma – were the girls playing with fire? While hostessing presented the easy route to travelling the world and earning cash quick, the job, in itself, was not as easy as the girls made out. While they poured drinks and laughed at dirty men’s jokes, they were putting their self-confidence on the line. In the cutthroat world of being the best at being liked, the girls had to be ready to go that bit further to be a success. Were they naive? Maybe. Did they ask for what they got? Most certainly not.

What would be completely naive is if readers were scandalised by this aspect of Japan. Just as Japanese citizens apologised to Ms Blackman’s parents for the atrocity she suffered, many other citizens all around the world need to realise that this could have, and probably has, happened in other countries. Weird, twisted sex fantasies and horrible men exist the world over. Japan’s streets are not visited by solely Japanese men – foreign men play their part too. What needs to be addressed is the issue of how these fantasies are going to be restrained or regulated, lest history repeats itself, in Japan or anywhere for that matter.

• Dr Abela Mercieca is a medical doctor, but she occasionally gives in to silliness.