TAG WARS: RISE OF THE FUCKTARDS (Overtourism and TAG 2025)

[DarthBalls]

Anecdotally, the American / western guys that I know that have partaken in fuzoku are either 1) fratty types that do it once to impress their friends or whatever, who probably would've gone to Thailand in the past but tourism in Japan is insanely trendy atm, or 2) people who are active in the softer forms of mizu shōbai (bars, clubs, general nightlife, etc) who do it more regularly. All of my software engineer friends who've visited have been too scared / shy to try lol, even when I tell them I'll go with them to a soapland and handle the communication with the store staff and everything

PO/Network & Sys Architect here. My shyness has absolutely bricked me from pulling the SL trigger yet and I've been here since the 31st 😅 I've never done anything like this before in my life and I'm nervous as hell but good lord, TAG has helped me more than anywhere else on the web when it comes to research and trying to dive into this world while I'm abroad.

I decided to hit Shinjuku up a few nights ago to map out a ton of bars, the hotel I'll be in staying in for a few days starting tomorrow, and a few SL, DH, and LH spots. In the few hours I was there, I spotted quite a few packs of douche-canoes who acted like this and all I could do was cringe. I saw one group of them that had one of these two maid-dressed promoters cornered while they were filming selfie videos with her, completely plastered. They kept laughing, while she kept saying what sounded like "やめてください" over and over again... My buddy and I told them what she was saying and they cursed us out as she walked away. Anyway... after seeing that, I didn't feel much better about trying to pick one. I was not ready for how overwhelming that place was. I had a blast, but... I still have no idea where I'm going to go first, or if I'll even build up the courage to go at this point. Hoping I can decide soon as I'll only be in the Shinjuku area until the 9th before I have to head out. If I don't, I will say that it's been an absolute blast and a wonderful learning experience reading all of these reviews.

 

[qcryp]

I saw one group of them that had one of these two maid-dressed promoters cornered while they were filming selfie videos with her, completely plastered. They kept laughing, while she kept saying what sounded like "やめてください" over and over again

Man being a maid promoter in a place like Kabukicho sounds asinine I would pick basically any other job, but still that's shitty. At least yall got them to stop.

I'll tell you theres no reason to be shy, and you'll probably be kicking yourself for not trying earlier though your wallet thanks you. But also I get it.

 

[dickissuehaver]

PO/Network & Sys Architect here. My shyness has absolutely bricked me from pulling the SL trigger yet and I've been here since the 31st 😅 I've never done anything like this before in my life and I'm nervous as hell but good lord, TAG has helped me more than anywhere else on the web when it comes to research and trying to dive into this world while I'm abroad.

I decided to hit Shinjuku up a few nights ago to map out a ton of bars, the hotel I'll be in staying in for a few days starting tomorrow, and a few SL, DH, and LH spots. In the few hours I was there, I spotted quite a few packs of douche-canoes who acted like this and all I could do was cringe. I saw one group of them that had one of these two maid-dressed promoters cornered while they were filming selfie videos with her, completely plastered. They kept laughing, while she kept saying what sounded like "やめてください" over and over again... My buddy and I told them what she was saying and they cursed us out as she walked away. Anyway... after seeing that, I didn't feel much better about trying to pick one. I was not ready for how overwhelming that place was. I had a blast, but... I still have no idea where I'm going to go first, or if I'll even build up the courage to go at this point. Hoping I can decide soon as I'll only be in the Shinjuku area until the 9th before I have to head out. If I don't, I will say that it's been an absolute blast and a wonderful learning experience reading all of these reviews.

One thing that I try to remember is that even if it feels exploitative or w/e, being a good client, respecting your provider, etc etc is honestly better than doing nothing at all. Just think how much more the maid cafe promoters would enjoy doing their job with you as their clientele rather than shithead tourists.

Shyness-wise, totally makes sense — not sure what your situation is, but I find Yoshiwara (in spite of the almost across-the-board gaijin tax) to be much more accessible than other RLDs in Tokyo proper. Shinjuku especially feels intense and crazy, wouldn't have wanted to have my first fūzoku experience(s) there — it's good if you're looking for that stimulating atmosphere, but in terms of dispelling nerves it… is bad lol. Yoshiwara on the other hand is very quiet and chill, fewer and much less aggressive touts and barely any pedestrians (except for fellow partakers, SWs, and the odd tourist family staying in one of the cheap apart-hotels around there lol). For what it's worth, if you're willing to drop 80k JPY, I can't really think of a better place to start than Etoile: kind and welcoming staff, serene environment, and incredible providers.

DH is also kinda intimidating in general, just requires a bit more planning and coordination and whatnot. If you're looking for a DH-type experience tho // if you don't wanna hoof it out to Yoshiwara, there's always the TAG independents, who I'd guess are probably the best entryway into the practice (AM would also be a good alternative). I'd really recommend pulling the trigger and going for it.

 

[DarthBalls]

Man being a maid promoter in a place like Kabukicho sounds asinine I would pick basically any other job, but still that's shitty. At least yall got them to stop.

I'll tell you theres no reason to be shy, and you'll probably be kicking yourself for not trying earlier though your wallet thanks you. But also I get it.

I too was a little thrown to see a pair of promoters like that there. Especially coming from Akihabara the day before where the streets were littered with Maid promoters back in that area near Super Potato just snatching up all the nerd simps lmao. Most of the other promoters I saw around Shinjuku were basically in casual wear / hoodies / pants.

You're absolutely right. I know for a fact I'll be kicking myself in the ass the whole 13hr flight back if I don't give at least one session a whirl. Thanks to a post @Danbo made with his spreadsheet of Shinjuku SL, I think I'll just have pick one, send it, then write a review but after I knock this upcoming 3P one out (another first for me).

One thing that I try to remember is that even if it feels exploitative or w/e, being a good client, respecting your provider, etc etc is honestly better than doing nothing at all. Just think how much more the maid cafe promoters would enjoy doing their job with you as their clientele rather than shithead tourists.

This is a beautiful point and honestly makes me feel better about it. I'm a pretty modest person in nature and genuinely just want to enjoy the company as much as they do.

Yoshiwara on the other hand is very quiet and chill, fewer and much less aggressive touts and barely any pedestrians (except for fellow partakers, SWs, and the odd tourist family staying in one of the cheap apart-hotels around there lol). For what it's worth, if you're willing to drop 80k JPY, I can't really think of a better place to start than Etoile: kind and welcoming staff, serene environment, and incredible providers.

I keep forgetting about Yoshiwara tbh, and I don't know why. There was a point where I was dead set on Segretario due to a bunch of other reviews but eventually got overwhelmed again and started searching closer to Shinjuku due to my hotel location. I really do need to look back into Etolie and see what the train routes would look like. The calmer atmosphere definitely makes me feel a bit better about this for sure. I love the energy in Shinjuku, especially with all the metal bars I've been having a blast in, but I need a clearer mind for following up with my first soap pick.

DH is also kinda intimidating in general, just requires a bit more planning and coordination and whatnot. If you're looking for a DH-type experience tho // if you don't wanna hoof it out to Yoshiwara, there's always the TAG independents, who I'd guess are probably the best entryway into the practice (AM would also be a good alternative). I'd really recommend pulling the trigger and going for it.

Yeah, I agree with this. I nixed DH from my list this trip and might give it a whirl next time. As far as independents go, I have nothing but amazing things to say about the processes I've gone through with two of them for an upcoming 3P so far. I'm sure I've annoyed the absolute shit out of them with all of my questions via email but it's only because I'm trying to go about this in the best, most professional, and genuine way possible as I am a total noob 😅 I'll see them both tomorrow and it literally feels like Christmas eve. So stoked to write that review up!

 

[qcryp]

I really do need to look back into Etolie and see what the train routes would look like.

I can also vouch for etoile being nice. Getting there from shinjuku isn't too bad, shinjuku line transfer to hibiya line at akihabara then to minowa station. It takes a bit of time and a decent amount of walking, but it's normally pretty chill.

 

[zstar]

As with most other things in life, the answer is education. It won't completely cure the problem, but mitigate…to a certain margin…I think it can. I actually think TAG is better at this than most other forums of similar coverage. Which is reason for me to keep coming back even after people trash me for my attempted sarcasm.

So keep using the forum to educate folks who simply don't know certain aspects of things in Japan. You won't fix the fucktards who think providers are their paid-for possession and other such idiots. But you can help those who fuck up simply because they did not know any better.

Of course it's your choice if you do want to help someone learn something and fix some behaviors or simply tell them to GTF back to Narita.

Honestly, I think TAG and how mature its community is, including seeing some indies like Alice active here, was what got me to pull the trigger and try it for my first visit to Japan and on the last day possible. It was really a spontaneous decision after 2-3 days of thinking through it and 1 day to myself, but the community here was mature enough for me to put my faith and trust into.
Even then, I was trying to make sure to not be rude or dumb as much as possible to not give a bad impression to the provider, which I think came across clearly. I kind of accepted Gaijin Tax to be something to help deal with the bad apples and don't mind it much. Though this thread really opened my eyes more.

I'm a tech guy as well, by the way.

 

[kyngder]

You're absolutely right. I know for a fact I'll be kicking myself in the ass the whole 13hr flight back if I don't give at least one session a whirl. Thanks to a post @Danbo made with his spreadsheet of Shinjuku SL, I think I'll just have pick one, send it, then write a review but after I knock this upcoming 3P one out (another first for me).

This is a beautiful point and honestly makes me feel better about it. I'm a pretty modest person in nature and genuinely just want to enjoy the company as much as they do.

I keep forgetting about Yoshiwara tbh, and I don't know why. There was a point where I was dead set on Segretario due to a bunch of other reviews but eventually got overwhelmed again and started searching closer to Shinjuku due to my hotel location. I really do need to look back into Etolie and see what the train routes would look like. The calmer atmosphere definitely makes me feel a bit better about this for sure. I love the energy in Shinjuku, especially with all the metal bars I've been having a blast in, but I need a clearer mind for following up with my first soap pick.

I can also vouch for etoile being nice. Getting there from shinjuku isn't too bad, shinjuku line transfer to hibiya line at akihabara then to minowa station. It takes a bit of time and a decent amount of walking, but it's normally pretty chill.

Yoshiwara is a totally different vibe than Shinjuku for sure. On my recent trip, I made 5 trips out there ... in hindsight, too many - but was trying to cram in a lot because I wasn't sure when I would be back. Now I know and it's a lot sooner than I expected . On only 2 trips did I even see any real nuisance people around, and other than the selfie/picture taking group I mentioned earlier were they a genuine bother. The shop guys/touts aren't a bother either - actually more amusing than anything else. One guy was trying to get me into one of the shops (I don't remember which one - Club 39?) and I said thanks but no thanks, I was heading to a reservation elsewhere. He just laughed and said "Our girls can get one more outta you on your way home!" LOL.

At no point in Yoshiwara did I ever feel unwelcome or even awkward. I don't live in Japan now, but I used to for many years and believe me there have been places -- even not adult-oriented - where that was not the case. Hell, I still feel like at 25% of the onsens I go to I am like some kind of gaijin spectacle where everyone stops and stares when I walk in. And despite the current tourist overload, as always in Japan, if you conduct yourself in a manner that shows your respect for the people and the culture, you will be treated well. It's not that hard.

Etoile is awesome. Feels to me like a shop for everyone, from the complete noob visitor to crusty veteran. The staff is great, the girls all seem to be great, the waiting room is pleasant and calming. The only downside is the price -- it's not that it's a ripoff or anything, but 83k is a lot to shell out, especially if you're someone paid in yen with typical-ish Japanese wages. If you're making tech money in USD, well... you can't get this kind of value for $560 anywhere. For some inexplicable reason Ai Aoyama still seems to be available on relatively short notice so you could try to book her before you go.

I'm hesitant to say any of this too loudly because I don't want the idiots out there to see this kind of description of the place and descend en masse, but these are also not the kind of people reading deep into a thread or even a single post to learn something.

I made the trek from Shinjuku to Yoshiwara multiple times this trip and it's not too bad. qcryp's routing is good, or you could take the Marunouchi line to Kasumigaseki and transfer there. The walk from Minowa station is about 15 mins but if it's not too hot it's fine, and gives you a chance to see what a sedate area it is. They'll offer you a ride back to the station so departure will be quick.

 

[Tucoh]

I think we are living a transition phase.
Overtourism is a thing almost everywhere right now and we have no idea how to handle the problem.
Even here in Europe countries don't have any clues how to fix the issue.

Maybe we just have to wait and see.
We will reach a point of no return and we will have to take some serious decision.

Regarding the fuzoku scene: it doesn't seem that the industry wants to keep gaijin away.
Gatekeeping, as was suggested by @kirayamato , could be a way to make things more difficult for us tourist foreigners and "defend" the scene.
But at the end of the day is something the industry should sort out on it own, together with a new policy regarding tourism in general.

I mean, it's crazy to thing that people can't walk properly in Kyoto cause there are too many tourist.

I just hope for you guys living there that the yen will raise again and you will be able to spend a little more on your hobbies.

Also, yeah, the problem is also that if our "competitors" are high spenders form first world countries willing to spend a shitload of money without battling an eye we have a huge problem.


I post just an example from Europe:

Taking the Etoile's rates as an example, it's normal that for a fucking Swiss paying 500€ will be way easier than for a Portoguese.

But of course I'm stating the obvious.
Still, It would be great if high spender would think before paying whatever price for normal service.

 

[gaschdee]

Still, It would be great if high spender would think before paying whatever price for normal service.

But if you're from a very expensive first world country, even most soaplands in Yoshiwara with gaijin tax are cheaper than at home.
A "high-end" soap with gaijin tax is still about equal to seeing a non Eastern European/SEA girl in my European country, and low to mid-end shops are much cheaper than at home.

I didn't think twice about it when I first went to Japan, because even with the then unknown to me gaijin tax, it was still cheaper than at home.

 

[Cinnabums]

How tourists spend is not the issue, its how tourists(and idiot Japanese comedians) share the scene that is the bigger issue.
Japan doesn't want to be known as a destination like Thailand which any European can imagine as a sex tourist destination.

 

[thatguythere]

It will be almost impossible to get rid of delivery, they cant track every single girl going into random hotels, but the soaps are an easier target. The government probably knows the location of every single one and could potentially employ some new legislation to close them down, if they want to send a signal. This will probably be met with heavy resistance though, as i bet a lot of government officials frequent the soaps themselves.

It would send a better signal to aid Tokyo girls and tachinbos and other runaways with support, educations and a new future, to keep the "industry" behind walls, out of sight.

I dont think were at a stage yet where japan is seen as a sex tourism country, thanks to all the "hidden rules", the language barrier, the cost and it being a country people go to once to see the sights. This however is for Europeans and Americans.

Rich and rude Chinese and other Asian countries are imo a bigger problem. 1 idiot taking a selfie in front of a shop, while annoying, isnt as bad as a whole Chinese tourbus dropping in the middle of yoshiwara and spreading like locusts. But in this case, its up to the shops and services how they want to deal with it.

 

[kyngder]

How tourists spend is not the issue, its how tourists(and idiot Japanese comedians) share the scene that is the bigger issue.
Japan doesn't want to be known as a destination like Thailand which any European can imagine as a sex tourist destination.

Absolutely. Has been cited here elsewhere how the Japanese compartmentalize things and keep things hidden from view makes it workable (sometimes this is good, sometimes it is bad). Certainly if Japan becomes known as a sex tourist destination there will be some kind of fallout.

Anybody around back in 2008 remembers the brouhaha over the Mainchi Shimbun's Waiwai column on their English site. All they did was translate stuff (admittedly, the most salacious stuff) from Japanese tabloids and slap it on their English site with some clever puns. Nobody was offended this stuff was out there, they were upset it was out there in English and readily accessible to the rest of the world.

 

[MikeH]

The government probably knows the location of every single one

Probably? Dude, soaps are licenced operators by that government.

 

[Alice]

Man being a maid promoter in a place like Kabukicho sounds asinine I would pick basically any other job,

I would actually love this job in the summer, literally just getting paid to chills outside in cool clothes and you often see them being able to strike up conversations with their other friends around there.
I can't possibly do it in bad weather though, Im very prissy like that. I will go out in any type of weather if I have somewhere to go, but I can't possibly loiter outside when the weather is bad.

 

[Alice]

Getting there from shinjuku isn't too bad, shinjuku line transfer to hibiya line at akihabara then to minowa station

Take the Oedo line to Ueno Okachimachi and then the Hibiya line to Minowa. Only a one time change.

 

[Danbo]

I would actually love this job in the summer, literally just getting paid to chills outside in cool clothes and you often see them being able to strike up conversations with their other friends around there.
I can't possibly do it in bad weather though, Im very prissy like that. I will go out in any type of weather if I have somewhere to go, but I can't possibly loiter outside when the weather is bad.

Reality is probably not so great. If you want to be seen you have to walk around for hours in the sun. You can't just chill in the shades. Talked to a girl once who told me that she was working in a maid cafe before doing health.
I asked her why she quit....if standing outside promoting in winter was too tough. She told me that winter was ok, but summer was really bad and made her quit. I was quite surprised, but it made sense...

 

[Alice]

Reality is probably not so great. If you want to be seen you have to walk around for hours in the sun. You can't just chill in the shades. Talked to a girl once who told me that she was working in a maid cafe before doing health.
I asked her why she quit....if standing outside promoting in winter was too tough. She told me that winter was ok, but summer was really bad and made her quit. I was quite surprised, but it made sense...

Yeah I'm definitely more thinking summer nights for a bar than summer days for a cafe, haha

 

[Secretmugen]

Yeah I'm definitely more thinking summer nights for a bar than summer days for a cafe, haha

I don't go nearly as much anymore, but when I first moved last year, my 竜が如くobsession meant I would walk around Kabukicho regularly. When summer hit, I had never seen a more miserable looking line of people advertising girls bars and host clubs sweating their lives out. There was one cosplay cafe that was doing a jiangshi (Chinese zombie) event and the poor girl looked like she was about to pass out from heatstroke with how dressed up her costume was.

 

[AsiaHand]

Given recent "economic changes," I wonder if Japan is about to see a sharp drop in inbound tourism?

 

[Danbo]

Given recent "economic changes," I wonder if Japan is about to see a sharp drop in inbound tourism?

How things develop right now, tourism is the smallest concern. Everything is crashing everywhere. This has the potential to start a global economic crisis....

 

[kakurenbo]

Given recent "economic changes," I wonder if Japan is about to see a sharp drop in inbound tourism?

Huh. I'm out of the loop. What's going on in China right now that would affect tourism into Japan?

 

[gaschdee]

Given recent "economic changes," I wonder if Japan is about to see a sharp drop in inbound tourism?

For every 1 Westerner that does not want to go to Japan due to economic uncertainty right now, there will be 10 rich Chinese tourists eagerly going.

 

[Sudsy]

What's going on in China right now that would affect tourism into Japan?

Chinese markets are having a rough time just like everyone else. Those US tariffs are going to cause a lot of pain in China.

 

[MikeH]

Chinese markets are having a rough time just like everyone else. Those US tariffs are going to cause a lot of pain in China.

Yeah, when the stock market drops 7 percents per day you suddenly don't feel that wealthy anymore. First thing people cut is travelling.

 

[Alice]

Given recent "economic changes," I wonder if Japan is about to see a sharp drop in inbound tourism?

I'm gonna die 🥲