Graffiti in the "Green Room" at Big Box

Anyway... Last Saturday we did a 15-minute set at a kyabakura (hostess club) called "Big Box." Being a foreign, married, English-teacher type of guy, I haven't had much occasion to frequent these types of places--they tend to be expensive, and I find the whole scene a bit contrived and dull. (Yeah, before I was married and was still working eikaiwa I went to a couple of rather posh hostess clubs with a student of mine. He was a doctor and it was on the dime of some pharmaceutical giant or another. It was an experience, part of my ongoing education, if you will. But I wouldn't spend my own money at one of these places.)

I've known about Big Box since arriving here about 12 years ago. They used to bring in women from foreign (mostly former Eastern Bloc countries) as exotic dancers. I honestly have no idea what kind of show these women would put on, who the customers were, anything like that. I'd never set foot in the place until last week. I remember sometimes seeing some of these women walking around town during the day. Tall, (usually) blond, showing a bit more flesh than was/is normal in Miyazaki; they were impossible to miss. I used to wonder about them...

I'm not sure of the details, but I think some changes to Japan's immigration/work visa laws resulted in the end of the exotic white women at Big Box. I honestly know nothing about their experience in Japan/Miyazaki.

They left some clues...

Hmm...