Tokyo (CNN) — Yu felt a rush of excitement as she walked into his bar for the first time – eager to meet the charming young host she’d been following for years online. On that cold January night last ...

Japan's host club industry, where women pay for romantic attention, has been criticised for exploitative practices. Some suggest the need for regulation, but current discussions oversimplify the ...

The Japanese government has launched a sweeping crackdown on the country’s “host club” industry, targeting business practices that allegedly trap women in spiralling debt and, in some cases, coerced ...

In Kabukicho, a red-light district in Tokyo, four young men surround your female correspondent. Hiragi Saren, a 25-year-old with bleached hair, a black tank top and a silver necklace, sits closest. He ...

Japan is waging war on "host clubs" -- where men entertain women willing to pay for romance, but authorities and industry insiders say customers have long been scammed and saddled with debt. Neatly ...