Japanese Women Turn to 'Geisha Guys'

A new breed of companion is the rage in Japan, entertaining women with lavish compliments, conversation and undivided attention—the male geisha. Businesswomen pay upwards of $1,000 a night for these men, CNN reports—with, industry reps say, nothing physical being exchanged. Hundreds of such services have sprouted across the country, driven in part by the increased spending power of Japanese women.

“There’s nothing wrong with a woman paying to be entertained by a man,” says one female client. “It’s just another step in equality." Adds her companion, a 24-year-old whose $200,000 salary last year affords him daily salon visits: “Women see us as one of their accessories. They like to wear nice things, so I try to look prettier for them all the time.” (More geisha stories.)