To view the pictures as a full-screen slide show, click on the first picture and use the arrows to advance.
Like modern-day geisha, hosts deliver fantasy on a silver platter…
Let’s step through this famous gate, into Tokyo’s most fascinating red light district.
You don’t see many foreigners behind the closed doors here…
…because Kabuki-cho is where the Japanese go to satisfy their most secret desires.
Around this corner is the street where hosts invite women into their clubs.
Whatever you’re looking for, you can find it here. For a price.
It’s a place where all-night liquor stores keep the champagne flowing…
…to the host and hostess clubs that line the streets.
There are so many! Which one should we choose?
Let’s go deep into Kabuki-cho, and visit a few.
They’re all dark and intimate…
…filled with gleaming tables, sparkling chandeliers…
…and handsome young men, just waiting to show us a good time.
The top five hosts at this place look great, but let’s choose one who won’t be so busy. What about Yuzuki?
According to his fact page, Yuzuki is tall (183 cm), blood type AB, and likes to make people laugh at his jokes. And he definitely looks the part…
Hosts have their own peculiar style.
Bad boy “yanqi” hosts spin the illusion they’ll carry you off on their motorbikes.
“Prince” style hosts look like glam rockstars.
On duty or after hours, hosts hone their style…
…with long, pointy shoes…
…and all the latest beauty tips, because they can’t afford to have a bad hair day.
It looks like we’re a little early. The hosts are all down in the locker room, putting the finishing touches on their hair.
Finally, the doors are open!
Welcome!
Who will you choose to entertain you tonight?
These three rookies are being toasted at their first anniversary party.
Are you ready to do some serious drinking?
Come on in. The champagne tower is all set up…
…and our loyal customers have sent armloads of bouquets for the celebration.
Shall we have a red champagne tower tonight…
…or a rainbow one instead?
Let the pouring begin…
It takes a surprising number of bottles to fill all the glasses.
Everyone pitches in to help.
Look, the customer at the next table ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon! The hosts are all gathering around for a champagne call.
Bottoms up…
…come on, come on…
…yes! He downs it to the last drop, like a real pro!
For a chaser, how about a little brandy?
This customer ordered a bottle of Hennessey Richard, the most costly bottle in the club.
The party’s in full swing now, and the place is packed.
Kampai!
Looking around the club, don’t you wonder why all the other customers are so beautiful?
It’s because most of them are hostesses.
They work at kyabakura clubs, making their customers feel like they’re the most attractive men on the planet.
On and off duty, hostesses look like living dolls: bleached hair, long-lashed eyes, and fancy nail art.
At work, many of them wear long, slinky gowns…
…and their hair is styled to rival any prom queen.
“Circle contacts” change the color of their eyes and give them an innocent, doll-like look.
Japanese eyes don’t naturally have a fold above the eyelid, so many girls use glue to get a double fold.
Here’s how they do it!
No surprise, getting dressed to go out can take over two hours.
Hostesses, hosts and other lonely denizens of Kabuki-cho often relax at cat cafés. At the Kalico cat café, every breed waits to be petted by adoring customers.
Some customers like to relax among the cats, who ignore them as if they were at home.
See this pair of rhinestone teddy bears? If you’ve read Fallen Angel, you know exactly what they’re for!
Now let’s hop on the train to Shibuya and browse the offerings on Love Hotel Hill…
It’s not too hard to spot the love hotels. The rooms have two prices: one for a two-hour “rest,” another for an all-night “stay.”
This one has a glowing facade that turns all the colors of the rainbow!
There’s a display in the lobby for choosing a room. The lighted ones are still available.
Shall we pick a room with shooting stars…
…or a rocket ship?
Perhaps a more traditional design, with mirrors on the ceiling.
This rather alarming room has all kinds kinds of strange fittings…!
Even the bathrooms are over the top.
Outside, the streets are quiet now…
…but between the covers of Fallen Angel, someone is preying on hostesses…
…and in Kabuki-cho, it’s hard to know if someone’s lying because he’s a killer…
…or a witness.
Will English translator Yumi Hata and Detective Kenji Nakamura track down their quarry in the back alleys of Kabuki-cho?
Or behind closed doors, where a hidden museum guards a deadly family secret?
Here’s how fun and easy it would be to lead your book club in a discussion about Fallen Angel!
• Choose some questions from the Book Club Hot Topics discussion questions.
• Become an instant expert on exotic subjects by reading a few blog posts:
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Host Fashion
A Day In The Life: What’s It Like To Be A Host?
How Expensive Is It To Go To A Host Club?
How Do I Find A Good Host Club?
The Hot Spring Resort For Dogs
• Bring along this slide show (images fill the screen and you click to advance the slides) or use the Fallen Angel automatic slideshow (images are smaller and cycle through by themselves).
• Read the first few chapters of Fallen Angel, to see if your group might like the book.
Buy Fallen Angel from these online booksellers $4.99 (£2.66 in the UK, €2.77 in Europe, ¥378 in Japan)
To show these images as a presentation-size slideshow:
• Click on the first image. It will fill the window, with the caption at the bottom.
• Advance the slides manually by clicking on the arrow that appears at the right of the picture when your cursor touches it.
• To exit, click on the X in the upper left corner.
Don’t have a Kindle? Fear not! You can read ebooks just as easily on devices you already use every day! Here are easy directions and links to free apps to get you up and reading in less than five minutes: How To Read eBooks Without A Kindle
To show these images as a presentation-size slideshow:
• Click on the first image. It will fill the window, with the caption at the bottom.
• Advance the slides manually by clicking on the arrow that appears at the right of the picture when your cursor touches it.
• To exit, click on the X in the upper left corner.
Other books in the series:
Book #1 Nightshade
Book #3 Idolmaker
Jonelle Patrick's Only In Japan 