That unique part of Japanese culture, the “kyaba kura,” has finally been made into a game.

Do you all know what a kyaba kura is? It’s a Japanese expression taken from the English “cabaret club.” It refers to drinking establishments in the late-night entertainment industry where female staff sit with customers and entertain them. (They don’t provide any sexual services, by the way.)

The staff, or “kyaba kura girls,” typically had a very negative image because they work at night in the so-called “mizu shobai,” or “water trade” as the night-time entertainment business is referred to in Japan. However, recently there have been former kyaba kura girls appearing as TV personalities and models in Japan, there is a magazine for kyaba girls called Koakuma Ageha, and hairdos over 10 cm high have become trendy. With the kyaba girls at its heart, the kyaba kura industry has been able to evolve in a diverse manner.

 photo＝Koakuma Ageha

  So the word in Japan is that a game from D3 Publisher called Dream C Club, in which the player can visit a club and enjoy talking with kyaba girls, will be released this summer.

This article has been created in collaboration with
Akiba Keizai Shimbun

"Refreshment Cafe" with Kimono-Clad Staff (Akiba Today)

Schoolgirls Stepping Up (Akiba Today)

DREAM C CLUB (Japanese)