Only 4.2% Hold a Positive Impression of Hosts—Yet One in Five Who Watched SNS Videos Report Improved Perception [Survey of 503 Nationwide Respondents]

Only 4.2% hold a positive impression of hosts—yet one in five who watched SNS videos report improved perception

LeveL.L Inc. (Headquarters: Osaka Prefecture; CEO: KyoSuke Ito) conducted a nationwide survey on "Public Perception of Host Clubs" targeting 503 women aged 10 to 60. While only 4.2% of respondents hold a positive impression of hosts, the percentage of those whose perception improved after watching SNS videos (20.1%) surpassed those whose perception worsened (13.1%). "SNS" also emerged as the most common touchpoint for encountering hosts, at 50.3%, highlighting the growing importance of digital outreach in nightlife industries.

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Survey Summary

· Overall impression of hosts: "Negative impression (somewhat + very)" accounts for 55.8%; "Positive impression (somewhat + very)" is only 4.2%.

· The top touchpoint for encountering hosts in daily life is "SNS posts/videos" at 50.3%, surpassing busy districts (28.2%) and TV (22.3%). Among platforms, TikTok leads at 37.0%.

· Among those who watched SNS videos, 20.1% reported a more favorable impression of hosts, exceeding the 13.1% who reported a more negative one.

· Key reasons for improved perception: "Seeing their personality or authentic side," "entertaining content or concepts," and "seriousness toward their work."

· Conversely, "staged high-spending displays" and "aggressive sales tactics" backfire. Only 3.0% said they wanted to visit a club, and just 8.6% found official club websites helpful, revealing a significant gap between awareness and actual visits.

Survey Overview

· Survey Name: Public Perception Survey on Host Clubs

· Respondents: 503 women aged 10–60 across Japan

· Survey Period: May 25, 2026 – June 8, 2026

· Method: Online survey

· Conducted by: LeveL.L Inc.

· Age distribution: 30s (39.0%), 20s (25.8%), 40s (22.7%), 50s (9.7%), 60s (1.8%), 10s (1.0%)

*Due to rounding to two decimal places, percentages may not total exactly 100%.

The Harsh Reality: Only 4.2% Hold a Positive Impression of Hosts

Overall Impression of Hosts

When asked about their overall impression of hosts, 41.9% said "somewhat negative," and 13.9% said "very negative," totaling 55.8% with a negative impression.

In contrast, 3.4% said "somewhat positive," and 0.8% said "very positive," resulting in only 4.2% holding a positive impression.

Frankly, this figure was slightly lower than my (CEO Ito's) expectations. The perception of hosts among women—the primary customer base—appears even harsher than imagined.

Top Image Keywords: "Flashy," "Glamorous," "Strong Communication Skills"

Respondents were asked to describe their image of "hosts" (multiple selections allowed). The top results were:

Image of Hosts

· Flashy or superficial: 63.0%

· Glamorous or dazzling: 60.6%

· Strong communication or conversational skills: 59.0%

· Greedy with money or pushy in sales: 53.7%

· Likely to get involved in trouble: 46.7%

Positive images such as "glamorous" and "strong communication skills" coexist almost equally with negative ones like "flashy" and "greedy." In contrast, favorable personal traits such as "pursuing dreams/hardworking" (3.4%) and "approachable" (3.6%) are extremely low.

Still, Nearly 40% Remain Neutral

Notably, 40.0% of respondents answered "neither" when asked about their overall impression.

This indicates that while many hold a clearly negative view, a significant portion remains undecided due to lack of information. In my opinion, this 40% represents a group whose perception can still shift—and who could potentially become customers.

SNS Is the Top Touchpoint for Encountering Hosts, at 50.3%

When asked where they encounter hosts or host clubs in daily life (multiple selections allowed), responses were as follows:

Places Where Hosts/Host Clubs Are Encountered

· On SNS posts/videos: 50.3%

· On street signs/advertisements: 30.4%

· In person in busy districts: 28.2%

· On TV programs: 22.3%

· Rarely encounter at all: 18.5%

· In news/media reports: 14.3%

SNS surpassed traditional touchpoints like street ads, busy districts, and TV, becoming the primary channel with a majority share.

While host clubs are often thought of as something only visible in nightlife districts, the reality is the opposite—many people's first encounter happens on their smartphone screens. This also means that the image conveyed to the public can be more easily controlled based on what clubs choose to share.

TikTok Leads Among Platforms at 37.0%

Among platforms where respondents encounter host-related content (multiple selections allowed), TikTok ranked first at 37.0%, followed by YouTube long-form videos (23.9%), YouTube Shorts (21.7%), and Instagram Reels (16.5%).

Short-form video platforms dominate, indicating that short videos are now the main battleground for host-related content.

SNS Videos Tend to Improve Perceptions

This is the most interesting finding from the survey.

Did SNS Videos Change Your Perception of Hosts?

When asked whether watching SNS videos changed their perception of hosts, 18.3% said "somewhat more positive," and 1.8% said "much more positive," totaling 20.1% who reported a more favorable view.

In contrast, 9.3% said "somewhat more negative," and 3.8% said "much more negative," totaling 13.1%.

The 20.1% who reported improved perception outnumbered the 13.1% who reported worsened perception.

Thus, SNS videos are more likely to improve perceptions of hosts than to damage them.

Positive Factors: "Personality," "Entertaining Concepts," "Professional Dedication"

Content That Improved Perception (Multiple Selections Allowed)

What types of content led to favorable impressions? Top responses included:

· Saw their personality or authentic side, felt more approachable: 19.3%

· Found their conversations or concepts entertaining: 18.7%

· Felt their serious dedication to work: 17.7%

· Empathized with stories of effort and apprenticeship: 7.8%

The previously low-rated personal traits—"hardworking" and "approachable"—clearly resonate positively when conveyed through video. Videos are filling informational gaps that the general public lacks.

In open-ended responses, many highlighted personality and work ethic as reasons for improved perception (selected excerpts):

"I used to think they seemed scary, but after seeing them on SNS, I realized some are surprisingly friendly and funny, so they don't seem intimidating anymore." (20s)

"I only had an impression of them being flashy, but when I watched, I saw they're ordinary people seriously working hard at their jobs." (40s)

"I thought they damaged their health spending money, but seeing they care about health and spare no effort for work was genuinely impressive." (30s)

"Seeing how hard number-ranking hosts work behind the scenes was genuinely moving." (50s)

Initial impressions of "scary" or "flashy" are being reversed through exposure to their authentic selves and efforts.

Conversely, "Staged High Spending" and "Aggressive Sales" Backfire

On the flip side, content that worsened perceptions (multiple selections allowed) included:

· Staged displays of wealth or high spending: 30.4%

· Aggressive sales tactics or customer treatment: 29.8%

· Exaggerated or fake-feeling performances: 29.0%

· Reports of industry scandals or incidents: 26.2%

· Speech or attitude: 26.2%

Spectacular displays like champagne towers may symbolize "glamour" within the industry, but they often backfire with the general public. What is shown—and what is omitted—in content directly shapes public perception.

Open-ended responses also concentrated on "money" and "attitude toward customers" as reasons for negative impressions (selected excerpts):

"Seeing someone who refuses to treat customers unless they buy champagne gave me a bad impression." (20s)

"Using terms like 'painful customers' as jokes doesn't leave a good impression." (20s)

"Watching a video where they mocked customers made me think they probably treat customers with disdain in real life." (20s)

"The videos look glamorous, but I got the sense that things are messy and toxic behind the scenes." (50s)

This survey clearly shows that SNS content can swing public perception in opposite directions depending solely on how it's presented.

Only 3.0% Want to Visit—A Huge Gap Between Awareness and Visits

While SNS is a strong touchpoint that can shift perceptions, it doesn't automatically translate into visits.

When asked, "Has watching SNS videos ever made you want to visit a host club?" only 3.0% said "yes," and even including "somewhat interested," the total was just 13.5%. Notably, 25.4% said they actually felt *less* inclined to visit.

Only 12.5% Have Actually Visited

When asked about actual visitation:

Have You Ever Visited a Host Club?

85.3% said "no," while only 12.5% reported any visitation experience.

This shows that while SNS is effective at "improving impressions" and "sparking interest," converting that into actual visits requires different strategies. Awareness and好感 must be separated from the path to visitation.

Only 8.6% Found Official Websites Helpful

Another revealing data point concerns pathways to visitation. When asked whether official club websites were helpful in researching clubs, only 2.2% said "very helpful" and 6.4% said "somewhat helpful," totaling just 8.6%.

This does not mean official websites are unnecessary. The main reason is that 85.3% of respondents have never visited a host club and thus never reached the research stage. Conversely, this suggests that current official websites—intended as landing points for those interested via SNS—are largely nonfunctional or underdeveloped.

In fact, among those who have visited, the top factor in choosing a club was "clear pricing and system information" (9.5%)—precisely the kind of information best provided on official websites. If SNS viewers who develop a favorable impression had a reliable place to check pricing and atmosphere, the barrier to visiting could be lowered.

Key Information Considered When Choosing a Club

Insights for Nightlife Industry Communication (CEO Ito's Analysis)

Finally, here are my personal reflections based on this survey.

First, the worse the industry's image, the greater the potential return from strategic communication. Only 4.2% of women hold a positive impression of hosts. This means there's vast untapped potential—simply showing their "personality" or "dedication to work" can significantly improve perceptions. Because the starting point is so low, the room for improvement is large. Given that TikTok ranked first as a touchpoint (37.0%), I believe short-form videos showcasing authenticity should be the first priority.

Second, "staged content" should not be dismissed as universally negative. Many respondents expressed discomfort with displays of high spending or aggressive sales. However, this reflects only the general female perspective. For regular customers, such glamour and exclusivity may be precisely the value proposition. Therefore, deciding what to share based solely on whether it might "spark backlash" among general users is not fundamentally sound. What matters is clarity on who you're targeting and what message you want to convey.

Third—and this is the most important point— the core issue is not the content itself, but the lack of a clear communication strategy. As seen in open-ended responses, the same SNS video can lead one person to think, "They're just ordinary people working hard," while another thinks, "It must be messy behind the scenes." This wide divergence grows even larger if clubs or individuals lack clarity on "how they want to be perceived."

In particular, club-run content often defaults to a "fun and lively" tone. But "fun" is a word interpreted very differently by different audiences. If the sender's idea of "fun" doesn't align with what the viewer perceives, the content can easily backfire. Without a clear axis, the more content is posted, the more inconsistent the public image becomes.

Having worked as a host myself, I can empathize with both the on-the-ground desire to "present ourselves a certain way" and how general audiences perceive it. At LeveL.L, we begin by aligning these perspectives, defining a clear communication axis, and supporting clients through implementation. I hope this survey helps nightlife businesses reevaluate their own communication strategies.

About the Survey Organizer

LeveL.L Inc. (Kabushiki Kaisha LeveL)

CEO: KyoSuke Ito (Ito KyoSuke)

Founded: December 26, 2024

Headquarters: Okini Minamishinsa Building 205, 3-2-22 Minamishinsa, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka 542-0081

Business: Subscription-based marketing services, SEO, SNS advertising, Google Maps optimization (MEO), website development, reputation management

Website: https://levell.co.jp/

*When quoting content from this press release, please comply with the following:

· Clearly state the source as "LeveL.L Inc."

· Include a link to LeveL.L's survey release page: https://levell.co.jp/survey/host-club-sns-video-survey-impression/