Carlotta Cardana's 'Kabukicho Nights' Explores Tokyo's Host Club Subculture

Carlotta Cardana, a London-based editorial and commercial photographer, created the portrait series 'Kabukicho Nights' during her time living in Tokyo between 2018 and 2019. The project documents young male hosts in Tokyo's Kabukichō red-light district, who provide a 'boyfriend experience' to female clients through conversation and drinks, rather than sex work. Cardana was inspired after a dinner party conversation revealed the dynamics of these clubs, leading her to visit one and immediately recognize its photographic potential. Her subjects, including Jin, Yuusi Yasaki, Jun, Tsukasa Toujuo, Takami Rei, Sena, Tsukasa Mikami, Hayato, Roland, and Soshi Kurosaki, come from diverse backgrounds, often motivated by financial gain and the allure of popularity. Many hosts undergo cosmetic procedures to achieve an androgynous look resembling popular pop idols, spending heavily on clothes and surgery. Cardana faced challenges in communication due to language barriers, relying on interpreters and observing the hosts' performances. The work has been exhibited internationally and is part of collections like the National Portrait Gallery and Parliamentary Art Collection. Cardana contributes to publications such as National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian. The series reflects broader trends in European photography toward cinematic portraiture, emphasizing narrative and emotional tension over clinical perfection.