Authors: Kathryn Leigh Scott
The Bunny Years (60 page)
London Club Casino, 1966.
VIP Room, London, 1966.
BUNNIES ON THE GINZA
Bunny Yuriko, Tokyo, 1980.
T
he first Japanese Playboy Club opened in Tokyo December 9, 1976,” Judi Bradford recalls. “Several months prior to the opening two Japanese women in their mid-20s were sent to the Los Angeles Playboy Club, where I was the Bunny Mother, and I trained them. They spoke English moderately well and adapted quickly. But when I went as an adviser to open the Club in Tokyo, I faced complete culture shock.
“The first thing that struck me in Tokyo is how much of the advertising featured blond, western-looking models. Once I saw those billboards and posters, I understood why the Japanese those billboards and posters, I understood why the Japanese
franchise owner, who also opened a Baskin-Robbins ice cream store in Tokyo, insisted that we bring only tall, blond, bosomy American Bunnies with us for the Club's opening. I'm African-American; as the Bunny Mother in the Los Angeles Club, I hired across all racial and ethnic lines.
Bunny Director Harriet Bassler opened 15
Playboy Clubs, including the franchise Clubs in Japan.
“Shortly before the doors opened for our first press night in Tokyo, we discovered all the Japanese Bunnies, in costume, tidying and vacuuming the men's rooms. We had to tell them it wasn't necessary to pitch in and clean bathrooms.
“I was instructed to bring only light-haired, full-figured Bunnies from America. Blonde and buxom; those were the requirements. Japanese men felt perfectly comfortable coming on to the blond American girls, but not the Japanese Bunnies. The manager of the Osaka Club spoke no English, but he could sing the lyrics to every single Frank Sinatra song.
“The Club's Japanese owners handpicked all the Japanese Bunniesâwhich was just as well. The girls I would have chosen were not the ones they chose. I looked for taller girls with some shape to their bodies, who had outgoing personalities and showed some warmth with people. They chose smaller, quieter girls. The Japanese girls were far more shy about undressing in front of one another and having their costumes fitted.
“Another striking difference is that lot of women came to the American Playboy Clubs, while most of the customers in the Japanese Clubs were men.
“The Japanese owners in Nagoya would have preferred to have had geishas on hand, along with the Bunnies.”
“The Japanese clubs were run entirely by Japanese, and employed Japanese Bunnies. I worked with the women through an interpreter, although a few of the women spoke English. Not surprisingly, Japanese men did not readily understand the concept of Bunnies. Social clubs in Japan are patronized mostly by men, and hostesses are available to mingle and drink with the customers. In Japanese clubs, a man could bring his own whisky into the bar and, if a customer wanted more intimate companionship with the hostesses
serving him, it could be arranged. Imagine trying to institute our âDon't touch the Bunnies' rule.
“While we had to appreciate and adapt to their culture, it was at times difficult. To a Westerner's eye, Japanese women functioned as second-class citizens. For example, after the Japanese Bunnies put on their makeup and costumes, they would clean the bathrooms and do various other chores before going on the floor to serve drinks. They just assumed these menial labors were expected of them. Living accommodations were so expensive in Tokyo that several of the Bunnies used the public baths because they didn't have facilities where they lived.”
B
ARBARA
M
ACK
T
he third Playboy Club in Japan opened August 16, 1979, occupying one floor in a high-rise office building in Nagoya. I was one of the New York Bunnies who accompanied Bunny Director Harriet Bassler to oversee the training of approximately 25 Japanese Bunnies.
“We were window dressing. The Japanese franchise holders specified that they wanted only American Bunnies who were tall and blond. We were not granted work visas; we were allowed only to observe and consult with the Japanese franchise holders who ran the Club. I was not permitted to wear the Bunny costume. When I was on duty in the Club, I wore the official promotion outfit, a white miniskirt and a black turtleneck with the Bunny logo.
“The big surprise were the geisha girls who moved in on the Bunnies on opening night. Harriet Bassler was appalled when she saw the geishas in action. In complete violation of Playboy protocol, the geishas mingled with Keyholders, passing along drink orders to the Japanese Bunnies as though they were busboys. When a Bunny returned with a tray full of drinks, the geisha would take over serving the customer. Clearly the franchise holders were trying to get around the strict Bunny rules and satisfy their clientele who expected more interaction
with the girls. Harriet reported the franchise Club's policy violation to Playboy in Chicago and the following night the geishas were gone. Who knows if they brought the geishas back three months later when we left.
“It was clear that the Japanese perceived Bunnies as performing a similar role to geishas, but considered geishas the superior article. Meanwhile, the Americans looked aghast at the geishas, who sat with their arms around Keyholders, drinking and partying. The Japanese Bunnies were just plain miffed at being treated as errand girls.”
Today, Barbara, a real-estate agent, lives in Florida with her son.
