| Abstract [eng] |
This master's thesis examines how femininity is constructed and experienced within Japan's commercialised sexuality industry. The research problem centres on the ways normative femininity is constructed in Tokyo girl bars' digital spaces and how this manifests in workers' experiences. A qualitative methodology was employed, combining thematic analysis of three establishments' digital environments with five semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that girl bars' digital representations construct normative femininity through kawaii aesthetics and essentialised communicative traits, presented as innate qualities of young women. Interview data exposed a systematic gap between institutional discourse and actual working conditions, with key labour practices remaining absent from public-facing communications. This study contributes one of the first systematic academic analyses of girl bars, addressing a significant gap in scholarship on commercialised femininity in contemporary Japan. |
