On a quiet Friday afternoon, a 22-year-old man who we'll call Michael entered an outdoor cafe in Wan Chai, looking perky in his tight black jeans and spiky hair.

A young woman waved at him from the corner of the cafe. Michael grinned and paced toward her table. As he took his seat, Michael greeted his new client with a soulful look in his eyes.

"Nice to meet you," he said, placing a pack of cigarettes on the table. "You seem like a really special girl and I'm happy you called me. I'm sure you'll enjoy my services."

Enjo kosai - a Japanese term meaning "compensated dating" - is typically considered a female-dominated field. And it continues to lure more and more underaged girls into the sexual-trade profession.

Samples of forums for enjo kosai men.

However, Michael highlights a growing trend of young men seeking to cash in on the companionship desires of females.

On online gay chat rooms and girls' forums, young men are posting their enjo kosai ads, such as: "Looking to make some quick bucks. Both men and women considered." Or, "Attentive young man. Will show ladies a good time."

Sexual intercourse alone can cost anywhere between HK$300 and HK$1,500, but going on dates with an enjo kosai man can cost up to HK$500 an hour for a minimum of two hours - even more pricey than some of their female counterparts.

Michael, a full-time enjo kosai man with one year of experience, charges HK$1,000 to HK$1,500 for sexual intercourse. Michael also provides phone sex and cyber sex for HK$150 to HK$300 an hour. Regular customers get discounts, he added.

Asked why he lives the life of a gigolo rather than settle for a more socially-acceptable job, Michael, an engineering graduate from a vocational training institute, said that he simply couldn't find a job that paid well enough.

"I can't compete with the university graduates, and I don't want to slave away in a job that pays HK$6,000 a month," Michael said. "If you're a guy in early 20's, would you rather have sex for money or work in a mechanic shop?"

Michael's sentiments are echoed by other young men who dream about making money out of pleasure. Ned, a 19-year-old university student, began to post his ads and look for potential clients online two months ago.

"School is quite busy. I don't want to spend too much time on part-time jobs to earn pocket money," he explained. "Everyone is talking about enjo kosai these days, so I thought I'd try my luck."

A short and slender young man, Ned has received little response from the women he approached on girls' forums. He said his only client to date was an overweight woman in her late 20's to early 30's.

"She was quite polite, and she wasn't bad looking at all," Ned recalled. "She said she was bored, but she didn't want to hang out at a club, in case she ran into her friends. I cut my price and charged her HK$400."

While amateurs like Ned patiently search for female clients, there are more proactive enjo kosai men offering same-sex trade for the right prices. Peter, 22, a bisexual man, is one of them.

"I got into enjo kosai half a year ago. Female clients are generally more pleasant to deal with, but it's easier to get male clients from chat rooms," he said. "Gay men are much more direct about their requirements."

Peter sends about a half dozen pictures of himself to each potential client who contacts him. But most women, he said, cut off communication after they ask some questions and satisfy their curiosity.

"Some of them are just killing time," he said. "Others may be interested in hiring me, but they bail at the last minute. Most of these women have regular office jobs and have been single for some time. They're just looking for fun."

Sandy, a 30-year-old salesperson who regularly posts on an online local girls' forum, said she has hired two enjo kosai men, both times when her husband was out of town on business.

"I know my husband is cheating on me out there. And I'm quite bored with my marriage anyway," said Sandy. "A couple of my girl friends have done the same thing. It costs a few hundred bucks, and it's quick, harmless fun."

While enjo kosai has become a growing trend among local young men in recent months, Chui Yat-hung, a lecturer in Applied Social Sciences at the Polytechnic University, said it might not become as popular of a phenomenon as enjo kosai involving young girls.

"Unlike professional gigolos who work in night clubs, these amateurs have no training in how to package themselves or how to please women," Chui said. "And they aren't as attractive in terms of appearance and mannerisms."

Nevertheless, Chui noted that there is still a demand for young enjo kosai men, as their fees are much lower than those of professional male prostitutes. And enjo kosai provides an extra level of privacy for female clients who do not want to visit nightclubs.

But for all the temporary pleasure and money that enjo kosai can bring to young men, psychologist Alex Lo explains that it can also have a negative emotional impact on some men's psyche and their sexual development.

"If a boy engages in such indecent sexual exchanges when he is growing up, he may feel guilty and worry when he has a proper partner in the future," Lo said. "The men may even lose interest in sex and suffer impotency."

Takashi, a 27-year-old Japanese designer working in Hong Kong, is an example of how enjo kosai can leave its mark on a young man long after he has stopped selling his flesh.

"I did it for two years when I was a senior in high school in Japan," Takashi recalled. "After I graduated from college, got a job and felt like an adult, I looked back and wondered why I sunk so low in my teens. I spent the money I made on video games and other useless things. Whatever fun I had, it wore out quickly. And I lost my dignity. Even now, I feel I haven't gotten all of it back."

(HK Edition 01/28/2008 page2)