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Letter From Taipei
'We sell company, not sex,' say women who work in Taiwan's red light district
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An alley where nightclubs are tucked away in Taipei's Tiaotong District.
ST PHOTO: KATHERINE WEI
Katherine Wei
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TAIPEI - "The first thing I do when I wake up each morning is to message my clients, to remind them we are always here to welcome them back," said Candy. On the business card she slid across the table, "mama" is printed in Japanese katakana script next to the name she uses for work.
Candy, 33, is the mamasan of a Japanese-style nightclub in Taipei's red light district, known by locals as the "Tiaotong district". Her main clientele are Japanese businessmen who work in Taiwan or visit the island frequently.
