Japanese brothel: history and interesting facts


When someone mentions Japan, what do you initially think of? Most people's reactions seem to fall into four categories when they hear about this country. The first category says "interesting and rich culture," where people think of things like samurai and ninja culture, temples and shrines, and museums that display the country's rich history. For the second category, Japan is an “anime paradise” where animated shows and comics are popular. The third group thinks of the Land of the Rising Sun as a land of “crazy technology”, where there are such wonders as bullet trains, various gadgets and robots. And for the latter group, perhaps surprisingly, Japan is associated with “sex” or “prostitution.” Why?

This may surprise tourists who want to buy a tour to Japan (or maybe not), but Japan has a very developed sex industry, thriving for hundreds and hundreds of years. Fans of adult films are well aware of Japanese-made porn films depicting unusual scenarios and stories, and prostitution is still quite developed in major metropolitan areas.

Tokyo has some fantastic nightlife, and the metropolis is so huge that even the most dedicated nightlife enthusiasts will never be able to experience absolutely everything the city has to offer for nightlife, even if they party for years and go out every weekend. Shinjuku in the center of Tokyo is considered one of the busiest centers of nightlife in the country with the famous gay bar on 2-Tome, countless clubs and bars and, of course, the red light district of Shinjuku Kabukicho, which is visited by many tourists who decide to buy a tour to Japan.

Sex industry in Japan

The Land of the Rising Sun has one of the largest and most successful red light districts in the world in Kabukicho, which is in Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's most popular areas. With its many shopping malls, parks, restaurants, bars and unique buildings, the area attracts crowds of foreigners every year to vacation in Japan during the summer and winter. Sex is an important theme in the history of Japanese art, which began with the appearance of erotic paintings, or "shunga", dating back to the 8th century.

A classic example of Japanese erotic art is the woodblock print The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife by Katsushiko Hokusai, which depicts a woman having sex with two octopus-like creatures. It is interesting and a little funny that although sex is permeated in works of art and modern pop culture such as animation, and despite the large number of sex shops in Tokyo, Shibuya and even Akihabara, Japanese society remains quite shy and reluctant to talk about it topic.

Shintoism, one of the main religions in Japan, also does not consider premarital sex to be taboo. This is different from most other religions and may have influenced Japan's overall attitude towards prostitution in general. Whether this is actually the case is not clear, especially since Japan's other main religion is Buddhism, which has certain rules regarding premarital sexual relations.

Additionally, prostitution has a long history in Japan. As in many other countries, oiran and geisha are well-known examples of Japanese adult entertainment. Nighttime pleasures for rich men (and sometimes women) are by no means a completely new concept. Are you planning a trip to Japan and looking for some nightlife fun in the Kabukicho red light district of Tokyo? Are you wondering what this curious street has to offer? Here are some things you need to be very careful with there.

Top 3. Popular soaplands in Tokyo (for gaijin). 18+

All information here was collected from research on forums and websites about nightlife in Tokyo. Soaplands are one of many types of prostitution that exist in Japan, but this is the only one where actual vaginal intercourse is included in the price. You might be surprised to read this, thinking that paying for sex is generally illegal in the country. It is a Japanese word constructed from the two English words "soap" and "land", and is part of the Japanese nightlife industry, also known as Mizu shōbai. Although the main clientele is men, there are also several soap lands specifically for female clients.

The owners of these establishments actually found a loophole in the law: technically, you only pay for bath services, and then the girl is assumed to automatically fall in love with you and agree to have sex.

Soaplands began when explicit prostitution became illegal in Japan, with a simple bath where women washed the bodies of men. They were originally known as toruko-buro, which means Turkish bath. Following a 1984 campaign by Turkish scholar Nusret Sancakli to denounce the use of the name for brothels, the new name "Soapland" won a nationwide competition to rename them.

This review will tell you everything you need to know about the soapy lands of Nuru massage Tokyo. Which ones accept foreigners (gaijin)? What services do they offer? How much do they cost?

If you're a single expat living in Japan, or if you visit the country regularly, you'll probably be interested in meeting smart, open-minded, and beautiful Japanese girls. Unfortunately, regular dating sites don't work very well. Prostitution doesn't give you relationship depth. Sugar dating sites there are few real Japanese girls. In this case, you may want to consider a high-end Japanese dating agency , such as Universe Club. It is the largest in the country and welcomes foreigners (they even have a branch in Singapore).

Sugar dating is a special format of relationships in which wealthy adult men meet young attractive girls or sometimes even boys. They live at their expense, travel with them around the world, take money to open their own business and other needs.

Their concept is simple, similar to Sugar dating: you pay an annual membership fee and then a certain fee each time you meet a girl. Overall, if you use their services a few times a year, it is cheaper than soaplands or escort services.

Yujo , literally "pleasure woman". In 1956, the Japanese government passed a law banning prostitution. True, prostitution means only the most ordinary, normal sexual intercourse. But all variations are not covered by the law, which is actively used by various brothels, most of which are protected by the yakuza. Before its adoption in Japan, prostitution was viewed as just one of the professions. Laws protected the rights of prostitutes, in return they had to pay taxes regularly. The predominant religions of Japan are Shintoism and Buddhism. In Shintoism, sex is not considered sinful. Immediately after the end of World War II, the government of Naruhiko Higashikuni created the Special Recreation Organization , a network of brothels to serve the Americans who occupied the country.

CONTENT

There are three main soapland red light districts in Tokyo:

Soaplands session prices vary depending on location, time of day, provider rank and session length. Clients pay an entrance fee for "use of the baths" and a separate fee for the masseuse. During the massage they become “acquaintances”, so any subsequent paid sexual services are not considered prostitution. This interpretation of the law has been used since the 1960s. Location of Soaplands in Tokyo :

Yoshiwara is an iconic entertainment district.

By far the largest and most popular soapland spot in Tokyo is Yoshiwara in the Taito Ward. There you will find more than 50 brothels, in a fairly small perimeter near the Neo Rouge Hotel . On average, prices are more affordable than elsewhere, ranging from 2,5,000 yen to 40,000 yen. The quality can be disappointing; only a few girls from the entire establishment will agree to serve a foreigner, and often not the most beautiful ones. The closest train stations from Yoshiwara are Minowa Station (1 km) and Minami Station (1.6 km).

Kabukicho/Shinjuku

This is another red light district in Tokyo, in the Shinjuku area. It is very large, but is not just for soapy massage parlors, and you will also find clubs, bars, karaoke, etc. Most soaplands in this area, such as Don Juan or Barubola, are more expensive and exclusive (over 50,000 yen). Naturally, the standard is much higher. It is a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. Hotels nearby will cost between US$120 and US$150 per night.

Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro is part of Toshima's "entertainment district". He also has a CARRANLY PLEASURE QUARTER, similar to the one from Kabukicho, but smaller in size. Soaplands there rarely see foreigners, but some will accept them, such as Violence and Heaven. Although this area looks far away on the map, it can be easily reached from Ikebukuro Station (5 minutes on foot). Hotels that are located near the red light area are very economical (from US$80 per night).

95% of the soaplands in Tokyo targeting foreigners are in these three areas.

What to expect at Soapland?

Once you've entered soapland, you'll first need to choose the type and duration of your massage, usually between 70 and 120 minutes . Prices can vary greatly, from 25,000 yen for the cheapest to 100,000 yen. Beware of scams that only charge entry fees. Prices below 15,000 yen are not possible, so be sure to check with the receptionist to see what the total cost will be. Foreigners are often charged an additional "gaijin" tax of around 10,000 yen. After that, you will be shown available photos of girls. As a foreigner, your choice will probably be limited to 2-4 girls. English is rarely spoken.


After that, you will be shown available photos of girls.

Chances are, when you meet the masseuse you've chosen, you'll realize that the photo has been heavily photoshopped, sometimes heavily. She will likely be a little thicker or thinner, and may be older than the age listed on her profile.

The masseuse first bathes you in a “sukebe” (from the word suki, “to love”) chair, which allows you to massage your private areas. At some point, a blow job may be performed here .

You will then move to a room with a bathtub, swimming pool or waterbed, depending on the venue. In the future, the girl will smear you and herself with a large amount of oil or lotion. She will slide, press and press her naked body against yours. This is called a Nuru massage, where the massage therapist uses a special lotion made from nori seaweed .

Sumata (素股, "naked crotch") is a Japanese term for non-penetrative sexual intercourse popular in Japanese brothels. It is a form of substitution performed by a female sex worker on a male client. The sex worker rubs the client's penis with his thighs and his crotch. The goal is to stimulate ejaculation without penile-vaginal penetration. This activity circumvents the Anti-Prostitution Law (春防止法, Baishun-bōshi-hō) of 1956, which prohibits sexual intercourse for money.


One of the most luxurious soap grounds in Tokyo that welcomes foreigners

One of the most luxurious soap grounds in Tokyo that welcomes foreigners. It is a 10-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station. Price: 85,000 yen for 120 minutes In the same place, there seems to be another soap area called Shinkayo. It's a little cheaper since foreigners are charged "only" 25,000 yen for 70 minutes, 33,000 yen for 100 minutes, 40,000 yen for 130 minutes

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Look at the prices

As with any red light district, prices can vary greatly depending on the type of service, the size of the club and, of course, the “quality” of the lady or gentleman you are going to spend time with. There are different types of services available in the red light district; you can either pay the prostitute just for a conversation without any contact with the body, or you can go further. Needless to say, the more you want to “enjoy” a person, the more you have to pay. So how expensive is it?

Even if you only want to drink at the club, you'll still have to pay what's called an "entry fee," which is usually around 7,000 yen before you even enter the premises. However, this does not mean that paying in advance will have “all drinks included.” Each drink you order in the club is charged separately, so be careful if you plan to order drinks inside. If someone is going to choose a girl to chat with, every hour will cost several thousand yen. A night like this can cost hundreds of dollars and you won't even touch a single girl!

Do you want to enjoy more than just conversation? Then get ready to empty your pockets. Half dance performances will cost 10,000-12,000 yen per hour, and if you are looking for a “high class” escort, then pay from 80 thousand yen per hour. Yes, a holiday in Japan can be expensive.

Classification of girls in brothels

Depending on their mastery of the art of seduction and satisfaction of male desires and their beauty, girls working in brothels in Japan become joro (ordinary prostitute) or geisha. In turn, joro are divided into several categories:

  • age-joro – professional prostitutes.
  • otmise-joro - girls who provided intimate services without being registered as a representative of the first ancient profession.

Separate quarters were called “yuri”. Only true professionals in their field could get here. With the onset of darkness, red lanterns were lit in the neighborhoods, the girls dressed in the most exquisite outfits, applied stunning makeup and gathered in small groups in special rooms, which were separated from the street by only one grille.

Large brothels in Japan offered their regular and potential new clients the best girls who were fluent in the art of love. More economical establishments were distinguished by horizontal lattice windows - this was necessary so that a man, even with a sake-clouded mind, could accurately assess his financial capabilities. Changing prostitutes was not approved. However, the girl herself could in some cases reject her client.

Almost every influential person in Japan had a geisha who acted as a mistress. This fact did not bother absolutely anyone. Moreover, girls of high culture often advertised this connection and their importance in the life of an influential official or a talented commander.

The Japanese attitude towards brothels is ambiguous. Over the many centuries of its existence, prostitution has acquired a completely unique character. From the very beginning, it was not something shameful, and the girls working in this field were ordinary representatives of the working class, with the exception of geishas, ​​of course.

Don't become a victim of scammers

As with any red light district, scams are unfortunately very common in Kabukicho. Agents usually offer certain services inexpensively to travelers who have purchased tours to Japan, but when they issue an invoice, the invoice may be much higher than originally promised. So what tricks does the staff use to increase the price? A typical strategy used by club operators is to add additional fees to the bill without informing customers in advance, and then come up with seemingly legitimate reasons to increase the price. For example, you might be asked to enter a bar or club for 15 thousand yen, but end up paying more than 20 thousand yen. Why 20 thousand yen? They may tell you that this is a mandatory surcharge for first-time customers, a mandatory membership fee, or any other justification that will help them legitimize the extra charge.

Recently, news broke that the bar allegedly charged its customers 2.6 million yen (about $23,000) for drinks, despite previously promising a bill of 4,000 yen. In this case, fraud victims were also threatened with violence after refusing to pay. Despite the fact that the club's owners were arrested for this, cases of fraud, when tourists are forced to pay more than previously stated, are not uncommon.

But the list is not limited to this. If you are a man, you will be lured into clubs by showing pictures of seductive young girls. However, don't trust these photos! When you meet your chosen girl in person, you may discover that this lady is several decades older than in the photo!

"Only for Japanese"

"Can I come in?" "Sorry... I don't speak English." Due to the language barrier, most bars in Kabukicho do not accept foreigners as customers. There may not be any warnings about this on the doors, but everything will be written there in Japanese. This is a polite way of showing that foreigners are not welcome. If you are careful enough, you will notice that many agents will not try to talk to foreigners in Kabukicho. If such occur, it is quite rare.

If you decide to buy entry to one of these bars, try visiting it with a Japanese friend. If you go there with someone who speaks Japanese, visiting the bars and clubs in Kabukicho won't be too difficult for you. You can receive any service as long as you have an interpreter. Or, if you speak a little Japanese, you can try going into the bars yourself. Knowing some basic language skills can make your journey completely different!

Don't speak Japanese and are worried that you won't be able to enjoy the nightlife in Kabukicho? Don't worry - Japan is not, in fact, a hostile country for foreigners; there are always some foreigner friendly bars. However, a foreigner will have to make some efforts to determine their location. If possible, travel with a local. Language barriers can also increase your risk of becoming a victim of scammers.

Is prostitution legal in Japan?

In Japan there is a law prohibiting prostitution. According to the law, a man or woman cannot receive payment for sexual intercourse with their clients. Therefore, it is technically illegal to have sex with a prostitute. However, you can touch her, see her wearing her fancy suit, or even be bathed by her.

At this point, you might argue, “You've got to be kidding me! I have seen people go to hotels with a prostitute before!” Well, they are not prosecuted because, as with any law, there are loopholes. Remember how the law says prostitutes can't have sex with clients? What if you are not their customer? To make prostitution legal, the prostitution agency will only need to arrange a “blind date” for you with the girl of your choice. After the date, you become a “couple” and can “do business” completely legally. Now you are considered to be having sex as a couple, not as a client and a prostitute, and therefore no one is breaking any laws. Some companies are very smart, aren't they?

Modernity3

In modern Japan, there is a ban on the provision of intimate services. But areas where you can pick up a girl for the night remain in many large cities. For example, take the ancient Shimmachi in Osaka, which still exists today.

If you go into such a block, you will find that the first floors of the houses are equipped with a kind of showcase, in the center of which sits a night fairy. You can approach her and look at her; all the girls are distinguished by their beauty and well-groomed appearance. Most of all, it resembles a house with a doll, which should appeal to customers. It is also worth paying attention to the pose of the courtesan - women try to look the most interesting, and not seductive.

  • Some night fairies cover their faces, but this is rare.
  • Particular attention is paid to the surroundings. The woman herself will be illuminated by spotlights, and there are often flowers near her.
  • Special attention is paid to the image of the “product”. Many girls prefer to use children's surroundings: soft toys, a funny outfit.
  • Next to each butterfly sits an elderly woman - a kind of pimp who offers to purchase a doll. There are no men in this industry.
  • All negotiations are carried out with the woman, and not the night fairy. After purchasing the item, you go up to another room and play with your doll.
  • With the help of mirrors, sellers see the client in advance and make the doll smile.
  • Officially, the prices are unchanged, but once in seclusion, the “doll” herself can try to swindle the visitor out of money.

Thus, there is no smell of prostitution (at first glance). The visitor simply takes a doll to play with. The services are also not advertised, but according to regulars, a good night will cost 600 USD.

The modern Japanese brothel bears little resemblance to its ancient counterparts. However, some traditions have been preserved.

Also in the Land of the Rising Sun there are practically no “indies” - girls who practice individual intimate services. All night fairies work in “companies”.

Yakuza

Another little secret about Kabukicho is that it is a place where there are many members of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Yakuza members are everywhere in the Kabukicho area because this is where their business operates. This is why tourists who come on holiday to Japan see many police officers stationed in various places in and around Kabukicho. Not all bars and clubs are run by the yakuza, but their intimidating presence is enough to give most people goosebumps. Ask any of the locals and they will tell you that it is better not to get into trouble here, because it can get expensive.

Remember that in Japan, gangs and the mafia are legal, and the Yakuza is officially recognized as a real organization. Therefore, be on your guard and avoid trouble, especially if you are not very sober. In fact, the Yakuza and the Japanese police work hand in hand to ensure security in their respective areas. In some cases, the police even have to ask the yakuza for help in cases. The Yakuza generally don't like it when people cause problems on their territory! If you have a tendency to break laws or go crazy after drinking alcohol, you may not want to visit Kabukicho.

Story

The social problem of single men was solved by the Tokugawa shoguns in 1617 by creating a separate quarter in Edo. The name of the city's Yoshiwara district literally means "Reed Field". At that time, the windows of brothels were painted green or blue, so they were called Blue Arbors or Green Chambers. Such neighborhoods soon spread literally throughout the entire territory of the state. The most popular and famous were Shimabara in Kyoto and Shimmachi in Osaka. In these places, you could get both a beautiful woman and exotic sex for money.

Brothels in Japan invited girls to work who knew a great variety of sexual techniques and tricks that their legal spouses could not even guess about. For example, Yujo (moths) knew how to dry a sea cucumber and put it on you know what. Only in these houses could a man experience the incredible sensations of an extraordinary kiss (seppu).

Japanese red light districts had an attractive power, since it was here that the male body and soul found maximum pleasure and enjoyment.

Places to drink in Kabukicho

If you're just looking for a fun time with friends and are looking for low-key places to drink, you can find them in the area, although you'll need to be prepared to be invited to seedier places from time to time!

There are many karaoke bars in the area. They are safe and a great place to hang out with friends over drinks and snacks. Popular karaoke spots include the fun and cheap Utahiroba, Karaoke-Ken, Big Echo, and Shidax (more swanky and more expensive).

Besides karaoke, another type of bar/restaurant you might find is a themed place. One popular restaurant that can't be found anywhere else in Japan is the Robot Restaurant, where you can dine next to your mechanical friends and watch a robot show! There are also various fun horror themed restaurants and bars.

Essentially, the area has everything, not just bars designed to attract customers. Here, foreigners who decide to organize a holiday in Japan should still know that Tokyo is quite safe, especially compared to Western cities. Chances are, if you visit this area, you will feel completely safe most of the time and won't have any problems at all (unless you're looking for trouble, of course).

How to get to Kabukicho

You will most likely be traveling to the Kabukicho area from Shinjuku Station. If so, you need to go to the East Exit, following the signs. There are several East exits here, it is best to proceed to the main (central) East exit.

Once you exit the station, head north to Seibu Shinjuku Station, about a five-minute walk away. From there, you'll likely notice a variety of bars, clubs and their staff beckoning you to enter - this is the beginning of the Kabukicho area.

Shinjuku Station is one of the busiest stations in the world; many foreign tourists who decide to buy a tour to Japan get lost here. However, the station staff, as well as the locals, are very friendly and help you find your way around. If you point to Kabukicho on a map or say the name of the area, someone will definitely point you in the right direction!

After reading all this, what do you think? Is Kabukicho a good place to visit? Aside from the not-so-good things that can happen here, this area is a unique way to enjoy Tokyo at night. Everyone has their own interpretation of enjoying life, and not all countries can have red light districts legally, after all. If you've never seen a red light district in your home country, Kabukicho is definitely a highly recommended place for tourists visiting Japan, located in the heart of Tokyo.

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