100 Travel Stories
Adventures in the Kabukicho RED Light District of Tokyo
The “Sleepless Town” (眠らない街)
“Tokyo’s hidden erotic wonderland is open for business.” – National Geographic
When I first arrived at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, I was lost. With 3.64 million passengers passing through the world’s busiest transport hub each day—more than the population of Toronto!—it can be overwhelming. Once you find your way out (from over 200 exits), you may head to Kabukichō, the famous red-light district of Tokyo, known as the “Sleepless Town.”
Kabukichō (歌舞伎町)
Your first clue that you are in the area is when you see well-dressed young Japanese men with very long hair. You will find them at the main entrances to the Kabukichō red-light district, both day and night.
mizu shōbai – “water trade”
Kabukicho Red Light District
Host Clubs
“A host’s job is to support a lady’s heart” – Sho Takami, host club owner
These young men with long hair are called “hosts.” When they are not working in a host club, their job is to entice beautiful women passing by with offers of work in the nighttime entertainment business (‘mizu shōbai’) or to attract customers to their host club. Host clubs cater to women, while hostess clubs cater to men—meaning women seeking attention and a drink will get a host, and men will get a hostess. In short, hosts aim to make clients feel loved without engaging in sexual activity.
Kabukicho club entrance
As a general rule, foreigners are not allowed in many adult entertainment establishments in Japan. However, if you’re with a Japanese friend or can speak some Japanese, the “Japanese only” rule may not be strictly enforced.
Night club, Tokyo
My Japanese girlfriend at the time, Kyoko, reluctantly and shyly agreed to accompany me for a stroll under the neon lights of the Kabukichō Red Light District. Not long into our escapade, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of eight hostesses, all speaking very fast in Japanese, seemingly all at once. “What do they want? Do they want me?!” I joked. “Yes, they want us to drink with them,” Kyoko answered. “No, I’m quite good at keeping my US $500 in my pocket”—a price tag you could easily pay for overpriced drinks and the cuteness of the hostesses.
Red light district, Japan
Hiroto’s Story
Top hosts – Kabukicho red light district, host club ad, Tokyo
The life of a host may seem glamorous to outsiders, and they do make very good money. But their life is not easy. Take Hiroto, for example. He is the No. 1 host at one of Kabukichō’s clubs.
Women come to host clubs—some of them night workers as well—to hear sweet words, be taken care of, have someone say “I love you,” and escape from reality. It may be a fleeting moment or a dream, and the hosts do everything they can to make their customers happy. The price? Paying over US $100,000 in a single night or gifting a Porsche to a beloved host is not unheard of!
Maiko likes Hiroto. He’s funny, cool-looking, and a bit flirtatious. She buys a pricey US $200 bottle of champagne for Hiroto. Now, with the audience chanting “drink, drink, drink,” Hiroto must finish the champagne on stage.
Keiko likes Hiroto too and may feel a bit jealous. She orders two bottles of champagne, hoping to spend more time with him. Again, the audience shouts, “Drink, drink, drink,” and Hiroto has to finish both bottles. And the night is just beginning…
In one night, a host may drink 10 bottles of champagne and make a lot of money. But this comes at a heavy cost: vomiting blood and suffering from alcohol-related illnesses. A host typically lasts only two to three years in the job.
Sex Parlors, Strip Theaters, Health Delivery Centers, Porn Shops
“I can resist everything except temptation.” – Oscar Wilde
Prostitution is illegal in Japan, so nighttime entertainment establishments have become very creative in attracting clientele. Everything is designed to cater to men’s pleasures, fantasies, and perversions: clubs themed around air stewardesses, nurses, schoolgirls, and even venues simulating subway “groping.” And if you’re shy, you can even have a life-sized doll dressed in your choice of clothing.
Red light district, club advertising
Take a Walk on the Wild Side!
Kabukichō alone has approximately 3,500 sex parlors, strip theaters, peep shows, “soaplands,” love hotels, porn shops, sex telephone clubs, karaoke bars, and more. (Wikipedia). Most of Japan’s adult entertainment industry is controlled by the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia.
Overworked salarymen—corporate white-collar workers in black suits, white shirts, and black ties—are regular customers in the red-light districts.
Stress-relief rooms equipped with high-tech armchairs and large TV screens offer privacy and comfort for self-pleasuring, with a wide variety of porn DVDs available for rent.
Stress release station, Kabukicho, Tokyo
And surprise! With signs written in English, you’ll find “Health Information Centers” scattered throughout the area. Let’s go inside! This one is called “Billy’s Navigation.” As usual, the mantra “Only Japanese” is repeated. These centers provide information on local adult entertainment establishments. Through the use of computers and ads on the walls, customers can opt for a “health delivery” (call-girl).
Billy’s Navigation – adult entertainment information
One Of A Kind Striptease Show
Compared with striptease shows in the Western world, Japanese ones are performed with gusto—a combination of theatrical performance, ballet, and pole dancing, often with some very quirky happenings in between.
Sex club ad, Nagoya
Pay for your ticket, grab a beer, and take a seat. The shows seem to go on forever. The Japanese men watch in silence. I noticed one elderly man, possibly around 80 years old, sitting in the front row. The girls treated him with reverence. Who might he be?
“I’ve looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times. God knows I will do this and forgives me.” – Jimmy Carter
The silence was broken by the strident shout of the lady presenter in English: “You—don’t like vagina?” What happened next was very strange. On stage, a female performer sat waiting while male customers approached to take a much closer look at her vagina using a magnifying tube. On the stage walkway, salarymen in their black suits, but without shoes, waited for their turn, crawling on their knees and elbows to fulfill their ultimate fantasy…
Wild One – Shibuya
Sex shop window display
Sex shop entrance
Love Hotels
“Erotic or sexual love can truly be love if it is not selfishly sexual or lustful.” – Mortimer Adler
Love hotels
No privacy at home? Having a secret relationship? No problem. There’s a solution: love hotels! There are many to choose from. Depending on your style and mood, you might select a castle, a dungeon, a prison, or a sci-fi-themed hotel with matching rooms.
Love hotel façade and room price
Entrances are discreet, and interaction with staff is minimized. Rooms are often selected from a panel of buttons, and the bill may be settled via pneumatic tube, automatic cash machine, or by paying an unseen staff member behind a pane of frosted glass. Parking lots are often concealed, and windows are few to maximize privacy. (Wikipedia)
Shunga erotic art
Love hotel entrance
The rooms are truly amazing:
Kabukicho Red Light District
Kabukichō is the most amazing adult entertainment area in Tokyo—quiet during the day and wild at night. Visit with an open mind, and you never know what surprises await you!
Links
- Tips for your first visit to a Host club or a Hostess club
- Wild Things to Do in Tokyo’s Famous Nightlife District
- UFOs, boats and castles: Surreal photos of Japan’s most peculiar ‘love hotels’ (CNN)
Directions
- Tokyo Metro Shinjuku-sanchome Station (M09, F13)
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