A Canadian Living In Japan
Krista Wakelinl
Life in Japan certainly has ups and downs, but one of the perks about living here is the love hotels. Of course the ideal location for love is in the comfort of
your own home, but in Japan, young people often continue living at home after university, and some do so well into their 30s until they get married -- so the family house isn't exactly the most private place for love to blossom. The love hotel offers privacy and a little fun to those who care to partake. The love hotel industry isn't just a fun night out either: it is a whopping 4 trillion yen business annually (editor’s note: $35 billion US).
In Japan there are three types of hotels: resort hotels, which are used by families and couples while vacationing and are expensive; business hotels, which are primarily used by business men on business trips and are very reasonably priced at about $50/night per person; and love hotels, which are used by couples to finish the night off with a bang(pun intended!), and
start from $50/night per room.
I have only been to one love hotel (albeit a few times), so my reflections are based solely on the one location. Guests can choose either a short stay fee, which is 2 hours for about $40, or a full night fee, which costs about $90(depending on the grade of the
room you get). I stayed in a high-grade room which was more expensive; however, there were some C level rooms available which cost $60 for the full night. Love hotels vary in price, and some are cheaper than the one I stayed in, but like any hotel, you get what you pay for! The one I visited is in a good location and has lots of fun stuff inside including a king size bed, in-room kareoke, and a jacuzzi--how fun is that? Although I have my own house, love hotels provide a fun night out, and offer many fun extras that I do not have at home (I love jacuzzis!).
Many love hotels are themed. I have driven by Jurassic Park, jungle, and hollywood love hotels. There is even an Anne of Green Gables themed love hotel in Osaka. The hotels are often located close to drinking districts, business districts, and train stations. Upon arrival, guests are faced with a “front desk area” that has pictures of each room on a board -- a light denotes which rooms are available. Guests simply push the
button of the room they want to use, and when the light starts to flash, they proceed to the elevator, go to the appropriate floor, and find the correct room. A
light above the hotel door flashes to help guests find the correct room.
Once inside, a guest is faced with the available payment options. Now, I've personally never taken care of this part (yes, I like to be spoiled!), so I'm not exactly sure how it goes. I do remember seeing my man pay as we were leaving -- perhaps all that is
required beforehand is for a person to choose the payment option. Upon completion of the pay option, the second door clicks open and low and behold is your love hotel room for the night.
My room was a large room with a king size bed, couch, coffee table, closet, fridge, satellite tv with free porn, kareoke with a big projection machine, a food vending machine, a drink vending machine with your choice of soft drinks, ice teas and coffees ,and alcoholic beverages, and a sex toy vending machine which included an array of condoms, lubricants, and vibrators, and many more fun amenities. Surprisingly, the vending machines were reasonably priced, and there were complimentary condoms on the bedside table. We also got free breakfast--we ordered it the night before via telephone. We were given the choice between option A for japanese style breakfast or option B for a western style breakfast (since I couldn't stomach the thought of scrambled eggs from a love hotel, I opted for A and had some rice and miso soup instead).
Besides all the fun stuff, privacy is of the utmost important. The parking garage is skirted to avoid nosey onlookers peaking to see if they recognize any cars,
and all dealings are done by telephone if there is a problem. Some love hotels have individual garages for each room. If a guest orders room service, an attendant delivers it to their door. Each room has two doors -- the first one resembles a porch where the attendant can open the door and leave the goods and signal its arrival with a knock on the second door.
The ideal situation would be to enjoy a night at a love hotel with your monogamous partner but that isn't always the case, especially at the love hotels in Japan. The love hotel has its dark side, as they offer a window of opportunity for infidelity. Unfortunately, many customers are married and their significant other is home asleep while he/she is enjoying the convenience and fun inside one of the many love hotels in any given city in Japan.
From my personal observations, many Japanese turn a blind eye towards cheating, and tend to accept debauchery as long as it happens in the Red Light District where alcohol is a factor. Being drunk is still a valid excuse for doing something that a person wouldn't normally do while sober, for example sleep with your boss, touch people inappropriately, or visit a massage parlour in the drinking district and get more than a back massage. What happens in the Red Light District stays in the Red Light District.
Japanese resort and business hotels tend to be tiny-- most rooms are single or twin and the room measures about ten by six feet, bathroom included. The love hotels are spacious, clean, and can be a night of endless fun. I highly recommend staying at least one night at a love hotel, even if it is not with your significant other. It would be a super fun pajama party with your girlfriends-- the talk would be endless as you explore the contents of the vending machine!
Krista welcomes comments and questions from her readers. You can contact her at:
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