Tokyo, at Kabukicho

 

At night Kabukicho twinkles and invites tired office workers to enjoy the entertainment here. There are many nightclubs in this area, not only for men but also for women, served by male hosts. There are also many so called Love Hotels, which provide rooms to make love for a short time  or for the whole night. I remember the film 'Kabukicho Love Hotel' which depicts the atmosphere of a Love Hotel, showing the rooms, the employees and of course the guests behaving intimately. We can see various types of romance and affair of couples from various backgrounds, cheating, prostitute hiring, blackmailing, and  apparently love is not the main theme in the relation.

Kabukicho is a busy red light area in Shinjuku, Tokyo. In the 1940s it was planned to build a kabuki theater here. However, even though this theater has not been realized until now, the name Kabukicho remains attached. As we walk along the narrow streets lit by neon lights and glittering billboards, we are greeted by waiters and touters offering their services. This atmosphere is quite common in Tokyo’s shopping area, but what makes it unique here is that they also offer girls for sex. However, their behavior is not as vulgar as Pat Pong in Bangkok, where bikini-clad women display themselves on the sides of the street. Here the vendors give out flyers offering massages with beautiful women, unique foods and drinks, video games, pachinko and other shops.

If you want to ignore the eager offers, you can walk along the alleys in Golden Gai which are lined with bars and small stalls that look shabby. Here the atmosphere feels more intimate because of the small space is packed with visitors. You can order some typical Japanese food and drinks here after you found a seat in the crowd. Don't be surprised if the smell of smoke from various grills is mixed with cigarette smoke, but the visitors are all 'cheerful' enjoying the night. You often hear the words 'oishii' (delicious) or 'kanpai' (cheers) spoken in a tone like talking to a child or a puppy. Moreover, if it's a woman talking, the tone is high with a nasal voice, like in Japanese animated films, as you know. Especially when they see something cute, whether it's a doll or clothes or bag, they exclaim 'kawai...' in that tone. This place is really jolly.

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