Soapland
Encyclopedia
A is a Japanglish and indicates a paradise for men in Japanese. It is said, since in Japan prostitution is officially prohibited by the government, that it is a type of brothel in Japan
where male clients can engage in sexual activity with female prostitutes, although officially the clubs do business as places where the client is bathed
. There are also a few soaplands specifically for female clients.
There are various kinds of soaplands, and they are usually located in complexes with varying numbers of soaplands. Well-known complexes are located in Susukino
in Sapporo, Yoshiwara
and Kabukicho
in Tokyo
, Kawasaki
, Kanazuen in Gifu
, Ogoto in Shiga and Fukuhara
in Kobe
and Sagaminumata in Odawara but there are many other areas, especially in onsen
(hot springs) towns. Prices for a session at a soapland vary depending on factors such as location, time of day, and length of the session.
became illegal in 1958, as a simple form of bath where women washed men's bodies. They were originally known as toruko-buro, meaning Turkish bath. Following a 1984 campaign by Turkish scholar Nusret Sancaklı denouncing the use of this name for brothels, the new name "soapland" was the winning entry in a nationwide contest to rename them.
Prostitution in Japan
Prostitution in Japan has existed throughout the country's history.While the Anti-Prostitution Law of 1956 states that "No person may either do prostitution or become the customer of it," various loopholes, liberal interpretations of the law, and loose enforcement have allowed the sex industry to...
where male clients can engage in sexual activity with female prostitutes, although officially the clubs do business as places where the client is bathed
Bathing
Bathing is the washing or cleansing of the body in a fluid, usually water or an aqueous solution. It may be practised for personal hygiene, religious ritual or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity....
. There are also a few soaplands specifically for female clients.
There are various kinds of soaplands, and they are usually located in complexes with varying numbers of soaplands. Well-known complexes are located in Susukino
Susukino
is a red-light district located in Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is one of the major red-light districts in Japan along with Kabukichō, Tokyo, and Nakasu, Fukuoka. Currently, the district is congested with many restaurants, bars, hotels, and adult-entertainment establishments...
in Sapporo, Yoshiwara
Yoshiwara
Yoshiwara was a famous Akasen district in Edo, present-day Tōkyō, Japan.In the early 17th century, there was widespread male and female prostitution throughout the cities of Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka. To counter this, an order of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate restricted prostitution to...
and Kabukicho
Kabukicho
is an entertainment and red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukichō is the location of many hostess bars, host bars, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the "Sleepless Town"...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Kawasaki
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
, Kanazuen in Gifu
Gifu, Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...
, Ogoto in Shiga and Fukuhara
Fukuhara
Fukuhara is a Japanese surname. The meaning of the kanji can be translated as "field of fortune", "field of blessings", or "lucky field".Alternate pronunciations that use the same kanji spelling include Fukubara and Fukuwara....
in Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
and Sagaminumata in Odawara but there are many other areas, especially in onsen
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
(hot springs) towns. Prices for a session at a soapland vary depending on factors such as location, time of day, and length of the session.
Origins
Soaplands began when explicit prostitution in JapanProstitution in Japan
Prostitution in Japan has existed throughout the country's history.While the Anti-Prostitution Law of 1956 states that "No person may either do prostitution or become the customer of it," various loopholes, liberal interpretations of the law, and loose enforcement have allowed the sex industry to...
became illegal in 1958, as a simple form of bath where women washed men's bodies. They were originally known as toruko-buro, meaning Turkish bath. Following a 1984 campaign by Turkish scholar Nusret Sancaklı denouncing the use of this name for brothels, the new name "soapland" was the winning entry in a nationwide contest to rename them.
Further reading
- Bornoff, Nicholas. Pink Samurai: Love, Marriage, and Sex in Contemporary Japan. New York: Pocket Books, 1991. ISBN 0-671-74265-5.
- Talmadge, Eric. Getting Wet: Adventures in the Japanese Bath. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2006. Chapter 9: "Dirty Waters", pp. 180–98. ISBN 978-4-7700-3020-7.