Kabukicho, Tokyo's Red Light District! Japan's Wildest Sex Clubs are Centred Around Shinjuku Station! Kabukicho, Tokyo's red light district, is a neon-drenched enclave packed with sex shops, love hotels, pachinko parlours, and pleasure houses catering for both sexes. Tokyo’s red light district, Kabukicho, lies northeast of the Shinjuku station, which is a main shopping area and entertainment complex for much of Tokyo. Its proximity to the railway station is the main reason for the proliferation of sex shops and clubs that started appearing in the 1970's. It caters not only to both sexes, but to all sorts of sexual fantasies and fetishes. What Sort of Entertainment is on offer in Kabukicho? Kabukicho is an area of just 600 square metres, but it is, nevertheless, home to over 300 sex shops, nearly 200 clubs, 80 hotels, and hundreds of bars and restaurants. It is estimated that around 150,000 people pass through it each day. Kabukicho got its name from the Kabuki theatre originally planned for the site, but eventually, plans for the theatre were abandoned. When to Go and What to Do. Japan’s Kabukicho comes to life only after six p.m, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, and needs to be explored with caution, despite the many closed circuit televisions that are on view. People should beware of exhorbitant fees (always non-negotiable) and the fact that it is widely reported that the area is home to virtually every crime syndicate known to the police, including yakuza and triad gangs. Many of the locals deny this, stoutly insisting that the authorities confuse sponsorship with criminality In 2004 it was estimated by the governor’s office that there were more than 1000 Yazuka members in Kabukicho. The Tokyo governor, Shintaro Ishihara, has recently managed to clear the area of the Triad (on Visa violations) but the latest menace seems to be Nigerian criminal syndicates. What Sort of Bars and Clubs Operate in Kabukicho? Some of the bars are ramshackle looking places but they have long been tolerated as a place where (sexual) pleasure-seeking Japanese - and visitors - let off steam. Anyone expecting the sort of sex clubs found in American or European cities could be in for a surprise. Here there are entire clubs populated by pretend nurses, govenesses, secretaries, dominatrices - everything is available in Kabukicho. Here also can be found "naked karaoke", life-size latex dolls (for the use of), a reconstructed train filled with short-skirted schoolgirls (guaranteed not to press charges) and even a giant tank outside of which businessmen in suits can watch naked girls swim underwater. Closing Times for Clubs and Bars Recently, laws were enacted forcing the bars and sex-clubs to close their doors at midnight. Any Clubs still open are almost certain to be paying protection money to a gang. Touts can be seen steering drunk – or naïve – punters towards the shadier bars. Effects on Kakukicho of Japan's Bid for 2016 Olympics Japan is bidding for the 2016 Olympics and that could sound the death knell for Kabukicho. There is talk of a total clean-up of the area, something that will be resisted by the workers in Kabukicho who have a lot to lose if the entertainment area goes under. PS: Ich surfe in der Arbeit über einen Proxy. Da gehen leider alle Formatierungen weg. (Text ist aus einer PDF, die ich hier auf dem USB Stick noch rumliegen hatte)
