Japan has a massive commercial sex scene. Sute the media is filled with reports that Japanese people have supposedly lost interest in sex. Yet billions are spent on adult entertainment in the country every year. At the top of the stack sits the soapland which is the most famous type of sex shop in Japan. And for good reason.
One reason Japanese soaplands are so well known is that they are the only places in the country that can reliably and more or less openly offer full service. It is legal to charge money for services like blowjobs and even anal sex in Japan. But the exchange of money for vaginal intercourse is specifically prohibited. Soaplands get around that by offering a bathing service in grandfathered spaces.
Japanese soapland service
The fact that soapland ladies typically go all the way is only one notable aspect of these businesses. The level of service is normally quite high and reflects the Japanese edict that the customer is god. In the best soaplands men are pampered from beginning to end and in almost every way possible. This is demonstrated quite well in soapland-based Japanese porn videos like Finest High Class Bathhouse Girls. But even the best text or video depiction cannot replicate the actual experience.
As the name suggests there is usually a bit of soap and water involved. Typically customers are greeted by a well-dressed gal and escorted to a private room. Then they are stripped and taken to a large wet play area. There they are washed top to bottom. The use of a specially designed chair allows the anus to be cleaned as well. Next there is a bath and mouth cleaning. After that things can progress to an inflatable mat for soapy body-to-body massage or over to a dry elevated bed. Oral sex, rimming, toe sucking and vaginal intercourse are all more or less standard.
Gaijin friendly soaplands in Japan
The list of soaplands in Japan that will admit foreigners at least in some cases has grown immensely. There are now quite a few places that will accept gaijin. Foreign men walking through Yoshiwara who may have previously been ignored are now waved in by more than a few street touts. A shift is clearly occurring in the industry.
Soaplands known to accept foreigners these days include:
Although this list is extensive it is not conclusive. There may be other soaplands in the country that will admit foreigners. And there may be times that shops on this list would turn particular foreigners away. For example there are stories of people being turned away for appearing Chinese only to later gain admission by showing a western passport. That is just the nature of the beast when it comes to soaplands in Japan. They are private businesses and they can set their own admission rules on a whim. The coronavirus pandemic could also have an effect.
Limits and exceptions
Of course services are a bit more limited for foreigners. Some soaplands continue to prohibit foreigners outright. Others only admit those who can speak Japanese or pass some sort of quick spot inspection by doormen. Even when soaplands do accept foreign men they sometimes limit them to certain providers or session lengths too.
Then there are the places that attach a premium to foreign men. That can come in the form of a “gaijin tax” or extra charge that foreigners must pay. Or it can present as a requirement for foreign customers to book a long or expensive session while locals have many more options. An example of this is the high-end Don Juan soapland in Tokyo. The only option for foreigners there is an 85,000 Yen ($772 USD) session that runs two hours. And staff selection is still limited.
Over at the premium Barubola soapland in Tokyo the price for foreigners is even higher. Gaijin are limited to a 100,000 Yen ($907 USD) set there. And they do not get to see even an edited picture of the staff in advance. Yet this is not totally out of the norm for Barubola which has a reputation for employing gorgeous women even though it doesn’t have a picture of a single woman on its website.
The Paradise soapland chain was an exception to the rule. Its two locations in Kawasaki and the Yoshiwara section of Tokyo were set up specifically for foreign customers. Business was transacted in English and the front desk staff were fluent in the language. All of the women who work these soaplands specifically chose to work with foreign customers too. The experience wasn’t always identical to Japanese oriented soaplands but the actual services rendered were ultimately the same.
However both Paradise locations closed during the Covid-19 outbreak. At first it seemed as if it may have been a temporary measure. Then permanent changes took hold. The Paradise soapland in the Yoshiwara section of Tokyo transformed into a soapland called Rush Hour. It was still foreigner friendly.
That is the extent of things at the moment. Keep in mind that things are always subject to change at a moments notice. New foreigner friendly soaplands may open in the future. Or they may not. The history of this sort of business goes back many years and seems quite resilient. Only time will tell what will happen. I will do my best to report on any new developments. Until then the other soaplands mentioned above continue to operate.
