Once associated with sleazy extramarital affairs and one night stands, Japan’s love hotels have a brand new reputation.
These days the Asian country’s approximately 30, 000 hotels are being utilized by couples simply looking for a little private time together.
Many of the couples that frequent these hotels live with their parents or flatmates, and so look for a place to be intimate away from prying eyes. Others prefer to take time out without worrying about their children sleeping down the hallway. And some aren’t looking to get busy at all. Instead they use the rooms of love hotels for hosting gatherings, or enjoying quiet time alone.
The hotels have seen a lot of changes since their inception in the 1950s. In the free love period of the 1960s and 70s you might expect to find kinky treats like revolving beds and mirrors on the ceiling. In the 1980s the fixtures were childishly cute, or kawaii as the Japanese say. In recent years love hotels have received another makeover, one that’s sophisticated and subdued. At least, most of them have. If you’re still looking for raunch, or walls adorned with your favorite cartoon characters, there are still a few love hotels in Japan to suit you.
Love hotels rent rooms in blocks of at least 90 minutes, for which you can expect to pay between Y2000 and Y5000 depending on their luxury. If you’re looking to spice up your Japanese vacation, they’re well worth considering.
