The Tokugawa era (1600-1868) witnessed the dam bursting on licentiousness. The culture was called ukiyo—the floating world and survives today in the erotic prints collectors the world over know as ukiyo-e. It was during this time that the geisha came into being. Originally they were male entertainers and a few men actually carried on the tradition until early in the twentieth century. Ironically, Kabuki was orginally performed by women and survived only because men took over all the roles after women were banned from performing. The authorities' decree barring women from the Kabuki stage had nothing to do with poor acting abilities, indeed it was perhaps the opposite. It seems that in the original Kabuki plays, the actresses would mix with the audience after the show giving a more personal and intimate performance of certain scenes they had acted out! The geisha who can perform traditional dances and play the koto or shamisen are now considered virtual anachronisms even by Japanese. Their preferred replacement, young hostesses whose only talent is usually a mediocre karaoke rendition of the latest pop hits, seem a poor substitute.
Yet, despite the changes, Japan's love of bawdiness has remained unabated through the turmoil of modernization. On the surface, prostitution was legally eliminated on April Fools Day 1958 with the demise of Tokyo's licensed Yoshiwara brothel district, but the selling of spring, as it has been euphemistically referred to for centuries, continues below the surface and one doesn't have to dig very deep in Tokyo to find a rich river flowing. The Yoshiwara quarter, which had thrived for nearly 350 years, may have disappeared on that spring day in 1958, but its spirit continues to flourish in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district and, to a smaller degree, elsewhere in the metropolis.
Pink Etiquette
This book will give you an outline as to what is available to see and feel, from the mainstream to the offbeat, in Tokyo's thriving world of sex. Tokyo likes to style itself as a faddish city and that usually means that a trend that is here today could likely be gone tomorrow. We will attempt to update this book on a regular basis but it's likely that we won't be able to keep up. (The pace would be exhausting, considering there are tens of thousands of establishments in the metropolitan area "selling spring" or allowing a view of it to one degree or another.) Thus, don't be disappointed if an establishment listed here has closed its doors or been converted into something else. Who knows, it might even have been changed into something better!
We have catered this book to the foreign traveler and resident whose knowledge of Japanese may be limited. While Nihonjin and the jaded and fluent gaijin alike should also find it informative and hopefully educational, it is those with more limited experience and language skills who will likely consider it most valuable. As any long-timer can tell you, being a gaijin in Japan can paradoxically be an advantage and a disadvantage. Entering into the sanctum of the mizushōbai, the so-called water trade, is no exception. Because you are a foreigner, you may find yourself barred from many establishments. At others, you could end up having the time of your life, being treated like royalty, and having a fellow Japanese customer pick up the tab. You just never know. Yes, you can call it discrimination but Japan regards outsiders as guests—they are to be afforded certain treats and shielded or kept from seeing other things going on behind the paper screens. The optimist gaijin appreciates every new aspect of Japan he is able to discover. The pessimist criticizes his host and mutters about the unfair treatment foreigners receive here. The optimist usually sticks around for a long spell and has a blast. The pessimist usually sooner, rather than later, makes a final trek out to Narita Airport and never returns.
Here are a few tips for the optimists that should afford you better treatment:
• It's almost impossible to overdress for a night on the town even if you are attempting to make your way into the neighborhood peep show. While a tuxedo is never considered de rigeur, the man on the prowl can never go wrong wearing a business suit. Women heading to the host bars should also dress up. You can never go wrong in conservative attire. It will gain you a better chance of entry at the doors of all kinds of establishments.
• A few words of Japanese will usually put touts and mama-sans at ease. The more you know, the more doors will be open to you. There are, in fact, very few establishments in Japan, even in such a supposedly internationalized city as Tokyo, where you are likely to find employees fluent in English. Only a very few of the pink parlors cater especially to foreign tourists, and as is the case almost anywhere in the world, you're likely to do better if you can hang out with the knowing locals.
• Perhaps the best technique in gaining almost unrestricted access in Japan is to have a Japanese escort. A large portion of the most fascinating nightspots are not neccesarily private clubs or "members' only" (despite signs to that effect at the door), but that type of atmosphere certainly prevails. Except for the very casual drinking spots sporting the red lanterns outside and hanging curtains, most nightlife establishments prefer that you be introduced to them by a regular. Japanese are always eager to show a visitor a good time and hauling a foreigner along to their favorite nightspots is a common courtesy. Some of the best finds in this book were discovered in such a fashion.
Fun can still be had in solo excursions. The great thing about being a foreigner in Japan is that you are not expected to know or follow all the rules. As old Japan hands will tell you, sometimes this works in your favor, sometimes it doesn't. Recently, some foreigners have found a chillier reception because of the fear of AIDS. (Soon Japan will realize that a Japanese is just as likely to be a carrier of the HIV virus as a foreigner.) Also, the influx of so-called guest workers, i.e. illegal aliens, into the country has resulted in an unprecedented posting of rude handwritten "Japanese Only. No Foreigner Allowed" signs at the entrance of many places. It's likely that where you see such a sign, some sap with bad manners has ruined it for the rest of us. Some establishments, both low rent and high class, have a total ban on foreigners, no matter who they are accompanied by, no matter their attire, race, or the size of their bank accounts. You will not get in, period. The optimist knows there's another spot just down the street. The bursting of the bubble economy and a prolonged recession in recent years have forced many previously exclusive establishments to revise downward their prices and to not turn away the well-dressed foreigner. The enlightened proprietors know that money and pleasure speak an international language.
Pink Phrasebook
For a comprehensive list of Japanese pink vocabulary, please consult the glossary. However, here are a few phrases to get you going.
| Are foreigners OK? | Gaikoku-jin de mo ii desu ka? |
| What services do you have? | Donna sābisu ga arimasu ka? |
| What does _____ mean? | _____ 'tte nan desu ka? |
| How long for _____ yen? | _____en de nan pun gurainarimasu ka? |
| How much is_____? | _____wa ikura desu ka? |
| Are there any extra charges? | Kore igai ni shiharai ga arimasu ka? |
| Can I choose my partner? | Aite o erabemasu ka? |
| I'd like a (young) girl. | (Wakai) ko ga hoshii'n desu ga. |
| I'd like_____. | _____hoshii'n desu ga. |
| What are your operating hours? | Eigyō jikan wa itsu desu ka? |
| Please tell me how to get there. | Michi o oshiete kudasai. |
| What country are you from? | Dochira no kuni kara desu ka? |
| I'm American. | Watashi wa Amerika-jin desu. |
| What's your name? | O-namae wa nan desu ka? |
| How old are you? |
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