Soapland

The front of one Soapland shop in 2015

Soapland (ソープランド sōpurando), or sōpu, is a Japanglish word constructed from the two English words "soap" and "land" and is part of Japan's nighttime entertainment industry, also known as Mizu shōbai.[1]

Since sexual intercourse for money is officially prohibited in Japan, many different types of brothels in Japan have been developed. Although the main clientele for soaplands are males, there are also a few soaplands specifically for female clients.[2]

There are various kinds of soapland, 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, Sagaminumata in Odawara, and Nakasu in Fukuoka, but there are many other areas, especially in onsen ("hot springs") towns. Prices for a session at a soapland vary depending on location, time of day, Rank of Provider, and length of the session.

Origins

Soaplands began when explicit prostitution in Japan 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 (JA, TR) denouncing the use of this name for brothels, the new name "soapland" was the winning entry in a nationwide contest to rename them.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "About Soaplands". tokyonightstyle.com.
  2. ↑ De Mente, Boyé Lafayette (15 November 2006). "Chapter 8: Love Hotels & Massage Parlors". Sex and the Japanese: The Sensual Side of Japan. Rutland, Vermont, USA: Tuttle Publishing. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-8048-3826-9. LCCN 2009417728. OCLC 71239207.
  3. ↑ Constantine, Peter (1993). "Chapter 2: Soaplands". Japan's Sex Trade: A Journey Through Japan's Erotic Subcultures (1st ed.). Tokyo: Yenbooks. pp. 37–38. ISBN 4-900737-00-3. OCLC 37135004.

Further reading

External links

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