politics

Osaka rolls out red carpet, not red-light district for G20

35 Comments
By Hiroshi Hiyama and Richard Carter

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2019 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


35 Comments
Login to comment

Vallum. Thanks a lot for your information. It sounds kinda like the pachinko industry. I will make sure I do not walk into one of these tea houses or restaurants by mistake next time I go to Osaka with my wife! LOL!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Vallum

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The story should have focused on the closing of the schools - you never know what mischief those youngsters are up to.   And what is that reference to ‘patterned white drapes’? My education seems lacking.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Why don’t the G20 leaders use teleconferencing for gawd’s sake?

Because then they wouldn't be able to get together and enjoy the brothel's!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

There have been cops standing around for a week now looking suspiciously at everyone and everything-what a terrible waste of money to close down Japan’s second largest city for a week.

Why don’t the G20 leaders use teleconferencing for gawd’s sake?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Doesn't matter how much you try to hide the red light areas. Sick people will always find a way to procure prostitution.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Sickening, all these so-called leaders grovelling to Trump. All these so-called leaders receiving there orders from Trump.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Kaerimashita wrote Today 05:13 pm JST

And Osaka has "brothels"?? Surely soaplands or a variant thereon......

Yes, as Soaplands are actually prohibited in Osaka, brothels do exist. Or at least a Japanese-style brothel, popular in Meiji Era, I think.

The reason such red-light districts in Osaka are not closed is, supposedly, because they are located in areas with great numbers of low-wage male workers.

yoshisan88 wrote Today 06:30 pm JST

Brothels? I had no idea prostitution is legal in Japan. I remember some JT reader said the US outlawed prostitution when they occupied Japan. I know there are hostess clubs in Japan but brothes are different. So do the police turned a blind eye to them.

What is illegal in Japan is charging for coital sex. Oral and even anal sex are okay. Soaplands do offer intercourse, but they work on the premise that the worker only offers a sexual massage and if worker and customer like each other and decide to do something else, that's a mutual agreement, thus the worker or the shop is not charging for coital sex, and the customer is not paying for it.

Brothels in Osaka actually work with a restaurant or tea shop permit. That's why they do offer something for the customer to eat and drink. And, again, what the girl and the customer do when inside the room, it's their own mutual agreement...

So yeah, there are some loopholes (well, which country doesn't?) that are used in the Japanese sex industry.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

They are showcasing the latest in toilet technology and have shaved down the time to refill the cistern from one minute to 20 seconds for the busy world leaders -- also reducing the water usage with the environment part of the G20 agenda.

How is this gonna help the world ? Will they be " running " a marathon perhaps?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I see plenty of kindness around me every day in Tokyo, so cannot support the "shocking how little kindness" line. That's just my opinion.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Japan should celebrate it's red light areas, not sweep under the rug.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

So many comments about the Brothels. Osaka & it’s surrounding areas are lovely & rich in the history of Japan & only a 20min train ride from Kobe another city rich in Japanese history & both offer any tourist ample activities, entertainment & shopping.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

All this worry about the brothels closing down! Everybody knows that foreigners aren’t allowed to go in anyway!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

This is like the ground zero issue for Japanese, so not surprising the extreme reaction to having all those G20 people on their doorstep. “What do foreigners think about us and Japan? Lets make sure they see what we want them to. Please praise us!”.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Come on guys, and girls, Japan is about quick flushing toilets, old ladies rapping and no official sex for a week, plus deep fried octapus. What a spectacular showcase. All chaperoned by hoards of police blowing whistles and waving light Sabres. It's impressive.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Even sex workers have decided to do their bit, volunteering to close all the area's brothel doors for the first time since the 1989 funeral of Emperor Hirohito.

Hardly, it wasn't the sex-workers, it was pressure from the police that forced the owners, not the workers themselves to close. They would have preferred to stay open and service the guests, they lost a windfall in profits from this, and I'll bet there were negotiations previous to this decision and concessions made by the cops and authorities to the owners.

Surely soaplands or a variant thereon......

Technically no they are not, just a place to get a nice wash down with a happy ending!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Even sex workers have decided to do their bit, volunteering to close all the area's brothel doors for the first time since the 1989 funeral of Emperor Hirohito.

Brothels? I had no idea prostitution is legal in Japan. I remember some JT reader said the US outlawed prostitution when they occupied Japan. I know there are hostess clubs in Japan but brothes are different. So do the police turned a blind eye to them.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Plenty of entertainment options within 10 minutes walk of the host hotels. Just don't wear anything that can identify you, like those Japanese athletes!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I think most are missing the point, Japanese brothels don't service foreign customers, it may be an international incident if foreign visitors to the G20 were refused service due to their foreignness.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Too bad for the leaders and crew of this G-summit that the brothels have decided (coerced) to close for a few days. What a bummer.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Nothing will change, as usual japan is tatemae & horne. Sad for Japan. Can't Japanese show real japan for the first time ???.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Are we sure that brothels closed by their own initiative, rather than being made so by politicians or the mayor?

It would not be rare in Japan to be pressured to do something in order to better the appearance of a situation, so I wonder it they really closed because they wanted to, or not.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Restaurants in the area are offering G20-themed dishes, like "takoyaki", a delicacy unique to Osaka that features fried pieces of chopped octopus in batter.

Even sex workers have decided to do their bit, volunteering to close all the area's brothel doors for the first time since the 1989 funeral of Emperor Hirohito.

Who writes this drivel?  Takoyaki is a G20 themed dish?  Unique to Osaka?

And Osaka has "brothels"??  Surely soaplands or a variant thereon......

7 ( +9 / -2 )

With weather like this who'd want to go out anyway!?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

The special takoyaki is probably AkashiYaki. Just regular takoyaki in dashi.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Can we have pics of the special takoyaki ?

I am curious.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Potential customers will just have to go to one of the many other red light districts.

14 ( +14 / -0 )

Closing the red light district for a few days doesn’t erase its existence.

Just because you close it, it doesn’t change the fact that it is there. Also, I don’t think it changes anyone’s opinion about Osaka. The opinion they had prior to the red light district being closed and the one it has while it’s closed for a few days will be the same.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites