Love hotel
The Love Hotel ( Japanese ラ ブ ホ テ ル , rabu hoteru , colloquially ラ ブ ホ rabuho ) is a special kind of hour hotel in Japan and at the same time an important element of modern Japanese everyday culture.
A visit to such an establishment is not necessarily considered disreputable in Japan, even if it can be used by prostitutes and for extramarital affairs . Most Love Hotels customers, however, are pupils and students who live with their parents or in dormitories, as well as married couples whose rooms at home are too noisy.
The Love Hotel is also preferably used after a successful Nampa (aggressive flirting) or Gōkon ( dome meeting), for one-night stands , Internet acquaintances , etc.
term
Love Hotel is one of the many Anglicising word creations in the Japanese language. Both Japanese and foreigners understand the term. The names of Love Hotels are almost always non-Japanese, e.g. B. English, French or Spanish expressions (examples from the Tokyo district of Shibuya : Casa di Due , Princess , Noel ).
development
In Japan, tea rooms ( 出 会 茶屋deai-chaya ) developed during the Edo period , in which prostitutes met with their suitors.
After the Second World War , love hotels began to spread, when prostitution was banned in 1958 and alternatives to brothels were sought.
In the 1980s, the introduction of modern fashion hotels ( フ ァ ッ シ ョ ン ホ テ ル fasshon hoteru , furnishings according to the tastes of young guests) and boutique hotels ( ブ テ ィ ッ ク ホ テ ル butikku hoteru , themed guest rooms) led to increasing use by the general population.
room
In contrast to normal hotels , the rooms in Love Hotels contain a large double bed. As a rule, the bed has a built-in control system for light (various light scenarios, dimmers), radio and television (always with porn channels).
There is also a mostly luxurious bathroom, for example with a built-in whirlpool . While in the past mirrored ceilings or walls, vending machines for porn pictures and bulky vibrators operated by power cords and coin operated machines were supposed to entertain customers, many rooms in modern love hotels also have karaoke systems, video games and large mini bars . Various sex toys and porn films of your choice are also often part of the additional offer that is subject to a charge.
The rooms are often themed (e.g. in the Disney style, as a grotto , train , spaceship or with SM tools). The guest can view the available rooms on illuminated photo boards in the lobby and then select the desired room.
pay
A three-tier pricing system is offered as standard:
- “Rest” ( 休憩 kyūkei ): For the normal, short stay. In the Kansai region, the Love Hotel rooms are rented for one or one and a half hours, while in the rest of Japan the standard rental period is two or three hours.
- “Stay”: From a certain time in the late evening (depending on the location, usually 11pm or midnight), the rooms are usually only available as a flat rate for the rest of the night. The prices for an overnight stay are above the "rest" tariffs, but mostly below those of a regular hotel.
- “Service time” ( サ ー ビ ス タ イ ム sābisu taimu ), also known as “free time”: Many Love Hotels offer special offers during the low-visitor times in the morning and early afternoon, at which particularly low-cost time or flat rates are offered.
The prices vary greatly between different hotels depending on age and location.
In rural areas today, payment is usually fully automatic and without the "embarrassing" contact with a hotel employee in order to preserve anonymity. In Tokyo , on the other hand, the person at the cash register sits behind a kind of panel so that only the hands that receive the money are visible. There are also Love Hotels without any contact with staff. There the room door is unlocked automatically after booking and automatically locked after entering. In order to leave the room, the room rent must then be sent to the reception via a pneumatic tube system, which releases the lock again.
Crime and prostitution
The fact that no identification is required when visiting Love Hotels makes it easier for sex offenders to abuse a partner and escape undetected.
Call girls around Love Hotels often advertise their services on small advertising slips.
In the past, love hotels were often used for enjokōsai (underage schoolgirls who operate occasional prostitution). A broad public discussion of this social phenomenon in the media, however, resulted in stricter controls, even if this did not completely eliminate the problem.
Because of their historical connection with prostitution, love hotels are often associated with organized crime . Since the economic boom in the 1980s, however, financial investors and regular accommodation companies have also been participating in this market.
Locations
Love Hotels tend to be scattered individually in residential areas, but often concentrated near important railway lines and motorway junctions.
Probably the largest concentration in Japan can be found in northeast Tokyo on the Yamanote railway line between Uguisudani and Nishi-Nippori stations . There is one Love Hotel next to the other along the railway line, the prices are sometimes displayed to the passengers in meter-high letters.
International
Similar concepts to Japanese love hotels can be found in motels in Latin America .
In the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines , campaigns by religious conservatives resulted in the banning of advertising for short stays in hotels. Nevertheless, there are occasional offers for hourly use on hotel price boards.
New Zealand's first Love Hotel opened in May 2011 .
In the media
Love hotels are a common setting in Japanese literature and films. The Japanese politician and writer Yasuo Tanaka created a literary memorial for these establishments in his 1979 book “ Kristall-Kids ” with a 60-page description of a sex scene in a love hotel.
In mangas and anime, too, love hotels are sometimes used as a setting, for example in the comedy series B-gata H-kei , in which two students use such an establishment.
literature
- Sarah Chaplin : Japanese Love Hotels: A Cultural History. Routledge, 2007, ISBN 0-415-41585-3 (English)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-s-first-love-motel-set-open-doors-4166455
- ↑ Last episode . Retrieved on: October 21, 2014.