Infiltrating The “One Sex Building” in Northern Kanto

A sex industry building stands alone along a national highway.

There is a building in a city in the northern Kanto region that somehow evokes a sense of melancholy from the early Showa period.

The building can be seen while driving on a national highway. There is a commercial facility next to the building, and even after 9 p.m., local residents can still be seen, but when I arrived in front of the building, the number of cars with out-of-prefecture license plates increased. A local resident reveals the true nature of this building, which stands out from its surroundings.

 

“It is said to be an “illegal adult entertainment building” where sex acts are performed in many of the massage parlors. It is like the condominium health clubs that were popular a long time ago but are no longer seen in the area. The tenants have been repeatedly arrested and the building has changed several times, but I think it has been about 20 years since it took its current form. It is open from daytime until around 3:00 a.m., and many customers visit from all over northern Kanto. Locals say, ‘Why is there a huge sex industry building right here in the middle of nowhere?’”

 

When we actually stepped into the building, we found a pink salon on the first floor and a massage parlor on the third through eighth floors, although only the second floor was vacant. As we climbed the stairs, smelling the musty odor characteristic of a building that has deteriorated over time, the suspiciousness of the building became even more apparent.

Security cameras were installed in front of the stores. Some tenants had their doors tightly closed, while others had pictures of Korean idols scattered around their entrances for some reason. When we entered the store with the most customers, the following explanation began.

• The women who work in this building come from Shanghai and other parts of mainland China, Taiwan, Korea, and various other nationalities.-
• They range in age from teenage college girls to those in their 30s. Many of them are young (according to a store mother).
• Some stores have only one employee, while others have as many as six. Prices start at around 13,000 yen for 60 minutes.
• The service is basically the same in all stores.

The interior is dimly lit and the slightly pinkish lighting stimulates the eyes. When I asked about the service, she continued in a familiar tone of voice as follows.

“It’s dirty to the end, to the very end. You feel good. I feel good all over my body. You’ll be absolutely satisfied, and now you can choose any girl you want.”

 

There was a noise from inside the store, as if sheets were being rubbed against each other, as if someone was using the place. The reporter was filled with an indescribable sense of unease and left the building at a quick pace.

Why is an adult entertainment building sitting so proudly alongside such a conspicuous national highway? A local brothel owner revealed,

 

“About 20 years ago, the illegal sex industry in Ota, Isesaki, and other areas, called ‘ippatsu-ya,’ where you can play for about 10,000 yen, was exposed. Since then, backstreet sex clubs where one can play casually have disappeared from the northern Kanto region. People in those areas with strict regulations against adult entertainment began to play in this building. At first, there were many customers with an underground orientation due to the rarity of overseas adult entertainment, but it gradually took root among the general public and is now filled with customers on weekend nights. Now, on weekend nights, the place is packed with customers. However, since it is an area with many families, the locals certainly do not think well of it. It’s also aging, so there are still concerns about the building’s viability.”

Will the building, a relic of the Showa period, continue to remain here in the future?