How to walk in Tobita Shinchi, a thorough guide to Japan’s most glamorous entertainment district, which attracts men from all over the world

Tobita Shinchi (Nishinari-ku, Osaka City) still retains the atmosphere of a former brothel. It was the largest “ryotei” district in Japan, and today no other entertainment district is as bustling as this one. In recent years, there have been many tourists from abroad. Akira Ikoma, a sex journalist who has covered the area for many years, reports on the “present” of Tobita Shinchi. He also provides a guide to the inside of the Shinchi and how to play there.

160 ryotei restaurants in a 400-meter square lot

Oh no. Too cute. At 4:30 in the evening of Thursday, April 4, the ryotei restaurants in Tobita Shinchi were already in full swing. I made a round of Seishun Dori and Main Dori. Cosplay was in full swing, as it had been since my last visit on January 30, 2011, but the variety of costumes seemed to have increased. I couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement as the illuminated girls looked at me and smiled and waved their hands. I have not done anything yet, but I can hardly contain my excitement even though I have just walked down the street.

The street is full of foreign male customers. Occasionally, there are couples. There are Chinese, Korean, Western, South Asian, and Middle Eastern men. After all, this is the most glamorous entertainment district in Japan. It is a “paradise on earth” that attracts men from all over the world and instantly grabs their hearts.

Tobita Shinchi is about 400 meters square, lined with 160 ryotei restaurants. A woman sits at the entrance of each ryotei, and men who become customers are served tea and sweets in a room on the second floor, where they eat and drink lightly and then receive sexual services. Ostensibly, this is “as a result of falling instantly in love while talking with the woman.