Tourists trickle into upscale restaurants in groups… The history and “current location” of Yoshiwara Soap Town, a popular tourist attraction for inbound visitors

Tokyo’s Yoshiwara, “Japan’s No. 1 soap town,” is attracting a great deal of attention from overseas as well.

While reporting on the streets of Yoshiwara in late June, I occasionally saw groups of foreign customers. It was a powerful sight to see about 10 middle-aged Chinese men rushing into an upscale restaurant on Kakumachi-dori Street, where the total price was about 60,000 yen. It was as if train cars were being sucked into the tunnel one after another, and I was stunned by the sight of their fierce, undisturbed appearance. Some young Asian men drove up and toured the city in threes. There was also a lone Caucasian visitor.

On Nakanomachi Street, there were information signs for foreign customers, displaying the names of stores that accept them; one store had a sign with only a picture of five girls in school uniform and the English words “Only 20-25 Years old KAWAII Girls. Another popular budget group of soaps located in a narrow alleyway had a sign with both English, Chinese, and Korean. I was reminded once again that Yoshiwara is becoming increasingly internationalized.

In the Edo period, Yoshiwara was the only brothel in Edo officially recognized by the shogunate. While it was a “site of sexual exploitation” that was based on the sacrifice of prostitutes, it was also a place where various cultures and trends, such as paintings, ukiyoe prints, and literature, were transmitted. The thoroughly fictionalized world of Hanami, Obon, festivals, and other seasonal events was also a popular spot for visitors from the provinces to come to Edo.

After the war, the area became a red-light district, and after the Anti-Prostitution Law was fully enforced in 1958, it developed into an entertainment district. Today, Yoshiwara is the largest soap district in Japan, with approximately 126 soap parlors clustered in the area of Senzoku 3-chome and 4-chome, Taito-ku, Tokyo. The nearest station is Minowa Station on the Hibiya Subway Line. From there, walk southeast along Dote-dori Avenue for about 10 minutes to the intersection of Yoshiwara Daimon. It is also a 10-minute walk from Asakusa.