Will Shinchi Fade Away with the Kansai Expo? Exploring Osaka’s Hidden Gems in Shinodayama, Imazato, and Takii
Every time a large-scale international event is held, significant crackdowns have occurred, causing many red-light districts to disappear. How do the people of Osaka’s “five major shinchi” feel about the Kansai Expo, set to take place next spring? Adult entertainment journalist Akira Ikoma gathered firsthand voices from the area.
Shinta-yama Shinchi, where women who do not want to be exposed gather.
To understand the situation on the ground, I visited three hidden gem areas—Shindayama, Imazato, and Takii—at the beginning of October to talk to locals about the upcoming Osaka-Kansai Expo.
Shindayama Shinchi is a vibrant area where you can enjoy the company of beautiful women at an incredibly low price of 8,500 yen (for 15 minutes), comparable to those in Tobita Shinchi and Matsushima Shinchi. It is located at 1-1 Sachi, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, about 400 meters northeast of Shindayama Station on the JR Hanwa Line. Unlike traditional ryotei, it operates in the format of an inn, with around 40 establishments clustered within a compact area that can be explored on foot in about ten minutes.
The pricing system increases by 8,500 yen every 15 minutes, totaling 34,000 yen for the maximum 60 minutes. Operating hours are from around 10 AM to midnight. Popular women often work after 6 PM or on weekends, making the place extremely busy on weekday evenings and weekends. All establishments close for business on the 20th of every month.
After entering, you select your course at a ticket vending machine on the first floor and purchase a ticket. You then convey your preferred type of woman in a waiting room. Once you shower and wait in a private room on the second floor, the chosen woman enters, and the play begins. The service is rumored to be quite intensive. Since there is no face reveal, this attracts women who want to avoid being recognized. The quality of women is high, attracting visitors not only from Kansai but also from as far away as Tokyo and Nagoya.
I arrived at Shindayama Shinchi just after 5 PM, and I noticed about five customers walking on the street. Shoes were left at the entrance of the inn. The women heading to the inn were of high quality, and I saw young women resembling idols and actresses. I spoke with the inn’s touts.
—With the expo coming up soon, will this place close down?
“It’s fine, it’s fine. The Prime Minister isn’t coming here. It’s different from the summit.”
When I asked a particularly cheerful woman who was energetically drawing in customers, I received this optimistic reply.
“This place is okay. The association manages it properly,” said another tout.
“I’m not really sure, but I think they might close down. Tobita might do the same,” said a friendly-looking male tout.
When I asked a loud female tout, “Won’t a lot of foreign customers come during the expo?” she replied, “This place is foreigner-free, so it doesn’t matter. Tobita allows foreigners, though.” If they are indeed foreigner-free, it would make sense that they wouldn’t benefit from an influx of inbound tourists during the expo. Therefore, it seems there is little concern about potential crackdowns or closures.
