Strolling Cabaret” and “The Little Room of Love”… “Missing Strip Theaters” in the Memories of Sex Journalists

In 1924, strip theaters were closed and closed one after another. At its peak, there were said to have been about 400 strip theaters in Japan, but now there are only 17, a mere “dying of the storm. In this second part, we discuss the “present” of these strip theaters and the “past” of those that have already disappeared.

Part 1: Will the strip theater industry, which has been reduced from 400 to 17 due to “exposures” and “business failures,” be able to survive?

After 26 years of touring theaters…

Since April 1999, when I became a sex industry reporter, I have visited strip theaters all over Japan. I have photographed and interviewed theater personnel and dancers to introduce them in magazines and newspapers, and reported on the closing anniversary performances of long-established theaters.

I have also followed my favorite dancers around to various theaters, gone to see a play on a weekday afternoon with a close friend, or stopped by a theater in a hot spring resort on my way to a trip, and so on. Among the many “vanished strip theaters” that he has covered, we have specially selected some of the most memorable ones to introduce here.

Yamashiro OS Music” impressed me with its black-and-white show.

The most memorable of all the places I have visited so far is “Yamashiro OS Music” located in Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. In October 2002, I saw for the first time the “scene where dancers appeared on a gondola” and the “black-and-white show. I was particularly impressed by the black-and-white show, in which the male and female dancers moved with the graceful movements of gymnastics, and I was gripped by the beauty of their lean movements and the high level of artistry. Many of the guests were dressed in yukata (light cotton kimono), which gave the place an atmosphere that could only be found in an amusement hot spring resort. It closed on December 20, 2003.

DX Kabukicho, with its glittering neon lights and Showa-era atmosphere

DX Kabukicho” in Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, was a theater that was affectionately called “Delacabu” by fans. The entrance was lit up at night, and the shiny neon signboards created a “Showa-era” atmosphere. The interior was spacious and easy to see, and the old chairs, typical of a long-established theater, added a nice touch. When I was working for a publishing company in Tokyo, I used to go there many times on my way home from work.

On Valentine’s Day, when I went to support my favorite dancer, she gave me a candy with my name on it. I remember how happy I was, even though it was an event. The theater closed on June 30, ’19. I have fond memories of covering the last day’s performance from the lineup before the doors opened until late at night after the stage, and reporting on it with my best effort on the website.