<figure id="attachment_406819" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406819" style="width: 2048px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a2ee6663"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/6a05daafa572096cd04c79e557c5eeca.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406819" class="wp-caption-text">DX Kabukicho&#8221; in Shinjuku, Tokyo, nicknamed &#8220;Delacabu&#8221; by fans, regrettably closed in June &#8217;19.</figcaption></figure>
<p> 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 &#8220;dying of the storm. In this second part, we discuss the &#8220;present&#8221; of these strip theaters and the &#8220;past&#8221; of those that have already disappeared.</p>
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<p><a href="https://friday.kodansha.co.jp/article/406805"> Part 1: Will the strip theater industry, which has been reduced from 400 to 17 due to &#8220;exposures&#8221; and &#8220;business failures,&#8221; be able to survive?</a></p>
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<h3><span class="strongInContent"> After 26 years of touring theaters&#8230;</span></h3>
<p> 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.</p>
<p> 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 &#8220;vanished strip theaters&#8221; that he has covered, we have specially selected some of the most memorable ones to introduce here.</p>
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<h3><span class="strongInContent"> Yamashiro OS Music&#8221; impressed me with its black-and-white show.</span></h3>
<p> The most memorable of all the places I have visited so far is &#8220;Yamashiro OS Music&#8221; located in Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. In October 2002, I saw for the first time the &#8220;scene where dancers appeared on a gondola&#8221; and the &#8220;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.</p>
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<h3><span class="strongInContent"> DX Kabukicho, with its glittering neon lights and Showa-era atmosphere</span></h3>
<p> DX Kabukicho&#8221; in Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, was a theater that was affectionately called &#8220;Delacabu&#8221; by fans. The entrance was lit up at night, and the shiny neon signboards created a &#8220;Showa-era&#8221; 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.</p>
<p> On Valentine&#8217;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, &#8217;19. I have fond memories of covering the last day&#8217;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.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The &quot;Stokabas&quot;, the &quot;Little Room of Love&quot;..."></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">Strip + Sex Cabaret? Juso Music</span></h3>
<p> Juso Music, located in Juso, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City, was a &#8220;hidden gem&#8221; that appeared after passing through the shopping district of Juso Station on the Hankyu Railway line. It was a mecca for &#8220;strike cabarets&#8221; (a compound word of &#8220;strip&#8221; and &#8220;cabaret&#8221;, where you could enjoy conversation and body touching with dancers in close proximity like at a sexy cabaret club), and the amateur conventions from the late 1990s to the early 2000s were a great success. &#8216; During a business trip to Osaka in the summer of 2000, I really wanted to visit this place, so I sneaked out of work to see the stage. It was like a summer festival. The theater closed on November 28, 2012.</p>
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<h3><span class="strongInContent"> Naha Music,&#8221; a show of beautiful blondes that I saw with U.S. soldiers</span></h3>
<p> Naha Music&#8221; in Kumoji, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, also left a deep impression. In May 2004, I watched a nude show of several beautiful blonde foreign women with a group of young U.S. soldiers. Among the customers were three Japanese women who appeared to be tourists from the mainland. The young, square-cropped soldiers from the U.S. were sipping chilled cans of Orion beer and watching the beautiful women dance on stage with fascination. Such a scene reminded me of Okinawa. Behind the stage, there was a &#8220;love room&#8221; where you could secretly have an &#8220;adult affair&#8221; with a cheerful blonde white girl. It was closed on April 30, 2006.</p>
<p> Other memorable theaters include &#8220;Noboribetsu Onsen Gekijo&#8221; in Hokkaido, &#8220;Iwaki Music&#8221; in Fukushima, &#8220;Show Up Omiya Gekijo&#8221; in Saitama, &#8220;TS Music&#8221; in Tokyo (Shinjuku), &#8220;Ishiwa OS Gekijo&#8221; in Yamanashi, &#8220;Okazaki Gin-ei&#8221; in Aichi, &#8220;Naniwa Music&#8221; in Osaka, &#8220;Hakata Rock Hollywood&#8221; in Fukuoka, &#8220;Class A Beppu Gekijo&#8221; in Oita, etc. Many theaters have disappeared. A decade ago, there used to be strip theaters in so many areas. When I think about it now, it seems like a dream.</p>
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<p> In the course of my work, I have experienced all kinds of adult entertainment, but the last one I fell in love with was the strip. I realized as an adult that &#8220;just watching&#8221; was so much fun. It has a different charm from &#8220;sex clubs with nudity.</p>
<p> Following a particular dancer and cheering her on from place to place is similar to the &#8220;guessing game&#8221; that has recently become popular, and this fun can only be experienced firsthand. It is said by fans to be &#8220;getting addicted to the swamp of the strip&#8221; or &#8220;eating the forbidden fruit. The live feeling of a striptease is irreplaceable. It would be a shame to see this industry disappear. We can only hope that the industry will revive.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Preservation Edition: Strip Theaters That Have Disappeared"></div>
<figure id="attachment_406821" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406821" style="width: 960px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b195011f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/264e0b5e5aacae32f164fce8438ceedc.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406821" class="wp-caption-text">Yamashiro OS Music&#8221; in Yamashiro Onsen, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture. Many visitors were dressed in yukata (light cotton kimono), giving the venue a unique hot spring atmosphere.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_406993" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406993" style="width: 1536px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="243561ec"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/01/528732d1a6a1f89dc5f21f0b53a24d0a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406993" class="wp-caption-text"> DX Kabukicho. The last performance was attended by many fans.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_406822" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406822" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="bfd7c163"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/f0a3d3ecc56e75ff26054317edcfab08.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406822" class="wp-caption-text"> Juso Music&#8221; in Juso, Osaka, was a hideaway theater located on the outskirts of a shopping arcade. It was also a mecca for &#8220;stock cabarets.</figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_406823" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406823" style="width: 1280px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="2e2a500f"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/5330baf1f9dcc99985d68bef7076b975.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406823" class="wp-caption-text"> Naha Music&#8221; was located in Kumoji, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture. Female tourists and U.S. servicemen were among the customers.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_406824" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-406824" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ce87ba45"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/2e47410994d1a400d3d92d3f70f78028.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-406824" class="wp-caption-text"> Hiroshima Daiichi Gekijo&#8221; in Yagenbori, Hiroshima, which was the only strip theater in the Chugoku region, closed in May 2009. A hotel now stands on the site.</figcaption></figure>


 Akira Ikoma

 There used to be nearly 400 strip clubs in Japan, but now there are only 17, and they are "dying out. Among those that have disappeared so far, entertainment journalist Ikoma picks up a particularly memorable one and talks about his memories of it.

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