First Ever Raid on Illegal Kabukicho Brothel: Surprising Popularity Among Foreign Tourists

On February 4, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Security Division arrested seven people, including the manager of two brothels, including “SPARAKU” in Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, for providing a place of prostitution for foreign visitors to Japan, in violation of the Anti-Prostitution Law. This is the first time in Japan that an illegal sex store targeting inbound customers has been exposed.

At the stores exposed this time, 70-80% of the customers were foreigners. In addition to major currencies such as US dollars and euros, the shop had prepared currencies of 16 countries and regions including India, Switzerland, Mexico, China, Turkey, and Qatar for payment. What exactly was going on in the store?

A system known as Kabukicho-style

SPARAKU was a type of adult entertainment establishment known as “Kabukicho-style,” located in a building along Shinjuku’s Kuyakusho Street. While its website described it as a men’s esthetic salon, in reality, it operated as a short-time brothel (also referred to as “chon no ma”) where full-service encounters were available.

The women working there were sometimes directly scouted by the arrested male manager, who would approach street workers around To-Yoko and Okubo Park, saying things like, “It’s cold outside, why not work at my place?” or “The cut is lower, but you can do whatever you want while inside.”

Upon entering the shop, a male attendant would present a panel displaying available women, saying, “These are the girls who are available now.” Customers would then choose from the images. The uniqueness of this panel-selection system led to it being referred to as “Kabukicho-style.”

If none of the available women suited their preferences, customers were free to leave. The prices were ¥10,000 for a full-service course and ¥6,000 for a health course, with both offering 40 minutes of service. Price-wise, both options were cheaper than standard adult entertainment establishments.

However, the main reason why the shop attracted many foreign customers was not just its affordability.

They would accept any customer

Mr. J, who has been working as a street tout in Kabukicho for years, explains,“The Black touts commonly seen in Kabukicho were introducing this place to foreign customers.

SPARAKU used to be a place where customers couldn’t enter unless they were brought in by an external tout like us. Even now, most customers come through introductions, and I’ve rarely seen anyone walk in directly.

As inbound tourism boosted Kabukicho’s nightlife, Black touts started bringing in more foreign customers. SPARAKU became well-known in Kabukicho as a place that ‘accepts any customer and offers full service.’”

Many Japanese adult entertainment establishments prohibit foreign customers, making it difficult for them to find places where they can interact with young Japanese women.

“The long operating hours were also a big advantage. Soaplands usually close by midnight, but SPARAKU was open from 6 PM to 6 AM, making it accessible almost anytime at night. That made it easier for touts to guide customers there. Unlike cabarets or girls’ bars, many adult entertainment spots prohibit entry to drunk customers, but SPARAKU had more relaxed rules and allowed intoxicated patrons,” J adds.

Besides its long hours and relaxed rules, there were additional reasons why touts funneled so many foreign customers into this establishment.

Referral for 100,000 yen and receive 90,000 yen.

“This place allowed external promoters to add as much markup as they wanted. The shop itself only took 10,000 yen. When I introduced customers, I told them the price was 12,000 yen and received a 2,000-yen kickback. But some Black promoters exploited this system, charging 100,000 yen per introduction and pocketing 90,000 yen.

When the shop was busted, a large amount of foreign currency was found. This was because some customers couldn’t pay the inflated fees in Japanese yen. If they were sent outside to exchange money, they likely wouldn’t return, so the shop accepted foreign currency on the spot to keep transactions smooth.

It’s possible that this crackdown was triggered by angry customers who felt they were being ripped off. However, no matter how many customers the shop brought in, out of the 10,000-yen fee, 8,000 yen went to the women, leaving only 2,000 yen in revenue for the shop. Even with 30 customers a day and operating 365 days a year, it didn’t seem like they were making a massive profit,” said J.

A foreign customer who had actually used SPARAKU, a Thai man named B, compared it to his home country’s sex industry, calling it a safe place and noting differences in customer service.

“Japanese brothels feel safe. Once you’re inside, they don’t suddenly demand extra fees. The risk of STDs is probably lower than in Thailand. And above all, the staff are kind. They used smartphones to translate and carefully explained the services. Even in a brothel, Japanese people are polite,” B said.

With Japan’s inbound tourism booming, the adult industry is also using various methods to attract foreign customers. However, illegal establishments like SPARAKU have been thriving in the shadows. More crackdowns are likely to follow.