Raided God’s Esthetic Salon Accused of Offering Shockingly Extreme Services

26 rooms were operating in prohibited areas

On February 17, a joint investigation team including the Kanagawa and Chiba prefectural police announced the arrest of 15 people, including the 35-year-old male owner of the men’s esthetic salon “Kami no Este,” on suspicion of violating the Entertainment Business Control Law (operating in prohibited areas).

According to the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Public Safety Division, the owner and others operated franchise stores in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, and Tochigi. On the 17th, the joint investigation team conducted searches at approximately 42 related locations, including a Shinjuku apartment believed to be where sales revenue was stored. At least 26 apartment rooms in Tokyo where services were provided were operating in prohibited areas, with estimated annual sales exceeding 1 billion yen.

“The arrest charges involve conspiring to operate a men’s esthetic salon providing sexual services in a Shinjuku apartment where store-type sexual entertainment businesses are banned under Tokyo ordinance on December 12, 2025. ‘Kami no Este’ was said to be well-known throughout the men’s esthetic industry. It operated 10 stores in Tokyo and nearly 30 across the Kanto region, employing hundreds of therapists—a large-scale chain.

In February 2025, ‘Shonan Kami no Este’ in Kanagawa was raided, resulting in four arrests for violating the Entertainment Business Control Law, and in March of the same year, three were arrested for violating the Anti-Prostitution Law,” said a national social affairs reporter.

Kami no Este repeatedly engaged in illegal activities in an organized manner. According to a journalist familiar with the industry, “It was only a matter of time before they were raided.”

“In the men’s esthetic industry, a store in Nakano raided in 2024 was the most extreme. After that raid, there was speculation about which chain would become the next leader. ‘Kami no Este’ quickly rose to prominence and became the top in the men’s esthetic world.

Inside the stores, treatments were conducted assuming illegal acts would take place, so it attracted male customers who were there for that purpose. Unlike legitimate men’s esthetic salons, customers came specifically for illegal services, making it no different from an illicit apartment-type health service.”

There’s always ●● at the end

What exactly was happening at Kami no Este? We asked a man who had previously used the salon.

“When I entered the room, the first thing that caught my eye was the mat for treatments placed on the tatami in the center. Up to that point, it was like any other men’s esthetic salon, but surprisingly, around it was gravel arranged like a Japanese garden, with stepping stones even placed there. I was amazed that a men’s esthetic salon would go to such lengths to remodel a room.

The therapists were basically lightly dressed, and for an extra fee, customers could choose topless or micro bikini options. Other salons offer similar services, but the unique feature here was that in the end, there was always a finishing service. It was a completely illegal establishment.”

According to the man, many of the therapists working there had previously been employed at soaplands or delivery health (call girl) services, so they had no resistance to performing illegal acts. A former therapist who worked at Kami no Este about two years ago testified, “They’d even implicitly encourage you with ‘Go ahead and earn,’ as if it were an unspoken rule.”

“I originally worked in delivery health, but the human relations were complicated, so I asked a scout to introduce me to Kami no Este. They introduced it to me because it met my conditions: no slow periods (lots of customers), you can earn well, and doesn’t have to be legit (finishing service allowed). The salon’s hiring criteria were strict too—they asked about your specifications (not overweight) and how tolerant you were (whether it was okay for clients to touch your body).”

Once she was hired, the woman was told that “you can do anything to make money,” which set the tone for the service at the salon.

How far can I go?

“I was technically told, ‘No finishing service,’ but that was just the official line. They told us indirectly, ‘If you get paid for it as an option, that money is yours, not the store’s.’

Men’s esthetic treatments follow a set flow. We were instructed to focus thoroughly on the lower body at the end, and even if a customer prematurely ejaculated, the explanation was, ‘Some people are like that, so it can’t be helped.’

When the Shonan branch was raided, there was a general notice to be careful, and for two to three months we operated more cautiously, but soon after, the extreme practices resumed,” said the former therapist.

Many of the customers came specifically for illegal services, and violations of the Entertainment Business Control Law were widely known. The former therapist recalled some outrageous remarks from regulars:

“During treatments, I was often asked, ‘How far can we go?’ I would gently deflect by saying something like, ‘That’s the little surprise at the end.’ But I was also told, ‘I’ve been here quite a few times, but therapist ○○ did the real thing for 5,000 yen. Next time I called her, it was free.’

I knew some therapists were doing those acts behind the scenes, but I was shocked to realize some went that far,” she said.

The raid on Kami no Este, a symbolic example of an extreme men’s esthetic salon, was a major shock in the industry. It was the first large-scale crackdown since the Entertainment Business Control Law was amended in June 2025, strengthening penalties.

Operating a men’s esthetic salon in prohibited areas now carries harsher punishments: for individuals, imprisonment of up to five years or fines up to 10 million yen (previously two years or up to two million yen); for corporations, fines can reach up to 300 million yen (previously two million yen).

The owner of Kami no Este is expected to face these new penalties. One reason men’s esthetic salons spread so quickly was the relatively light fines—before the amendment, a few million yen in fines was often seen as an acceptable risk. Heavier penalties will surely be a serious deterrent for illegal operations. The outcome of the investigation going forward is being closely watched.

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