The Cultural History of Image Clubs③ (Part 2) — Surviving Image Club Hotspots Amid Nationwide Closures

Due to a mid-2000s purge operation, unlicensed, storefront-style image clubs (imekura) across Japan were raided and disappeared. However, there were areas where these stores survived. This is the second part of the third installment of the series “The Cultural History of Imekura” by adult entertainment journalist Akira Ikoma.

[Part 1] Mid-2000s: The purge operation sparked the flourishing of a niche cosplay culture

 

The Cosplay Mecca in Yokohama

Although the purge drastically reduced unlicensed imekura, it did not completely eliminate all box-style stores with image rooms in the red-light districts.

Among the surviving stores, the most notable was in Akebonocho, Yokohama. Since the 1990s heyday of imekura coincided with the early days of health (erotic massage) establishments in Yokohama, many legal stores were opening in succession. As a result, long-established box-style health clubs continued to provide places where customers could truly enjoy cosplay even after the purge.

Representative examples include the school-themed imekura Tenshinranman, the adjacent molester-themed imekura Rush Hour, and Passive, a health-style imekura catering to women who like a submissive role.

Tenshinranman maintained five image rooms: a classroom, nurse’s office, changing room, gym storage, and a molester train. Hallways lined with rooms recreated the nostalgic feel of a Showa-era school. Customers could experience various scenarios such as teacher-student, senior-junior, and classmates. The store also focused on recruiting women with no prior industry experience to enhance the excitement for clients. The store now operates under the name Gakuen Tengoku.

Rush Hour is still operating. Upon reception, customers select a woman and costume and board the train (enter the room). Women stand upright, holding the straps, as the room meticulously recreates a train interior with straps, sofas, announcements, and wheel sounds—a true adult amusement park. Detailed preferences can be specified in advance via a survey. For submissive men, there is also a reverse molester course where women take the dominant role, making it extremely comprehensive.

The most famous store in Yokohama’s cosplay scene was the health club Passive. Costumes included basic outfits like sailor uniforms and female teacher outfits, as well as bondage, idol-style, Lum, Cutie Honey, and over 60 other specialty costumes. Seasonal outfits like mini-skirt Santa were also available. It was famously called a prestigious store where choosing the outfit at reception is harder than choosing the woman.

For comparison, Aichi Prefecture’s Kariya City health club Collection had around 300 sailor uniforms alone, collected over more than 10 years through online auctions, flea markets, and purchases, with over 10 million yen invested. The store also had authentic uniforms from top airlines, family restaurants, and department stores, attracting cosplay fans from across Japan. Today, it operates primarily as a men’s esthetic health club without cosplay.

Cosplay Introduced in Soaplands as Well

Cosplay had previously been strongly associated with health (erotic massage) establishments. During the late ’90s to early ’00s, the booming unlicensed, storefront-style imekura were mostly health clubs, and cosplay was not common in soaplands.

However, around 2010, more soaplands began incorporating cosplay. This was partly due to the industry downturn. Owners looking for ways to revive sales saw cosplay as a solution. Stores that introduced cosplay to meet the diversified needs of customers became popular.

In Kobe’s Fukuhara district, elaborate cosplay such as oiran (courtesans), female entertainers, office ladies, doctors, and maids flourished. Stores with “loli” or gal-style staff offered schoolgirl outfits; stores specializing in submissive women offered maid costumes; stores with esthetic services offered nurse outfits. These outfits differed from the traditional dresses commonly seen in soaplands.

A unique example was Kamen Kizoku (“Masked Aristocrats”), where both women and customers wore opera-style masks reminiscent of medieval nobility. Customers could keep their masks on without issue, allowing even celebrities to enjoy the experience without revealing their faces.

Around the same time, Nadeshiko Musume revamped its uniforms into a bus-guide style. Customers enjoyed the novelty of having erotic experiences with cute bus-guide ladies, which was highly praised. In a playful twist, the bus girls (actually bath attendants) guided clients on mats or beds into a world of pleasure.

At the soapland Square in Ogoto, Shiga Prefecture, staff known as bubble girls wore mini-skirt police outfits and miko (shrine maiden) costumes, all provided by the establishment. These girls were highly knowledgeable about trains and anime, making them extremely appealing to otaku clients who would visit from all over Japan. They were called idols of the otaku and were genuine cosplay enthusiasts.

In Kawasaki’s Minamimachi, the soapland Hien offered experiences with women in chima jeogori (traditional Korean dresses). The dresses were imported directly from Korea and came in various colors. According to staff, “During the Korean Wave boom, the customer turnout was amazing.” The author, who visited for reporting, was struck by the genuine beauty and splendor of these authentic Korean outfits.

Specialized Shops for Office Lady Costumes

By the 2010s, the cosplay boom in the sex industry had further evolved, with more and more establishments specializing in specific themed play, such as schoolgirls, nurses, and traditional Japanese outfits. In the Kansai region, a major trend was “OL-style” (office lady) establishments, where all the staff wore dark suits in shades like black or gray. Rather than a flashy fad, this concept became a standard part of the industry.

In Osaka’s Minami district, well-known OL- and secretary-themed health clubs were very popular, and similar shops appeared in soaplands in Ogoto and Fukuhara. In delivery health (deriheru) and hotel health (hoteheru), many establishments adopted concepts like OLs, secretaries, or female teachers.

“The majority of our customers are salarymen in their 30s or older. They come because they are fascinated by OL suits. Some even bring their own preferred pantyhose for the women to wear,” said a manager of a meeting-point-style hotel health establishment in Osaka at the time.

Additionally, many clients prefer the shape of the hips and legs, and tall, slender women, more than the bust, explained a staff member at an OL-style soapland in Fukuhara. OL-style establishments were highly fetishized, and events where women wore fishnet tights and garter belts were popular in both hotel health and soapland settings.

In the past, the general approach to enjoying sex industry services in Osaka was dominated by the idea of getting as much as possible for the lowest price. However, through the cosplay trend, this mindset gradually changed. Rather than just getting off, the industry began to be seen as a place to fulfill various fantasies and enjoy immersive, simulated experiences.

Changes That Came With Non-Store Formats

By the early 2010s, non-store-type image clubs (imekura) were entering a period of maturity. Although elaborate playrooms were harder to use and the experience lacked realism, costumes, courses, and optional services were enriched, making the play content more diverse. With props and toys, clients could enjoy more extreme play.

The reason play became more intense than ever before was the shift to hotels as the venue. In the era of unlicensed boxed shops, women themselves had to clean the rooms, making it hard to soil the sheets. Sounds carried through easily, so loud or wild reactions were difficult to manage.

After the collapse of unlicensed stores, outcall imekura incorporating cosplay, as well as stores with a strong imekura flavor within the store-based health industry—or those that offered enhanced cosplay as an option—became more common. Cosplay in the sex industry survived in a transformed shape. Compared with the pre-purge era, the richness of offerings was at least equivalent, and it could even be said to have increased.

References

Ore no Tabi (adult entertainment magazine), Million Publishing, 2003–2012

Junhiko Nakamura, Illustrated Guide to Japanese Sex Industry, Mediax, 2016

Junhiko Nakamura, Japan’s Sex Industry Workers, Shinchosha, 2014

Other books, online sources, and references were also consulted.