“Date Me or I’ll Kill You!” Three Soapland Workers Reveal the Terrifying Reality of Being Alone With Customers—and When Clients Turn Into Stalkers

“If you don’t date me, I’ll kill you!”–Some women have been threatened this way

In June this year, an incident occurred at a soapland in Fukuhara, Kobe’s Hyogo Ward, one of Japan’s best-known entertainment districts. A female employee and a male customer were found collapsed and bleeding, and both were later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The woman had multiple wounds on her neck and chest that appeared to have been inflicted with a blade, while the man was found with a blade lodged in his chest. Police believe it is highly likely that the man killed the woman before attempting suicide and are investigating the incident.

Soapland workers find themselves alone and naked with customers in private rooms. It is a job that requires them to trust their customers and entrust themselves to them, but that close physical and emotional proximity can sometimes give rise to obsession and misunderstandings.

How did women in the same line of work react to the incident in Fukuhara? What kind of fear do they feel toward their customers, and what measures do they take to protect themselves?

Three active soapland workers in their 20s, 30s, and 40s who work in Yoshiwara, Tokyo’s Taito Ward, another major soapland district alongside Fukuhara, spoke candidly about the struggle for survival inside these sealed-off rooms where death is always close.

She even made up for his lost income

Sayaka (pseudonym; same below): That incident in Fukuhara. I was shaking when I saw it on the news.

Yoko: It was scary.

Sayaka: I know someone who works at a soapland in Fukuhara, and apparently the woman who died had gotten married shortly before the incident.

Moe: You mean the man went berserk after learning that she was married and killed her?

Sayaka: The man reportedly came to the shop two or three times a week and called himself a big-spender bro, didn’t he?

Moe: These days, there aren’t many people who can afford to go to a soapland twice a week. The prices are high, so if you’re an ordinary salaried worker, I imagine even coming once a month would be difficult.

Yoko: Apparently, he even made up for the money she would have lost on days when she took time off from the shop, so I think he was extremely invested in her.

Sayaka: That actually makes it even scarier. Speaking of big spenders, there was an older customer who used to come twice a month, and one day he suddenly started saying, “If I were younger, you’d marry me, right? You’re the only one who’s ever said that to me.”

Yoko: Did you say something that made him misunderstand?

Sayaka: Not at all. I don’t contact customers except about reservations, and I never go on dates with them outside the shop. Of course, I never talked about marriage either, so I genuinely had no idea what he was talking about.

Yoko: What happened after that?

Sayaka: I blocked him on LINE, but before I could ban him from the shop, he casually called and made another reservation.

Moe: I also had a customer who brought presents to my house every day.

Yoko: He actually tracked down your home? That’s extreme.

Moe: He must have pretended to be a resident and gotten through the auto-lock. There was a bag hanging from my doorknob containing some of my favorite foods and hair-care products. The handwriting on the message card was distinctive, so I immediately knew who it was. But I didn’t say anything to him.

Yoko: Didn’t you ever run into that customer outside your home?

Moe: Once, I instinctively pretended to be a drug addict. I slurred my speech and started making strange noises. My experience in the drama club back in middle school came in handy (laughs). That customer immediately switched to another girl and even wrote on an online adult-entertainment forum, “Don’t request that woman,” so I guess he believed me.

Yoko: A customer who used to come every week kept begging me to date him. When I tried to brush him off, he threw a plastic bottle against the wall. I was too scared to say anything, and then he yelled, “I’ll threaten the owner of the soapland. If you don’t date me, I’ll kill you!” I just told him, “Okay, I’ll date you,” to calm him down. But I still wonder what would have happened if I had stubbornly refused.

There have also been tragedies in Yoshiwara, where all three women work. In 2003, a man at the long-established high-end soapland “Yuzuki” killed a female employee, saying he wanted to die with someone. In 2023, another incident occurred in which a customer who had been refused a request to nominate a particular employee stabbed her to death. The establishment was known for its intense romance-oriented sales tactics, including hugs and kisses and physical contact when meeting customers.

Moe: There have been more cases of soapland workers being killed over the past two or three years, haven’t there? And they’ve mostly been at high-end establishments like “Yuzuki.”

Sayaka: Nowadays, soapland workers are made to communicate directly with customers, just like hostesses at cabaret clubs, aren’t they? I think the girls are getting too deeply involved in customers’ everyday lives. In the past, soapland workers were these special people you could only meet in Yoshiwara, but the distance has become far too close.

Yoko: Quite a few soapland workers marry their customers, don’t they?

Moe: The risk of customers turning into stalkers has increased dramatically, but it’s difficult to consult the police. I don’t want to have to tell them that I’m a soapland worker during questioning.

Sayaka: It’s one thing if they question you near Yoshiwara, but if they question you near your home, you worry about being seen. You don’t want your family or friends to find out either.

Yoko: When a customer followed me and I went to the police for help, they asked me all sorts of detailed questions about my work. I understand that they were just doing their job and that it wasn’t sexual harassment, but it was incredibly exhausting.

Moe: Since it’s difficult to rely on the police, I wish the establishments would take more measures themselves.

Sayaka: After the incident at “Yuzuki,” lockers were installed, and we were required to put all our belongings in them before going to the playrooms. We were also given personal security alarms.

Yoko: I got a personal security alarm too. Metal detectors were also installed, but both are just there. I’ve never actually seen anyone use them. We haven’t been told under what circumstances we’re supposed to activate the security alarms, so I don’t think we’d be able to use them instinctively in an emergency.

While living with the fear of customers becoming obsessed with them or turning into stalkers, how do active soapland workers protect themselves day after day? In the second part, we examine the self-protective measures they practice and the limits of security measures in the industry.

From the September 11–18, 2026 combined issue of “FRIDAY.”