Kabuki-cho

Kabuki-cho Review

In 1872 the Tokugawa-period formalities governing geisha entertainment were dissolved, and Kabuki-cho became Japan's largest center of prostitution. Later, when vice laws got stricter, prostitution just went a bit deeper underground, where it remains—widely tolerated. In spite of recent crackdowns by police on sex shops and hostess clubs, Kabuki-cho remains Japan's most vast adult entertainment quarter. Neon signs flash; shills proclaim the pleasures of the places you particularly want to shun. Even when a place looks respectable, ask about prices first: bottakuri —overcharging for food and drink—is indeed a possibility, and watered-down drinks can set you back ¥5,000 or more in a hostess or host club. You needn't be intimidated by the area though. Stop in to a street-level bar (that clearly indicates its pricing) and watch out the window as the hosts, hostesses, and local denizens shuffle on past. In an attempt to change the area's image after World War II, plans were made to replace Ginza's fire-gutted Kabuki-za with a new one in Shinjuku. The plans were never realized, however, as the old theater was rebuilt. But the project gave the area its present name.