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Kabuki-cho Review

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Kabuki-cho

Address: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Category: Commercial Districts
Location: Shinjuku-ku

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Fodor's 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—deeply deplored and widely tolerated.

Kabuki-cho means unrefined nightlife at its best and raunchy seediness at its worst. 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 the regional sport here, and watered-down drinks can set you back ¥5,000 or more in a hostess club. Avoid the cheap nomiya under the railway tracks; chances are there's a client in at least one of them looking for a fight. All that said, you needn't be intimidated by the area: use your street-smarts, and it can be fun.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.