Japan is no longer viewed as a nation of sexual permissiveness, but there are still many mizu shobai establishments across Tokyo and other major cities. Modern Japanese sex clubs run the gamut from Girls Bars which are flirtatious, to Soaplands and Image Clubs which feed more carnal and fetishistic desires. Japanese sex clubs are typically exclusive affairs and are often unwelcoming to foreigners β though some Japanese language proficiency might help your case.
A piece of legal legislature officially outlawed prostitution in Japan, but a host of liberal interpretations of the law have led to an abundance of alternative options. Among the most popular alternatives are Soaplands, which are brothels in all but name. Soaplands present themselves as private bathhouses, where visitors can pay for a soapy massage, not unlike in a Turkish bathhouse, but with a little less physical battering involved and little more sexual pleasure.
An ordinary Soapland visit goes as follows: The client will undress for one or two hostesses, most likely garbed in provocative clothing, who then bathe said client in soapy water. An array of lotions, bubble baths, and lubricants are used, and in certain scenarios, the women will strip down and rub their bodies on the customer using their own skin as a sponge. You can also check out this extensive Soapland directory.
Typically the preserve of older Japanese men, girls bars are staffed by scantily clad waitresses who pour patrons drinks, light their cigarettes, and keep the conversation flowing, dropping the odd suggestive comment. Sex is not part of the trade at Girls Bars, though many hostesses are encouraged to go on extracurricular sojourns with regulars if invited in order to maintain their business β what happens on said sojourns is at the discretion of those involved.
Boys Bars, or Host Clubs, are the male equivalent of Girls Bars, typically staffed by young, attractive men with perfectly coiffed anime-esque hairstyles. Conceptually, they are similar to Girls Bars, though the hosts will often circulate between tables at the ring of a bell until the customers are asked to choose which host they favor for future visits.
