I was wondering how popular are these establishments to the people living in Japan. I understand that there is enough for multiple of these establishments to flourish. But is it like assume every person goes to one of these, assume like most men go to them, or is it like just some people? Also do most people go just once in a while or are the main customers frequent goers? Sorry if this question seems weird, I’m just trying to figure it out in my head.
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/v558dq/how_common_is_going_to_a_soapland_or_other/
23 comments
You’re not allowed to get a driver’s license in Japan without having visited a soapland at least three times. They check your stamp card at the entrance.
My man wants to do it!
I’d say the majority of men above 30 have at least tried it once, but only some men go frequently, like once a month. Completely my guess based on the people around me though.
Why do you think there are so many of them?
From talking to Japanese friends it seems common enough among men that they talk openly about it with other men and it isn’t a big deal. Some frequent it, some have been a couple of times, some don’t go at all.
I suspect it’s a bit of an oldschool thing that is dying off. It used to be a relatively big part of salaryman culture. Older white-collar workers have probably been to one with colleagues
I think kyabakura would be more frequent, from what I hear, but I’ve definitely been talked to quite openly about this stuff from enough other men to believe it’s fairly widespread.
It is likely possible you will be able to find someone not into this sort of thing, if you look hard enough.
I’d say pretty common even these days. I’ve heard that Japanese wives don’t consider it cheating so they turn a blind eye.
One thing I’m pretty sure is that this culture is becoming less common every year. I guess Japanese people have less disposable income.
Talking to people over 40, it seems that the majority of them tell stories about their father openly going to pink salons with their mother only objecting to the fact hat it costs so much money and might impact the family budget.
Soapland is a very specific and niche adult establishment. It is a tiny fraction and also old fashioned (i.e. dying out). There were a lot more soaplands 20 years ago than now, where delivery is more common. So the older the person you ask, the more likely. It is also very expensive even by Japanese standards. So many people have never gone but then again you aren’t likely to ask a countryside farmer this question. Everyone knows someone who’s gone. I know plenty.
1. Men won’t admit to going even if they did go.
2. Men will definitely not tell their female friends, girlfriend etc if they have been.
3. From my personal experience and stories from my close friends: we go when we have a drought, drunk, lonely, bucks party, too damn ugly to get a girl.
If you see a bunch guys in sweats and sandals, with a small bag of their toiletries during the afternoon, chances are they are doing some communal bonding at the soapland.
If you are in the area where there are high traffic sex shop areas, it looks like a common off day passing time sort of thing for men. I’ve heard some treat it like “sports”. Even women forgive it easily.
My company has a lot of business trips that we pay for the workers travels. I wouldn’t be surprised if they write in their entertainment stuff on their credit cards and pass it on to the company.
To specifically answer your question, yes there most certainly is a large portion of people who frequent those type of places. There’s a huge variety too, for all sorts of kinks and themes.
All in all, the sex related services are rampant and it’s also a casual topic among men. It’s barely taboo. Even if a guy has a gf, it’s still fair game, he will still be asked to go. Specifically the lighter stuff like soap, massage or pinsaro (actual piv penetration with a prostitute starts to get into iffy moral territory in my experience)
It is rapidly changing with the new generation but I think you can expect your average young single male to have at least gone, or somewhat frequently take advantage of those services.
Correct me if I’m wrong but it seems a lot like smoking weed in the US – of course if you are morally against it or afraid of drugs you won’t do it – but most people do it or have done it once
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“doing research for a friend”
almost all of them don’t accept foreigners so you can stop your fantasy
Even my “bad boy” friends who’ve been to a lot of them seemed to have been soured by a few experiences and have decided to enjoy their wives more. But probably the majority of my male friends who I could talk with about that kind of stuff have no interest.
Seems Susukino (Sapporo’s area) is mostly older men going late after work drunk whenever I drive through that area. Not sure if it’s the disposable income like others have mentioned or just the image of the area.
Pretty common, i ask my stepdad about all the women displayed right outside every corner in a shopping district, he said they’re soaplands and naked women will bathe you and he said it with no hesitation or awkwardness (he didnt go to specifics), my mom who’s a foreigner living here for more than 30 years encourage me to try it. Lol
I’m already 23 that time. I’d rather get the real
Seggs
Can I go there with my girlfriend is the more important question.
Common. My husband has coworkers who wanted to go to one after a drinking party. He said he was married and they tried to pressure him saying they were too and it wasn’t a big deal. This wasn’t a small group and they all seemed like they had done it before.
So yeah. I’d say common enough at least. But I wouldn’t trust it. Knew some guys who got STDs from places where they sucked you off too.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if this is part of why the marriage sex life goes down the drain whicH seems to be common in Japan. I wouldn’t want to have sex with my husband if I suspected he was fucking prostitutes or engaging with them to some degree and might bring home an std… (although it could be that the lack of sex leads to the soap land visits but I feel like guys here are just kind of scummy since almost every married guy I taught when I was a private English teacher would hint at wanting to fuck me – even the very young ones… though of course, obligatory “not all men”.)
My first boss invited me to go with him on my first day of work.
Anecdotally from working in three companies, the vast majority of men go at least once a year.
Many years ago I was an English tutor for a Korean family that owned a bunch of soaplands in Japan. Their daughter went to an international school and needed help with her homework. They picked me up in the biggest Mercedies-Benz I have ever seen and drove me to their house. While in the car I came up with my fee… 10.000 yen an hour. The mother quickly agreed,… when I got to their house there were two more of the same car in their triple garage. I should have waited to see their house before deciding my fee. And for those who want to ask… no I didn’r get anything extra.
Edit….I figured out the cars… they were Mercedes-Benz 600SEL… they went for $140,000 in 1992