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In 2023, approximately **** thousand motels and so-called love hotels were operating in Japan as part of the domestic sex industry. During the same year, around thousand businesses were directly active in or closely related to the Japanese sex industry.

 What are love hotels? 

Essentially, love hotels are short-stay motels, offering privacy for hourly or nightly rates to individuals, who look for intimate one-on-one interaction, but oftentimes live in small apartments with paper-thin walls or, similarly inconvenient, their family. Since love hotels are a popular end-destination for dates, they are a common sight in entertainment areas of cities, near stations or highways. In contemporary Japan, these specialized motels are an established and appreciated part of the domestic love and sex culture.

Love hotel rooms are typically equipped to fit the purpose: large beds, whirlpools, atmospheric lighting, and a selection of free condoms. Some love hotels offer themed rooms, from spaceship designs over opulent interiors inspired by the brothels of historic Japan to under-the-sea experiences. This feature not only attracts love birds on the hunt for an unconventional setting, but frequently serves as a unique backdrop for photoshoots or informal get-togethers among friends. 

 The Japanese sex industry

In Japan, prostitution is officially illegal, and pornographic content subject to strict censorship. The domestic adult entertainment industry, however, took advantage of legal loopholes to work around this ban. Businesses falling under the category of adult entertainment include, among others, adult-only bathhouses, massage parlors, strip clubs, call-girl services, as well as video- and phone-based services.