As it was now the fourth day of the New Year, the Red Light was back in full swing, just as The Princess had predicted. There were a lot of discreet looking establishments, and the folks on the street were almost exclusively dudes, excluding a few couples (or possibly “couples”), and one dressed up young lady who was clearly waiting for… no one in particular.
Unlike in the States, Prostitution is legal in Japan, and Japanese people are definitely not all prudy and puritanical about sex like most folks are in the West. Based on what I’ve been able to learn from The Princess and The Google, Japanese Red Light Districts have many types of sex establishments offering a wide range of services.
In addition to the obvious possibilities, there are also some pretty creative elaborations, including themed costume joints; telephone pickup services; “Love Hotels,” where you can discreetly rent a suggestive bedroom by the hour; “Pink Salons,” being dimly lit cafe/bars serving drinks and blowjobs; and Soaplands, where you get a legitimate (and, from what I’ve read, quite elaborate) full-body massage/bath from a naked lady which ultimately culminates in… whatever you want it to.
To be entirely honest, I’m not sure that legalized prostitution is necessarily a bad thing. As a Marxist and a feminist, I’m definitely majorly down on sexploitation (not to be confused with a sexplosion!)—but on the other hand, you can’t get rid of prostitution by making it illegal, though you can make it a lot safer for the prostitutes involved by making it legal.
The places we walked by were clean, professional establishments with bouncers, the ability to call the police, and the right to refuse service to anyone. My guess is that most hookers in the States can’t claim access to the same working conditions.
Does that make it “right?”
Who knows.
It’s basically irrelevant to me either way, but I personally don’t see what the big deal is. As George Carlin once put it, “Selling is legal. Fucking is legal. Why isn’t selling fucking legal?!”
Beyond the carnal canals of the One Night Carnival part of town, we wound our way to one of Hiroshima’s many rivers, and walked along its banks to watch displays of holiday lights dancing romantically upon the water.
In the grocery store on the way home, we found a shrine to Kagome, the Veggie Mutilator!
They even have versions featuring seasonal fruits and veggies, the flavors of which change throughout the year!
Kagome is so fucking amazing!!!
Returning home, I found my socks freshly folded as only a Japanese mother would do.
Arigatou, Naoko-San!
0 comments on “One Night Carnival” Add yours →