- [Blair] When you hear
the term love hotel, what do you think about? You might think of something
more commonly found in a red light district,
or you might think of something a little bit weirder. Well, luckily for us, we're going to go down
the weird path today. Hey there, and welcome
back to the channel. I'm Blair, or the iilluminaughtii. And today we're gonna
dive into a very odd, but very entertaining topic, all about Japanese love hotels. So I plan on traveling to Japan in a couple of years
with some of my friends, and that's something
I'm really excited for. And naturally, when I find something new, I plan, and plan some more, and then over plan and
then exhaust myself. So one of the things I did was look into numerous YouTube videos. While most had a very
homemade and casual style, there was one channel in particular that caught my attention, Abroad in Japan, which side note, very cool channel. I highly recommend checking out his stuff. It's just generally entertaining. His videos were clean, well put together, and had a good storyline. And this is where I was introduced to the concept of a love hotel. From there, I was a little weirded out, but oddly fascinated by this concept and I wanted to know more. So I dug around through other channels trying to find videos, footage, and info, even going to channels
like Exploring with Josh, which is another great
channel, by the way. And watching videos about
abandoned love hotels. I would literally watch anything with love hotel in the title. So finally, the time has arrived for me to spread my wings and
dive into the history of why love hotels even
became a thing in Japan. I'm so incredibly hooked
and sunk into this weird, but cool concept for a hotel. And I do low-key envision myself making love hotel videos of my
own when I travel out there. I would love to spend a day
just going from hotel to hotel and just seeing what I
could possibly walk into. - [Female Voice] Hello, friends. - And that leads us to this video. Since I can't be there right
away to go love hotel hopping, I decided it's probably best for me to get somewhat acquainted
with what's the history behind how and why love hotels even became into existence in Japan now. But before we get too
far into today's video, I want to give a big thank you to Filmora for sponsoring today's video. Filmora is an editing software that I've actually used since late 2014. And it was my first editing software I ever really got my hands on. I know a lot of you DM me asking me how to start a YouTube channel
and to start making videos. And aside from deciding
what content you wanna make, you need a good editing software. And especially for beginners, Filmora is really easy to use
and it's really affordable. And it's actually what I use to make my intros and
outros to all of my videos. Yes, these intros and outros. I made these with Filmora. What's really great about this software is that with just a few clicks, you can easily transform videos into amazing pieces of content, and everything is structured and organized in a clear and understandable way, and it saves a lot of time
during the editing process. You can do things from integrating
interesting title cards, to adding transitions, and
adding effects to videos to make them pop just a little bit more. And now, Filmora also has film
stocks built right into it. And you might be asking,
but Blair, what is that? Film stocks is one stop
shop for you to download royalty free effects,
templates, stock photos, sound effects, stock images, and more. So everything is integrated
right into the software and is ready for you to use to get started on your
next editing adventure. So, if you're interested in
trying out Filmora for yourself, make sure to use my link
in the description box to get started. And again, a big thank you to Filmora for sponsoring today's video. And now, let's dig into all the weird and interesting backstory that creates what is now Japan's series of love hotels. So according to Wikipedia, a love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world, operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for (coughs) sexual activities. Yeah, okay. So, no doubt that in Japanese culture sex is more embraced than not. Just look at this condom shop
located in central Tokyo. But there's one question
that boggles my mind over any other, how did this happen? Did some guy just sit on a bench and decide, "Oh, sex hotels,
the place where you play with the bit bops and the tee tots." "Now that's a good idea!" Well, the history is a bit more
surprising than I expected. Japanese love hotels
originated in the 17th century during the Edo period, and
sparked in Ito and Kyoto. Buildings decorated to look
like an inn or tea house had procedures for discreet entrances. Some of these buildings
even had secret tunnels. ♪ Secret tunnel ♪ - Inside these erotic areas, there were prostitutes and geishas for illegal sexual activities. Nowadays, modern love hotels
were inspired by tea rooms in which prostitutes and their clients, but sometimes lovers, would come as well. Shortly after the tragic
events of World War II, Tsurekomi yado, otherwise translated as "bring-along inns" were established. These were lodgings run by
families with limited rooms. Bring-along inns first opened in Tokyo as occupational forces
demanded hotels in the area. These small hotels,
which would later inspire modern love hotels, boomed
in popularity after 1958 when legal prostitution was abolished. 1960s Japanese housing trends
show that smaller houses with sleeping areas were
common during daytime hours. This resulted in little chance for parents to engage privately in sexual manners. Married couples were
fed up and began to go to love hotels to escape
their crowded homes. In 1961, approximately 2700 Tsurekomi inns were in Tokyo alone. Damn! These hotels offered new
and quirky attractions such as vibrating beds and swings. Not a joke. The modern name of a love hotel originated from "Hotel Love", the very first hotel of this nature which opened in Osaka in 1968. Theming is prominent in love hotels, so it's no surprise that the first castle designed love
hotel, the Meguro Emperor, opened in 1973. Now, what is surprising is that the Meguro Emperor earned an average of 40 million yen monthly. Additionally, in the early 1980s, love hotels were beginning
to shift marketing toward a female audience. A bit shocking, right? Well, a 2013 study actually showed results that couples room choices 90% of the time were made by the women. With such a huge sway,
the love hotel owners had to quickly adjust in order
to keep business flowing. Shortly after, in 1984, the Businesses Affecting
Public Morals Regulation Law ordered love hotels under
jurisdiction of law enforcement. Since regulations became tight, many new hotels were being built to avoid being labeled as a love hotel. These new hotels avoided
any bizarre decorations and interior designs,
and were very, very mild in comparison to previous love hotels. Continuing the trend in the 80s and 90s, love hotels became a
symbol as a date spot. To the average Japanese
citizen during this period, going to a love hotel with your partner was a standard dating practice. In 2010, the Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Law was amended. A stricter set of rules and limitations made it difficult to tell the difference between regular hotels and love hotels. With love hotel companies'
desires to seem unique and more fashionable than the competitors, a new code was used. Besides dubbing themselves
as a "love hotel", they lean toward alternate names. Some of these names
included romance hotel, leisure hotel, amusement
hotel, fashion hotel, couples hotel, and boutique hotel. Love hotels were popular
during the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Competition continued to increase causing more franchises to
create more unique names. If you think the castle hotel was odd, you have a whole lot more coming. Companies decided on themes ranging from fairytales to a jungle. Pretty weird, right? Springing forward to the present, Japanese love hotels
are still a major part of the dating and sex industry. Tourists are attracted to these hotels and prefer the cheaper prices. Unfortunately for the love hotel biz, since many single people live alone, the need for staying at these
establishments has decreased. With the 2020 Olympics
being held soon in Tokyo, the government is wanting to convert failing love hotels into regular hotels. But what do modern love
hotels offer anyway? Well, many citizens and
tourists look for them for their cheap prices,
unneeded reservation fee, and their interesting designs. Honestly, love hotels are Japan's version of the Western "No-tell motel". Love hotels usually charge hourly rates versus nightly rates. Now, what could possibly
be inside a suite? Most major inns will have a jacuzzi bath, shower, large flat screen TV, a small kitchen, mini
fridge with mini bar, microwave, kettle, and
a large king size bed. The bathroom will contain
all the regular amenities, which would include shampoo,
conditioner, soap, et cetera. Don't worry, there's always
free condoms included, most commonly located in a
small box next to the bed. As previously mentioned with competition, some hotels will have
different accommodations. Usually higher-end hotels will include product rental services
such as a phone charger. Another common addition
is a karaoke machine. These are found at almost all inns. Some love hotel chains we'll
even have a loyalty system in which per nights you
stay, or how much you spend, you can receive prizes. What prizes? You might ask. Well, for the most part, the prizes will be a bag
with the hotel's name on it, wallets, gift certificates,
or even tickets to an event, but why do they exist? According to National Geographic, Japan's death rate is exceeding births. Marriage is dropping, and younger people just aren't having sex. The Japanese press calls this phenomenon "celibacy syndrome". This trend has the Japanese government spending tax money into the
dating and sex business. Japan is also funneling
funds into speed dating and matchmaking services, as they are afraid of
an economic collapse. According to data, Japan
has a reason to fear. Recently, the sex industry is in decline. For one, as Psychologist
and Harvard Professor Craig Malkin describes,
while gaming and pornography ever cure our loneliness, over time, they do become an
incredibly addictive salve. And that makes it easier and easier to turn away from people
and go to cyberspace. This occurrence is also being noted in other countries other than
Japan, including America. With the unexpected and risky
chances in relationships, many Japanese citizens avoid intimacy. This is not to say that
every Japanese citizen is like this though. Because of these behavioral patterns, the sex industry that fuels
these hotels is declining. National Geographic States that
millennials and generation Z who grew up immersed in technology are having less sex than
any previous generation. Since millennials and gen Z are
the upcoming target audience for these businesses, this
is bad news for love hotels. Though, since many do not seek these forms of pleasures,
love hotels stand out and are still a major tourist attraction. So why don't we dive into
some of these designs behind the safe screens of the internet? Okay. So this is "Hello Kinky Kitty." Won't be able to look at
Hello Kitty the same again. I mean, isn't Hello Kitty
aimed towards children? I'm aware of Rule 34 exists, and I know many, many people
have an odd fascination with lewded animated characters, but I don't know if this is something I would be genuinely okay with staying in if I was there for
(coughs) personal reasons. And this is a merry-go-round sex room. It gives a whole new
meaning to riding bareback that I never considered. And honestly, I'd like
to stop considering. And this, I couldn't tell
what this one was at first, but it turns out this
is a "Jurassic Park". Yes, a "Jurassic Park" themed love hotel. I mean, "Jurassic Park" is cool, but I don't think of it as something that would turn people on. But then again, I think
about it and I'm like, "Well, no, well, maybe, hmm, no." A cage themed hotel. Just a cage pretty much. I mean, listen, if you wanna exercise your kinky right to get down
and feel some type of way, and this is how you feel
like it, then do it. As long as you're not hurting anyone and it remains legal, have at it I guess. It's also probably a lot cheaper to not have to buy any of
these things for your home. I don't know. I might be thinking a little
too much into this one, but if I was in a situation
where I was putting someone into a cage, I definitely
would not want it at my home. Nana, Nana, Nana, Nana, Batman! (laughs) Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can pay to have sex in
a batcave, only in Japan. And honestly, I'm kinda sold. But that's enough of that for now. I have to save some of
the mystery for when I hopefully visit some of these odd places for myself in the future. So, the remaining question is, how do these hotels interweave
with Japan's culture? Japanese sex culture
dates to the Edo period, the same time love hotels began to pop up. Coincidence? Pornography in Japan started
as early as the 17th century, and many erotic artworks were formed. For example, shungas were
created on wood block prints. Shunga is a main artistic genre of wood block printing found in Japan. It's translated into English roughly meaning "picture of spring" with spring referring to sex. These artworks were created along with the ukiyo-e artistic movement in which they combined
aesthetics of everyday life, most commonly with
depictions of sexuality. Everyone loved this artwork back then, men, women, rich, poor. It is possible that the
followers of this movement influenced the desire and creation of love hotels in the 17th century. Mediums more recently, such
as film, manga, and anime, have also sparked more
interest in the sex business. In the Japanese film industry, mainstream pornography did not appear until pink films in the 1960s. A pink film in Japan is essentially an erotic theatrical performance. The name pink comes from
the feminine appeal, and from the Japanese who
associated pink with vaginas. Again, not making this up,
but kind of makes sense. As the film industry grew, more
legal forms of adult videos made their appearances slowly with their major peak in the 1980s. Adult videos, unlike pink
films, were accessible from home rather than going to a
theatrical performance. With the invention of
adult videos on tapes, many genres of pornography
became available. As with manga and anime, the sex spectrum has only increased. Erotic manga or anime, or hentai,
has increased this desire. Like adult videos, manga and
anime have many sub-genres. These forms of entertainment
have influenced and carried on the sex
industry especially, though it is not to get
confused with prostitution. With all these cultural aspects
that define Japan's history, it is no wonder that love hotels shortly followed these movements. Personally, from an analyzing perspective, I believe that these movements
have had influence over the current Japanese media,
such as anime and manga. It is important to understand the culture behind such an odd thing
such as love hotels, to truly understand the
bizarre demand for them. Taking all these factors
on of what love hotels are, why they exist, and the reasoning behind the themes and cultural connections, I can see a sense of understanding. I mean, living in the West, we have odd cultures that other countries can't really relate to either. Would I want to go to a love hotel? Not for its intended
purposes, but I can respect Japan's culture for what
they're doing there. After all, we should respect all cultures to try and better
understand this wild world. Well, here we are at the
end of another video. So, tell me, what did you
guys think about love hotels? And have you ever been to one? And which one of these love hotels that I showed you guys, did
you find to be the strangest? Let me know your thoughts in
the comment section down below. And if you guys enjoyed this video, go ahead and do me a solid
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making it to another video. I love you so much, and I'll see you in the next one. Bye! (upbeat music)
