Japan’s Love Hotels: What You Need To Know

Above, an Osaka love hotel near Dotonbori. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Three years ago, we were heading to Osaka's Dotonbori section for a meal. However, we got to the street where (we thought) the restaurants were at but made a left turn instead of a right turn.

We ended up in a section of love hotels. Obviously, we made a wrong turn, so we made an about-face and headed to the foodie section. Before doing so, I snapped a few photos (after all, they would come in handy for a blog article).

I have heard of Japan's love hotels for years. There are some tourists who, despite having a regular hotel room, like to try one out for the "fun" of it.

What can you expect at a love hotel? Savvy Tokyo has an article that will answer all (or at least most) of your questions.

They begin with:

You’re walking along a busy, brightly-lit Tokyo street when you encounter a downright outlandish building with a private entrance and a sign reading “stay” (宿泊, shukuhaku) and “rest” (休憩, kyukei). The building has fancy lettering, typically neon signs and a quirky name like Hotel Oz, Casablanca or Hotel Fooo. By now you realize that you have not encountered a regular hotel — you’re standing in front of a Japanese rabuho, the not-so-hidden pay-by-the-hour (or night) pleasure accommodations for couples, secret lovers, and other forms of a one-time celebration of love. 

Love Hotels: History & Background 

No surprises here, a “love hotel” is essentially a no-tell motel, a short stay accommodation that offers hourly or nightly rates — in the name of love, whatever this means to the users. A rest or short stay can be anywhere from 2-4 hours and cost between ¥2,900-¥7,000 depending on the date and hotel, while a stay (typically overnight to 9 or 10 am), can cost anywhere from ¥3,900 to well over ¥20,000. Any room service items or meals that you order can add to these prices as well. 

The whole concept of a love hotel is not unique to Japan, but the modern term itself comes from Hotel Love, the first of this kind which opened in Osaka in 1968 and was soon followed by thousands of other love hotels throughout the country. They were originally meant as short stay destinations for couples needing a little privacy. During the early postwar period, young couples often still lived in extended family dwellings and as such, any one-on-one special moments had to be conducted elsewhere.

To read more, go here.