I visited Okinawa’s underground brothel district of Yoshiwara, located a short drive from Kadena Airbase out of Gate 2.
Hidden away behind a wall of residential homes are a handful of hole-in-the-wall brothels known as chonnoma in Japanese.
Prostitutes sit out front in the dark behind ajar doors where johns can peek inside and pay for sex at a reasonable rate of only ¥ 5,000 for 15 minutes.
This type of prostitution is now a rarity in Japan as of 2024 with the crack of down of chonnoma areas across the country by authorities over the past decade. Still, areas like Yoshiwara have been able to stay afloat, with law enforcement officials turning a blind eye to the activities taking place.
Besides Okinawa’s premier soapland district of Tsuji, and the now defunct area of Maehara that existed in conjunction with Yoshiwara as Okinawa’s two chonnoma areas.
Tsuji & Yoshiwara are the only two areas in Okinawa where one can pay for sex as a guaranteed service openly.
Where is Yoshiwara?
The area is accessible by car from central Naha and Kadena Airbase.
Head towards the “Yoshiwara Community Center” to get yourself to the center of the brothels.
Street parking is readily available in the area.
How much does sex cost in Yoshiwara?
Full-service sex is sold at Yoshiwara for a measly ¥5,000 for 15 minutes.
This is possibly one of the cheapest places in Japan to buy sex openly.
What to expect in Yoshiwara?
The area is eerily quiet as you walk through in the dark; you will find doors to the brothels on both sides of the street, with light shining through the cracks from within as a pink hue.
Prostitutes are seated slightly behind the doors, so to get a good view, one must peek their heads in physically to see who’s there in the dark.
If you find a provider you like, you can request a session to your liking.
The door behind you will be closed until you exit, indicating to passersby that the brothel is “busy.”
The area is active after dark and closes late into the evening past midnight.
The activities in this area have no legal standing and are entirely illegal. Thus, visitors should take precautions and understand the risks of having fun here.
Photography around the area is not welcomed, as I was warned by an unknown individual sitting on a rooftop nearby to put my phone away when I took these photos for the article.
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