Japan’s premiere full-service brothel district located in the Senzoku district of Taito ward in Tokyo. The area is home to the largest concentration of Soaplands in the country.
Contents
💡 What is Yoshiwara?
A pleasure quarters of the Edo period (1603-1868) established by the Tokugawa shogunate, under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Yoshiwara was formed to control the rampant prostitution occurring across the capitol Edo (Tokyo) at the time, isolating the activity from the rest of the city in 1617.
The area became a center of cultural and artistic expression, where the arts of dance, music and poetry flourished alongside the entertainment provided by the courtesans which included physical companionship.
Getting to Yoshiwara
The area of Yoshiwara is accessible via public transport with the nearest station being Minowa Station on the Tokyo Metro, Hibiya Line.
The station is accessible from central Tokyo within an hour’s ride from the cities major transit hubs.
| Station Name | Time Required | First Train To Minowa | Last Train From Minowa |
| Shinjuku Station | 35mins | 04:44 | 23:57 |
| Shibuya Station | 40mins | 04:37 | 23:57 |
| Ueno Station | 5mins | 04:33 | 00:14 |
| Asakusa Station | 15mins | 05:03 | 23:57 |
| Tokyo Station | 20mins | 05:01 | 00:08 |
| Hamamatsucho Station | 25mins | 04:55 | 00:08 |
| Shinagawa Station | 30mins | 04:48 | 00:08 |
| Yokohama Station | 45mins | 04:21 | 23:32 |
| Yokosuka Station | 1 hour 30mins | 04:41 | 22:45 |
| Fussa Station | 1 hour 15mins | 04:47 | 23:13 |
| Haneda Airport | 1 hour | 05:08 | 23:22 |
| Narita Airport | 1 hour 30mins | 05:32 | 22:45 |
From Minowa station, the walk to Yoshiwara will take you an additional 20minutes at around 1km/0.6miles away.
Free valet services to and back from various stations surrounding Yoshiwara are offered as a complimentary service at most reputable stores, especially high-end soaplands. The service can be requested, if available, during the booking process when making an appointment.
Keep in mind that you may be sharing the free ride with other punters during the trip there and back.
Pick up locations from the surrounding stations of Yoshiwara include
When opting to use a valet service, always confirm the pick-up location, car type and number plate with every booking made as these details can change over time.
Are foreigners welcome to Yoshiwara?
Foreign visitors are welcome to the area, though discrimination based on ethnicity and possibly your Japanese comprehension may be faced.
Issues as a foreigner with or without Japanese proficiency include
- Price discrimination
- No discounts and special offers
- Minimum course lengths
- Limited to no English-speaking staff and providers
- Limitations on reservation process and selection of providers offered
Foreigner Friendly Soaplands in Yoshiwara
Official Soapland Guide for Japan’s Brothels 2024 – How much does a Soapland cost?
Prices shown are for the total and shortest course offered to foreigners.
| Name | Japanese Price | Foreigner Price | Price Difference |
| Cospara | ¥21,900/50mins | ¥41,900/50mins | ¥20,000 |
| Blue Tokyo | ¥65,000/120mins | ¥75,000/120mins | ¥10,000 |
| Versailles | ¥80,000/120mins | ¥90,000/120mins | ¥10,000 |
| Karafurubu | ¥25,000/70mins | ¥52,000/70mins | ¥27,000 |
| Martini | ¥80,000/120mins | ¥100,000/120mins | ¥20,000 |
| Casanova | ¥27,000/80mins | ¥55,000/80mins | ¥28,000 |
| Soaplande Tokyo | ¥24,000/50mins | ¥34,000/50mins | ¥10,000 |
| Ailedore | ¥80,000/120mins | ¥80,000/120mins | ¥0 |
| Alice Café | ¥21,900/50mins | ¥41,900/50mins | ¥20,000 |
| Club39 | ¥19,000/60mins | ¥29,000/60mins | ¥10,000 |
| Tokyo Bunny’s Club | ¥83,000/120mins | ¥93,000/120mins | ¥10,000 |
Last updated as of July 8th 2024
🙆♂️ What services are offered at Yoshiwara?
The basic services offered at all soaplands in Yoshiwara include
- Showering
- Bathing
- Kissing
- Blowjob
- Nuru Nuru Massage*
- Full-service sex
*Variations in service will differ by store and duration of service. Full-service sex is always guaranteed with no additional tipping required.
What kind of sex workers can I meet at Yoshiwara?
What is “Yoshiwara Age”?
The misleading advertised age of sex workers in Yoshiwara. This applies to the vast majority of soaplands in the area with the exception of a few.
Follow this guideline to get a general idea on the actual age of the provider your interested in.
| Yoshiwara Age | Real Age |
| 20yo | 20-22yo |
| 21yo | 23-25yo |
| 22yo | 26-28yo |
| 23yo | 29-31yo |
| 24yo | 32-34yo |
| 25yo | 35-37yo |
| 26yo+ | 38yo+ |
What is “Panel Magic”?
Photoshopped images used in Japan’s sex industry to make the sex worker look more attractive to potential clients.
Soaplands in Yoshiwara are known for their heavy-handed use of “Panel Magic” to the point that the soaplands in this area have become synonymous with the term.
Alternations in color, shape and size of the photographed individual are to be expected. Imagery used on the stores official website should be compared with other sources like blogs or social network accounts for further clarification.
What to expect visiting Yoshiwara
Official Soapland Guide for Japan’s Brothels 2024 – What to expect visiting a Soapland?
Touts
Solicitation on the streets beyond the businesses territory is strictly prohibited in Yoshiwara. Rest assured, there aren’t any pesky street touts roaming the area.
Unless you don’t have any options on where to go engaging in these touts standing outside of their stores isn’t recommended.
Do your research before visiting so you don’t have to wander around aimlessly around Yoshiwara when visiting.
Information Centers
If you didn’t do any research before visiting the area. Instead of engaging with a street tout, an alternative is to visit a café that are operate as a defacto “Soapland Information Center”.
They provide visitors with information about the availability and costs of the surrounding stores tailored to your budget and tastes.
They can call the soaplands on your behalf and ask questions like “Are foreigners OK”?
Keep in mind that the soaplands you’ll be introduced to will already have dealings with the café as they work off commissions on successful leads.
👣 First time visitor Yoshiwara
Official Soapland Guide for Japan’s Brothels 2024 – First time visitor a Soapland
When should I visit Yoshiwara?
Being the largest soapland district in Japan, Yoshiwara welcomes domestic & international travelers dropping by the capitols Red-Light-District year-round.
The area is open for business from sunrise to midnight, 365 days a year with each business having it’s own hours with no uniformity.
The busiest times during the year can be observed around
- Days before, during, and after Public Holidays
- Golden Week (April 29th to May 5th)
- Bonus Paychecks months around June/July & December/January
- Obon – (August 13th to August 16th)
Do you need to make a reservation when visiting?
Reservations are recommended, though walk-ins are welcome at most soaplands with availability at the time. Popular providers get booked well in advance and should always be reserved when the opportunity arises with schedules being posted on social networks or official channels.
Yoshiwara Soapland Map
🔎 Helpful Resources
Everything you need to know about Japan's commercial sex scene in Tokyo and beyond. From Escorts to Soaplands, the only source you need
Top