Japan is known for its unique cultural traditions, from sumo wrestling to sushi. However, one aspect of Japanese culture that often goes unnoticed is its commercial adult industry, specifically the Pink Salons.
Pink Salons are a type of brothel that offer adult services to men. Customers can pay for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more of time with the salon’s female employees.
Pink Salons exist in a legal grey area in Japan. While prostitution itself is technically illegal, there are no laws specifically prohibiting the operation of Pink Salons.
The name “Pink Salon” refers to the salon’s decor, which is typically pink or red. The girls are often dressed in provocative clothing or lingerie and the interiors are usually dimly lit and resemble an internet cafe, with each “room” (more like booths) being separated by a low wall.
There is also music playing like at a nightclub. They also feature private rooms and showers which are required according to Japanese law, because they are operating as “restaurants”.
Pink Salons are a popular destination for Japanese men, particularly those who are seeking a discreet way to fulfil their desires. Many Pink Salons are located in buildings with low human traffic, or underground, and are open late into the night.
How it works
Patrons have to pay a selection fee to choose the girl that they want, and they even have an “Omakase,” or “Chef’s choice,” because the establishments are operating under the guise of restaurants.
The basic “course” is one girl for 30 minutes, and they even have a course called the “Hanabira 3-kaiten” (or “Petals – 3 Rotations” in English), where the patron gets oral services from three girls one after another, where the man needs to “come” 3 times within 45 minutes.
After paying, the patron will be brought into the booths with the low walls and made to wait for the girl that they have chosen.
The girl will then go into the booth, where the first 5 minutes of the session will be spent engaging in conversation and getting to know each other.
Following that, the girl will sanitize the patron’s genitals with alcohol before the services begin, which includes kissing, hugging, “handheld” stimulation, 69, “oral stimulation” and “chest play”.
In the remaining time, the patron has to “finish” within 15 minutes, and the girl will talk them through it if they are struggling to finish.
Following the session, the girls will then write a special message card (or business card) to the customer to thank them for their patronage and to get them to come back again.
Three levels of Pink Salons
The Working Class
At a working-class pink salon, the rates are charged between 3,000 (SGD$29.88) yen to 5,000 yen (SGD$49.81) for a 30-minute session, where there are a wide variety of women to pick and choose from, although the “quality” of the women’s looks are of the lowest tiers.
The Middle Class
At a middle-class pink salon, the rates are charged between 5,000 (SGD$49.81) yen to 8,000 yen (SGD$79.69) for a 30-minute session, where the women are slightly more attractive than the Working Class level.
The Upper Class
At the upper-class pink salon, the rates are charged between 8,000 (SGD$79.69) yen to 10,000 yen (SGD$99.61) for a 30-minute session, where the women are the most good-looking of all the levels.
The prices at pink salons change frequently depending on the time of the day, with 3 different types of prices being segregated into morning, afternoon and evening; with the morning time slot being the cheapest option.
Girls get paid hourly wages
The girls working at Pink Salons get paid an hourly wage of around 3,000 yen per hour (or SGD$29.88), on top of the bonus that they receive for each customer that chooses them.
So even if there are no customers, the girls still get paid, although they do earn more from the commissions.
On average, the girls there service about 10-12 men per day, and they work without showering. Also, the only form of hygiene they practice is the sanitization of the customer’s genitals, and not themselves. Hence the risk of STDs is extremely high because they do not use condoms.
The establishments are also notoriously unfriendly to foreigners and very few accept customers of non-Japanese ethnicities.