In Japan, there is a designated time and place for most everything, love included. A stolen kiss in a restaurant or bar is sure to draw a disapproving glance. Affection has its proper setting: in one-hour increments in themed hotels, perhaps shaped like a pirate ship and with a neon entrance sign. Today there are 37,000 such establishments across the country. They are known as “love hotels.”
The concept dates back to the Edo period (1603–1868), when the capital’s densely packed wooden buildings concealed discreet inns called kashi-zashiki. The entrances were often tucked into alleyways, and exits were reached through tunnels, allowing paramours to avoid detection.
