We're having sex inside Moby Dick! The wild architectural world of Japan's love hotels
French photographer François Prost has been on a 3,000km pilgrimage of passion, driving from Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, to the island of Shikoku in the south, to document Japan's unique architecture of furtive liaisons. What he found spans from manga-embellished motels and Christmas-themed love nests to pastel-hued stage sets worthy of Wes Anderson. And some things stranger than your most eccentric kinks could dream of.
Some of the reviews don't inspire confidence. 'I found a pillow with dried semen,' reads one
'I find love hotels culturally fascinating,' says Prost, whose previous projects have included photographing the facades of strip clubs in the US and nightclubs in Ivory Coast. 'Japan is generally a fairly conservative society, but these are places of escapism, fantasy and almost childlike wonder. And you find them everywhere.'
Estimates vary, but some put the number of love hotels – or rabu hoteru – in the country as high as 37,000. They pop up in city centres and rural villages, at busy highway junctions and secluded among fields in the middle of nowhere. As Prost's photographs show vividly, they come in all shapes, sizes and stylistic genres.
Some are modelled on castles, topped with pink crenelations and turquoise turrets. Some look like alpine chalets, others like tiki huts, while plenty are modelled on cruise ships, promising to take you on a voyage to love paradise. Whether French chateaux get your juices flowing or you have a penchant for Arabian onion domes, there's a place waiting for you to be greeted by an anonymous receptionist, pay for a kyukei, or 'rest', and live out your carnal dreams.
While most of the buildings in Prost's book date from the 1960s onwards, the Japanese love hotel has its origins as far back as the 1600s. They began to emerge during the Edo period, in the form of discreet establishments known as deai chaya, or lovers' teahouses, where couples could meet away from the prying family gaze.
They looked like regular teahouses from the outside, but were designed with secretive entrances and multiple exits, and – crucially, for a shoes-off-at-the-door society – somewhere for customers to hide their footwear so as not to be identified.
By the early 20th-century Shōwa era, these teahouses had transformed into themed, colourful places that offered a sense of escape from the daily routine. Japan's postwar economic boom saw love hotels blossom into elaborate sexual amusement parks in the 1970s and 80s, with themes ranging from fairytale to sci-fi to medieval cosplay.
The country's high population density, small apartment sizes and tradition of living at home until marriage helped fuel the appetite for places for people to meet in private. Some have also put love hotels' continuing success down to the sexual liberation of women in Japan, sometimes highlighting the cute, cartoonish nature of the decor – designed to feel safe and inviting, rather than tacky and sordid.
Quite different from seedy pay-by-the-hour motels elsewhere in the world, love hotels aim to cater to everyone. In his 2005 book, Law in Everyday Japan, legal scholar Mark D West estimated that Japanese couples make more than half a billion trips to love hotels each year, suggesting that as much as half of all sexual intercourse in Japan could be taking place in these establishments. In turn, that would mean that a good deal of the country's population were conceived on a rotating bed, in a beshackled boudoir, or inside a fantastical tropical grotto surrounded by model dinosaurs.
Prost's photographs don't take you inside the bedrooms (there are other books for that), but instead focus on the exterior iconography of the hotels. Far from fading into the background, they stand as loud roadside billboards, designed to be easily identifiable by libidinous couples at a glance from a moving vehicle.
Who could miss the Hotel Artia Dinosaur, which rises on the corner of a highway intersection in Machida city near Tokyo, crowned with a huge T rex? A tableau of a Jeep being crushed by a velociraptor at the entrance sets the tone. Online reviews warn that the bedroom doors lock automatically once you're inside, and you have to call reception to be let out – a feature common to love hotels, but here adding an extra frisson of danger, in tune with the Jurassic Park-inspired theme.
Or might you live out your Moby-Dick fantasy at the huge pink concrete whale of Hotel Festa Qugiela, in Okayama, which waits ready to swallow you inside its grinning mouth? Or embrace the kinky King Kong spirit at the LaLa Resort in Kobe? It features a massive gorilla climbing up its bright red and orange-striped facade, and a model tiger keeping watch over the underground car park (a common feature so punters can be shuttled directly to their rooms).
'The hotels are often designed so you don't have to cross paths with anyone else,' says Prost. 'You can go straight from your car into a lift going up, and there is always a separate lift to go back down, to avoid bumping into people. A lot of the hotels don't even have receptionists any more – you book online, or choose your room from an automatic vending machine.'
The faded decor and tatty appearance of many of the establishments makes you wonder if love hotels are becoming a thing of the past. A lot of them have the forlorn look of semi-abandoned amusement parks, with flaking paintwork and sun-bleached signage. And some of the online reviews don't inspire much confidence.
Who could resist the lure of Shibuya's Sweets Hotel, a pink battenberg fantasy dripping with huge slices of cake, cookies and plastic icing? It turns out those aren't the only treats on offer. 'I found a pillow with dried semen,' reads one review. 'The walls and doors were covered in scratch marks,' says another, 'more fitting for a murder hotel than a love hotel.' 'This place is gone now,' adds the most recent entry. 'Too bad.'
Despite some seedy failures, Prost says that love hotels are still just as popular as ever, and they are evolving to keep up with changing habits. 'Nowadays, many young people go to love hotels to have parties,' he says. 'They have karaoke machines, big TVs, massage chairs and hot tubs – people rent them in groups for a few hours.'
The Bali An group, for example, offers big rooms for joshi-kai, or girls' nights out, complete with bars, 75in TVs and eight-person beds. The rooms also come with hammocks and camping equipment. After castles, cruise ships and cartoons, glamping appears to be the latest love hotel design trend, so you can sample the romance of the great outdoors without venturing outside.
Love Hotel is out now. The Love Hotel exhibition is at Galerie du jour Agnès B, Paris, until 18 May
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Los Angeles Times
Showcase Travel-Inspired Decor to Tell the Story of Your Summer Adventures
Soon, summer will start to wind your travels and all of the wonderful memories you've made this summer should exist both in your camera roll and your own home. Right now, the 'Peak Travel' movement showcases just that. It encourages people to put physical decorations from their vacations into their home so the memories can stick around. This mindset is one that overlaps with resort-core, a design trend described as 'a slower, intentional, and expressive way of life.' It's where desire meets design…vacation finds and tactile comforts and artisanal keepsakes layered into everyday living. You can have and relive your own adventures by bringing home and intentionally layering decor from previous trips in your own home. That part, layering with intention, matters. The difference between a space that tells a story and one that just feels overly messy comes down to editing. 'Edit thoughtfully. Bring home pieces that move you, then give them space to stand out,' say the founders of Olive Ateliers, a Los Angeles studio that hunts for antiques and artifacts from all over the world. 'A found statue from France on its own pedestal or a Confit Jar from Puglia centered on a table lets the story become the hero.' The real flex is curating what's already in your home rather than filling it. After all, your home is supposed to also be inviting, right? In fact, the best travel-inspired spaces both include the rich history and culture of the places they're inspired by while also feeling comfortable and lived-in. Fill that woven basket that reminds you of Tulum with cozy throw blankets to grab while snuggling on the couch for movie night on a Tuesday. Create small, intentionally focused vignettes, and let each piece speak for itself. 'We love creating small moments around a single special find, perhaps pairing a French antique sourced from the markets with your favorite books or art. It's not about recreating another place, but about evoking a memory or feeling tied to your travels,' Olive Ateliers explains. Your decorating doesn't need to be super on-the-nose for this in order to evoke a memory or story. You don't need a giant Eiffel Tower print to remember your Paris might instead bring home a small ceramic dish from a flea market and place it by your front door to hold keys. Or maybe you fell in love with the deep indigo textiles in Kyoto and came back with a hand-dyed pillow cover. Using handcrafted details, another popular home design trend making a comeback right now, can go hand in hand with your travel decor. These pieces both look good and feel good, and are special because you can almost feel the story of how the piece came to be. That ceramic bowl you haggled for at a Moroccan market? It's already right on trend. When you travel, you notice the way spaces feel, not just how they look. A tiled courtyard in Mexico has a different kind of coolness underfoot than a sisal rug in Portugal. Back home, you can mix those tactile cues to create a space that reminds you of both. What if you layer a vintage rug under a woven bench? Or…add linen curtains next to a smooth plaster wall, or place a stone tray on a wooden table? All of those bring that sensory depth into your daily life. You can also material drench by covering your space in the same texture or tone; it can be a subtle way to pay homage to a place you've visited. Think an all-linen bedding setup inspired by a Greek island stay, or a bathroom done entirely in warm terracotta to make it seem like you're in the desert hotels of Morocco. And try to look past the rooms themselves. The dining table can tell a story of your travels. It's those little touches from trips that can slip into everyday meals, not just saved for special occasions like a personalized tablescape. Try pairing personalized napkins with handmade plates or vintage glassware and all of a sudden... eating at home on a Tuesday suddenly becomes something a little more special, a little more transportive. When everything feels coordinated but not matching well, guests will know there is a story there, even if you never share the details. That mismatched set of Portuguese wine glasses? The linen runner from Oaxaca? They don't have to 'go together' in a traditional sense. They just have to feel like you. What makes this trend work isn't the price tag but the meaning. A $12 flea market bowl can share space with a custom-framed painting and feel just as important. Adding these travel touches pretty much anywhere in your house can feel inspired. Living rooms, dining areas, guest bathrooms, nothing's off limits. Maybe you line a hallway with framed matchbooks from restaurants you loved. Or your office could get a tiny shelf for souvenirs and old photo albums. That big wall in the hallway? Hang a row of black-and-white prints from your favorite city walks, and suddenly it feels… alive. One of the biggest parts of keeping travel-inspired decor working over time is giving each thing a real home. Move things around with the seasons. That woven basket from Bali? Use it for blankets in the living room in winter, then shift it out to the patio in summer for towels. Local finds that fit with what you already have slide in easily, too. It also makes it easier to tweak your space as you go. Pick one or two things to tie it all together, like a color palette, a texture, maybe even a motif like calming plants or geometric patterns. Then all your pieces start to feel like they belong in the same space, even if they're from completely different countries or eras.
Eater
a day ago
- Eater
Charleston Chef Jacques Larson Heads Up New Hotel Restaurant in Savannah
is an editor of Eater's South region, covering Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, New Orleans, and the Carolinas. She has been writing about the food scene in the Carolinas and Savannah for 12 years. Erin has resided in Charleston, South Carolina, for the past 20 years. Two-time James Beard Award nominee chef Jacques Larson (Wild Olive, the Obstinate Daughter, and Beardcat's Sweet Shop) will have a new restaurant in Savannah next year. Lester's will be part of boutique hotel the Douglas. While the 14 East Oglethorpe Avenue hotel is up and running now, construction is happening at 18 East Oglethorpe Avenue for more guest rooms and a full-service restaurant. Lester's will be in the basement of the upcoming property, with outdoor seating as well. It will serve lunch and dinner daily. While the menu is a ways out, Larson says it will lean French. 'The space is very small, he says, 'And on top of that, there's no hood system over there, so we really had to think of what we could do. For me, it was a no-brainer to do an oyster bar.' He says to expect small plates, like terrines and pates, in addition to a few larger items. When Larson joined the team at the Douglas, he initially thought he was designing a continental breakfast menu, but over the course of the two-year renovation, plans changed. The group behind the hotel decided to build a full kitchen, in case of event buy-outs, and that upped the game for Larson. 'We thought that we should do a really nice breakfast for the guests,' says Larson, so now he puts out an à la carte menu full of rotating items like acai bowls and soft-boiled eggs with toast soldiers.' The kitchen also offers an evening reception full of cheese, charcuterie, and canapés. This full kitchen will also help supply Lester's when it opens in early 2026. Stay tuned for more details as they are available.
Business Insider
a day ago
- Business Insider
I compared Gordon Ramsay's and Bobby Flay's burger restaurants. There's only one I'd go back to.
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill is located right in the heart of Caesars Atlantic City. After I took an escalator up from the street level to the main floor of the casino, the restaurant was impossible to miss. Located directly across from the hotel's coin fountain, the restaurant is framed by large Grecian pillars, giving it more of a Parthenon vibe than that of a traditional British pub. But once I stepped inside the restaurant, I definitely got the British pub feel. In the main dining area, I was surrounded by British iconography, from a sprawling Buckingham Palace mural to silhouettes of royal guards stationed at the edge of the red booths. Of all the Gordon Ramsay restaurants I dined at during my visit to Atlantic City — which included Gordon Ramsay Steak and Hell's Kitchen — this restaurant was the most British-themed. When I arrived at the restaurant at 7 p.m. on a Thursday, the restaurant was relatively quiet. However, throughout the evening, more groups filled the booths and tables in the main dining space. The restaurant had a large selection of signature cocktails. Many of the crafted cocktails were in keeping with the British theme, with names like "Mind the Gap" ($17.99) and "Lost in Great Britain" ($17.99). I ordered the Lost in Great Britain, a blackberry spritz with tequila and lemon-honey syrup. I ordered the most classic burger on the menu. The pub's dinner menu features three burger options. There's the Idiot Burger ($21.99) with white cheddar, gruyere, cremini mushrooms, spicy tomato chutney, and braised short ribs; the Blue Cheese Burger ($21.99) with spicy aioli, Bibb lettuce, frisée, onions, and blue-cheese dressing; and the Pub Burger ($21.99), which was the one I ordered. The cost of my burger meal, including my entrée and cocktail, came to $39.98, excluding tax and tip. The Pub Burger came topped with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, pickles, and bacon. It was the most classic burger on the menu, but it did have some slightly elevated ingredients like a prime-sirloin patty and a red wine glaze. The toppings were fresh and piled on generously, adding plenty of flavor to each bite. A large piece of lettuce adorned the burger, with two thick slices of fresh, red tomato. The Farmhouse English cheddar perfectly coated every inch of the sizzling patty, and the bacon was crispy while still retaining some chew. I was impressed by the burger, but it didn't blow me away. It was a good, classic burger, with a juicy burger patty and fresh toppings. I wished it had just a little something more, like a savory special sauce or a more flavorful cheese. However, for what it was, this burger hit all the notes. That said, I couldn't help thinking it was just as good as other burgers I've had at standard chain restaurants like Chili's or Applebee's, which tend to be priced slightly lower. This burger left me feeling like I'd had a jolly decent meal, but not one worth crossing the pond (or the casino floor) for. The fries were the pub MVP. They were crispy and perfectly seasoned, and came wrapped in a cone of newspaper-printed paper. I liked the presentation, which really gave that classic British chip shop feel. The fries were a tasty accompaniment to the burger. The fries were perfectly salted and the generous portion left me feeling satisfied. However, I've had fries that were just as tasty at other chain restaurants. For a celebrity-chef-run chain, I again expected more. My next stop was Bobby's Burgers, a fast-casual concept created by celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Perhaps even more so than Ramsay, Flay is famous for his dedication to burgers. The chef has owned and operated two different fast-casual burger concepts: Bobby's Burger Palace, which opened in 2008 and now only has two remaining locations, and Bobby's Burgers, which launched in 2021 and has 10 locations nationwide. The atmosphere at Bobby's Burgers was much more casual than at Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. I waited in line and placed my order at the counter, then sat at one of the tables located across from the pick-up window. Aside from the signage on the front of the stand, nothing made it obvious I was at a Bobby Flay restaurant. It isn't a traditional brick-and-mortar spot — just a grab-and-go counter inside the casino. The menu had a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and breakfast options. The restaurant doesn't have a full cocktail menu, like Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill did. Instead, it sold canned cocktails and a selection of draft and bottled beers. I chose a soda to go with my meal. I ordered a Diet Coke ($5.99), which I could fill up myself at the soda fountain next to the pick-up window. I thought this was expensive for a fountain drink, but it was pretty on par with prices I've paid for fountain drinks at other casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. I also ordered the Palace Classic Burger and a side of fries. The Palace Classic Burger ($14.49) came topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and Bobby's sauce, which is a creamy, tangy burger sauce. Both were served on a metal tray lined with paper stamped with the Bobby's Burgers logo, a casual presentation that felt straight out of a fast-food joint. The question was, would the burger itself rise above drive-thru standards and deliver something a bit more elevated? The burger was served on a pillowy Brioche bun. When I opened the box, I was impressed by the color of the bun and the lettuce peeking out from underneath. Both looked fresh, especially for a fast-casual burger spot. This burger was very large for the price. For less than $15, the standard price of many fast-food burgers, I thought the size of this burger was extremely generous. Even picking up the burger required two hands because of its size and weight. The burger patty was thick and juicy, and the sliced tomato added flavor to every bite. The tangy cheese evenly coated every inch of this burger, while the lettuce added a fresh, crunchy texture. The tomato was also exceptionally thick and juicy. I was surprised the toppings on this fast-casual burger tasted even fresher than their counterparts at the sit-down Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. I thought the burger patty itself also packed way more flavor — it was perfectly seasoned, while Ramsay's admittedly tasted a little bland. The hand-cut fries were perfectly salted and served in a generous portion. The side of fries ($6.49) spilled out onto the tray for easy eating and dipping. I ate the fries with an extra side of Bobby's sauce. Similar to a special burger sauce, the dipping sauce was tangy and creamy, with a slight kick of spice. It paired well with the fries. Overall, I was really satisfied with my meal. What Bobby's Burgers lacked in atmosphere, it made up for a great burger at an even better price point. For $30 in total, the meal was pricier than what I'd pay at a standard fast-food joint — for example, a large Quarter-Pounder with cheese meal at McDonald's costs $14.89 at my closest location in Brooklyn, New York. However, I still thought it was a good value based on the sheer portion size and quality of the food. When it came to which restaurant I would return to, I preferred the fun — albeit a little cheesy — British pub decor and service at the sit-down Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill. However, I thought the food at Bobby's Burgers was more flavorful and worth it for the price. When the final bite was gone, Bobby's Burgers had taken the crown — no royal guard required.
