In fact, adult children in Western Europe and the United States are remaining in their parental homes longer as well-both a symptom of struggling economies across the globe and evolving views on sex and marriage. Unconstrained by mortgages and childrearing costs, their salaries are used almost exclusively as disposable income, allowing them to live carefree and unattached. If the current trend continues, it is projected that by 2060 Japan’s population will have shrunk by 30 percent-an impending economic disaster.īut in the midst of a stagnant economy, staying single has become an attractive choice.Īs cost of living rises and job opportunities diminish, more young singles are returning home to live with their parents-these youths have become known as parasaito shinguru, or parasite singles. More than 40 percent of men and women aged 18-34 in Japan have never had sex, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. Japan’s love hotel industry may be prospering, but the country is experiencing a paradoxical decline in marriage, childbirth, and sex. Photographs by Albert Bonsfills Sex on the Decline In fact, some of them look so much like ordinary hotels, tourists often book them online unwittingly. Others are indistinguishable from standard hotels save for their erotic amenities-vibrators, cosplay for rent, rotating beds, and sadomasochistic equipment. Many of today's love hotels still offer themed rooms, ranging from Disneyland characters to mock classrooms to BDSM dungeons. The modern iteration of the love hotel proliferated in the 1970s and 80s with Japan’s economic boom and a growing fascination with Western culture-these ostentatious properties catered to fantasy and mimicked Hollywood movies and fairytales. The 1920s brought the emergence of enshenku-one yen dwellings that could be rented hourly and featured Western furnishings like double beds and locking doors. The technology may be contemporary, but the origins of love hotels can be traced back to the Edo Period (1600-1868), when tea houses were established for liaisons with sex workers and geisha. They push a button to make their selection, which triggers a trail of lights that leads directly to the room. The customer is shown a panel of photos of available rooms and features. Others have sophisticated automated systems. Patrons can make cash-only transactions with clerks stationed behind opaque screens to guarantee anonymity. Discretion is a love hotel’s most important commodity-they feature secret entrances, covered garages, and disposable license plate covers. Although a majority of clientele are dating and married couples, sex work and extramarital affairs are not unheard of.
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