Another one from the Japan archives, this.
Like a lot of Asian countries, Japan has a thriving sex industry and offers a bewildering array of 'pleasures' for the overworked salaryman with wallet and testicles bulging. One such venue is the soapland - officially, men go to these places to bathe and soak away the stresses of a hard day's work aided by a female 'companion'. Unofficially, it's a place where you can pay to get slathered in various oils and lotions before getting jiggy with a nubile young thing.
The Queen's Chateau sits in the city of Mito, Ibaraki, about two hours north of Tokyo. It's a four-floored building on top of a hill which towers over the existing - and very active - red light district. You can imagine that it would once have been quite an impressive sight, but it's now looking a bit shabby around the edges. The place was shut down over 10 years ago, apparently after it was found to be employing illegal immigrant girls as workers.
Indeed, since it closed its doors as a knocking shop, the local homeless population has taken up residence inside. The owner of a nearby club claimed that a hobo died in there and that his spirit haunts the place. As I walked towards it, one of the touts outside a smaller club in front of it pointed towards the Queen's Chateau and helpfully shouted 'TRAMP HOUSE! TRAMP HOUSE!' at me. I knew I was in the right place, then.
You enter through the back into a kitchen area which immediately connects to a tiny room full of bunkbeds. It was completely pitch black in there and it's hard to imagine how the girls got any privacy. You come out of the cramped corridors into the central lobby.
When a customer arrived, a line of girls would assemble in front of the fountain below and he would choose his partner for the evening.
It looks like Mary Whitehouse had a go at the mural after the place was shut down, judging by the crude attempt at censorship.
These are the stairs up to the private rooms - the graffiti translates as 'if you go up, you'll die'. Vandals don't get any more original on the other side of the world.
Looking through the door of one of the rooms at a shower hose. Some of the tile work in the building was pretty breathtaking - it must have been a top-end place in its heyday.
This is one of the baths - they were pretty huge and could easily have fit two (or maybe three
) people in them.
More tile porn.
The whole building is littered with bottles of expensive spirits like this one. Soaplands are usually at the more 'executive' end of the sex trade in Japan anyway, but judging by some of the features of the Queen's Chateau and the things left behind this was a real high-rollers' joint.
This boiler room was on the roof - it houses several of these massive beasts, obviously due to the constant need for hot water.
On my way out I spotted this pair of tiny high-heeled shoes - they couldn't have been more than a UK size 3 - lying around. It's one of the spookier discoveries I've ever made while exploring. I wonder what the story behind them is?
Ta-daaa! That's it. Got plenty more from Japan if you want to see them.
Like a lot of Asian countries, Japan has a thriving sex industry and offers a bewildering array of 'pleasures' for the overworked salaryman with wallet and testicles bulging. One such venue is the soapland - officially, men go to these places to bathe and soak away the stresses of a hard day's work aided by a female 'companion'. Unofficially, it's a place where you can pay to get slathered in various oils and lotions before getting jiggy with a nubile young thing.
The Queen's Chateau sits in the city of Mito, Ibaraki, about two hours north of Tokyo. It's a four-floored building on top of a hill which towers over the existing - and very active - red light district. You can imagine that it would once have been quite an impressive sight, but it's now looking a bit shabby around the edges. The place was shut down over 10 years ago, apparently after it was found to be employing illegal immigrant girls as workers.
Indeed, since it closed its doors as a knocking shop, the local homeless population has taken up residence inside. The owner of a nearby club claimed that a hobo died in there and that his spirit haunts the place. As I walked towards it, one of the touts outside a smaller club in front of it pointed towards the Queen's Chateau and helpfully shouted 'TRAMP HOUSE! TRAMP HOUSE!' at me. I knew I was in the right place, then.
You enter through the back into a kitchen area which immediately connects to a tiny room full of bunkbeds. It was completely pitch black in there and it's hard to imagine how the girls got any privacy. You come out of the cramped corridors into the central lobby.
When a customer arrived, a line of girls would assemble in front of the fountain below and he would choose his partner for the evening.
It looks like Mary Whitehouse had a go at the mural after the place was shut down, judging by the crude attempt at censorship.
These are the stairs up to the private rooms - the graffiti translates as 'if you go up, you'll die'. Vandals don't get any more original on the other side of the world.
Looking through the door of one of the rooms at a shower hose. Some of the tile work in the building was pretty breathtaking - it must have been a top-end place in its heyday.
This is one of the baths - they were pretty huge and could easily have fit two (or maybe three
) people in them.
More tile porn.
The whole building is littered with bottles of expensive spirits like this one. Soaplands are usually at the more 'executive' end of the sex trade in Japan anyway, but judging by some of the features of the Queen's Chateau and the things left behind this was a real high-rollers' joint.
This boiler room was on the roof - it houses several of these massive beasts, obviously due to the constant need for hot water.
On my way out I spotted this pair of tiny high-heeled shoes - they couldn't have been more than a UK size 3 - lying around. It's one of the spookier discoveries I've ever made while exploring. I wonder what the story behind them is?
Ta-daaa! That's it. Got plenty more from Japan if you want to see them.
