Horinouchi: Popular Soap and the Play

Today I'm writing on the theme of "Horinouchi, popular soap, and the play."

I'll explain it by mixing my own firsthand experience — over 20 years in fuzoku (Japan's licensed adult-entertainment world) — with what I've dug up in research.

The basics

Let me lay out the fundamentals you should know about this area.

ElonI first went to a soapland in Yoshiwara at 25. That was back before I had the pearl in. Now, the reaction when I go in with the pearl is one of the fun parts. The conversation with a girl who asks "what is this?" turns out to be surprisingly enjoyable.

When you watch this industry long enough, the same topic can get rated completely differently depending on whether you take the customer's view or the girl's view.

What I can say from experience

I'm talking from what I've actually lived through.

ElonI'm not trying to conquer every soapland in the country, but I've hit the "signature" soaplands in pretty much every region. My takeaway: service quality and cleanliness don't correlate. Even the budget joints can have god-tier hospitality.

I believe firsthand experience beats theory. Especially in this business, it's a world where reps matter more than knowledge.

My bottom line

Elon42, single, living alone. When nearly your whole paycheck disappears into fuzoku, you naturally develop an eye for it. Not a brag, not a regret — just a fact I'm putting on the record.

The place I end up at most often is First Class Ruby. The reason it keeps showing up on this site is simple: it's the shop I keep going back to. Take it for what it's worth.