Saturday, October 10, 2009

Love Motel


This is one of the local "love motels." See the big gorilla on the roof? Kinda silly, right?

These establishments are very popular here in Okinawa, and they work like some of the places in the U.S. that charge by the hour. The premise is based upon something a little different here.

In Okinawa, like much of Japan, you will typically find a few generations, and many members of extended family, under one roof. There really isn't much privacy for a young married couple. This is simply the way things are, and it creates a very lucrative market for "love motels." Most couples need to get away for a couple of hours every once in a while.

This gorilla motel provides a venue for couples, and it seems to be pretty popular. You don't even have to see any people there; you can just feed your card, or Yen, into a machine and get a ticket for a room (so I'm told).

There's a geocache hidden fairly close to here, and there used to be one very close to here. I think it was part of the "Boogie Nights" series...

5 comments:

Erika Jean said...

Haha, innnnteresting.

Anonymous said...

I think that gorilla was placed there in my honor after I left Okinawa, I pumped a lot of cash into those joints...

Joking bro. I 'think'. : /

*pounds on chest several times*

Anonymous said...

please read "okinawa hai!" www.okinawahai.com october 11 09 title-parent's hour out :love hotels on okinawa. please read reader's comments.

Just John said...

@anon: Interesting comments. It was neat to read the opinions in the article and comments. I had a local national tell me the exact opposite of what the one local commenter stated. Which one to believe?

The reason for the existence aside, the use of the places is pretty well known here.

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