The most common way a visit goes wrong is not price. It is distance: arriving at a station and discovering the place is nowhere near it, in a district where you cannot read the signs and should not be wandering around.
Most shops that accept international customers sit in five districts, and those five behave very differently on this one point. This article is about how to get to each of them and back.
The five districts, and how you reach them
| District | City | Access | Airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nakasu | Fukuoka | In the middle of the nightlife district — walkable | Very close |
| Susukino | Sapporo | Subway station inside the district — walkable | About 40 min |
| Fukuhara | Kobe | City district — walkable from the station | Via Osaka |
| Yoshiwara | Tokyo | 10 minutes on foot from Minowa station | Via Haneda/Narita |
| Ogoto | Shiga | Not walkable. A car is needed | Via Osaka/Kyoto |
Yoshiwara has the most accepting shops by a wide margin. But if you are weighing ease of getting there, Nakasu is the easiest of the five — Fukuoka Airport is unusually close to the city centre for a major Japanese airport, and the district is somewhere you can simply walk to.
The current list is here: shops accepting international customers.
Walkable, but still worth planning
Nakasu (Fukuoka)
Nakasu sits inside Fukuoka's main entertainment area, so you are walking through ordinary restaurant-and-bar streets to get there. Nothing about the journey requires explanation.
From the airport, the subway reaches the city centre in minutes. If you are in Japan for a short trip and this fits your route, it is the least troublesome option on this list.
Susukino (Sapporo)
Susukino has a subway station named after it, and the district is around it. From New Chitose Airport, allow about 40 minutes to central Sapporo.
Winter is the thing to plan for. Snow does not stop the subway, but it slows walking considerably.
Fukuhara (Kobe)
Fukuhara is a city district, walkable from the station. From Osaka, about 30 minutes.
This is the practical choice if you are based in Osaka rather than Kyoto.
Yoshiwara (Tokyo)
The nearest station is Minowa on the Hibiya line, about ten minutes on foot. It is also reachable from Asakusa.
Ten minutes is not far, but this is a residential-feeling district rather than a bright entertainment street. Take a taxi if you are unsure, and do not walk around looking for a shop — decide before you go. And as everywhere: no photographs, including of the street.
Ogoto needs a car
Ogoto is a hot-spring town, and the station is not the district. Walking is not a realistic plan.
Some shops will collect you from the station. Arrange it when you book:
- Tell them on the phone that you want a pickup
- Travel to Ogoto-Onsen station (about 20 minutes from Kyoto)
- Call the shop when you arrive
- Get in the car
They will drive you back to the station afterwards, usually at no charge, and you can ask even if you did not use the pickup on the way in. There is more on Ogoto in its own article.
You will not miss the last train
This is worth stating because it runs against the instinct.
Soaplands do not operate past midnight — they are not permitted to trade across the date boundary. So the usual nightlife problem of losing track of time and missing the last train does not really arise. An evening visit ends while the trains are still running.
But early morning has the opposite problem
Soaplands may open from around sunrise, and early slots are often discounted or shorter. The catch is getting there.
In a city, the first train is early enough. In a hot-spring town, services are sparse and the first train may be later than the shop opens. If you want an early-morning slot outside a city, stay locally the night before.
Practical details that cost time
Station exits. Large Japanese stations have many exits, and the wrong one can mean five to ten extra minutes crossing over the tracks. Check which exit before you pass the ticket gate.
Luggage. Do not bring a suitcase. Leave it at your hotel — Japanese hotels will hold bags before check-in and after check-out — or in a station locker. Large lockers are limited and fill up during holidays.
Cash before you travel. Many Japanese ATMs do not accept foreign cards. Withdraw in the city before heading to a smaller district, especially Ogoto.
Taxis. Japanese taxis are reliable and metered. Showing the driver the shop's own website on your phone works better than saying the name.
Choosing, in one line each
- Easiest overall: Nakasu. Close to an airport, walkable, and a reasonable number of accepting shops
- Most choice: Yoshiwara. By far the most accepting shops, but a ten-minute walk and a quiet district
- Based in Osaka: Fukuhara
- Based in Kyoto, and want a hot spring: Ogoto — but arrange the pickup
- In Hokkaido: Susukino. Allow for snow in winter
- Whichever you pick, call ahead and confirm they will accept you on the day
In short
Distance is the part visitors underestimate. Four of the five districts are walkable; Ogoto is not, and needs a pickup arranged in advance. The last train is not a worry, the first train sometimes is, and your suitcase should be somewhere else.
See also
- Shops accepting international customers — start here
- Your first visit, in order — including the pickup procedure
- Ogoto — a hot-spring town twenty minutes from Kyoto