Japanese Love Hotels: A Cultural History (Routledge Contemporary Japan Series )

Drawing on theories of place, consumption and identity, Sarah Chaplin details the evolution of the love hotel in urban Japan since the 1950s. Love hotels emerged in the late 1950s following a ban of licensed prostitution, then were extremely popular in the 1970s, were then legislated against in the 1980s and are now perceived as ‘leisureвЂTM, ‘fashionвЂTM or ‘boutiqueвЂTM hotels. Representing a timely opportunity to capture and evaluate the dying manifestations of an important era in Japanese social and cultural history, this book provides a critical account of the love hotel as a unique typology. It considers its spatial, aesthetic, semiotic, and locational denotations and connotations, which results in a richly nuanced cultural reading. The love hotel is presented as a key indicator of social and cultural change in post-war Japan, and as such this bookВ will be of interest to a wide and international readership including students of Japanese culture, society and architecture. Love Hotels Represent A Significant Aspect Of Contemporary Japanese Culture, Yet, Until Now, There Has Been Surprisingly Little Written About Them. In This Book Architect And Cultural Theorist Sarah Chaplin Presents A Cultural History Of Japanese Love Hotels, Charting The Development Of The Urban Love Hotel From The Late 1950s To The Present Day, And Relating Its Cultural History To Other Spaces And Earlier Forms Associated With Sexuality, Commerce And Leisure.--book Jacket. The Urban Context Of Love Hotel Districts -- The Love Hotel As A Building Type -- Images And Technologies Of The Love Hotel Interior -- Naming And Theming The Love Hotel -- The Love Hotel Industry. Sarah Chaplin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [215]-228) And Index. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Dedication......Page 8 Contents......Page 10 Illustrations......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 13 Introduction......Page 14 1 The urban context of love hotel districts......Page 28 2 The love hotel as a building type......Page 61 3 Images and technologies of the love hotel interior......Page 101 4 Naming and theming the love hotel......Page 132 5 The love hotel industry......Page 162 6 Towards a conclusion......Page 193 Notes......Page 212 Bibliography......Page 228 Index......Page 242 The Arts Book Cover 1 Title 6 Copyright 7 Dedication 8 Contents 10 Illustrations 11 Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 14 1 The urban context of love hotel districts 28 2 The love hotel as a building type 61 3 Images and technologies of the love hotel interior 101 4 Naming and theming the love hotel 132 5 The love hotel industry 162 6 Towards a conclusion 193 Notes 212 Bibliography 228 Index 242