ABSTRACT
Walking through an area of the city populated with love hotels late on a Saturday evening, there is a sense of panic setting in as couples dart in and out of entrances in search of the last remaining rooms to stay for the night. On St Valentine’s Day1 and Christmas Eve, occasions in Japan when it is virtually an imperative to be with a loved one, this situation is accentuated still further. The clustering of love hotels effectively concentrates the available supply, facilitates browsing and stimulates spontaneous demand in a way that the stand-alone love hotel in the suburbs does not. Despite the existence and popularity of love hotel guides, most rooms are not booked in advance, which leads to the conclusion that roaming the streets is a customary part of the practice, and indeed the pleasure, of visiting an urban love hotel.
