Kabukicho Club Shut Down over Illegal Porn Star Drinking
An adult video company made millions with a bar in Kabukicho. Now the CEO’s under arrest because he never paid for the right piece of paper.
By Jay Allen
Police arrested the CEO and shop manager for an adult video company in Japan. The funny thing is, what the shop was doing wasn’t even illegal — it just didn’t have the right license.
An “adult theme park”
Soft on Demand runs the store SOD Land in Tokyo’s Kabukicho red-light district. It advertises the location as an “adult theme park.” Until recently, it touted that visitors could drink with some of the company’s stars in a one-on-one setting.
Such businesses are legal in Japan. However, they require a special license under the country’s Entertainment Law (風営法; fuueihou). The law classifies any business where staff sit and drink with customers and exchange light contact as a “social bar” (社交飲食店; shakou inshokuten). Cabaret clubs (where women entertain customers) and host clubs (where men entertain customers), and “snack” bars are common examples.
