TOKYOK (TR) – Japan’s convenient and ubiquitous hourly rental spaces are increasingly acting as lawless zones for illegal drugs, child prostitution, and extortion schemes.
At least, that is what Nikkan Spa! (Oct. 22) says of the spaces, whose operators look the other way to protect their profits.
“You can usually tell if it’s alcohol or drugs by their face, attitude, and fashion,” says one owner of a rental room in one of Tokyo’s major nightlife districts. He notes that youths resembling the troubled ‘Toyoko Kids’ frequently rent his rooms, leaving behind empty drug packets and psychotropic pill sheets.
“Honestly, I should call the police, but it’s a hassle, so I just throw them away,” he admits. “But it’s a real nuisance when they flush syringes and clog the toilets. It costs money to fix, and I can’t rent the room out.”
Anonymity
The high level of anonymity and lack of face-to-face contact have made these short-term rental spaces a favorite tool for the underworld.
A former host from Shinjuku Ward’s Kabukicho district revealed that the rooms are frequently used for drug-fueled sex parties. “A pusher host brings the drugs, and we use a different rental room every time so we don’t leave a trail,” he said.
The ex-host recalled an incident where a woman overdosed and collapsed during a party. “We just left her in the room. I heard later that the rental room staff didn’t want any police trouble, so they just carried her outside the building.”
Tragedy has already struck these anonymous spaces. Earlier in 2024, a college student fell to their death from a rental space in Ueno during a marijuana party involving minors.
Vice extends well beyond narcotics. The aforementioned owner admits he regularly spots obvious minors on his hallway security cameras, but ignores the suspected underage prostitution to keep his business running.
A former concept cafe manager admitted to using rental rooms to host organized orgies. He lured regulars via X to VIP rental rooms equipped with Jacuzzis, charging male customers up to 50,000 yen a head.
Extortion is also rampant. According to W, rogue “men’s esthetic” massage services are using the rooms to run badger games (tsutsumotase). Following a massage, male accomplices confront the customer, falsely accusing them of sexually assaulting the female masseuse and demanding massive out-of-court cash settlements under the threat of calling the police. The scheme reportedly originated in Yokohama and has recently spread to Tokyo.
Face-to-face key handovers
White-collar criminals are also utilizing the spaces to project legitimacy. One Tokyo office worker narrowly avoided an investment scam after being lured to a “consulting office” in Shimbashi for a fake pre-IPO stock pitch. He later discovered the “office” was merely a temporary rental space, and the consultant was a known fraudster.
While some proactive owners are fighting back by mandating face-to-face key handovers and padlocking ceiling hatches to prevent drug drops, experts warn the system is inherently flawed.
Toshihiko Matsumaru, a former investigator for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Public Security Bureau, notes that the very nature of these services makes them a magnet for crime.
“Unlike a private home or actual office, these spaces are short-term, highly anonymous, and contactless,” Matsumaru said. “There is no police data focused solely on these locations, but crime is undeniably occurring. The cases currently being reported are just the tip of the iceberg.”