If you want to read my review of Kabukicho Love Hotel, read this post. In さよなら歌舞伎町, Toru runs a hotel in Tokyo’s red-light district, Kabukicho, and there, the stories, desires and interests of several men and women intersect.
Toru Takahashi (Shota Sometani) was fired from the Grand Pacific, a 5-star hotel, and ended up becoming the manager of the Hotel Atlas, a Love Hotel in Kabukicho.
“Some stuff happened and I’m sort of stuck here for now.”
Saya Iijima (Atsuko Maeda) was the lead singer of a three-piece band, but the record company wanted to sign only her.
“I feel like I’m betraying them.”
For them to feel fulfilled, Saya would have to make it big in the music industry with the band and Toru would have to get back to working in a first-class hotel.
Kabukicho Love Hotel: japanese movie review
Both the employees and the customers who pass through a place like this, a Love Hotel, have different stories and different reasons for being there.
“The whole second floor is rented to a porn shoot from 11 am.”
Toru had a younger sister who saw the family’s fish shop swept away by a tsunami that devastated the countryside of Japan. She tried another way, but there was no way.
“Why are you doing porn?”
After finding out that his sister had become a porn star, Miyu and Toru had to accept that they both didn’t have a job that they could tell their parents about.
“It’s not like I want to work like this. I want to work in a top hotel.”
Unlike Toru, Miyu felt no guilt and didn’t feel like she was in a filthy job that she didn’t belong in. She just wanted to protect her parents.
“Porn is legitimate work, so I don’t feel guilty at all”
In addition to having to overcome his social taboo, Toru has to deal with all kinds of situations: street call girls, pimps, needy clients or drugged and violent clients.
As if the situation couldn’t get any worse, to his complete surprise, Saya entered the hotel with an unknown man who had rented a room for the night.
Kabukicho Love Hotel review: a dangerous place
According to the Global Peace Index, Japan ranks 12th in public safety. One of the most dangerous places is the Kabukicho district, located in Shinjuku.
Controlled by the Yakuza, the most popular and dangerous scam practiced in bars, nightclubs and brothels is the hyperinflation of prices.
Tourists are drugged or forced to pay very high prices for what they have consumed, at the risk of being violently beaten by the gang members who control the places.
Why you should watch Kabukicho Love Hotel
I won’t leave Kabukicho Love Hotel ending explained or a download link here, but I love these types of Japanese movies that show life as it is. They always move me.
In parts, it is possible to see how Kabukicho, Tokyo’s red light district, works and some relationships between call girls, hotel clients and employees are quite funny.
Kabukicho Love Hotel trailer
I really feel that you will like this one. So I decided to do this Sayonara Kabukicho review. Go ahead, immerse yourself in the story, the environment and the soundtrack.
And come back later to tell me what you think in the comments. This Japanese film stars Atsuko Maeda, former member of the band AKB48.
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