The hotel, a combination of wood and steel-reinforced concrete, was constructed back in the 1960s. But Nikkan Gendai (May 16) warns readers that a similar fate might await anyone who frequents a love hotel that fails to meet basic safety standards.

The fire is believed to have started in the area of the hotel’s front desk and office, possibly due to a short circuit of the electrical devices in use. But the tabloid reveals that despite the standard practice that calls for twice-yearly inspections, Hotel Prince had last undergone an inspection by the local fire department in September 2003, i.e., nine years had gone by since its last safety check.

The negligence was attributed to the lack of officials available to perform safety checks.

Records of the previous check in 2003, moreover, showed that inspectors had pointed out to the hotel’s operator that the building did not comply with standards for fire safety equipment. Nor is there evidence that the operator made any improvements. In other words, the Prince was an accident waiting to happen.

“The first thing to look for is the safety of the fire escape stairway,” says Takamasa Wada, a fire rescue worker who provides advise regarding disaster risk management. “If objects are piled up on the stairway landings, people won’t be able to flee. That was the situation in that building in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho in 2001, when 44 customers died.”

Wada adds that it’s always safer when the fire escape is attached to the outside of the building. He also advises people who utilize such facilities take rooms on the 1st or 2nd floors.

“In a worst-case scenario, if you jump out the window there’s less chance of a major injury,” he says.

One factor compounding the Hotel Prince tragedy was the hotel’s location on a back street with few pedestrians. By the time a passing taxi spotted smoke and flames shooting from the building and called for assistance it was too late. So it’s also important to pick a love hotel that is not too isolated from the view of passers-by.

“Look for places with emergency ladders in the rooms, a map on the wall indicating what to do in the case of fire, and at least two emergency exits,” Wada also advises.

A final word: If you happen to be in one of these hotels when a fire breaks out, don’t count of help from a sprinkler system.

“In this country, there’s not one love hotel equipped with a sprinkler system,” asserts an unnamed source in the fire department. (K.S.)

Source: “Kekkan rabuhoteru no miwake-kata,” Nikkan Gendai (May 16, page 7)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Fee, fi, fo, fum and yummy yum, yum. Here cums a tantalizingly turgid tale from the March issue of the woman’s masturbatory magazine Renai Tengoku, as replayed in Shukan Bunshun (May 17).

“From out of nowhere he produced a huge 20-centimeter long vibrator and asked me, ‘How do you use one of these anyway?’ Frankly I was surprised by his complete change of personality, from Mr. Straight to a lecherous AV leading man, but I egged him on, and soon he was thrusting the 8-Watt whopper into my willing womb.

“I felt a strange mixture of shame and lust, and just as I was about to climax, he produced a pair of fur-lined handcuffs, and snapped them on my wrists. Then he switched the vibrator to maximum power and really worked me over, until I began spasming from head to foot. Then, as he looked on greedily, for the first time in my life I experienced shiofuki (vaginal ejaculation).

The byline coined by Bunshun’s playful punster this week is “aiburingu sutoppu.” In Japan, the practice of shutting down a car’s motor (encouraged as an antipollution measure) while idling at a traffic light, etc., is called aidoringu sutoppu. Here, aido is changed to aibu, meaning “to fondle in a sexual manner,” thereby giving the meaning of “a temporary pause from fondling.” (W.W.)

Source: “Shukujo no zasshi kara,” Shukan Bunshun (May 17, page 99)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Known in Japanese as the jukujo, mature gals are finding solid footing as models, porn actresses, and club hostesses.

“Comedians Udo Suzuki and Yuji Ayabe have already publicly declared their interest in older women,” a photo book producer tells the tabloid. “The peak was three years ago, and interest has been steady ever since.”

Keep in mind, folks, Japan deems dames beyond 30 years of age to be ready for the glue factory. Photo books and DVDs featuring these types of ladies are hot items.

“The popularity of Masako Umemiya and former C.C. Girls member Yoko Mori results in good sales even without exposure,” says the same publishing employee of popular ladies aged 34 and 39, respectively. “On the flip side, photo collections of gravure idols in their 20s in swimsuits are not doing well.”

The same phenomenon exists in the adult video (AV) industry. (For reference, Maki Hojo, 33, took the Best Mature Actress prize at this year’s AV awards.)

“Mature ladies were once the obsession of fanatics,” says a representative from an AV company. “Now it is an established genre. Big-name companies are seeing their biggest sales from titles featuring mature ladies. As to the content, the stories are strong, featuring elements of drama, which appeals to fans.”

But why are mature women in demand now? Magazine editor Kentaro Sakai says that of course there is the appeal contained within lurid voluptuousness, but the real key is experience. “They’ve got the back story everyone wants to hear,” he says. “The idea of potentially having a glimpse inside that part of their personal lives drives men wild.”

Jukujo pubs and hostess clubs are also taking hold. In Tokyo’s Ueno entertainment area, there is Jukujo Pub Mrs., whose Web site proudly declares, “over 30s limited.”

“Male customers in their 40s and 50s are tired of regular hostess clubs,” says a club representative. “The older ladies are able ‘to heal’ these men. That’s the appeal.”

How long will this last?

“The number of aging men is only going to increase,” says Sakai. “Further, the temptation for college students will increase as books and magazines featuring mature-lady content are easily accessible in convenience stores.”

For the older women themselves?

“They will only get more beautiful as they age,” the editor says. (A.T.)

Source: “Shashinshu, AV, pabu itarutokoro de jukujo buumu osorubeki soko no jittai,” Shukan Bunshun (May 3-10)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

A little more than one year after the devastation of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, Miyagi Prefecture’s biggest nightlife quarter of Kokubuncho is booming as construction firms target, oftentimes through collusion, the government’s second supplementary budget for the reconstruction of stricken areas.

“Construction company employees are arriving from all reaches of Japan,” says a person in management at one such firm. “Clubs are routinely filled to capacity.”

According to an employee at a kyabakura (hostess club), there are not enough girls employed in the deri heru (out-call sex) trade to satisfy demand. He says that reinforcements are being ferried in from outside the prefecture.

Even AV star Minako Komukai is appearing in a 20-day engagement at the Sendai Rokku-za strip club until May 10, and this is not her first appearance since the quake.

The tabloid finds it hard to believe that Tokyo remains mired in deflation while just a few hundred kilometers to the north Sendai’s economy is expected surge forward for the foreseeable future.

Restoration of roads and bridges is getting up to speed, with dump trucks causing traffic jams along the coast. When this basic infrastructure work is finished, major redevelopments will then commence. These projects are expected to last for 10 years. A hotel staff member tells the tabloid that its rooms are booked solid for three years.

Flush with cash, construction company employees are able to freely go out drinking and hit the golf course. Sales at department stores and home appliance shops are reportedly double that of last year.

Real estate brokers are looking to turn a quick buck by investing in damaged properties. “The other day, a rather gruff real estate guy with a Kansai accent was here,” says a restaurant employee. “It was the middle of the afternoon, but he had geisha girls on both sides serving him wine.”

Of course, with so much tax money floating around, it would not be surprising to hear rumors concerning dodgy activity. One going around concerns collusion among big-time contractors and the prefectural government.

“For large jobs, the rubble disposal work went to big-name contractors and the levee work was given to marine contractors,” says a representative from a local construction company. “Small companies from this area were left out entirely. So there are grumblings about how the prefecture is handling the situation.”

Prior to the bidding for debris-clearing jobs, it was not a secret that big-name contractors Shimizu, Kajima, and Obayashi had already secured contracts from the prefecture.

Further, garbage incineration jobs were also dealt with by the prefecture, and not by local civic authorities, which is standard practice. “A ‘proposal method’ was used,” says an industry insider. “This insured that the big companies got everything, almost like gifts descending from heaven.” (K.N.)

Source: “‘Fukko baburu’ ni waku Tohoku saidai hankagai Kokubuncho wo iku,” Nikkan Gendai (May 6, page 7)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

The victim is 61-year-old Yasuo Hiroishi, a former detective with the Fukuoka prefectural police. His injuries are expected to require one month for recovery. Friday (May 11-18) reports that the incident is just the latest in the ongoing battle between police and organized crime.

“Hiroishi, who retired last March, was involved in dealing with the Kudo-kai gang, which is based in Kitakyushu,” says a reporter covering the police beat. “After retirement, he spotted a high-ranking member and other foot soldiers by his home, so he was included on a protection watch list kept by police. It is believed that the crime was carried out by the Kudo-kai.”

Over the last year, there have been 18 shooting incidents in Fukuoka Prefecture in which organized crime is suspected to have been involved. Arrests have been made in only two cases. Three incidents have taken place this year, including the shooting on April 8 that left a senior member of the Kyushu Seido-kai syndicate in critical condition.

The construction industry has been slowly attempting to eliminate gangsters from their projects — a move that has made its companies a target. The homes of employees at Kyushu Electric Power and Saibu Gas were the targets of grenades in March. Two months before, a construction company president was shot in front of his home. In April 2010, three shots were fired into the house of the parents of an employee at energy contractor Saibu Gas in Fukuoka. Soon after, five more rounds were fired at the entrance of a firm affiliated with the contractor.

Hiroshima Ogawa, the Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture, was joined by the mayors of both Fukuoka City and Kitakyushu in making a plea with Jin Matsubara, the Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission Chairman, regarding the inception of a revised law to combat organized crime.

After a law intending to eliminate organized crime, or boryokudan, went into effect in April 2010, citizens were required to report threats of extortion.

Should a revised law go into effect, it will enable the law enforcement to designate organizations, such as the Kudo-kai, as “especially threatening organizations” — a label that would result in arrests should a threat be made to an individual or company.

Another individual involved in the investigation tells Friday that Hiroishi was likely singled out due to his longevity on the force. “He’s handled boryokudan cases since he joined the Kokura Kita Police Station in 1978,” the source says. “He is like an old dog, collecting information by himself, not working within the team. He has probably taken a stern attitude towards boryokudan groups, so they might have disliked him.”

These sentiments accelerated during 2009, when Hiroishi was a leader of the unit that dealt directly with the Kudo-kai.

“Right before his retirement, he showed a rare sign of weakness, saying that he wanted to step down because he was scared,” the investigator continues. “Perhaps the Kudo-kai thought it would be more effective to target a former detective than an ordinary citizen.”

Matsubara himself also visited the site of the incident on April 21. “This is a serious challenge to the safety of the citizens and the nation,” the Chairman is quoted. At 9:30 a.m, on April 25, the Kudo-kai headquarters in Kitakyushu were raided.

As approximately 20 special-weapons team members stood outside, 100 officers entered the premises and seized about 60 items, including documentation.

This search, however, did not alleviate the concerns of citizens. “Our office was also a target of a shooting,” says an employee at a construction firm. “A gangster misunderstood that our managing director had a right to select a vendor for a public works project. Although we did consult with police, they just said we ran into trouble because we are involved with gang groups. We want them to be more dedicated in protecting us.” (K.N.)

Source: “Boryokudan ni sensen fukoku sareta Fukuoka Kenkei he no fuan,” Friday (May 11-18, pages 104-105)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Hidey ho, and away we go, with another steamy and slightly sordid story fanaticized from a fervid female mind, extracted from the February issue of Ai no Taiken Special Deluxe, and transcribed in Shukan Bunshun (May 3-10).

“By timing it right I walked in his room just as he was lying on the bed in the midst of masturbating,” big sis continues. “He blushed hotly in embarrassment and I could see that the artery in his penis was throbbing like a little heart.”

“‘You shouldn’t do that, elder sister,’ he stammered to me, but unable to stop he kept on wanking and several seconds later jerked off a jet of jism. ‘Did that feel good?’ I asked him, and as he nodded shyly he seemed so lovable that my own body began to tingle.

“I put his hand on my breast and told him, ‘Rub me here,’ and soon, as if in a dream, he was on top of me. He fondled me awkwardly and I became excited and began thrusting my hips forward. Later I got him to cum inside me.”

The byline coined by Bunshun’s playful punster this week is “Ane to seishun no tabidachi.” This is a twist on the title of the 1982 Richard Gere and Debra Winger hit film about the coming of age of a naval aviator, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” which in Japanese is “Ai to seishun no tabidachi,” meaning “Embarking on a journey of love and youth.” But here the ai (love) has been changed to ane (elder sister) and the sei in seishun (youth) is written with the character for sex, changing the meaning to “The embarking on a sexual spring journey with elder sister.” (W.W.)

Source: “Shukujo no zasshi kara,” Shukan Bunshun (May 3-10, page 125)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

And Weekly Playboy (May 14) is a magazine that certainly knows how to delight its male readers. This time it has tracked down some serious statistical number-crunching to determine which of Japan’s 47 prefectures can boast the mademoiselles with the most magnificent mammaries.

A nationwide survey conducted in 1992 by the government determined that average bust size among 17-year-old girls was 82.3 centimeters, although women in northeast Japan averaged over 83.

Tied for 1st place, with an average of 83.9cm, were Yamagata and Miyagi prefectures. Tied for 3rd place, with 83.6cm, were Iwate and Akita prefectures. These were followed by Niigata (83.4); Fukuoka (83.3); Hokkaido (83.2), Aomori and Tochigi (83.1); and Gunma (82.9).

Nevertheless East Japan overall averaged slightly smaller than ladies in the nation’s western parts.

“Cold weather promotes the forming of subcutaneous fat, which contributes to breast size,” says a spokesperson for Tokyo-based LClove cosmetic, a marketer of sex aids sold via mail-order.

Surveying the bust sizes of 50 women in each prefecture, LClove cosmetic found two prefectures averaged an E-cup; nine averaged D; 17 averaged C; and 18 averaged B. One must pity the poor gals of Saitama, whose average A-cup ranked them the flattest in the land.

“According to the newest data, the gals on the sea of Japan are giving the ones in Hokkaido and Tohoku a run for their money,” drools Tetsuya Mori, a self-described expert on big boobs, who adds, “it’s fascinating.”

Readers should note that with the exception of 6th place Fukuoka, all the rest of the “Big Ten” boasting big twos hailed from areas in the nation’s northeast. At least as far as Japan is concerned, frigid winters have a direct correlation with breast size.

Some famous examples of this phenomenon would be former NHK TV announcer Eri Furuse, nicknamed “suikappu” for her watermelon-sized breasts; volleyball star Miyuki Takahashi; and 96cm-endowed Rin Aoki, who has modeled in Weekly Playboy, all of who hail from Yamagata Prefecture. Like Kumagaya in Saitama and Tajimi in Gifu, Yamagata has many areas in valleys that are subject to temperature extremes from summer to winter.

“There may be two reasons why Kyoto women have big breasts,” Mori theorizes. “One is that they eat a lot of yuba and tofu dishes. Soybeans are rich in isoflavones, which promote development of the breasts, as the chemical structures bear similarities to female hormones.

“Another reason is that Kyoto is the headquarters of Wacoal, Japan’s largest maker of women’s undergarments. As Wacoal products regularly go on sale there, women are able to purchase them more inexpensively, which suggests they can devote more effort to obtaining undergarments that can provide suitable support.”

On the other hand, the rather paltry performance of those A-cup Saitama gals should by no means exclude them from, uh, further study. (K.S.)

Source: “Honto ni kyonyu ga ooi todofuken wa dokoda!?” Weekly Playboy (May 14, page 58)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

Isami Kishinami, a staff member at the government organization Waste Management Federation of Tokyo’s 23 Wards, was taken into custody by officers from the peace preservation division for violating the Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses regarding operating a business in a prohibited area.

According to investigators, Kishinami has denied the allegations. “I lent rooms to a Chinese woman for between 30,000 and 50,000 yen,” said the suspect. “I had no idea that they were being used for sex services.”

Starting on January 13 of last year, Kishitani is suspected of allowing the club Love Queen to supply sex services out of a one-room apartment near JR Otsuka Station.

Nikkan Sports (May 2) reports that Kishinami was collecting rent of between 100,000 and 200,000 yen from a total of five establishments in an apartment building in Otsuka.

Love Queen was originally busted in February. Police are now attempting to locate the Chinese woman.

A spokesperson for the waste management federation said, “We will confirm the facts and deal with the matter in a strict manner.”

売春クラブに部屋を・・・都職員を風営法違反で逮捕

A man in his 40s, claiming to be a writer and critic of topics related to education, raised concerns about the 28-year-old former AV actress — now a mainstream entertainer in China — maintaining a high-profile presence on Twitter.

With the large-breasted Sora having had starring roles in the fantasy-horror click “Big Tits Zombie” and the psycho-sexual thriller “Revenge: A Love Story,” it seems plausible that the objector was taking such a stance due to the risk that adolescents may have access to provocative content, but this appears to not be the case.

“People on the Internet are making a big deal out of this issue,” says a writer specializing in online media. “As the record shows, this man was requesting that Aoi, via multiple accounts, connect, or follow, him on Twitter.”

With the micro-blogging service, users are able to update their whereabouts and activities, with their followers making comments on such postings. If the interaction is between friends, that is, users who mutually follow one another, communication can be achieved, but given that Aoi has over 325,000 followers, there is little chance for substantial correspondence by her with people unknown to her.

Nonetheless, the educator made demands on a daily basis: “I am a fan of yours; please follow me,” “Please consider following,” “How’s work? Your English is getting better. Please follow me,” and, in the end, he wrote in English, “Please follow me.”

After being neglected, he took legal action.

“On the Internet, many said it was simple retaliation (for him being rejected),” the same writer is quoted. “Through research, it was discovered that he had been making similar requests to Toru Hashimoto, Michiko Shimizu, and other celebrities, and was also being disregarded.”

The man then explained in vain that he made the requests in order to find out what actually happened regarding Aoi being singled out in a controversy that surfaced in China.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television in April demanded that satellite televison stations prohibit controversial personalities, including Aoi, from appearing in programming.

To lend support to the actress, fans at a soccer match in Guangzhou on April 17 combined their affection for the actress with support for a separate set of controversial outcroppings in the East China Sea. The group raised a sign that read: “The Senkaku Islands belong to us; Sola Aoi belongs to the World” — a reference to the disputed land masses that Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara said he would like to purchase during a think tank forum in Washington D.C. the day before.

Online users, upset about the litigator’s demands, utilized the educator’s blog and Facebook page to expose his work background and residential address.

Shukan Jitsuwa chalks it up to being a middle-aged man checking in on the cool kids. (A.T.)

Source: “Ninki AV joyu Aoi Sora no tsuittaa ni kamitsuta, jisho ‘shosetsuka’ ken ‘kyoiku hyoronka’ no doki ha sakaurami,” Shukan Jitsuwa (May 10-17, page 265)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.

“Last year’s Golden Week was particularly awful,” he continues. “A lot more of my mates were sleeping in their trucks to save money, and the parking lots were crammed full of regular passenger car drivers and their girlfriends who were getting it on in their cars. One reason is that there’s this service area (he names one located on the Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture) with access to an onsen (mineral hot springs) so people just take a bath and then sleep in their car.

“We can’t see anything because they have curtains on their windows, but we can hear the women moaning and saying stuff like, ‘Go in deep, all the way,’ and so on.”

The aforesaid hot springs has also taken on the characteristics of an amusement park, which attracts lots of young couples. The 53-year-old driver of a sightseeing bus tells the magazine: “Well, it’s also got a planetarium and Ferris wheel. Lots of the young couples who spend the day together get it on right on the bus. And since there are no curtains, people can see in too.”

“I even saw these two university students doing 69 on each other on the long seat in the back,” the driver continues. “The guide on our bus was blushing red all the way to her ears.”

A 39-year old driver of a refrigerated truck claims he can beat that: While at the rest area off the Chuo Expressway en route to Yamanashi Prefecture, he pulled up behind two passenger minivans that were parked unusually close to each other.

“That struck me as strange,” he relates. “And I saw that both of the cars were jiggling on their springs, and it was then I noticed that the cars on the left and right were situated so that their doors were open on the sides facing each other.

“After watching them for a while, I saw a completely naked woman who looked to be around 30 jump from the car on the right into the one on the left. A moment later a slender, attractive girl with dyed auburn hair jumped from the car on the left to the one on the right. Not long afterward both vehicles started bouncing on their suspensions again…”

Susumu Matsuyama, a writer covering the sex business, tells the magazine, “There are ‘kappuru kissa’ (swapping coffee shops) for couples in the city, but not in the countryside. So people who meet up on the Internet want to meet up at some isolated place and a service area fills the bill. First they perform sex with each other looking on, and then if things click, they swap partners.”

So if you pull off the road during Golden Week motor trip, you’d best be prepared for anything, Shukan Taishu warns. (K.S.)

Source: “Kosoku doro SA ga ‘SEX Tengoku’ ni natte iru!!” (Shukan Taishu, May 7-14, page 214)

Note: Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.