TOKYO (TR) – For the entertainment industry, the novel coronavirus has caused the cancellation of events, delays to projects and untold other challenges.
However, it won’t stop the opening of SOD Land, a multi-floor “adult theme park” of bars and entertainment spaces in the Kabukicho red-light district of Shinjuku Ward next month.
SOD Land is the third business from adult video (AV) label Soft On Demand (SOD) to be staffed by actresses in the trade. Yoshiaki Nomoto, the director of SOD, tells Tokyo Sports (Sept. 19) that he planned the Kabukicho establishment before the onset of the pandemic.
“Kabukicho really took care of me when I was a college student,” he says. “So when I found the building, I decided to take on the challenge immediately.”
“Space of dreams”
Set to open on October 10, SOD Land features four floors and a basement, with each including a different theme.
The basement features a standing bar staffed by AV actresses who have recently made their debut. On the flip side, veteran actresses will serve drinks on the third floor at SOD Syain Bar Kabukicho, which is described as a “space of dreams” by SOD.
The second floor features women in the fuzoku (commercial sex) industry. Two floors above is the Silent Bar, where AV actresses clad in bikinis can be viewed by customers at a counter — who are prohibited from speaking — through a one-way mirror.
The first floor has a gift shop stocked with SOD DVDs, a photograph booth and toy machines.
Contending with coronavirus
In 2018, SOD made its initial foray into drinking establishments in Akihabara with Joshi Shain Sakaba, which also features AV actresses. A similar bar opened in Nakano Ward the following year.
However, neither of SOD Land’s predecessors had to contend with a pandemic upon their launches. At SOD Land, customers must wear masks, have their temperatures taken and utilize social distancing.
As well, the establishment reportedly spent lavishingly on a so-called “Three Defenses” system, which includes the use of an alcohol-free disinfectant, ultraviolet rays targeting the upper halves of the rooms and the latest in air conditioning technology.
“In the end, I want everyone to watch AV,” says Nomoto. “The goal of this place is to get them home with a half-bulge in their pants.”