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Pink Box: Inside Japan's Sex Clubs
In Pink Box, photographer Joan Sinclair takes us on a journey inside the secret world of fuzoku (commercial sex) in Japan, a world where kawaii (cute) collides with consumerism and sex.
Unrivaled in their creativity and the sheer number of choices, the clubs featured in this book offer their clientele every fantasy imaginable. Subway groping, visits to the nurse's office, and comic book character encounters are just the beginning of the immense list of possibilities that are played out in colorful playrooms for adults where no detail is overlooked. Sinclair's photographs capture it all, while an introduction by sociologist James Farrer provides a brief history of commercial sex in Japan and places the images in the context of contemporary Japanese culture.
Unrivaled in their creativity and the sheer number of choices, the clubs featured in this book offer their clientele every fantasy imaginable. Subway groping, visits to the nurse's office, and comic book character encounters are just the beginning of the immense list of possibilities that are played out in colorful playrooms for adults where no detail is overlooked. Sinclair's photographs capture it all, while an introduction by sociologist James Farrer provides a brief history of commercial sex in Japan and places the images in the context of contemporary Japanese culture.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
June 5, 2023
Young women working in sex clubs are photographed and interviewed. They reveal their motivation for working in the sex industry and who they cater to in differing 'thematic' clubs that many older men frequent as a way to try to reestablish their masculinity. WARNING: some photos are very graphic - not for everyone.
April 27, 2016
"I think men are universally perverted; it's just that in Japan we do something about it."
"I fall in love for forty minutes and then go home..."
-sex club customers quoted in "Pink Box..."
This unique book, wrapped in a pink translucent vinyl dustjacket, is probably the closest that most foreigners will ever get to most of the action in Tokyo's carnivalesque, but very closed, sexual commercial enterprises. That's because, as the book explains, the ritualized aspects of the fantasies that play out in these multifarious clubs follow rules that foreigners do not understand, or want to. The book is mostly a photo essay book, and it's really quite something to see. Photographer Joan Sinclair had to do a lot of legwork and endure some door slamming before she could gain access to this privileged world, unseen by outsiders. There is nudity and some softcore imagery here, but most of the images are posed, ritualized, playful, colorful and even charming. Prostitution is illegal in Japan, and yet the rules are flouted by every imaginable loophole; the redlight district of Tokyo is in your face and neon-lit brighter than the flashing signs that led Elmer Fudd to Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. The book begins with a basic overview of the history of commercialized sex in Japan before and especially after World War II, and then explains the various kinds of clubs, hosts and clientele. Even the relatively plain offices of the club owners shown in the book or just sex information booths or the pennyplain "telephone clubs" where men await calls from bored women looking for sex are evocative looking -- the Japanese have a hellaciously interesting concept of the use of interior space and color. I can't resist mentioning also that the women in this book are gorgeous. This is a world one might understandably be curious about flying off to Japan to explore, and yet, not only are foreign men excluded in most cases because of the misunderstanding of the rituals and the language barrier, but also because of the fears of imported AIDS and even the perceived larger penis sizes of foreign men. Also discussed are clubs that cater to women (host clubs, where young men drum up women clientele). There are also men who service other men, and host and hostess clubs where sex workers service one another, in a sort of interesting form of camaraderie.
There is much to ponder in the nature of some of the clubs: a "doll club" where men pay just as much for sex with a lifelike doll as they would with a real woman (the "special inserts" are cleaned well, we trust); and the "pervert trains", realistic subway-type train cars simulating the movement and sounds of a commuter train and populated with young women dressed as schoolgirls holding the straps and rails as the clients grope them. There are places where men can have their way with women dressed as manga and anime superheroes, who in the comics are usually young teenagers.
And there are the "pantyless coffeehouses." This is another reason I find it a waste of time to go to Starbucks.
"I fall in love for forty minutes and then go home..."
-sex club customers quoted in "Pink Box..."
This unique book, wrapped in a pink translucent vinyl dustjacket, is probably the closest that most foreigners will ever get to most of the action in Tokyo's carnivalesque, but very closed, sexual commercial enterprises. That's because, as the book explains, the ritualized aspects of the fantasies that play out in these multifarious clubs follow rules that foreigners do not understand, or want to. The book is mostly a photo essay book, and it's really quite something to see. Photographer Joan Sinclair had to do a lot of legwork and endure some door slamming before she could gain access to this privileged world, unseen by outsiders. There is nudity and some softcore imagery here, but most of the images are posed, ritualized, playful, colorful and even charming. Prostitution is illegal in Japan, and yet the rules are flouted by every imaginable loophole; the redlight district of Tokyo is in your face and neon-lit brighter than the flashing signs that led Elmer Fudd to Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole. The book begins with a basic overview of the history of commercialized sex in Japan before and especially after World War II, and then explains the various kinds of clubs, hosts and clientele. Even the relatively plain offices of the club owners shown in the book or just sex information booths or the pennyplain "telephone clubs" where men await calls from bored women looking for sex are evocative looking -- the Japanese have a hellaciously interesting concept of the use of interior space and color. I can't resist mentioning also that the women in this book are gorgeous. This is a world one might understandably be curious about flying off to Japan to explore, and yet, not only are foreign men excluded in most cases because of the misunderstanding of the rituals and the language barrier, but also because of the fears of imported AIDS and even the perceived larger penis sizes of foreign men. Also discussed are clubs that cater to women (host clubs, where young men drum up women clientele). There are also men who service other men, and host and hostess clubs where sex workers service one another, in a sort of interesting form of camaraderie.
There is much to ponder in the nature of some of the clubs: a "doll club" where men pay just as much for sex with a lifelike doll as they would with a real woman (the "special inserts" are cleaned well, we trust); and the "pervert trains", realistic subway-type train cars simulating the movement and sounds of a commuter train and populated with young women dressed as schoolgirls holding the straps and rails as the clients grope them. There are places where men can have their way with women dressed as manga and anime superheroes, who in the comics are usually young teenagers.
And there are the "pantyless coffeehouses." This is another reason I find it a waste of time to go to Starbucks.
August 18, 2009
I don't know whether to laugh or be upset with the content of this book.
At times the artificially exaggerated 'innocence' of the prostitution and porn industries seems just too weird to be true.
The photo-journalism documentation tries not to judge this type of commerce, but in the end its very structured codes of conduct means only one thing - it is a deeply entrenched part of the social fabric of Japan.
At times the artificially exaggerated 'innocence' of the prostitution and porn industries seems just too weird to be true.
The photo-journalism documentation tries not to judge this type of commerce, but in the end its very structured codes of conduct means only one thing - it is a deeply entrenched part of the social fabric of Japan.
June 4, 2016
I think it is safe to say that no one does "Excess" the way it is done in Japan. It is almost as if the culture, with a history of self-repression, occasionally blows a valve to let off steam ... and that "letting off steam" may very well become a new facet of the culture.
The writer / photographer, Joan Sinclair, has accomplished something amazing. Although the commercial sex industry was the number 2 profit center at the time of this book's creation (with automobile manufacturing coming in at number 1), it is notoriously isolated from foreigners. When I visited Japan, I was told that it was virtually impossible for a foreigner to set foot inside a Japanese sex club for two reasons: many of the workers did not like being with foreigners, and foreigners did not know or follow the house rules (causing many problems). Exceptions were occasionally made if the foreigner had a Japanese escort, and agreed to pay a "foreigner surcharge" in addition to the other fees.
So, it was with considerable curiosity that I approached this book. Not only was the creator admitted inside (under strictly controlled circumstances), but she was also allowed to photograph employees and customers. (Those seeking scenes of intense graphic titilation should look elsewhere. There is nudity, but the pictures rarely depict the actual services in progress.)
It is jaw-dropping how the commercial sex industry operates in Japan. Certain acts are illegal in some places, but not in others. Some offer a checklist that allows the customer to select what services are desired (and paid for in advance), much as I might order sushi. And at the end of the book is a Pink Dictionary, describing a huge selection of services that cover virtually any conceivable act and situation.
This will sound very strange, but I mean it in all sincerity, when I say this is a beautiful book. Whether or not the reader approves of what is depicted is a matter of taste and moral tolerance. Yet, I would think that any reader would have cultural horizons broadened and will reflect on what was learned for some time afterward.
The writer / photographer, Joan Sinclair, has accomplished something amazing. Although the commercial sex industry was the number 2 profit center at the time of this book's creation (with automobile manufacturing coming in at number 1), it is notoriously isolated from foreigners. When I visited Japan, I was told that it was virtually impossible for a foreigner to set foot inside a Japanese sex club for two reasons: many of the workers did not like being with foreigners, and foreigners did not know or follow the house rules (causing many problems). Exceptions were occasionally made if the foreigner had a Japanese escort, and agreed to pay a "foreigner surcharge" in addition to the other fees.
So, it was with considerable curiosity that I approached this book. Not only was the creator admitted inside (under strictly controlled circumstances), but she was also allowed to photograph employees and customers. (Those seeking scenes of intense graphic titilation should look elsewhere. There is nudity, but the pictures rarely depict the actual services in progress.)
It is jaw-dropping how the commercial sex industry operates in Japan. Certain acts are illegal in some places, but not in others. Some offer a checklist that allows the customer to select what services are desired (and paid for in advance), much as I might order sushi. And at the end of the book is a Pink Dictionary, describing a huge selection of services that cover virtually any conceivable act and situation.
This will sound very strange, but I mean it in all sincerity, when I say this is a beautiful book. Whether or not the reader approves of what is depicted is a matter of taste and moral tolerance. Yet, I would think that any reader would have cultural horizons broadened and will reflect on what was learned for some time afterward.
March 4, 2017
I love cities that are paradoxes. In the case of Japan it is an entire country. Prostitution is illegal in Japan, which is what makes their entire fuzoku industry immensely fascinating. Mainly because it is well structured, with lots of rules and specificity on respect and control of desire, and the array of different desire scenarios is dizzying. This is not like America's prostitution, where so many women are coerced and addicts doing things against their will or better more clear judgement. I'm not saying that the fuzoku doesn't have problems because it does, it's just more complicated. Joan Sinclair was given very rare access to this world in the mid 2000s. This world in its bizarre way is a glimpse on sexual capitalism, since Japan probably more than any country is obsessed with consumerism. This is why in this book you will find picture after picture, sign after sign catering to some niche need. You demand and Japan supplies. This is made very clear in Pink Box.
January 6, 2018
Very colorful and lots of visuals.
July 5, 2016
I wasn't surprised by most of what is contained in this book, but I very much enjoyed it for the beautiful and fascinating photographs.
July 11, 2013
Absolutely beautiful photography! I love the glimpses into the sex clubs of Japan.
January 3, 2020
Fascinating photo book that does what it says on the tin. Sinclair spent over a year trying to get access to the clubs and permission to take pics, which was hard enough being both a gaijin and a woman. That’s also why there aren’t all that many clubs covered, but she manages to capture the sheer variety of the types of clubs available, what’s allowed and what’s not. Certainly not for everyone – even people fascinated with Japanese pop culture may not care for it – but it's more educational than titillating, if that helps at all. And the photography is great.
NOTE: It's not a travel guide.
NOTE: It's not a travel guide.
January 26, 2020
What to expect from Japan's "Red Light" district! This book goes into detail about the sex clubs and fetish clubs found in Japan without getting too sexually explicit. It even gives you a few pointers on how to handle the clubs to chance to visit. Sinclair tells what to do and not to do to make the trip to the Red Light District enjoyable. If you ever make the trip to Japan and want to check out the sex clubs, make sure you read this first to avoid surprises later. Even thought I have read the entire book, I'm reading it again.
May 6, 2011
I got this book for two reasons - I've been into Japanese culture since I was 14 and I'm into photography. In this book western photographer Joan Sinclair got a rare look at Japan's sex clubs to which foreigners are usually forbidden access. The book is organized into a a section of text describing a certain type of Pink Box club and then a series of photos illustrating. While this book obviously contains nudity it does not contain any sex.
The contrast to what we do in the West is pretty stark. While some of these clubs are just whore houses, the vast majority are not. There are clubs where you pay just to snuggle with a woman. Or clubs where you pay just to be able to grab a girl's butt on an exact replica of the subway train. There are clubs where people dress up as anime characters. And these clubs are pretty strict on the rules that they are not for sex.
It's very eye opening to see how another culture views their norms of sexuality and what they expect of their sexual services. There's also a brief intro that compares and contrasts it to the legality of the prostitution and strip clubs in the USA.
The contrast to what we do in the West is pretty stark. While some of these clubs are just whore houses, the vast majority are not. There are clubs where you pay just to snuggle with a woman. Or clubs where you pay just to be able to grab a girl's butt on an exact replica of the subway train. There are clubs where people dress up as anime characters. And these clubs are pretty strict on the rules that they are not for sex.
It's very eye opening to see how another culture views their norms of sexuality and what they expect of their sexual services. There's also a brief intro that compares and contrasts it to the legality of the prostitution and strip clubs in the USA.
July 15, 2012
This is a quick read (there isn't a lot of reading anyway-90% of this book is made up of the photographs that Joan Sinclair took) if you want some information about Japan Sex Clubs. I just wish there was more information in the book about the different types of clubs.
I also like how Joan Sinclair says this at the end of the book:..."All I ask is that viewers not assume that this profession is inherently degrading. It's more complicated than that. These women are not powerless, they are not on drugs. They have made conscious choices; they have their own dignity".
I think it's important that people realize that sex workers are people too. There's a lot to someone other than their jobs.
I also like how Joan Sinclair says this at the end of the book:..."All I ask is that viewers not assume that this profession is inherently degrading. It's more complicated than that. These women are not powerless, they are not on drugs. They have made conscious choices; they have their own dignity".
I think it's important that people realize that sex workers are people too. There's a lot to someone other than their jobs.
March 5, 2008
I have often thought that it would be great to be Japanese; you could do practically anything you wished to do and people would just shake their heads and say: "Ah, but he's Japanese. They're crazy, its their oppressive society that does it" or words to that effect. I believe that this book should be sufficient proof of the value of my sentiment. Where else would sufficient people want to have kinky sex in an S&M themed room that it would be economically feasible to offer such a place. Or get into tiny tiled tubs filled with weird green gel with a few chubby Japanese schoolgirls? Photos of all these (and more) bizarre delights are provided in this amusing book.
October 1, 2013
I've read a lot about the Japanese sex trade in fiction; it sounded too wild and accessible to be true. But no. . . this is almost like The Ignorant Gaijin's Illustrated Guide To Ryu Murakami's "In The Miso Soup." I loved the photographer's take on these businesses and their employees, and while I'm possibly even more fascinated and curious than I was before, some of my curiosity is certainly sated. . . in a way. ^_^
December 26, 2015
The description of this book intrigued me enough to buy it and I was not disappointed. The photos are vivid, the details included are fascinated and I was relieved to read at the end that these girls are not forced into sex work. The author asks for them and their work to be respected. I would greatly like to read another book that has more details about sex work in Japan, but for a beginners read the photographs are spectacular. Highly recommend.
February 27, 2016
Japan has a much different attitude towards sex that does the United States, and there are various hotels and clubs in Japan where a person can have sex with a girlfriend, or with a paid partner. This book contains lots of photographs of such clubs, and the photos are definitely for a mature audience only. The book is quite interesting on various levels.
August 20, 2014
I thought this was going to be a indepth study of Japan's "water" industry or an intricate look at least. It wasn't very intricate, but it was full of photographs!! Not exactly the book you would leave on the coffee table at home though................
April 3, 2010
I bought this book for a friend and wound up enjoying it myself. No, not like that...it was the logistics of the clubs that I found interesting. Everything is very proscribed. You're there to do what you do, but don't step off the path or you're out.
May 5, 2010
Pink Box is basically a coffee table book with tons of photographs of Japanese Sex Clubs. There are few books that delve into this topic, and I find this to be one of the best. There is a lot of interesting stuff in here, to be sure.
November 30, 2011
Fascinating. We (men) might think it, but the Japanese do it. Not saying it's right or wrong, but it feels more like a science fiction book than the explicit pictorial documentary that it is. Worth getting than not.
June 20, 2008
The photos are insane. You know you're curious...
November 23, 2010
Far, far more than just the table-book that so many think it to be. Quite an achievement of photo journalism.
November 26, 2013
Well, now I want to go to Japan.
January 30, 2021
My displeasure with this book is less the book's fault than a it is a result of my own misplaced expectations. I thought it was a journal with first-hand accounts in the "trade' in Japan, from the girls or the author's observations and second hand accounts. Instead, it is largely a PHOTO journal, the sort that you can not walk around with in public, and a bit of a how-to in navigating the trade as a consumer. It was definitely not what I wanted.
January 9, 2023
The photography is wonderful, the blurbs are informative but it's outdated. Granted it's a bit of an "older" book but I still loved reading and looking at the pages. Good for others with an obsession with different sex industries.
February 13, 2021
Fascinating picture book about an unusual aspect of the sex industry in Japan that most foreigners will never know or experience.
November 27, 2022
japan- what a place. I want to know more 😅 do these things still exist?
January 18, 2024
Tulipahan luettua! Mielenkiintoista menoa Japanissa, herätti uteliaisuuden saada selville, mitä seksiklubeille on mahdollisesti tapahtunut teknologian kehittyessä.
October 29, 2014
I had always found this pictorial book extremely fascinating. We used to sell it at the bookstore where I worked, but had to keep it behind the counter for obvious reasons (ah, the curious young minds mostly male in origin...*s*). So I never got to look though it and appreciate the context of the work. I came across it again a few months ago, put it on my wish list and purchased it.
While the subject might be salacious in nature, it is ambiguously sexual. Meaning- yes, it is explicit, but not pornographic per se. It is definitely artistic in nature, and captures a side many do not see. It also reminded me, particularly when discussing the host clubs, of the documentary I saw last year on Netflix, 'The Great Happiness Space', which touched on this industry a small bit. Many choose to do it because they can, some do it because they have no choice but some just see it as a job, and that's all.
Fascinating look at this seldom seen (inside) side of Japanese culture.
While the subject might be salacious in nature, it is ambiguously sexual. Meaning- yes, it is explicit, but not pornographic per se. It is definitely artistic in nature, and captures a side many do not see. It also reminded me, particularly when discussing the host clubs, of the documentary I saw last year on Netflix, 'The Great Happiness Space', which touched on this industry a small bit. Many choose to do it because they can, some do it because they have no choice but some just see it as a job, and that's all.
Fascinating look at this seldom seen (inside) side of Japanese culture.
October 4, 2007
I dunno, somehow this book just gets me going. It's like - here close your eyes and imagine if you could fill one room with your fantasy. What would be in there? And then you turn the pages and can see what japanese men came up with on their own free time. It's not porn though. It's more focused on the props, the costumes and the colors than on what happens between the people.
Maybe that's why it's fun and not disturbing.
Plus, the photographer is a woman left her husband home in america while she took off to infiltrate love hotels and make friends with the ladies who worked in them.
Maybe that's why it's fun and not disturbing.
Plus, the photographer is a woman left her husband home in america while she took off to infiltrate love hotels and make friends with the ladies who worked in them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews