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38-532: Their territories mainly consist of upscale districts such as Kabukichō and Ginza . Shops operating in these territories are often part of protection rackets in which they must pay a fee called a mikajime-ryō ( みかじめ料 ) . The Sumiyoshi-kai is a confederation of smaller gangs. Structurally, the Sumiyoshi-kai differs from its main rival, the Yamaguchi-gumi . The Sumiyoshi-kai, as a federation, has

76-753: A crackdown that began in May; in July, there were only 45 reported cases of bottakuri and 28 bars had been shut down. In 2007, local businessman Takeshi Aida founded the Shinjuku Kabukicho Host Club Anti-Organized Crime Gang Association to disassociate host and hostess clubs from organized crime , reduce the aggressive "catching" street solicitations, and eliminate the bottakuri practice. The Shinjuku City Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools. Kabuki-cho 2-chome and

114-407: A crime for businesses or individuals to deal with the yakuza. Although the punishment for violating the ordinance ranges up to one year in prison and a fine of ¥50,000 , it is intended to provide an excuse for refusing to make protection payments. Bottakuri is a form of bait-and-switch , where patrons are attracted by a low advertised price but then charged numerous hidden fees. In one instance,

152-493: A district of Kabukicho within Shinjuku , a special ward of Tokyo , Japan . It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys , connected by even narrower passageways which are about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries are squeezed into this area. The alleys are private roads , not public roads. In this area, shooting photographs and video for all purposes on

190-637: A fast food restaurant (Wimpy until the mid 1990s, Mos Burger afterwards; closed in 2011) and a casino. Its last day of operation was December 31, 2014, closing after a screening of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial . A 225 m (738 ft) high skyscraper called the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower (which is being developed by the former owners of the Tokyu Milano) is built and was opened on 14 April 2023. In 2004, according to

228-465: A girls' school was built there, and the surroundings were developed into a residential area. Prior to World War II , the district was one of the areas open to non-mainland property owners (primarily from the colonies in Taiwan and Korea ), who mainly operated tsurekomi yado , predecessors to today's love hotels . During the war, a bombing raid on April 13, 1945, razed the area to the ground. After

266-417: A group of nine was lured into a bar under the promise the all-inclusive cost was ¥4,000 ; the hostesses inside consumed 172 drinks and the final bill was ¥2,663,000 . The staff at the bar allegedly threatened the patrons to ensure payment. In 2015, there were 1,052 reported cases of bottakuri in the first four months of the year alone, particularly targeting foreign tourists from China and Korea, prompting

304-402: A high concentration of host and hostess clubs , love hotels , shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the "Sleepless Town" ( 眠らない街 , Nemuranai Machi , pronounced [nemɯɾanai matɕiꜜ] ). Shinjuku Golden Gai , famous for its plethora of small bars, is part of Kabukichō. The district's name comes from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater, and although

342-507: A joint effort in July 2003, called the Shinjuku Shopping Center Committee to Expel Organized-Crime Groups, with the aim to replace unlicensed and adult-oriented businesses (which were believed to pay protection fees to organized crime groups) with legitimate businesses. In 2004, the police undertook an operation clamping down on illegal clubs and brothels , causing many to go out of business. An amendment to

380-548: A looser chain of command and while there is a chairman, some power is delegated to affiliate clan leaders. The group has a complex history, with numerous name changes along the way. It was founded in 1958 as the Minato-kai (港会) by Shigesaku Abe who was the 3rd sōchō ( 総長 , "Supreme Leader") of the Sumiyoshi-ikka . Yoshimitsu Sekigami , who was the 4th sōchō of Sumiyoshi-ikka, renamed it to Sumiyoshi-kai. It

418-631: A modest ¥200 , documented the citizens of Kabukichō during this transition period in the 1960s and 1970s. His portraits of Kabukichō residents received critical attention and praise from fellow photographers,and are today exhibited in museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art . In 1971, Takeshi Aida  [ ja ] , a former mattress salesman, opened "Club Ai", the first host club in Kabukichō; at its peak, Aida's company reported ¥2.7  billion in annual revenue. By 1999,

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456-401: A portion of Kabuki-cho 1-chome is zoned to Ōkubo Elementary School (大久保小学校) and Shinjuku Junior High School ( 新宿中学校 ). Another portion of Kabuki-cho 1-chome is zoned to Hanazono Elementary School (花園小学校) and Yotsuya Junior High School (四谷中学校). Kabukichō has been featured in: Shinjuku Golden Gai Shinjuku Golden Gai ( Japanese : 新宿ゴールデン街 , Hepburn : Shinjuku gōruden-gai ) is

494-553: A spokesperson of Metropolitan Tokyo, there were more than 1,000 yakuza in Kabukichō, and 120 different enterprises under their control. Entering the new millennium, laws were more strictly enforced and patrols became more frequent. In addition, fifty closed-circuit cameras were installed in May 2002 after the Myojo 56 building fire that killed 44; the patrols and cameras reduced criminal activities in Kabukichō, amidst controversy. Private citizens and government agencies launched

532-480: Is well known as a meeting place for musicians, artists, directors, writers, academics and actors, including many celebrities. Many of the bars only welcome regular customers, who initially should be introduced by an existing patron, although many others welcome non-regulars, some even making efforts to attract overseas tourists by displaying signs and price lists in English . Some bartenders are foreign . Many of

570-648: The 1948 Adult Entertainment law made aggressive catching of female patrons by male hosts illegal. Also, the Kabukichō Renaissance organization started in April 2008 to rid Kabukichō of the yakuza; office manager Yoshihisa Shimoda stated "[a]t the end of the day, we want Kabukicho to be clean. We want security, safety and a pleasant environment." In 2011, Tokyo began to enforce the Organised Crime Exclusion Ordinance, which makes it

608-734: The Kokusui-kai, was discovered in his home in Tokyo, police said. A gun was found by his side, suspected to be a suicide, raising tensions between the Sumiyoshi-kai and the Yamaguchi-gumi . In September of 2017, Sumiyoshi-kai sosai , or chairman, Shigeo Nishiguchi died of natural causes at the age of 88. In April 2020, a report from the National Police Agency shows that the total number of members of organized crime gangs fell to historical lows, having just 2,800 members and 1,700 associated members. On May 31, 2022, Isao Seki ,

646-625: The Toho Shinjuku Building was completed there in 2014, including the 12-screen Toho Cinemas Shinjuku theatre and the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. A "life-size" replica of Godzilla (from the neck up) was added to an outdoor terrace in 2015; it has since become a local landmark. The Tokyu Milano-za movie theater, just west of Cinecity Square, was the largest in Japan when it opened in 1956. The cinema showed many of

684-601: The affiliated Nishida-gumi, was gunned down in Ōizumi, Gunma . Police stated that they were probing for possible links between the murder and a series of shootings between the Sumiyoshi-kai and the Yamaguchi-gumi in neighboring Tochigi Prefecture . On the morning of Monday, 5 January 2007, boss Ryoichi Sugiura was shot in his car in Tokyo . Within hours the offices of the Yamaguchi-gumi were fired upon in retribution. The following month, 70-year-old Kazuyoshi Kudo, head of

722-466: The alleys are dimly lit, giving the area a very scruffy and run-down appearance. However, Golden Gai is not a cheap place to drink, and the clientele that it attracts are generally well off. Shinjuku Golden Street Theatre is a tiny theater in one corner of Golden Gai that puts on mainly comedy shows. Bars in Golden Gai are known in particular for the artistic affinities of their patrons. Golden Gai

760-544: The area had been named "Asia's largest adult entertainment district", and tabloids were regularly running candid photographs of drunken Kabukichō patrons fighting and being arrested. However, starting in 2003, joint citizen and police patrols began enforcing business licensing, and the 1948 Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act was more strictly enforced as well starting in April 2004, forcing adult-themed businesses to start removing customers at midnight in preparation to close by 1 AM. Kabukichō leaders attributed

798-403: The bars have a particular theme, such as jazz , R&B , karaoke , punk rock , or flamenco , and their ramshackle walls are sometimes liberally plastered with movie, film and concert posters. Others cater to customers with a particular interest, such as go , exploitation films , or horse racing . Most of the bars don't open until 9:00 or 10:00   p.m., so the area is very quiet during

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836-404: The change in enforcement to Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara and the Tokyo bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics . Today, the 36 ha (89 acres; 0.14 sq mi) Kabukichō district has all the hallmarks of a red-light district, with over three thousand bars, nightclubs, love hotels, massage parlours, and hostess clubs. However, there are no red lights in the literal sense with prostitutes in

874-428: The day and early evening. Golden Gai was known for prostitution before 1958, when prostitution became illegal. Since then it has developed as a drinking area, and at least some of the bars can trace their origins back to the 1960s. In the 1980s, many buildings in Tokyo were set on fire by yakuza , so the land could be bought up by developers, but Golden Gai survived because some of its supporters took turns to guard

912-406: The eighth leader of the Sumiyoshi-kai, died at the age of 76. Shūji Ogawa , who holds the position of kaicho , is the leader of the Sumiyoshi-kai at the time of Isao Seki's funeral. Kabukich%C5%8D, Tokyo Kabukichō ( Japanese : 歌舞伎町 , pronounced [kabɯki̥ tɕoː] ) is an entertainment district in Shinjuku , Tokyo , Japan. Kabukichō is considered a red-light district with

950-452: The extremely narrow lanes and the tiny two-story buildings. Nowadays, most of the surrounding area has been redeveloped: The street plans have been changed to create much wider roads and larger building plots, and most of the buildings themselves are now much larger high- or medium- rise developments. This has left Golden Gai as one of a decreasing number of examples of the nature of Tokyo before Japan's " economic miracle ", that took place in

988-518: The final bill well beyond the initial advertised prices. Kabukicho is generally bounded by: The red Kabuki-chō Ichiban-gai ( 歌舞伎町一番街 ) gate, near the southwest corner along Yasukuni-Dōri, is often photographed as the main entrance to Kabukichō. Other major entrances, east of Ichibangai-Dōri along Yasukuni-Dōri, include Central Road ( セントラルロード , Sentoraru Rōdo ) , where the Kabukichō branch of Don Quijote is; and another neon-lit arch at Sakura-Dōri ( さくら通り ) . The Shinjuku Koma Theater

1026-596: The latest movies in Japan, including anime films. As well as a cinema, which had four screens at the time of closure, the Tokyu Milano-za complex also had a skate rink when it first opened which was converted into a bowling alley called the Milano Bowl a few years later, a Japanese restaurant (both the bowling alley and the Japanese restaurant closed alongside the cinema), a Chinese restaurant (closed in 2008),

1064-451: The latter half of the 20th century. Typically, the buildings are just a few feet wide and are built so close to the ones next door that they nearly touch. Most are two-story, having a small bar at street level and either another bar or a tiny flat upstairs, reached by a steep set of stairs. None of the bars are very large. Some are so small that they can fit only five or so customers at one time. The buildings are generally ramshackle, and

1102-595: The same year. Shigeo Nishiguchi , born in 1929, became the 6th sōchō of Sumiyoshi-ikka and kaicho of this group in February, 1991. At that time, it was again renamed the Sumiyoshi-kai. Chief Director Hareaki Fukuda , born in 1943, became kaicho , and Nishiguchi was promoted to sosai in June 1998. Fukuda became the 7th sōchō of the Sumiyoshi-ikka on April 17, 2005. On 19 April 2003, Takao Nishida, head of

1140-610: The street is prohibited without permission of the area's business promotion association. Golden Gai is a few minutes' walk from the East Exit of Shinjuku Station , between the Shinjuku City Office and the Hanazono Shrine . Its architectural importance is that it provides a view into the relatively recent past of Tokyo, when large parts of the city resembled present-day Golden Gai, particularly in terms of

1178-566: The theater was never built, the name stuck. The area has many movie theaters, and is located near Shinjuku Station , Seibu Shinjuku Station , and several other major railway and subway stations. Originally, the area was known as Tsunohazu ( 角筈 ) and was a swamp. After the Meiji Period , the area became a duck sanctuary. As the Yodobashi Purification Plant was built in 1893, the ponds were filled in. In 1920,

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1216-577: The war, Hideyuki Suzuki from the Association of Readjustment and Reconstruction of Shinjuku worked with the major landowner, Mohei Minejima to draw up plans for Kiku-za, a kabuki theatre, in the area; they believed that performers from the Kabuki-za theatre in Ginza would accept their invitation to perform at Kiku-za. As a result, Hideaki Ishikawa, a regional planner, dubbed the town Kabukichō, which

1254-641: The war, mainly due to the efforts of the overseas Chinese in Japan who bought land left unused after the expos and greatly developed them. The "three most renowned overseas Chinese of Kabukicho" include the founder of Humax , Lin Yi-wen , who started his business with a cabaret ; Lin Tsai-wang, who built the Fūrin Kaikan; and Lee Ho-chu, owner of the Tokyo Hotel Chinese restaurant . In 2002, it

1292-574: The windows as in Amsterdam . With increased tourism from China and South Korea, tourists can now be seen in Kabukichō even during daytime. After several large hotels opened in the district, the Kabukicho Concierge Association was formed to recommend businesses that would be safe for foreign patrons, as the area is notorious for the practice known as bottakuri , where some businesses add exorbitant hidden fees to bring

1330-458: Was a landmark in Kabukichō. By 2008, it had moved to its third location; since it opened in 1956, it has hosted concerts and other performances by top stars, including enka singers Saburō Kitajima , Kiyoshi Hikawa , and actor Ken Matsudaira . The management announced that they would close after the December 31, 2008 show, and the building was demolished in 2009. The site was redeveloped and

1368-479: Was adopted on April 1, 1948. Although the theatre was cancelled due to financial problems, the name remained. The Tokyu Cultural Hall  [ ja ] (to the south, in Shibuya), Tokyu Milano-za  [ ja ] movie theater, Tokyo Ice Skating Rink, and Shinjuku Koma Theater were all completed in 1956, cementing the area's reputation as an entertainment center. Kabukichō was quickly redeveloped after

1406-632: Was dissolved in 1965. In 1969, the group was rebuilt as a union, the Sumiyoshi-rengo , by Masao Hori , who was the 5th sōchō of Sumiyoshi-ikka. He remade it as the Sumiyoshi-rengokai (住吉連合会) in 1982, and Hori became kaicho (president). Chief Director Ryoji Kawaguchi assumed the role of kaicho , and Hori was promoted to sosai , or chairman, in 1988. Kawaguchi died of illness in May 1990, and Hori died of illness in October of

1444-459: Was estimated that 70% of the land in Kabukichō was owned by foreign-born Japanese residents and their descendants. The rise of home video entertainment decreased the demand for live performances and film theaters, and Kabukichō became home to a number of video arcades, discos, and fuzoku (businesses offering sexual services). Watanabe Katsumi  [ ja ] , a portrait photographer who took pictures and sold prints back to his subjects for

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