When Tadafumi Yoshizato was in junior high school, his friends hocked his watch so they could go to Osaka's Tobita Shinchi district to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh. Now, Yoshizato, a 61-year-old illustrator, goes to enjoy pleasures of a more nostalgic nature.
Although yukaku (brothels) theoretically were banned by the Antiprostitution Law in 1958, some are officially registered as restaurants, and the red light side of Tobita is still flickering.
As a young man, Yoshizato said, he was attracted by the pink lights illuminating the yukaku, which set them apart from the surrounding neighborhoods.