About Secret Japan

Last updated: September 30, 2026

Secret Japan has published English-language guides to Japan's nightlife and adult entertainment culture since 2019. The site exists because this part of Japanese life is large, legal in most of its forms, heavily regulated, and almost entirely undocumented in English. Visitors who arrive without context get overcharged, turned away, or worse. We write the explanations we wished existed.

Who we are

Secret Japan is written and edited by a small team based in Tokyo. Our editors are long-term residents who read Japanese and follow the domestic press, police announcements, and legal changes that shape the industry. We publish under the shared byline "Secret Japan" rather than individual names because several contributors work in or adjacent to the industry and prefer not to be identified. That choice does not change our standards, which are set out below.

How we research

Every guide starts from primary sources: the text of the relevant law, National Police Agency and Tokyo Metropolitan Police announcements, venue websites and price lists, and Japanese-language reporting from outlets that cover the industry. Where we cite figures, arrests, or legal changes, we link to the source in the article so readers can check it.

Venue information in our directory comes from the venue's own published materials, from visits, and from reader reports. We record whether a venue accepts non-Japanese customers and what languages staff speak because those two facts decide most visitors' evenings. Venues can change policy without notice, so we ask readers to treat listings as a starting point and to confirm before arriving.

What we will not do

We do not publish anything that facilitates illegal activity. We explain how the law works, where the legal lines fall, and how enforcement looks in practice, so that readers can make informed decisions and stay out of trouble. We do not accept payment for venue listings or reviews, we do not publish content involving minors, and we remove listings for venues credibly reported to be exploitative.

How guides are updated

Each article shows its publication date and its last update. Legal explainers are revised when the law or its enforcement changes. Venue guides are re-checked periodically and whenever a reader reports a change. If you find something out of date, tell us and we will verify and correct it.

Advertising

Secret Japan is supported by advertising. Ad units are labeled "Sponsored" and are served by a third-party network. Advertisers have no input into editorial content, and no article or listing is written, ranked, or altered in exchange for payment. Content that is itself promotional is marked as such.

Age and audience

This site is intended for adults aged 18 and over. It discusses legal adult entertainment in Japan as a cultural and practical subject. See our terms of service and privacy policy.

Contact

Corrections, tips, and venue updates are welcome through the contact form.