"Slim girls at Omiya soaplands" (soapland = Japan's full-service bathhouse format) — I figure some of you hear that and immediately get it, and some of you don't.
At 42, I'm still out on the floor in this world, so I'll put this together from a real, on-the-ground point of view.
Why This Topic Matters
Information about fuzoku is surprisingly poorly organized. Beginners especially tend to end up not even knowing where to start looking.
ElonI first went to a Yoshiwara soapland at 25 — back before I had the pearls put in. These days, the reaction when I go in with the pearls is one of the fun parts. The chats with a girl who asks "What is this?" turn out to be surprisingly enjoyable.
What That Actually Means
In a word: "whether you know it or not changes the quality of the experience."
ElonI don't aim to conquer every soapland in the country, but I've hit the "signature" soaplands in each region. My takeaway: "service quality and cleanliness don't track each other." There are dirt-cheap shops with downright divine service.
What I've written here is the essence of the knowledge I built up over 20 years.
Finally
Elon42, single, living alone. When nearly your whole paycheck disappears into fuzoku, you naturally develop an "eye" for it. That's not a brag and it's not a regret — I'm just putting it down as a plain fact.
If you've got questions on this topic, hit me in the comments or on social. And check out First Class Ruby while you're at it.