In 2024, French photographer François Prost embarked on a 3,000-kilometer (1,864-mile) road trip across Japan to document the country’s distinctive “love hotels.” These establishments, known for offering hourly rates and a sense of privacy, are commonly used by couples looking for a getaway in a country where space is limited. But what sets Japan’s love hotels apart is not just their function, but their bold, whimsical architecture.
Prost spent hours on Google Maps to plan his journey, but once on the road, he found that these eye-catching hotels were impossible to miss. Hotels with themes like spaceships, boats, and castles were scattered across the landscape. One particularly striking example is Hotel UFO in Chiba, which mimics the shape of a spaceship, while the Hotel Festa Qugiela in Okayama is designed to resemble a whale. These playful exteriors are often designed with privacy in mind, featuring minimal or even fake windows, separate entrances and exits, and self-service check-ins to prevent encounters between guests.
Love hotels began to emerge in the 1960s and 1970s, partly as a response to the legalization of prostitution in Japan in 1958. As brothels shut down, hotels took on the role of providing a private space for couples, particularly those living in small or shared spaces. While the function of love hotels has shifted somewhat, now offering leisure activities like karaoke and more amenities geared toward young couples, they still offer short-term stays and are seen as a way for people to maintain privacy.
The hotels’ quirky architecture became particularly popular during the 1970s, with themes ranging from European castles to tropical beach resorts, and even Arabian palaces. Hotel Love in Osaka, opened in 1968, is considered one of the first modern love hotels, and its design set a precedent for the colorful, whimsical facades that characterize many of these establishments.
While the architecture has evolved, the fundamental design goal remains the same: ensuring privacy. Many love hotels have designed features like one-way elevators and entrances and exits that are kept separate to ensure that guests don’t cross paths. This focus on privacy and discretion has made these establishments a staple of Japanese culture, especially in urban areas.
Prost’s photography series offers a lens into this unique architectural tradition, shedding light on the contrast between Japan’s conservative social norms and the country’s more liberal attitudes toward intimacy. Despite their kitschy appearances, Prost sees these buildings as a form of “modern vernacular” architecture, reflecting more about Japanese culture than the famous landmarks the country is known for.
Prost plans to publish these images in a book with the help of a Kickstarter campaign. His previous projects have similarly explored unconventional architecture, such as the strip clubs of the United States and nightclub facades in countries like France and Spain. For Prost, these projects are not just about documenting vice, but offering a glimpse into the culture that shapes these spaces.
Japan’s love hotels, with their unique and sometimes humorous designs, are an integral part of the country’s architecture, blending function with playful creativity, and reflecting the diverse ways people seek privacy and leisure.
