This may well be one of the cheapest love hotel in Japan — and almost certainly you cheapest option in central Tokyo.
For just 500 yen — roughly $5 — you can stay at the Hotel Frontier.
It’s located in Otsuka, which is on the Yamanote Line circular train line that defines the main central hubs of Tokyo. It’s near Ikebukuro, which is a large commercial area with many love hotels.
Alright, let’s be clear: you don’t get much for your cash. The ¥500 buys you just 15 minutes (advertised as “super short time,” available from 5 a.m. to midnight on a weekday), so you would have to get down to business pretty quickly. Perhaps it’s meant for people using the services of a sex worker who doesn’t provide full service, so you just need a room and a bed for a quick handjob or blowjob. You can also extend your time for a further 15 minutes for another ¥500.
Almost all love hotels have a short-stay option, which is usually an hour, 90 minutes, two hours, or a bit longer. The rates vary depending on the location and quality of hotel and room, since couples increasingly want to enjoy bathing and other amenities during their stays. A short stay is typically a few thousand yen.
We discovered the Frontier thanks to the following YouTube video, made by a 20-year-old student whose Black Ship channel is entirely her introduction to hotels and internet cafes.
The room you get for the “super short time” plan at the Hotel Frontier is, as expected, quite small, though not especially so for a cheap love hotel in Tokyo. The location of the wash basin right next to the bed makes things pretty cramped. The bath is pretty tiny and a couple would struggle to have a good time inside. Most importantly, there’s a bed and it’s clean and comfortable enough for getting things done.
